Dear Ijeoma... thank you for your bravery. This moment is about you and the friendships you will lose and hopefully, also about the friendships you will gain. This moment is about me and the sick feeling in my gut as I try to go about my day while knowing that Palestinians are being eradicated. I want to scream. I want to protest. I want to wear a keffiyeh in solidarity. Mostly, I just feel sick to my stomach. We have to make this injustice about each and every one of us. The genocide of the Palestinian people is personal. Just days before October 7th I was speaking out against antisemitism now I'm afraid of being labelled one. The fear is real. Your bravery inspires me and is giving me the courage to find my voice. You're brave. You hurt. You grieve. You're human. Sending healing energy your way as you grieve.
Dear Ijeoma, I hear you loud and clear. I am Palestinian by birth, Jewish by adoption (long story), and my heart is shattered. I have had to split with an old friend, though I am still sending her articles, trying to engage, holding out hope that perhaps there is something, some small thing that will get under her armor, just near her heart, where the media and the propaganda has not reached.
I do not understand why the whole world is not standing against this. And I watched and continue to watch as people turned a blind eye to Tigray in Ethiopia where my adopted son is from and so on.
I do not understand the heartless leaders, those who have no moral compass, those who choose willfully not to see the children, the infants, the families, the whole people of Palestine.
Thank you for lifting up your voice and by doing so lifting up the voice of those whose voices are not being heard at all.
Ijeoma, my heart breaks for the grief you are experiencing at the loss of your friend. You are not selfish for feeling it nor speaking about it. I am Jewish and have been having very hard conversations with my aunt, who I love as a mother. She supports the ending of the occupation but still thinks a two state solution is the way. I admit I am afraid to speak with my extended family I am not close to but know are Zionists, or taking things “too far” with my aunt. I am ashamed of myself for this, and am sitting with these difficult feelings. Your writing has been a beacon of light to me during this time. Thank you for modeling what strength, solidarity and speaking truth to power looks like. Wishing you peace in your grief.
Thank you for writing this piece, it's so relevant for so many of us right now.
I send you much care in your grieving. I really get it. I think so many of us are going to see friendships break over this. It's really difficult.
I keep thinking of South Africa and ending apartheid, and then the Truth & Reconciliation council. Mandela & Tutu thought it was the best way for the country to move forward and heal, so the TRC offered amnesty if the perpetrator of crimes came forward and told their story to the victims.
I wish Tutu & Mandela were alive for their wisdom right now. How extraordinary to even have leaders like that in a country.
Instead we have this horrible stupid war machine. One thing for sure, Israel ain't gonna be safer after all this. Grieving with you.
Thank you for consistently opening your heart to us. Your image choice for this post is very fitting and conjures an image in my mind of Kintsugi pottery. "As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise." [Wikipedia] Beautiful repair, maybe not soon, but some day...
Sad. Time is a healer, they say. We live in prophetic times. The vanity of "sovereignty", "borders" and "nations" is revealed. We need the 51st state of the U.S. to be created now. This network of floating cities and farms will chelp mitigiate sea level rising and migrants crises in a row. This New "Zion" will attract every desperate people in the world, the tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of teeming shores. and finally, all disputed lands will be returned to the real owner: mother nature. Manhood had destroyed enough natural spaces. This must end too. We need this. We need the 51st state of the U.S. aka the marine "ZION", that will render possible space conquest, aka the only real, Celestial, "ZION".
I lost a lot of friends after 9-11, then Standing Rock, and so many LI connections that felt like my community.
Why does our humanity, our standing up for the oppressed have to carry these kind of costs.
The broken plate is such a good metaphor, because even when these relationships come around, after 2 or 3 years.......a shard is what comes back. Not the plate. And most of the time, they're not willing to put in the work to glue that plate back.
"I didn't know xyz back then" is such a feeble excuse.
It’s scary how Zionists have been spurred to such violence and how much Islamaphobia was lurking in people’s hearts. I thought we’d learned our lesson after Iraq but no, turns out some people thought it was great and want to see even more of it. It’s sickening! I’m so sorry you had to go through this loss on top of everything else, and see such awful denial of a genocide.
Ijeoma, I have remembered this post and your grief and came back to read it today after losing a dear friend for similar reasons -- she believes I am antisemitic because I have been speaking out against the genocide in Gaza and the occupation of Palestine. Knowing that I am doing what is right is a comfort, but a cold one in the face of the blazing ire, disdain, and rejection of someone I once trusted implicitly. Thank you, once again, for being raw and real and sharing your personal pain in the midst of the global rage and grief we are all processing daily. It helped me not to brush away my own private grief today, to sit with it for a moment before I get up and go on to fight another day.
Thank you for sharing. There is so much going on in the world that it really does feel like the world is on fire. The mix of emotions and thoughts about the Palestinians and what they are having to go through can put a lot of heart ache and stress on you. You want to help but there's just simply nothing you can do.
I am so sorry for all these hard and unbelievable times we are all witnessing and some of your people barely surviving. The hard stuff is being felt everywhere and on so many fronts. My Brother Jack died 10/16 and we were all there in Cleveland… and it was good at first but then came the religious fanaticism and the misogyny and sexism and the final blow to me a lesbian… homophobic horrible remarks. I again had to blast the offenders with my words and leave town… it never ends Ijeoma… not for so many and for so many reasons. SIGH
Dear Ijeoma... thank you for your bravery. This moment is about you and the friendships you will lose and hopefully, also about the friendships you will gain. This moment is about me and the sick feeling in my gut as I try to go about my day while knowing that Palestinians are being eradicated. I want to scream. I want to protest. I want to wear a keffiyeh in solidarity. Mostly, I just feel sick to my stomach. We have to make this injustice about each and every one of us. The genocide of the Palestinian people is personal. Just days before October 7th I was speaking out against antisemitism now I'm afraid of being labelled one. The fear is real. Your bravery inspires me and is giving me the courage to find my voice. You're brave. You hurt. You grieve. You're human. Sending healing energy your way as you grieve.
Dear Ijeoma, I hear you loud and clear. I am Palestinian by birth, Jewish by adoption (long story), and my heart is shattered. I have had to split with an old friend, though I am still sending her articles, trying to engage, holding out hope that perhaps there is something, some small thing that will get under her armor, just near her heart, where the media and the propaganda has not reached.
I do not understand why the whole world is not standing against this. And I watched and continue to watch as people turned a blind eye to Tigray in Ethiopia where my adopted son is from and so on.
I do not understand the heartless leaders, those who have no moral compass, those who choose willfully not to see the children, the infants, the families, the whole people of Palestine.
Thank you for lifting up your voice and by doing so lifting up the voice of those whose voices are not being heard at all.
In peace.
"And my heart breaks for the moment that she will realize it, and breaks even more at the thought that she might never realize it."
Cue the ugly tears. Thank you for expressing this grief so exactly.
And I'm so sorry, for everything you are dealing with right now.
Ijeoma, my heart breaks for the grief you are experiencing at the loss of your friend. You are not selfish for feeling it nor speaking about it. I am Jewish and have been having very hard conversations with my aunt, who I love as a mother. She supports the ending of the occupation but still thinks a two state solution is the way. I admit I am afraid to speak with my extended family I am not close to but know are Zionists, or taking things “too far” with my aunt. I am ashamed of myself for this, and am sitting with these difficult feelings. Your writing has been a beacon of light to me during this time. Thank you for modeling what strength, solidarity and speaking truth to power looks like. Wishing you peace in your grief.
Thank you for writing this piece, it's so relevant for so many of us right now.
I send you much care in your grieving. I really get it. I think so many of us are going to see friendships break over this. It's really difficult.
I keep thinking of South Africa and ending apartheid, and then the Truth & Reconciliation council. Mandela & Tutu thought it was the best way for the country to move forward and heal, so the TRC offered amnesty if the perpetrator of crimes came forward and told their story to the victims.
I wish Tutu & Mandela were alive for their wisdom right now. How extraordinary to even have leaders like that in a country.
Instead we have this horrible stupid war machine. One thing for sure, Israel ain't gonna be safer after all this. Grieving with you.
Thank you for sharing your experiences and conviction with us ❤️❤️🩹
“… every morning, a new arrival… Even if… Sorrows, violently… Greet them at the door… Some new delight…”
Rumi (-ish)
Thank you for consistently opening your heart to us. Your image choice for this post is very fitting and conjures an image in my mind of Kintsugi pottery. "As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise." [Wikipedia] Beautiful repair, maybe not soon, but some day...
Sending so much care and recognition and love, Ijeoma. Thank you for your voice and courage and heart.
Sad. Time is a healer, they say. We live in prophetic times. The vanity of "sovereignty", "borders" and "nations" is revealed. We need the 51st state of the U.S. to be created now. This network of floating cities and farms will chelp mitigiate sea level rising and migrants crises in a row. This New "Zion" will attract every desperate people in the world, the tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of teeming shores. and finally, all disputed lands will be returned to the real owner: mother nature. Manhood had destroyed enough natural spaces. This must end too. We need this. We need the 51st state of the U.S. aka the marine "ZION", that will render possible space conquest, aka the only real, Celestial, "ZION".
That's heartbreaking.
I lost a lot of friends after 9-11, then Standing Rock, and so many LI connections that felt like my community.
Why does our humanity, our standing up for the oppressed have to carry these kind of costs.
The broken plate is such a good metaphor, because even when these relationships come around, after 2 or 3 years.......a shard is what comes back. Not the plate. And most of the time, they're not willing to put in the work to glue that plate back.
"I didn't know xyz back then" is such a feeble excuse.
It’s scary how Zionists have been spurred to such violence and how much Islamaphobia was lurking in people’s hearts. I thought we’d learned our lesson after Iraq but no, turns out some people thought it was great and want to see even more of it. It’s sickening! I’m so sorry you had to go through this loss on top of everything else, and see such awful denial of a genocide.
Ijeoma, I have remembered this post and your grief and came back to read it today after losing a dear friend for similar reasons -- she believes I am antisemitic because I have been speaking out against the genocide in Gaza and the occupation of Palestine. Knowing that I am doing what is right is a comfort, but a cold one in the face of the blazing ire, disdain, and rejection of someone I once trusted implicitly. Thank you, once again, for being raw and real and sharing your personal pain in the midst of the global rage and grief we are all processing daily. It helped me not to brush away my own private grief today, to sit with it for a moment before I get up and go on to fight another day.
Thank you for sharing. There is so much going on in the world that it really does feel like the world is on fire. The mix of emotions and thoughts about the Palestinians and what they are having to go through can put a lot of heart ache and stress on you. You want to help but there's just simply nothing you can do.
Thank you. Your voice during this time has helped center me and give me confidence & strength to stand up for what I KNOW is right and just.
I am so sorry for all these hard and unbelievable times we are all witnessing and some of your people barely surviving. The hard stuff is being felt everywhere and on so many fronts. My Brother Jack died 10/16 and we were all there in Cleveland… and it was good at first but then came the religious fanaticism and the misogyny and sexism and the final blow to me a lesbian… homophobic horrible remarks. I again had to blast the offenders with my words and leave town… it never ends Ijeoma… not for so many and for so many reasons. SIGH