One year. I cannot believe that it has been one year. One year of witnessing Palestinians try to retrieve mangled bodies from the sites of Israeli bombs – whether they be homes, hospitals, schools, universities, mosques, or even tents. One year of seeing children scream in fear, in physical pain, in emotional pain, knowing that the world is and always will be cruel. One year of watching one of the most vibrant Palestinian cities, Gaza City, turned into rubble. One year of worrying about friends and futures. One year of explaining over and over again that Palestinians deserve to live and to be free; that Oct. 7 is the result of decades of Israeli brutality and oppression; and that nothing – absolutely nothing – justifies genocide.
Yet, Israeli society has been drunk on perpetrating crimes. Unlike in the West, where Israelis try to portray themselves as victims, in Israel, the image is the exact opposite: that of strong, undefeatable soldiers who assert their superiority over Palestinians. This is what explains the many TikToks proudly showing Israeli soldiers blowing up Palestinian universities and homes. This is what explains the desire to show them torturing Palestinians and the endless videos of Israelis dressed in hijab and with dirt on their faces mocking Palestinian women and children who have survived Israel’s relentless bombs. Israel is the place where superiority (and cruelty) is on full display. ….more
