The Enemy of My Enemy Is Not My Friend
Thoughts on the international response to the Israel-Hamas conflict
One of the most horrific things to witness about the current genocide happening in Gaza right now is watching major political powers descending on the carnage to exploit it.
Russia and China are not supporting Palestinians out of the goodness of their hearts.
Israel bombed the Aleppo airport in Syria on Thursday and rendered it inoperable, yet Syria — very much under Russian influence — is being asked not to respond.
Putin’s Russia has been consistently anti-Semitic, and China has been aggressively anti-Muslim against its own people.
But the opportunity to wrest power from the West is ripe.
Meanwhile, the Western powers’ goals to broker a level of security where other countries in the region do not escalate the conflict beyond the borders of Gaza is to maintain their own political power, nothing less.
The US and Germany — the two countries where I hold citizenship — are both in positions where it is almost impossible for them to support anyone but Israel, even though standing with Netanyahu’s government is to stand with a far right government.
Yet, by unequivocally standing with the Israeli government, they are both fanning the flames of the far right in their respective homelands — my homelands — which are already at dangerous levels of power.
The same is true for France, England and every other nation where the far right have been gaining ground.
It’s true that Hamas initiated the attack, but Israel has esclated it to high-speed genocide.
This situation is a fucking nightmare, and the Palestinian people are caught in the middle of it and paying the heaviest price of all.
All of these governments are acting in their own interest for political power; none of them are acting in the interest of humanity.
The only correct response from outside, and specifically Western, powers is to call for an immediate ceasefire. But even after a week of escalating violence, these powers have not done that.
So here’s what you can do about it instead:
USA:
If you are a US citizen, you can call or text the White House and register your comment about what You, the People, feel your government should do:
Comments: 202–456–1111
Text: 202–456–6213
GERMANY:
If you are in Germany and/or a German citizen, you can register your thoughts via X.com (Twitter) to @OlafScholz and @Bundeskanzler
UK:
If you’re in the UK you can contact your MP:
https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-an-mp-or-lord/contact-your-mp/
CANADA:
You can contact Canada’s Prime Minister here:
FRANCE:
You can connect with the French president here:
If your country isn’t listed here, you can search for “send a message to government” and include your country’s name in the search command.
WHAT TO SAY:
If you are unsure of what to say in your message or how to structure it, you can follow this script:
Hello, my name is [full name]. I am a [your country] citizen of voting age.
I oppose the inhumane collective punishment of the people who live in the Gaza territory.
I request that my government, as a representative of my voice, calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and prioritizes the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid to alleviate suffering.
SUPPORTING VICTIMS:
You can help provide immediate support and humanitarian aid to Gaza through Anera: http://Anera.org
and through IsraAid here: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/israaid-us-global-humanitarian-assistance-inc/israaid-emergency-response-fund?utm_source=israelmenu
Additional information and education available here:
Codepink Congress: Call to Action for Gaza : Indybay
Zoom (Registration link is below)
www.indybay.org
My thoughts on current world events and how it affects my work:
I’m the founder of Pretty Deadly Self Defense, a women’s self defense program that promotes body literacy over bodily harm. And I’m the CEO of SINGE, a social impact company focused on the safety and security of women in mobility. I like interacting with readers, so feel free to leave comments and, if you’re not already a member and like what you’re reading, buy me a coffee (and fuel more articles!).
