Can any of us summon our humanity? In these 5 weeks of grisly war, the defenders of each side carry 2 blood-soaked, polarized histories. Protests erupt daily calling for “ceasefire” and justice for aggrieved, uprooted Palestinians. What’s startling, what’s missing, in the placards and chants, are four words, “RELEASE 240 HOSTAGES NOW”.
I won’t restate the evolving history through the decades; you’ve heard it.
Watching the new catastrophes unfold from Oct. 7 forward, it seems people take 1 side or the other. I ask — if you demand a ceasefire, can you ignore, can you waive that 240 persons, of all ages, who were not in a battle, are seized, trapped and held for pressure to accomplish what?
The UN commissioner on Human Rights, Volker Turk, has finally called out war crimes, on both sides, including the day of Oct 7 and the taking of hostages, and the overwhelming bombing of Gaza.
“The atrocities perpetrated by Palestinian armed groups on October 7 were heinous, brutal and shocking, they were war crimes – as is the continued holding of hostages,” said Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
“The collective punishment by Israel of Palestinian civilians amounts also to a war crime, as does the unlawful forcible evacuation of civilians,” he added.
In the citizen protest calls for rights and land for Palestinians and for a ceasefire, where is the call, where are the banners,
FREE 240 HOSTAGES NOW
I don’t understand how advocates for the citizens of Gaza can want just one part, the ceasefire to stop the killing of thousands — without wanting the other part, a return of kidnapped persons, from a source action has begot the extreme unremitting daily bombardments.
Your chants for CEASEFIRE NOW, need to add FREE 240 HOSTAGES NOW