What if 2,700 families ceased to exist?
mother, father, grandparents, children
the entire family no longer
on the face of the earth,
whole families.
It is not a hypothetic proposition.
2,700 Gazan families have been wiped from the civil registry
during Israel’s assault on Gaza
wiped out entirely,
murdered
Al-Jazeera reports.
But what of the hostages?
Smotrich would plead.
Have they not been returned?
The Israeli hostages at least,
those that were not killed,
by bombing and shooting
including 4 who approached the IDF bare chested
with a white flag
and were executed by their brothers.
Even the bodies of the dead have been returned.
But we have been careful and protected civilians
Neyanyahu would protest,
with tactical, precision strikes.
If that were so
these families must have been targeted.
But terrorists hide amongst civilians,
would come the retort,
as though all soldiers and politicians
do not go home to their families.
Then perhaps you have not been so careful
Perhaps, indiscriminate?
Perhaps, not caring who is killed?
Perhaps deliberately targeting those you choose to execute
whilst they are with their families.
“FAKE NEWS”
Trump would scream in locked caps on Truth Social.
“Antisemitic blood libel” Gvir would quip,
smiling against a backdrop of flags and armed Police.
“Isreal has a right to defend itself”
the leaders of the west would bleat
before adding their standard disclaimer of
“We have reminded our ally of the importance of respecting International Law”
as though such reminders are effective,
are heeded.
As though “international law” has ever applied in Gaza
or the world has ever cared.
But the reality remains that
2,700 families have been wiped from Gaza,
from the face of the earth,
with US weapons
with UK weapons
with European weapons
with Australian weapons
such that all are culpable,
those who supply the weapons,
those who hide behind the hollow lie of “self-defence”,
those who are silent.
But do you read of this in the Western press?
Where you will find “all the news that’s fit to print”?
Of course not!
To borrow from Patrick Jones:
“Why are you so fucking astonished
Think of this as a mind colonic”
Because as those esteemed sources reported in October 2023
“U.S. weapons makers tell investors to expect big profits from Israel’s war”
And the murder of 2,700 families,
the death and maiming of fully one quarter of a million people,
if not the entire population,
for whom of those who have lived with such horror are not permanently afflicted,
is but a pittance to pay,
especially when it is a price
paid by others.
