Frontpage of Reuters right now (26 Sep 2024)

and the fact that even slight criticism of kamala, the public servant we’re expected to elect as the PRESIDENT of our COUNTRY as the PROGRESSIVE option, is seen as immediate unwavering support of trump….. yall cannot actually be this stupid, i don’t want to believe i

part of what makes tragedies tragic is the story being preventable from the outside but unpreventable from the inside

If they had done things differently they could have been happy, but to do things differently would require them to be someone else.

jily coded

when you look back on atrocities in our history, all the genocides, and think "how did people let this happen?" and then you see israel bomb a children's hospital with white phosphorus and wipe entire family trees from existence and level entire residential neighborhoods in seconds but it's those of us saying palestinians are human beings that get threatened with losing our livelihoods and you're like, oh yeah. like this.

humanity is a failure and some global catastrophe wiping us all out would be a mercy.

Do NOT!!! EVER!!! TAKE THE ECO-FASCIST WAY OUT OF THIS.

HUMANITY IS NOT THE FUCKING PROBLEM.

HUMANITY IS NOT THE PROBLEM.

Saying shit like this makes it easier for victims to remain victims, and violence to occur because you've resigned yourself to it. Thatis EXACTLY what the colonizers want. That is EXACTLY what causes these things to happen.

OP, this is a VERY slippery slope to even more racism and genocide and you better take this back and learn something right the fuck now.

y'all keep reminding me why i only use tumblr for my fanfiction readers and nothing else. y'all don't know how to act like people on this app

when you look back on atrocities in our history, all the genocides, and think "how did people let this happen?" and then you see israel bomb a children's hospital with white phosphorus and wipe entire family trees from existence and level entire residential neighborhoods in seconds but it's those of us saying palestinians are human beings that get threatened with losing our livelihoods and you're like, oh yeah. like this.

humanity is a failure and some global catastrophe wiping us all out would be a mercy.

tbvh? fuck the losers in the reblogs and replies ignoring the point of the post and going on about "fuck ecofacists" bitch fuck YOU. i'm not an ecofacist. i posted in a moment of extreme grief and rage watching unconscionable atrocities be committed against an occupied population while the entire fucking world demonized them and prayed for their occupiers instead. sorry my heart hurt. y'all are so damn nasty like if you can't relate to the grief i feel then good for you, fuck off my post and rant somewhere else. this is not a safe space for your bullshit, this is an expression of grief and frankly i don't care if you think it's dramatic, i think y'all are pieces of shit for not having enough compassion to at least give people space to feel their pain when you don't feel shit yourselves, and on top of that have the audacity to preach your moral superiority on our posts.

while you psychopaths have been busy on tumblr telling grieving people to "fuck themselves with a cactus" (like do you not realize what an absolute piece of shit you are commenting THAT on a post like THIS?) i've been out protesting every week, writing to my government representatives, posting every update on my instagram so the people i know are aware of what's happening, going to fundraising events in my city etc etc maybe y'all should take a break from being pretentious emotion police on tumblr and go outside to be a human being too

What’s happening in Palestine?

Seeing what’s happening in Palestine right now is absolutely devastating. If you’re not familiar with the situation, this post is meant to be a quick run down of information and a compilation of further resources to get you started. 

To start, take a look at a couple of quick illustrations. This post is a brief summary of Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. This post is a concise little run down on how you can be an ally to Palestinians and actions you can take right now to help.

For a brief summary on the situation in Sheikh Jarrah: 

-You may be seeing posts saying “Save Sheikh Jarrah” - Sheikh Jarrah is a neighbourhood in Occupied East Jerusalem

-We call it Occupied East Jerusalem because by international law, East Jerusalem belongs to the Palestinian Territories. But of course Israel does not care about that, and have been illegally occupying it for decades

-To put it briefly, Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah are being forcefully expelled from and dispossessed of their homes that they have lived in for decades by Israeli settlers, backed by the Israeli government, courts and military

-The settler organizations behind these expulsions (some of which are based in the USA) are intent on erasing all Palestinian presence from Sheikh Jarrah, and this is not the first time Palestinians are being forcefully expelled (read: ethnically cleansed) from this neighbourhood and their homes despite their historical ties to and presence in Sheikh Jarrah

-The Palestinian families are trying to appeal the “evictions” through the Israeli supreme court but the Israeli courts always immediately support Israeli settlers, Palestinians have no rights or humanity in their eyes

-Six Sheikh Jarrah families are being expelled this month. Because of this, Palestinians had been (peacefully!!) protesting. And as we know, under the Israeli occupation, Palestinians have no rights. So in response to their protests, settlers have been violent towards them…. which of course lead to further violence from Israeli police towards the Palestinians. Israeli police will always protect violent Israeli settlers over peaceful Palestinians defending themselves

-Historically, every time Palestinians protest Israel’s gross violations of their human rights (and international law), Israel attempts to suppress them with violence. That’s what’s happening now.

-In response to the Sheikh Jarrah protests, Israeli forces have attacked Palestinian protestors and attacked Al-Aqsa Mosque. Most recently the violence has escalated even further as Israel launched air strikes in Gaza. Again.

-Israeli forces have been using skunk spray, stun grenades, rubber coated steel bullets and tear gas on Palestinian worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque. Let this sink in. It’s abhorrent to attack worshippers in a place of worship in any circumstance, but this is Al-Aqsa Mosque - Islam’s 3rd holiest site. It’s extremely sacred to Muslims. And in the last 10 nights of Ramadan, the most important 10 nights of the year for Muslims.

-In response to Palestinians protesting this violence (Israel’s war crimes!) Israel hiked up the violence - AGAIN. With air strikes in Gaza on civilian populations.

-Hundreds of Palestinians have been injured, hundreds have been hospitalized, and dozens more have been killed in the air strikes - including 9 children. The number is likely higher. You’ll start seeing articles saying “hundreds injured in Palestine - Israel clash” in an attempt to paint this as a two sided conflict - it’s not. Do not be manipulated into thinking it is. The facts are clear. Israeli violence has injured hundreds of Palestinians and killed dozens more. 

-During the violence at Al-Aqsa and East Jerusalem, Israeli forces not only attacked Palestinians in the market place and while they were breaking their fasts (including women and children), they not only attacked worshippers in a sacred place of worship in Ramadan, they not only desecrated a holy site with enormous religious and historical significance… they also targeted journalists and paramedics, attacked clinics treating the wounded, and refused to allow ambulances through. Worshippers had to carry the injured on their prayer mats. Reprehensible war crimes against Palestinians is just routine for Israel.

-Al-Aqsa is a soft spot for Muslim Palestinians (and Muslims around the world) because as I said, it’s one of Islam’s holiest and most sacred sites. In fact, before it changed to Mecca, the qiblah (the directions Muslims pray in) was Al-Aqsa. Because of this, Israel uses it to control Palestinians.

-Historically, every time Palestinians protest Israel’s violence and opression, Israel threatens them with Al-Aqsa. Threatening it with violence, threatening to refuse them access. Keep in mind again that Al-Aqsa is located in the Muslim quarter of East Jerusalem, which by international law belongs to Palestine - but Israel is illegally occupying Palestine and has control.

-Palestinians are a people with strong spirit - they continue to protest for their rights in the face of this despicable violence. But they need help.

-This is not new. This has been the reality for Palestinians since 1948 when the settler colonial state of Israel was established and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were expelled from THEIR OWN LAND. Israel’s goal is not a two state solution - clearly, since they continue to expand their annexation of Palestinian land beyond what they have already stolen and in violation of international law. The are intent on ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in their own home, their own land.

-The US government is funding all this - $3.8 BILLION in aid goes to the Israeli occupation every year. (Americans - fight your leaders on this)

-Now knowing all this, STOP calling this situation the Israel-Palestine Conflict. This is NOT a “conflict”, because both sides do not have power in this situation. And this is not a religious issue, so stop using that as a cop out to not care. There are Christian Palestinians that are also opressed by Israel. It’s not about religion, that is part of the propaganda that gets pushed on you so you don’t see what’s actually going on.

-This is the illegal occupation of Palestine by the settler colonial state Israel

-This is apartheid, ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, systemic racism. This is  routine war crimes by Israel against Palestine, without consequences. This is repeated violations of international law and human rights - Human Rights Watch has concluded that Israel is guilty of apartheid and human rights abuses. But of course international leaders (who otherwise cite HRW to condemn other countries) are silent. 

-So what can we do? First and foremost, get educated. Stay informed and stay aware. Spread the news Palestinians are sharing. Because the mainstream media will not, they are a propaganda machine for Israel.

-It’s routine for Israel to 1. abuse Palestinian human rights, then 2. respond to their protests with extreme violence, and then 3. attempt to paint it as a two sided conflict in which Israelis are in equal danger when there is the slightest response from Palestine. They and the media continuously try to paint Palestinians as terrorists. At this point, you should understand that is not the case. (Keep in mind that Palestine is an occupied territory that does not have an army. Israel is a nuclear power with one of the largest, most heavily funded, and technologically advanced armies in the world, backed by every major western nation, and receives billions of dollars in aid from America)

-You’ll notice that mainstream media only starts reporting on these incidents when they can call it a “clash” or a “conflict”. They constantly try to paint Palestinians as the terrorists in a situation where they are clearly the opressed. STOP letting them manipulate you into thinking this is two sided or about religion. This is an illegal occupation, this is apartheid, this is ethnic cleansing perpetrated by Israel. Israel is terrorizing Palestinians with the (clearly stated! they’re not trying to keep it a secret! Israeli politicians are very open about it!) intention to wipe out Palestine entirely. The first thing you can do is stop letting western media blind you and see this for what it is.

-BOYCOTT. DIVEST. SANCTION. Please learn about the BDS movement. Targeted boycotts are effective. The larger this gets, the more effective it will be. Again, this post is a good intro summary on how to help. Below, I’ll link another resource with more information.

-Here are some accounts you can follow to stay updated:

@/theimeu on instagram (same handle on twitter and tiktok) is a reliable source posting updates on the current situation as well as concise and informative videos on the Israeli occupation

@/itsmesubhi on instagram has posted some really excellent videos (here and here) summarizing the situation that I urge you to watch and share. His page also has information and resources (such as petitions to sign) in his highlights

Follow @/mohammedelkurd (he’s on twitter too) and @/muna.kurd15 on instagram. They are Palestinian journalists in Sheikh Jurrah and theirs is one of the 6 families being evicted from their homes this month. They are posting live updates from the ground and are the most reliable source for what is going on, and what is or isn’t actually helpful right now. Their highlights and profiles are a wealth of information. Here’s a linktree of important links from Mohammed’s profile.

There are places you can donate to if you would like, it’s always needed. This twitter thread has a brief list. But I urge you to do your research to ensure your money is actually going to Palestinians. Listen to actual Palestinians on what they need right now and donate to places they ask you to - Muna and Mohammed (linked above) are a good starting point.

Right now this is first and foremost a political movement, so your voice is most important. Educate yourself and others, share information. Palestinians have said that the international outcry and spreading what is happening to them is helpful. Please listen to them.

Lastly, wherever you are, I urge you to make noise about this. See if there are local organizations organizing protests and go. Get involved in the BDS movement. Write/email/call your MPs or whatever government representative you have in your country as well as your country’s leader and let them know this matters to you, demand that they unequivocally condemn Israel’s violence against Palestinians and Israel’s violations of Palestinian human rights and international law. Templates for emails can be found here if you are in the UK, and Canada. It only takes a second, so please do it. Please email your politicians wherever you are in the world, their contact information is public. This linktree has a collection of templates and petitions if you’re in the US, UK and Canada. It also has templates and information for you regardless of where in the world you are.

Visit https://decolonizepalestine.com/ to learn more about Palestine, the history of the occupation, how to help, the BDS movement etc. This twitter thread has a list of books you can read.

This is not comprehensive. This is just a starting point, a little compilation of information and resources to guide you if you would like to learn about what’s going on and are overwhelmed with the scattered posts everywhere. But it’s a starting point. You cannot learn about a crisis that has spanned decades from one tumblr post. Please click the links I’ve included, look at the graphics, watch the videos, read the posts, sign the petitions, email your politicians. And use all of it as a starting point from which you can then access further resources to educate yourself and others, and help Palestine. They need us.

Edit: I urge you to follow all of the accounts I linked above and stay updated, the situation is constantly evolving. Already the airstrikes in Gaza have been increased to devastating levels, possibly the worst its ever been (there have been many wars in Gaza). The death toll keeps rising. Israel is targeting densely populated civilian areas and using phosphorus bombs (which are illegal). Israel is looking to squash any resistance, it’s genocidal at this point and it will only get worse. They also want the world to move on and stop watching, so don’t. Do not look away. Keep the pressure on your politicians, stay plugged in, keep talking and spreading awareness. Stay vigilant of the language media uses to try to manipulate you. Colonizers and oppressors and their supporters have never been honest about themselves, so go to Palestinians for news. If you’re getting tired, imagine how the Palestinians living this reality feel.

Reblogging this because although this is a new horror, many of the resources I have linked above are still valid. As always, please try to find Palestinian voices to educate yourself. The propaganda is unreal.

Palestine is in my heart as always. I feel a level of hopelessness and devastation I've never felt before. I can't believe we are witnessing a globally sanctioned genocide. Gaza can no longer even be called an open air prison, it is literally a death camp. Thousands of Palestinians, including children have been slaughtered. Israel continues to commit atrocious war crimes: cutting off all aid, food, water, electricity and internet in Gaza, dropping illegal white phosphorus bombs on densely populated civilian areas, bombing schools, mosques, churches and hospitals, and now demanding over one million people evacuate a prison with no way out in 24 hours... and then bombing them as they try to do the already impossible task. Obviously the intent is to either kill or drive out every Palestinian in another Nakba. It's cruelty to an extent I've never seen before. It's barbaric, inhumane. And it's sick and twisted that the media is painting them out to be the victims and they have the full support of the west as they literally commit genocide. To the point the president of the united states is spouting dangerous and outrageous lies and the media is airing unsubstantiated claims with zero fact checking and then quietly retracting the false statements after the damage is already done. You are seeing governments and journalists lose sight of humanity and all moral principles to dehumanize Palestinians and justify genocide.

If you have any platform at all, please use it to elevate stories from Gaza. They have no voice, it is our moral responsibility to speak for them when no one else will.

Flood your social media with it, drown out the propaganda.

Donate to funds for Gaza.

Show up to protests in your city.

Write to your politicians and demand that they work to secure an immediate humanitarian corridor for aid into Gaza and a call for ceasefire.

It's not an exaggeration to say millions of lives are at risk right now. History will not remember silence or neutrality kindly. I'm praying for justice, freedom, and peace for Palestine.