Elana Sztokman
8 March 2006
This morning I’m just mad. So mad.
Mad as in angry. And also mad as in losing my mind.
The people in charge of creating this war have no idea how or when it will end. And have dragged us into this thing that will do absolutely nothing to make anyone’s lives better or safer. Nothing.
Every day, more and more killing. More death. More lives ruined. Every day. Endless.
And for what?
Every day more fronts are added to this war. So many war fronts we can’t even keep track. Gulf countries. Cyprus. Europe. NATO….
And Lebanon. Lebanon!!! More rockets flying into Israel from the north!
Does anyone remember how the Netnayhu goverment wrecked havoc on Lebanon, killed Nasrallah, along with thousands of people who happened to be around him, and then promised that there will be no more threat from the north because the head was cut off or some bullshit like that? Remember that?
Well, that was all a lie. A stupid, flawed strategy that was all about killing and nothing about actual security and safety and peace. Nasrallah is gone, thousands of Lebanese are dead, and the rockets keep coming. So there’s that.
Remember that expression about doing the same thing over and over is the definition of insanity? Look familiar?
Bomb bomb bomb and that will solve everything. Sure. How many times have we heard that? And done that? And it did nothing to make anyone safer and just left a lot of dead bodies and broken homes and communities?
And btw, remember how less than a year ago Netanyahu and Trump announced that they had completely destroyed Iran’s capabilities? Remember that?! LOL…. So funny…. Here we are. Apparently that, too was a lie.
And remember how just last week when they killed Khameni and everyone cheered and Trump was like, ok this war will be over in a few weeks. Iran has no leader, the government will collapse, they are running out of rockets, it’s gonna be great? Remember that???
Well, here we are, and guess what, in Iran they still have leaders, they still have rockets, and the war is only getting bigger not smaller. Every time trump or netanyahu announce that iran is going to lose any day now, the iranian leaders laugh and launch more rockets everywhere. Here we are.
Remember how just a few days ago, Netanyahu’s government was like, oh yeah, things are going to go back to normal in few days? Well, guess what, the rockets and sirens never let up and here we are in week 2 and they STILL have no way of ending this war or going back to “normal” whatever that is and the government is extending the closing of much of the country, and really has no idea when or how this will end. They literally have no idea what they are in.
And by the way, do you know that today is International Women’s Day? I had a lot of things on my calendar today. Had. Now nothing. Staying close to the safe room. (I’m lucky to have a safe room, but wow, I’m tired of sitting in the safe room listening to rockets and booms overhead….)
Just one more sacrifice. Sacrificing our plans, our work, our lives, our dreams, our passions, our creativity, our work.
I know my sacrifices are very little compared to all the people who have lost their lives, and also all the people in Gaza who are still stuck, and all the people in the west bank who are in hell at the moment with road blocks and tractors destroying homes and violent settler terrorists on rampages that barely make the news. I know i’m privileged and lucky and ok.
Still, there are a zillion costs to this war or whatever this is that we are just supposed to accept and live with. And I’m just mad about it.
These people have no idea what they are doing, and they are dragging us along with them. I dont want to call them leaders because even though they hold positions of leadership they are not leaders. They are just narcissistic, bloodthirsty, power hungry, macho idiots with positions of power. These people have no idea what they are doing. They are just killing killing killing killing…. Attack. Bomb. Attack. Kill. Attack. Kill. over and over…..and whatever sacrifices we all are expected to make, we’re just supposed to sit quietly and take it.
And what does it accomplish? Besides ruining people’s lives?
Netanyahu has been using this strategy for years — decades. Whatever happens, the answer is to violently attack. As if that is the way to make people safer.
It doesn’t work. It has never worked.
Killing doesn’t stop the killing. Violence doesn’t stop the violence. It only brings more killing and more violence.
You know what makes people safer?
PEACE AGREEMENTS.
You know how you make everyone better off?
MAKE AN AGREEMENT TO STOP KILLING .
Negotiations.
Negotiate.
Talking.
Stop this killing and come to a negotiated agreement. That is the only way to end the violence and make people’s lives a bit more normal.
We did it with Jordan. We did it with Egypt. That’s why there are no rockets coming at us from Jordan and Egypt. because peace agreements end violence and bring peace. Normalcy. Or some version of normalcy.
Of course, will we ever be normal after all this? I have lots of worries for my children and grandchildren and for the entire young generation experiencing all this. All this violence and killing and sirens and rockets and macho rhetoric and blood lust — all of this is entering their souls. I am extremely worried about their future.
But at least, if we were to stop all this madness, maybe we could start on the path of figuring out what normal looks like and how to get there.
End rant.
For more by Elana, see elanasztokman.substack.com/