No Forgetting, No Forgiveness: Our Leaders Are Silent as Hospitals And Their Staff Are Being Exterminated by Israel
There is no hope in our leaders. But there is hope in us.
Since this is my last post of the year, I’ll start it with something I’ve been thinking for some time but never put in writing:
I didn’t think loving people you’ve never met was possible. I thought it was an exaggeration, a literary device.
And then came Palestinian journalists and doctors.
The love, the admiration, the constant fear of what’s next. The continuous heartbreak.
I know that for so many of us, the siege and now destruction of Northern Gaza’s last standing hospital, Kamal Adwan Hospital, has been simply unbearable to witness. For over 80 days, its director, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, has been asking – begging – the world to support the protected status of this hospital, to not allow Israel to completely destroy it.
And then, earlier this week, it was over.
“Over” as in Israel’s Fascist army has achieved its goal.
It has proceeded with its genocidal plan.
It has advanced its ethnic cleansing campaign goals.
The medical staff, patients, and Dr. Hussam himself were detained.
A photo surfaced that will go down in history of Hussam walking towards an Israeli tank.
A writing on Twitter, accompanying this photo, made the lump in our throats grow even more:
“I have never seen a man bigger than a tank before.”
Dr. Hussam had refused to leave the hospital.
For his unimaginable courage and determination to stay with the patients, he has paid the price of seeing his colleagues and his son murdered.
Dr. Hussam is detained by Israel now, reportedly being held in Israel's Sde Teiman detention camp known for its brutal torture and killings.
What does it mean?
Where does it leave us?
One, it is so painfully clear that there is no turning back. There is no respect or second chances ("Maybe they don't know?") left for our elected leaders if they haven't spoken out about the systemic destruction of Gaza's healthcare system.
They know. The information is there.
They simply don't care, they are afraid to speak out, or they support it.
Either way, there's no moral spine there. No moral principles or values.
There's nothing to appeal to there.
We will never forget and we will definitely never forgive.
They were silent as hospitals were being burned.
Two, we have to continue in 2025.
We have to gather those inner resources, gather our community, and continue speaking out. We had fifteen months to learn how to do it through heartbreak and a lot of tears - at least I did - and we will find the energy to continue -- because what's the alternative?
They were silent as hospitals were being burned.
Two, we have to continue in 2025.
We have to gather those inner resources, gather our community, and continue speaking out. We had fifteen months to learn how to do it through heartbreak and a lot of tears – at least I did – and we will find the energy to continue — because what’s the alternative?
We owe it to all the brave medical staff in Gaza.
We owe it to Dr. Hussam.
We owe it to our conscience.
There’s no “Happy 2025.”
There’s only “Towards a Free Palestine” ❤️
As always: stay strong, check on others, and keep your heart open.
❤️💔❤️
Justina
PS. If you’re from Lithuania, I’ve recorded a separate video on how despicable our national broadcaster has been regarding this very story.
Find all my work on Palestine here.