I am still reeling from this
In a conversation with our neighbour at the place we are staying, our neighbour said that perhaps forty thousand deaths in Palestine aren’t enough deaths.
Tony, my partner, wasn’t sure he heard this correctly, as it was a shocking statement. So he asked for clarification. Our neighbour, a journalist from Israel, repeated his comment. Forty thousand deaths is not enough. This is a father of three, someone who has said he does not support Netanyahu and has a mixed race background, including Arab.
Forty thousand deaths are not enough deaths, he said.
Tony could not continue his conversation. Both of us were in shock to be present to such an evil comment in the flesh.
How do we arrive at a place where a comment like this can happen in normal conversation as if we are speaking about inane issues such as the number of grains of sand on a beach?
I am still reeling from this.
My trip to Sri Lanka has thrown me into the milieu of Middle East geopolitics, something I did not expect or anticipate. The locals here are deeply dependent on tourist dollars, and so remain polite against the belligerent arrogance that surrounds us every day.
Reconciling all the pieces of this has been so hard. I am far, far from reconciliation. I feel conflicted, sad, shocked, perplexed, stunned and heartbroken that humanity can be so cruel.
Photo Taken August 25th 2024
