On March 11 2012, I sent this message home. Re-reading it three months later, it stirs up troubling memories. In the hope it can galvanize us to push for much needed change, I am passing it along for those who may have missed it earlier.
My dear Friends,
In the past two days we have seen repeated vicious air strikes by the
Israeli military. Fighter jets broke the calm with horrific noise
resulting in 12 deaths. One such attack came very close to my hotel
causing the building to shake as if we were in an earthquake. Thank God I
and the people I have met, are all OK.
Aside from the immediate profound suffering this military strike has
caused, I find it especially worrying that the people have over the
years become habituated to this type of catastrophic bombing. I am jumpy
and find myself reacting to ambient noises, whereas the repeated
message I hear - said in an oddly calm and removed voice is " this is
normal in Gaza". A kind of acceptance of the inevitability of this
extreme violence is very troubling.
The other outrage, is that our Harper Government is at least partly
to blame for this deadly assault. Harper and Company's completely
uncritical support of Israeli policy emboldens them to act above the
law with total disregard for life. Standing "shoulder to shoulder" with
the Netanyahu administration gives tacit support for the misery I am
witnessing all around me. This is one message I feel we must convey, as
it is lost in all the hyperbole about "security, terrorists, Middle
East's only democracy, world's most ethical army, etc."
I am essentially well. May the same be with you.
In Peace, Max
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