Rob Graham (ロブ グレハム)

Why do I care so much about Palestine? As a Jewish teenager, I struggled to understand how the world could let The Holocaust happen. I learned about the lies and propaganda Germans were fed about Jews. I learned about the immense dehumanization of my people. I learned about the 10 stages of genocide. I learned how ordinary Germans became complicit in the most heinous crimes imaginable. Many of us believed that events that unfathomably evil could never happen again. And yet the whole world is watching it play out again right before our eyes through strikingly similar steps. If you ever wondered what you would have done in Nazi Germany - it’s whatever you’re doing right now. Ilan Pappé has long referred to it as an incremental genocide. For 100 years Israel has ethnically cleansed Palestine, completely subjugated its people, consistently slaughtered them both in times of peace and in times of war, illegally occupied and stolen their lands, and upheld a crippling blockade that has prevented them from having any chance of economic autonomy or even clean drinking water. 14 months ago it transitioned into a full fledged genocide. Just look at the photos of the rubble. That is the complete destruction of Gaza. If you think there’s anything targeted about that, I have a bridge to sell you. “But Hamas…” - Listen, this has been going on since long before Hamas existed. 76 years of ethnic cleansing. If you don’t know what The Nakba is, please look it up. Israel and the US have consistently fought against Palestinian self determination for 50+ years. The international courts have long upheld that Israel’s occupation is illegal, and that Palestinian resistance therefore is legally and morally justified. Yes it’s personal and I’m emotionally invested in this. It’s The Holocaust all over again. Except this time it’s happening by my people instead of to them. My tax dollars are being used, by politicians I voted for, in the name of my family’s religion, to mass slaughter innocent people who have never known freedom or peace in their entire lives. Israel has bombed every hospital in Gaza. Netanyahu has a warrant out for his arrest for crimes against humanity. The Hague / ICJ / ICC and the UN have been very clear that Israel is and has always been the aggressor - illegally occupying Palestine since 1967. Israel is *breaking records* for doctors, journalists, and even UN workers killed. And so much more. If you support the above, you’re on the wrong side of humanity and you really need to question your beliefs. Like I was taught as a Jewish teenager - Never Again Means Never Again For Anyone. Don’t just take my word for it. Look up what the ICJ / ICC / UN have said. Every human rights org agrees Israel is committing crimes against humanity, from Amnesty International’s staggering 297 page report, to Human Rights Watch’s 179 page report. Doctors Without Borders, UNICEF, World Central Kitchen, and countless other humanitarian orgs have made similar statements. Even the Pope has condemned Israel for the endless terrorism its committing. Just imagine siding against The Hague, Doctors Without Borders, and the Pope - the mental gymnastics one must go through to get to that point. The simple truth is that the vast majority of the world supports Palestinian liberation, but the US is too powerful to stop. I belive the only way out of this is for the international community to band together and take a stand in the name of international law. The near future looks bleak, but I’m optimistic about the long term. The veil has been lifted. The truth is out there for all to see. It’s only a matter of time before Netanyahu and the other war criminals receive the justice they deserve. I believe that one day in my lifetime we will see a liberated Palestine. “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” Free Palestine 🇵🇸