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I am writing to address the seemingly endless cycle of suffering and violence in Israel and Palestine. This subject is emotive for many, and some of the opinions expressed here may be difficult to read. The opinions expressed here are conveyed from a place of heartfelt compassion to all members of humanity, not intended as partisan or political. If any long-term peaceful solution is possible, then we must try to understand why humans act the way that they do, as nobody is born evil. This does not exonerate or offer cover for inhumane actions, but it can help provide the tools needed to move forward together to a brighter, harmonious future. Human beings are born with compassion and kindness, not with hatred in their hearts. Hatred is a learned condition born of, suffering, circumstance and manipulation. A human being who experiences love, compassion, kindness and opportunity will likely want to act in a similar way toward others. A human being who experiences hate, neglect, suffering and lack of opportunity is far less likely.
The current wave of violence in the Middle East has not emerged from a vacuum. Years of suffering, distrust and manipulation have eroded in many the capacity for compassion and empathy present at birth. This erosion can be gradual over many years of suffering, or short and sharp after being affected by a violent, inhumane action. It is impossible to say how each individual person will react when confronted by such powerful forces. As a crude summary I suggest four possible outcomes for each individual, who has lived through this cycle of violence: 1) Take advantage of their situation to manipulate others to commit inhumane actions.
2) Become consumed by hatred and choose willingly or are manipulated into committing inhumane actions.
3) Become overwhelmed with hopelessness and become powerless to prevent those who would commit inhumane actions.
4) Fight constantly to retain their compassion and strive to act with universal kindness, even if faced by seemingly impossible circumstances. Everybody feels their pain and suffering is valid. Everybody can justify their actions when motivated by fear of further suffering or a desire to exact revenge. This is human nature, and it is unavoidable to feel these emotions, but which of the above four outcomes you embrace is up to you. Hatred and anger are the easier paths to take, compassion and empathy are far harder, but infinitely more productive. Reacting with revenge and hatred in your heart, however justified or righteous it may seem, is short sighted and ultimately counter-productive. You need look no further than the American “war on terror” as a reaction to September 11 for proof of this point. Who is to blame? Who are the winners in this cycle of violence? The most damaged and weakest of us all. The selfish, the most radical, most oppressive, most zealous, most manipulative, most hate filled. Division between human beings is artificial and manufactured by these people. They should not be feared, but exposed, and pitied. Who are the losers? Everybody else. The innocent, the kind-hearted, the compassionate, the empathetic. Think about it. Really stop to think about it. You are an American citizen, you work to earn money. Some of your money is taken by the government via taxation. Your government donates around $235million per year to the Palestinian people in the form of humanitarian aid. This money is funded by your taxation and is therefore your money. If you feel inclined, your compassion may move you to donate directly to the people of Palestine. This money is used to rebuild cities and lives after violence frequently erupts with Israel. Your government also donates $3.8billion per year to Israel, mainly in the form of military aid. This money is used to purchase weapons from US companies manufacturing weaponry. This weaponry is then used to both defend but also attack the same Palestinian cities and lives that you are also aiming to help through your direct and indirect donations. Even If you can ignore the enormous discrepancy in these figures, and remove any feelings toward one “side or another”, simply recognize the ludicrous nature of this situation and ask who is really benefitting. It is not Palestinian people living in Apartheid conditions and amid perpetual fear of devastating, indiscriminate air strikes. It is not Israeli people living under an Iron dome in fear of indiscriminate rocket attacks or now massacre via AK47s. So who is it? Jim Taiclet, CEO of Lockheed Martin earns $25million per year. Phebe Novakovic of General Dynamics earns $23.5million per year David Calhoun of Boeing earns $21.1million per year Gregory Hayes of Raytheon earns $21.8 million per year Kathy Warden of Northrop Grumman earns $19.9 million per year
Each individual human being listed here, earns almost 10% of the total figure donated by the US as humanitarian aid to help the 5 million human beings in Palestine. These companies, and their CEOs, are also heavily subsidized by your money, with between 50% and 85% of their revenue received from government contracts. Who makes the decisions that allow this situation to continue? In 2020, 51 members of Congress and their spouses owned stock in one of these major defense contractors At least 25 of these members (from both parties) sat on committees that shape national security policy, the majority on the House and Senate Armed Services Committees – meaning they are directly responsible for the budget and oversight of the Department of Defense.
How can you affect real change as an American citizen? 1) Talk not of Palestinian or Israeli casualties, but human casualties.
2) Take notice of powerful people using dehumanizing language to justify their inhumane actions.
3) Do not post a flag on your feed and go back to the comfort and safety of your own life.
4) Stop “picking sides” and arguing with random strangers from the safety of your keyboard. This is not a football match, this is human suffering on a massive scale.
5) Aim your attention at those that profit from the continuation of a status quo built upon immeasurable human suffering.
6) Understand when you are being manipulated and why.
7) Demand your government work tirelessly to create an equitable, peaceful solution for all innocent people involved.
8) Approach every action and interaction with compassion, empathy and respect.
9) Strive to work toward a future of human collaboration and not contest. Value Human lives over share price For full post, with images, please visit @patrickwattsbooks on Instagram.
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