Everything Everywhere All at Once
The worst Middle East crisis in recent memory has ripped the scab off of one of humanity’s longest festering wounds. And the injury isn’t confined to one part of the body politic. First, it’s spreading geographically in the region. Here’s AP on the latest example: Yemen’s Houthi rebels claim attacks on Israel, drawing their main sponsor Iran closer to Hamas war. Second, there are serious concerns that Hamas will inspire terror attacks elsewhere, including in America. Hamas could inspire attacks in the U.S., FBI chief Christopher Wray says. And third, the intense emotions associated with the events since October 7 have exposed and ignited antisemitism and anti-Muslim actions across the world:
+ History repeating itself: How the Israel-Hamas war is fueling hate against Muslims and Jews
+ Paris has seen Stars of David stencils painted on buildings again overnight.
+ Open hatred of Jews surges globally, inflamed by Gaza war.
+ Islamophobic incidents spike since eruption of Israel-Hamas conflict.
+ One of the more disturbing acts of protest are the college students and others taking down posters of kidnapped Israelis. Want to put up posters decrying the civilian deaths in Gaza? Then you should. But tearing down posters of kidnapped children and grandparents? Is pro-kidnapping a philosophical opinion we have to consider now? “Displaying the posters has become a form of activism, keeping the more than 200 hostages seized by Hamas in full view of the public. But removing the posters has quickly emerged as its own form of protest — a release valve and also a provocation by those anguished by the Israeli government’s treatment of Palestinians in the years before Oct. 7 and since the bombing of Gaza began.” NYT (Gift Article): How Posters of Kidnapped Israelis Ignited a Firestorm on American Sidewalks. “The battle has inflamed already tense emotions. And it captures one of the most fervently debated questions of the war: Whose suffering should command public attention and sympathy?” (That’s an easy question to answer: The innocent victims on both sides should command our attention and sympathy. That’s how we fulfil the most basic aspect of being a decent human being.)
+ As of October 31, CPJ’s preliminary investigations showed at least 31 journalists and media workers have been killed since Oct 7.
+ Israel’s battle tactics will, and should, be called into question even more as a strike targeting Hamas killed many civilians in a refugee camp (in addition to killing innocent people, this decision will further turn world opinion against Israel), the US trying to get at least 100 aid trucks a day to enter Gaza, protesters interrupt Blinken’s Congressional testimony. Here’s the latest from BBC and CNN.
