In the days after “October 7th”, I did not post about it on social media. I did not make a plea for “the hostages”, or “condemn Hamas”. Despite my usual desire to be informed and champion social justice causes, I did not even seek out news stories on what horrific events may have happened.
I did not do this, because I was afraid of what would come next. I knew that no matter what Hamas may have done, the retaliation from Israel would be swift and brutal. I did not expect it to be so relentless and unmerciful. I did not expect it to be so widely supported by the US and the UK. I did not expect the major news sources to take such a passive stance in covering Israel’s actions, while parroting propaganda, and dismissing all Palestinians as potential terrorists.
So I did not speak up straight away, as I felt the air had been taken from my lungs. I feared that anything I might say would excuse the atrocities of “October 7th”, while not doing justice to the 75 years that preceded it.
We still don’t know exactly what happened that day. But we do know that many sensationalist stories have later been proven to be untrue.
A Lie Can Travel Halfway Around the World While the Truth Is Putting On Its Shoes
Origin unclear but often attributed to Mark Twain
These lies paralysed me. The propaganda has paralysed me. The misinformation and confusion has paralysed me. Conflated comparisons between Israel and Ukraine have paralysed me. A lack of clear leadership – both political and organisational – has paralysed me.
It has taken me weeks, if not months, to find my voice, and I still feel like I am not yet loud enough. I am not yet screaming for the innocent people of Palestine being slaughtered by the Israeli occupation – murdered by bombs, by destroying all 36 of the hospitals in Gaza, by infection, by surgery without anaesthesia, by hunger, by disease, by blocking aid, and bombing refugee camps.
Since October 7th, Israeli officials revised the death toll down from 1,405 to 1,139, and have admitted that “friendly fire” from Israeli military contributed to these figures (Source: AP News)
Since October 7th, with complete support of the US, the UK, and many other “Western democracies,”, Israel has relentlessly bombed Gaza, killing at least 24,927 people, including more than 9,600 children and 6,750 women. They have more than 62,388 people, including at least 8,663 children and 6,327 women. More than 8,000 people are missing. Likely trapped beneath the rubble, unlikely to survive. (Source: Al Jazeera)
And yet, so many of us are still so silent. Still paralysed.
Why, when Ukraine was invaded, was it so clear who was “good” and who was “evil”? Why was there such a public outpouring of support for clearly innocent civilian victims of an unjust conflict?
For some of us, it is for the same reasons I was slow to act and react – those of us who knew the background, knew this did not begin on “October 7th”. For those of us who were new to the conflict, it was not clear. And it has not been made any easier for it to be clearer. When major news sources are showing strong bias in favour of Israel, it makes it even more difficult for us to know what is happening.
It is not black and white, but it is not complicated. Regardless of whatever happened on “October 7th”, nothing justifies the excessive retaliation and relentless use of force rained down by the Israeli occupation on the people of Palestine.
We must speak up. We must all use our voices. Use our platforms. Use our audiences – in person and online. Use any opportunity to speak up for the people of Palestine, to amplify their voices and ensure their stories are seen and heard.
If you’re not sure where to begin, there are many helpful resources for you to start today:
Follow @gillybeangirl on Instagram to learn more.
Siobhán Kangataran 