“Calling things by the wrong name adds to the affliction of the world”
Albert Camus
Many might define a ceasefire
as an agreement for the cessation of hostilities.
But they are plainly wrong.
A ceasefire is a Public Relations term for “ending”
Ending negative comments
Ending divestment and trade prohibitions
Ending adverse publicity
Ending media coverage
Ending criticism
Ending scrutiny.
For a ceasefire has not stopped
the airstrikes
the drone strikes
the artillery fire
the shootings
the killings (as the 411 Gazans killed between 10 October and 23 December 2025 attest)
the death of civilians
the demolition of buildings
the closure of crossings
the continuing restriction of humanitarian aid
the arrest of Palestinians and their detention, brutalisation and deaths in Israeli gaols
the annexation of Palestinian lands
the occupation of 52% of Gaza
19 new settlements in the West Bank
Destruction of whole West Bank villages
incursions into Lebanon and Syria
Should it be a surprise?
After the 2012 ceasefires
Israel immediately conducted assassinations
After the 2011 ceasefire
Israel immediately conducted assassinations
After the 2008 ceasefire
Israel immediately conducted assassinations
After the 2002 ceasefires
Israel immediately conducted assassinations
After the 2001 ceasefires
Israel immediately conducted assassinations
After the 1981-82 ceasefires
Israel immediately conducted assassinations
and the IDF’s phalangist allies conducted slaughters
while the IDF looked on,
following which the Kahan Commission report
laid personal responsibility for such deaths
at the feet of Ariel Sharon
The “Butcher of Beirut”.
After the 1949 ceasefire
Israel invaded Egypt and Syria in 1967
claiming “self-defence”
though Menachem Begin admitted in 1968
“We must be honest with ourselves. We decided to attack him”
So, what has changed this time?
Other than the scale of starvation and slaughter?
Gaza has disappeared from the news.
“There is peace!” Trump claims
and so, nothing to report.
The international backlash against Israel
the condemnation of man-made famine
is over
even as Israel arrogantly determines which aid agencies will be permitted to help
which media will be admitted.
Silence can return,
no gaze upon the actions of the Israeli State and IDF.
Just silence,
as babies freeze to death
as children go hungry
as anyone approaching the invisible and ever expanding “yellow line” is shot
as hospitals run out of fuel and medicine
as bombs and artillery shells fall
as assassinations continue
as US companies gather for the spoils
For as my erstwhile friends Mike Hudson and Jadwiga Jarvis spoke:
“Peace is when the fighting stops, a just peace is when America gets the trade concessions”
