What I Didn't See

I didn't see the fresh faces of the young people boarding the boats or the worn faces of the older ones for whom this was not their first rodeo. I didn't see because I wasn't looking. All eyes are on Gaza, but somehow we have collectively missed the brave souls who are heading across the ocean to wage peace, not war. Missed it because the mainstream media and our politicians are too afraid of Israel to publish and be damned. Missed it because our social media algorithms are set to neutral.

As an aside, I just heard that peanut butter, in the form of high-protein food paste, which is all that many children can digest as their bodies consume their own organs, has now been blocked by Israel. It has been branded a 'luxury' item that may fall into the hands of Hamas. The cruelty is unending. Someone in the Israeli Government rubber-stamped this. I'd like to think they don't sleep well at night, but anyone capable of giving life to such a directive clearly has no compassion, no empathy.

The flotilla, a motley collection of boats, draws ever closer to Gaza. They sing to keep spirits up as they forge ahead through the grey and stormy waters. There is a token UN force now accompanying them as they embark on the final leg of their journey. Their vulnerability is palpable, the utter exhaustion showing on their faces, yet they remain upbeat.

An attack could come at any time, but morale remains steady, even though they are literally sitting ducks. The next couple of days will be unbelievably tense,

and global support is needed to enable this ambitious mission to reach a safe conclusion. The people in power globally need to wake up and take action. The media needs to make noise. This is the time to stop the genocide, to stand up to the bullies, to say 'not in our names.'

For the people of Gaza, the people of the flotilla, for their families, we need to act today.