As we approach the anniversary of 7th October, 2023 ... [Note: Content Warning - links to reports on oppression/bigotry/hate, violence/abuse/war. Reader discretion is advised]

Note: CONTENT WARNING - some of this content is about upsetting, disturbing or triggering events & attitudes. Seek competent help - including professional - if you need it. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that linked articles may contains names and/or images of deceased people. READER CAUTION IS RECOMMENDED! For anyone distressed by anything in this post, or for any other reason considering seeking support, resources are available in Australia here, here, and here. In other nations, you will have to do an Internet search using terms such as “mental health support - <your nation>” (which, for instance, may lead to this, this, and this, in the USA, or this, this, and this, in France [biased towards English-language - my apologies]), or perhaps try https://www.befrienders.org/. 

Note: in my “from the news” posts, quotes are shown italicised and blue, my comments are in a different shade of blue, and “good” items are (when I remember) shown in green.

 

As we approach the anniversary of  7^th October, 2023, there will be considerable analysis and reflection - on those events and what they have led to, and overlapping events. I have created this post to start collecting those writings that I consider worthwhile, and will begin with my very first post on those events.

• “Despair [Content Warning - violence, oppression, language]”   https://politicalmusingsofkayleen.blogspot.com/2023/10/despair-content-warning-violence.html      

• “The Middle East in crisis: 7 October, the day that changed the world”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/sep/29/the-middle-east-in-crisis-7-october-the-day-that-changed-the-world   “It began with the H___s attack a year ago, it continues with a rain of Israeli strikes on Lebanon, but for many caught up in the conflict, it has shattered time and space”      

• “The War of Legitimacy: How the International Criminal Court and the UN Gen. Assembly Challenged Israeli, US Impunity”   https://www.juancole.com/2024/09/legitimacy-international-challenged.html      
• “How Netanyahu weathered the storm in the year since Hamas attacked | Israel | The Guardian”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/01/how-netanyahu-weathered-the-storm-in-the-year-since-hamas-attacked      
  

• “The Path to N_sr_ll_h’s Assassination”   https://www.juancole.com/2024/09/path-n_sr_ll_hs-assassination.html   “Moreover,H_______h planned terrorist operations, even in Europe. Had it stuck with a purely military struggle with the Israeli army, it might have avoided being listed as a terrorist group, which cost it all legitimacy in the industrialized democracies.   ...   [the Israeli] fanatics who dream of re-occupying southern Lebanon and siphoning off the waters of the Litani River will likely discover, if they do so, that the potential for guerrilla resistance has not been and cannot be eradicated.”   This history starts in the 1950s, and is very good.    

• “Gaza, Zionism and Jewishness: A View from the US and Australia with Peter Beinart”   https://youtu.be/qwytwmqLrT4   This was an interesting session, with a very good summary of and commentary on the political situation (particularly what I would describe as Biden’s naïveté), the inclusion of people from oppressor groups in activism (e.g., apartheid in South Africa), and hostility/abuse vs. safety of diverse views within communities. One error was the comment that the two state solution came about in the 1980s and 90s: it may have been discussed more prominently then, but it goes back to the foundation of Israel and the debates at that time of whether there should be one or two states (see my post “Biden, Albanese, and Gaza”   https://politicalmusingsofkayleen.blogspot.com/2024/06/biden-albanese-and-gaza.html   ). In light of that debate in the 1940s, Peter Beinart’s comment that nations with inclusive forms of democracy being inherently more peaceful was particularly striking (and the need to give populations hope to help counter guerilla movements echoes comments by others in a wide range of contexts - including Martin Luther King in the US civil rights struggle of the 1960s). There were aspects of this discussion that I disagreed with, or was unconvinced/neutral about, but not to the extent that I specifically wish to comment. I will leave you, Dear Reader, to make up your own minds on this.
  Additional information on the guest:   website - https://peterbeinart.net/   ,   substack - https://substack.com/@peterbeinart   ,   Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Peter_Beinart&oldid=1247754277   ,   Amazon - https://www.amazon.com.au/stores/Peter-Beinart/author/B003BWYYO2   .      
• “Must the Sword Devour Forever?”   https://jewishcurrents.org/must-the-sword-devour-forever   “With lessons from past deadly invasions of Lebanon shoved aside, the US and Israel are escalating toward endless war.”      
  
• “Israel was told ‘you are not alone’ – but year of war has left it isolated”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2024/oct/04/israel-told-not-alone-but-year-war-isolated   “For many Israelis, the shedding of support since 7 October attack has revived a belief that they cannot rely on others   ...   for all Israel’s talk of public diplomacy, or hasbara, the reality is that the instinct within its military has always been to rely upon itself, and not to wrestle for world opinion. “The IDF [Israel Defense Forces] does not care what people think about them. This is a security state. It does not want to be loved. It wants to be feared and respected. The IDF thinks the Israeli foreign office does the yoga, hot tubs and cleanups, but the IDF has always played hardball, relied on escalation dominance and never seen war as a popularity contest.””  That is actually not too different in principle to other militaries, but it is in extent of application - i.e., other militaries are less brutal and uncaring in their application of this principle, and thus it may not be as visible, but it is often there. And that is militaries EVERYWHERE must be under competent civilian oversight and control - and compassion, humanity, and decency are CRUCIAL parts of the competence of that oversight and control. In Israel’s case, the harm has largely been at its own instigation - as caused by, for instance, bombing displaced people on escape routes directed to be used by Israel (even if there were also valid military targets present). Israel is making mistakes that many other militaries made half a century or more ago, and is failing to notice that the world is different now. And, one day, Israel will be horrified at what it has done ...       See also the following opinion, from the UK:   “What atrocity would Israel have to commit for our leaders to break their silence?”   https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/oct/03/slaughter-gaza-women-children-israel-7-october   “To avenge 7 October, crimes of all kinds are condoned. But politicians should take note: the British public disagrees”   CW: includes links to reports of disturbing human rights abuses      
• “Israel’s tactical wins against its enemies may prove strategic losses | Sina Toossi | The Guardian”   https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/oct/04/israel-h_______h-lebanon-conflict     
  
• “British Jews adjusting to ‘new reality’ after year-long surge in antisemitism | Antisemitism | The Guardian”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/02/british-jews-experience-more-antisemitism-as-middle-east-war-escalates   &   “Surge in anti-Semitic incidents in UK over past year: Charity”   https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/10/2/uk-records-spike-in-anti-semitism-over-past-year-charity   “More than 5,500 cases of abusive behaviour recorded since war broke out on October 7, the highest-ever yearly tally”      and   “US Jewish groups mark 7 October anniversary amid growing fractures | US news | The Guardian”   https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/02/jewish-groups-7-october-anniversary      
• “A brutal year and a tale of two Israels: the one that is feared and the one that is fearful | Jonathan Freedland | The Guardian”   https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/oct/04/israel-israelis-gaza-war-7-october-anniversary      
  
• “One year on, Gazan families mourn their dead and question what future holds | World news | The Guardian”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/02/one-year-on-gazan-families-mourn-their-dead-and-question-what-future-holds      
• “Gulf leaders support Palestine – but many would not mind seeing Israel challenge Iran | Middle East peace talks | The Guardian”   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/03/gulf-leaders-support-palestine-but-many-would-not-mind-seeing-israel-challenge-iran       
• “One year on, Israel’s aggression continues unabated and we urge our politicians to act”   https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/media/one-year-on-israels-aggression-continues-unabated-and-we-urge-our-politicians-to-act     
  
• “Amid all the darkness: How kindness helped me survive one year of Israel’s genocide in Gaza”   https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/opinion/first-person/2024/10/02/amid-all-darkness-how-kindness-helped-me-survive-one-year-israel-genocide   “‘How can there be two extremes in the world: humane and inhumane?’”      ““What Should I Do With This Pain?” Bereaved Israelis and Palestinians urge Peace and Reconciliation, drawing on their Grief”   https://www.juancole.com/2024/10/bereaved-palestinians-reconciliation.html     
  

This is one of those situations where both sides have valid point: yes, an event on Monday 7^th October would be viewed as many as provocative, but that is questionable for an event on Sunday 6^th which is a continuation of a series of weekly events seeking desperately to get some sort of credible acknowledgement from those in power. The change of location, however, is likely validly of significance, IMO. The planter boxes could be an issue is they could be used as weapons or moved to block locations - so they can also be removed to remove the issue.

The Prime Minister has shown a strong pro-Israel/anti-Palestinian bias (one of several troubling biases) by making amathiac comments about “not bringing conflict here”. 

Firstly, this is about HUMAN RIGHTS, including both Australia doing its part in observing Australian law about genocide, which is based on an international convention that Australia helped put together, and the sovereignty and right to exist of TWO sets of people. 

Secondly, the conflict is already here, and the PM, NSW government, and NSW police have - possibly without intending it - positioned themselves in the pro-Israel/anti-Palestinian segment (there are also pro-Israel positions that are NOT anti-Palestinian, just as there are pro-Palestinian positions that are NOT anti-Israel - and I repeat: one day Israel is going to wake and be horrified at what it has done). 

The Labor Friends of Palestine NSW urging of a compromise is the best response so far in all of this mess.

• “NSW police cite crowd size and hazards including ‘planter boxes’ in push to ban pro-Palestine rallies”   https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/oct/02/sydney-pro-palestine-rally-police-ban-push-october-7   “Campaigners argue court action to block Sydney protests ‘oppressive’ but PM says event on anniversary of 7 October attacks on Israel would be ‘incredibly provocative’”      

And a workable compromise has been found:   

• “Pro-Palestine rally and standing vigil going ahead in Sydney after protesters and police reach agreement | New South Wales | The Guardian”   https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/oct/03/sydney-pro-palestine-october-7-vigil-cancelled-hyde-park-rally-sunday-ntwnfb     
  

 

Assumptions / basis 

In writing this, I have assumed / started from the following: 

• this blog states quite clearly that it is about political and human rights matters, including lived experience of problems, and thus I will assume readers are reasonable people who have noted the content warning in the post header;

Possible flaws 

Where I can, I will try to highlight possible flaws / issues you should consider:

• there may be flawed logical arguments in the above: to find out more about such flaws and thinking generally, I recommend Brendan  Myers’ free online course “Clear and Present Thinking”; 
  
• I could be wrong - so keep your thinking caps on, and make up your own minds for yourself.
  

 

 

If they are of any use or interest, the activism information links from my former news posts are available in this post.  

If you appreciated this post, please consider promoting it - there are some links below. 

Note that, as with my main blog [see here], I am cutting back on aspects of my posts.

Remember: we need to be more human being rather than human doing, and all misgendering is an act of active transphobia/transmisia that puts trans+ lives at risk & accept that all insistence on the use of “trans” as a descriptor comes with commensurate use of “cis” as a descriptor to prevent “othering”.

Copyright © Kayleen White 2016-2024     NO AI   I do not consent to any machine learning aka Artificial Intelligence (AI), generative AI, large language model, machine learning, chatbot, or other automated analysis, generative process, or replication program to reproduce, mimic, remix, summarise, or otherwise  replicate any part of this post or other posts on this blog via any means. Typo’s may be inserrted deliberately to demonstrate this is not an AI product.     Otherwise, fair and reasonable use is accepted under Creative Commons 4.0 on an Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike basis   https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/