#AND how a truly free palestine can be achieved

[oldmanlogan]

read this

[wewebaggit]

I am already not paying for Netflix and will not support ST either, especially after Shawn Levy's open Zionist approach.

Look, no one is saying they cannot support their family in Israel. But what they are doing is basically sitting in the US and calling for an open ethnic cleansing against Palestinians, while cherry-picking their words and spreading false information. As we speak, Gaza is basically being bombed to death, an entire place has its water, electricity and basic resources being taken from them. It may be easy to post random shit on your accounts with millions of followers while living in rich houses. But the reality doesn't match that and both Levy and Noah should have been more sensible and learned better before posting dumb shit on your accounts.

You are free to hate whoever. N I'm not even gonna bother to defend them cuz it's not my job nor do I base my politics off of teen celebs. That being said I've read his statement that is just as passionate and devoid of the complete understanding of everything of it like other impassioned posts. That's what passionate posts do. They appeal to an emotion. I'm not sitting here expecting him or any other jewish celeb to say yaaaaaas Hamas. Nor am I gonna raise my brows if they speak for the Jewish side of things.

The statement that people read and ran with saying he's calling all Palestinians terrorists is as inaccurate as whatever false info y'all are accusing him of spreading. I do not blame him nor do I defend him and him is a placeholder for any Jew celeb, cuz I do not base my sense of right or wrong on what they're saying. I've never once felt the need to publicly anonymously denounce the people I don't agree with because I don't usually find myself overcompensating for anything.

Israel - Palestine conflict is not new. What's new is this one actor who everyone's expecting to say politically correct shit (which in his mind he might be doing just that 🤷‍♀️) and I believe that expecting this in and of itself is stupid and an easy way to pass the blame and do nothing at all to look good.

Palestinians right to self determination is not affected by what a nobody says. Nor is Israel's stance on continuing on with its policies of decades. The fact that people are busy harping on this one thing cuz apparently the only source of knowledge is insta and therefore maybe it seems like it's a must to react to whatever is seen on insta. Well, I cannot relate.

The fact that you or whoever if there are multiple anons find it necessary to approach me on anon so that I can be derisive towards him and that somehow it is the most important thing to discuss here - well, it is laughably easy to post while sitting in your home with food, water and power while others are wont to dangerously struggle for them. See how that works? My post is and has never been about Israel Palestine at all and was always in response to anon (and fandumb) who's been at it for a while.

Are we truly gonna say that he hasn't always be hated upon for things he's done and not done? Is there a comparable backlash against other celebs? That being said you now stop liking a celeb. Good for you. What does it achieve? Were you following them for their immense knowledge and wisdom of politics and geopolitical conflicts? Then I suggest you do not mourn the loss.

Also the fucking hypocrisy of everyone on this site to wake up like the Undertaker when it's israel/palestine (not even out of much real love for the people affected let me remind you as the argument is centered around fucking Noah schnapp/jewish celebs of all the people) and then no reaction to what happens in third world non-glamorous countries. (The glamorous here is Israel to be clear). And before you say well it's a reaction to what he said. Well there have been reactions based on what he should say or hasn't said, too. So like I'm judging y'all atp. Like what's the issue? Your heart bleeds for victims or does your mouth salivate over taking someone down with that pitchfork?

Why should I engage in an argument that's not based on what is says its about but the subject matter is celeb not the thing celeb is talking about. That being said I won't even be talking about the thing the celeb is talking about because there's shit happening in the world all the time and I have my opinions on all of them and I choose to keep them to myself lest people read what's not there and call me a genocidal dogwhister. There are 2 sides to a genocide. (And I'm not saying like 2 sides to a story. But a victim and a perpetrator) And the supporters of both sides will have unfortunate reading comprehension if it means they can take down a nobody in the business of nothing to make themselves feel morally superior.

So should he (Shawn and Noah) be more responsible or considerate or whatever? Idk. They can be or they can choose to show their ass. My respect (if any) for them never did rest on what their political beliefs were because, at the risk of appearing repetitive, I don't care.

I do care about the proxy hatred being spewed under the guise of sloganeering though. I'm way too used to it. It happens on the daily where I come from. I'm not gonna pretend y'all are angels. I see this for what it is.

So good on you for not supporting ST and staying true to your beliefs and code. That is always a respectable position to take. Sometimes people are just not in your position. Like you might not be in theirs. As you so pointed out.

TLDR: I trust celebs to post dumb shit. Where have you been to have expected differently?

[paradiserotting]

a message to the swamp

yay 50 follows!! thank u guys so much!! everyone who was a moot from the beginning and stayed or some1 who js saw my account today. for me. this blog is about encapsulating and putting away negative feelings so you can crack open a canned drink and sit by the creek with your friends. the swamp aesthetic can truly be anywhere, its a mindset. its being happy that it rained because of the smell instead of staying inside and wallowing. its your sunday best covered in mud and sand. it can truly be anywhere, from china to congo to palestine to europe, to your local store or a big corporation. its all about how you look at stuff. embrace the dirty, gross, grimey, muddy, low quality trash in life and see everything in deep greens and yellows. i truly do love anyone and everyone who has interacted with me in any way at all, my swamp family is growing!!! thank u sooo much again!! do ur daily clicks, reshare links, free lcongo, free palestine, free sudan, free ukraine!! i will be pausing all posts and reposts to celebrate this small achievement 4 me lol. i loovvveee u guys 💋

[weedsollux]

i just want to write for a bit im jewish on my moms side from slavic heritage and we arent practicing mostly (you are not immune to protestant assimilation) but many of my childhood friends are so i have a lot of love for that culture and community.. going to bat mitzvah as a kid sometimes they would do a ceremony where they explain how they would plant a tree in israel and later visit it in a pilgrimage.. back then i was just a kid i didnt know it was part of something much larger and deeply sinister

and that sentiment is undoubtedly part of a motive to eject all people that natively live in those lands and expand the territory of israel to become a 'holy land' for jewish people only. even though this land is sacred for ALL abrahamic religions. it is already clear that israel is nothing more than an artificially created ethnostate born of peoples racist fear and hatred of the arabic people who are indigenous to this land and believe in the same G.d as the jewish and christian people. it is born from misplaced generational trauma and a fear that expands beyond all reason and compassion and becomes racism and outwards terror that contributes to the extermination of humanity. from a religious standpoint which is not even fully my own, it is unthinkable that the people who are descendants of the original people of jerusalem, of the west bank, who have been forcibly removed from their lives for decades, are being called terrorists, for no reason at all, for having a small, relatively noble resistance. and the coward netanyahu is still spewing the weak, empty lie that his end goal is not the absolute destructiom of gaza even though his entire party is openly declaring this and he has no words against it, and america somehow either pretends to believe or idiotically truly believes it, under the guise of "fighting terrorism" which at this point we all know is code words for killing all arabs. it is a horrible thing to say but i am literally just describing whats happening. it is so transparent how a feeble desperate grasp on one "ally" in the middle east has balooned into an unabashed, hollow support for actual, proven crimes against humanity. i feel no sorrow that america is rapidly losing its credibility in the world. having the most expensive military is already no achievement when millions of people in your own country, disproportionately native people, are living very difficult lives with very little support. and even less so when you are openly contributing weapons of mass destruction to assist other efforts of colonization in the world. manifest destiny has not ended, separation of church and state is a myth, this country has alienated arabs for a long long time and anyone of non protestant faith to an extent. this country was founded based on protestant superiority and we still feel the effects of that to this day. catholics and jews have been slowly accepted because a lot of them are white and are often complicit with the prejudices that enable america to continue bringing about its ulterior motives. i do feel lucky to live here but not because this country is great or "free" only because i am fortunate enough to be spared.. if you for some reason read this whole post thank you and sorry its incoherent. im struggling to even comprehend it at all. check out the #free palestine tag on my blog to see how you can help and make a stand against it no matter how small

[palms-upturned]

what’s the point of going ANY direction re: voting vs. not voting when every option seems like it’s bad and will cause you to do harm on the world? I’m so fucking scared and sick of everything. Unironically, I DO want some kind of revolution. I wish I could give myself over to some kind of underground resistance army who’s left society behind and committed themselves to eradicating genocide and capitalism and everything bad. Nothing else feels like enough. It feels like existence itself is a moral failing. There HAS to be more. I wish everyone could just be happy all the time forever. (Also, I was considering voting for/writing in the socialist candidate Claudia at the very minimum. Is this a moral failing or a good thing to do? I want to make sure…)

I think the first thing that you can do for yourself is let go of the need to be “morally” right. Everything will truly feel hopeless if you frame your politics that way. If you assign moral value to things that are outside of your control, that’s how you end up feeling that your own existence is immoral. And I know that’s easier said than done. I really do. But if you can do it, everything will become so much clearer.

It is not immoral to exist. It’s the most basic right that every other human right is based on. The right to live is the very thing that we’re fighting for. That right extends to you, too. And from a strategic standpoint, you can’t fight if you’re not here, right? So you learn to recognize the ways in which your life depends on the lives of others, you sit with that realization and how it makes you feel, and then you let it inform how you act. But the action is what’s important because the action is what brings change.

The way that you’re feeling right now, that fear and anger and grief, that wish for all of us to live happily in safety and dignity, that certainty that there has to be more than this, those are all things that are spurring you and others to act. But we have to be acting in service of the people who are suffering right now, rather than acting in service of our own feelings. Not because that’s what’s morally right, but because that’s the only way to change anything. The people of Palestine have been doing the work for over a century. They know best what needs to be done to achieve their own liberation. So what we have to do is listen and answer their calls to action. Otherwise, anything we do will be myopic and self-serving. The same goes for every liberation movement.

While I can’t exactly point you in the direction of an underground freedom fighter movement, I can tell you that there are already so many support networks around you. There are so many people who feel the way you do and who are not only willing to act, but have been doing so longer than you’ve been alive. Revolutions don’t just happen overnight, they’re the result of lifetimes worth of work. Get involved in local mutual aid networks, with labor organizing, with efforts to archive and share Palestinian culture and history. It will probably never feel like enough, because nothing will ever feel like enough until we’re all free. But if you’re doing everything that is within your power to do, then what more can be asked of you? And the more people you organize with, the more becomes within your power to do.

If you feel that there is a genuine strategic value in joining a write-in campaign for a socialist candidate in the election, then do it! If you get too tied up in whether or not it’s the most “moral” choice, you’re going to run yourself ragged in mental circles. Focus on the material reasons for your choices. It will make it easier to act.

Don’t lose hope. Even if liberation comes after we’re gone, it won’t happen without us. And I do believe that it will happen.

[inkbirdie]

Just listened to Conan O’Brien’s podcast interview with Biden. I think he has admirable ideals but fails to live up to them. He says, and maybe believes, that he cares about human connections and lives, and declares that the U.S. can and should help around the world (we are the “essential nation”) but he is clearly unable to see when people truly need help. Biden lives in a past where the political parties had more shared values and could reach across the aisle to achieve common American goals. He is still able to ignore the terrible things other politicians (friends and the people he admires/respects—ex. the Bushes and Mitt Romney) believe and have done in the name of unity. He is an eloquent and warm speaker with optimistic ideals and capacity for sympathy and compassion. It is true that other politicians do not possess this. However, Biden never goes far enough for the values he claims to have, and he prefers vague statements on friendships, camaraderie, and a better future to doing the right work to make that better future (and better present) happen. I implore him to do as he says and speak directly to the people who need help. To see the world from the perspective of the oppressed and the poor. To look into the eyes of a person who has lost everything and understand how they truly feel and what they truly need and want. He knows all too well the power he holds and the ability he has as the U.S. president, but he refuses to use it to stop genocide and save thousands of lives. I implore him to meet with the Palestinian people as he did with the Israelis and to look them in the eyes and know their pain and their need. Live up to his grandiose statements and work now and hard for positive and tangible change that improves and saves the lives of the suffering. Do not forget the pain that is felt when family is lost. The idea that all who go through it are heroes. That is their every day. We don’t need any more heroes. We need to save lives, now. This is a defining moment. The world is watching. Free Palestine. 🇵🇸

[theholidayslingerlikebadperfume]

i watched this video online of this black middle aged woman talking about how many young people online haven't had the chance to challenge their politic yet and it really resonated with me because i think it explains some of y'all behaviors online and in real life.

sure, you say you want everyone to receive housing and free food and clothes and not want for necessities but what if you're constantly dealing with bigotry? because the poorest populations ARE the MOST bigoted. it's that way by design. she was talking about being called the n word and abused left and right verbally and how she had to really ask herself, do i believe this person deserves my help? this person who is mean and angry and trying to exert power over me in any way they can? for her, the answer is yes.

and i have heard many of my friends say things like "if i was dictator, I'd do things right" or "i don't understand how people can disagree with my opinions, they're just objectively the correct ones to have" re the bigotry right.

but ask these same people would you allow someone who calls you slurs to eat food you bought and prepared for them and suddenly, they're sounding very conservative.

the truth of the matter is a lot of you guys politics are dependent on people being the "right" type of human. that's why some of you have no problem getting ON THE INTERNET and admitting that you'd like to see white people die for not caring enough about your problems or causing your problems in the first place.

your politics aren't actually progressive. it's NOT progressive to believe that only the people you think deserve it should have access to life, housing, food, and all their rights.

yeah, obviously, it's fucking easy to help out people who behave in ways you find socially acceptable but there's a lot of people out there who behave in ways you DON'T find socially acceptable, see your reaction the people at the dnc being mean to palestine protesters. in fact, the MAJORITY of society, if you're truly a leftist, doesn't act in ways you find socially acceptable. what differentiates a leftist from a conservative is their willingness to help EVERYONE, even people they dont like, achieve basic comforts and dignity in life.

a lefist would rather house everyone, even if it means MOST of the people that get houses are bigoted, because they know it's not right to tie your right to housing to how moral you are as a person. a conservative only wants a world with people who think and act like them to have basic rights and a good life. everyone else deserves to suffer for their sins.

[doorhine]

I know that not everyone on here, who lives in the US, will be of voting age next year and I hope that you’re getting (and spreading) information from reliable sources beyond this site. But I need those of you who see this to listen to these people and understand what they’re going through right now. I need you to recognize they’re not the only ones who feel this way and are fed up with how our system works. There are people who could articulate this better than I can and while I’d like to think the words of those I’m trying to uplift right now speak for themselves, I know that won’t be the case for everyone.

I’ve seen Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim people get so much hate for not wanting to vote for the man who is currently supporting their genocide, the deaths of their family members, and Islamophobia in general (including all it’s victims whether or not they are actually Muslim). I need those of you who still have a “vote blue no matter who” sentiment to understand how unreasonable and callous it is for you to expect them (and other people, especially poc who are fed up with this) to vote (again) for Biden because Trump will be “worse”. They are not stupid. They are fed up and they’re not the only ones.

A lot of people voted for Biden last time, including people in this video, (solely) for the sake of getting Trump out of office and look where that got us, both inside and outside the US. None of us want Trump in office but to act like Biden and the genocide he and his administration are supporting (and the other policies they seek to create and continue enforcing to keep this country the way it’s been since it’s inception) are the “lesser of two evils” is a horrendous and dangerous sentiment to have. Genocide is not and will never be the lesser of two evils. I can’t explain how, not below the bar, but nonexistent the bar is to have that frame of mind.

And for those of you who don’t know, I once again want to draw your attention to Claudia De la Cruz and Karina Garcia who are running for president and vice president this coming election and are actually supporting and speaking out for Palestine amongst other important causes. We have an alternative and while I know this site isn’t and shouldn’t be the place where you get all your information, I was there when people turned out for Biden as well as Bernie as a third party (who also supports Israel btw) in previous elections. I know we can and should give these candidates some traction here and elsewhere.  

The Palestinian people have asked us to uplift their voices and work with them, in whatever way we can, to stop this ongoing genocide being committed against them. And I know they have not asked us to vote for Biden who is currently doing this to them along with Israel. They’ve asked us to believe in what we’re doing and can achieve together. To have hope that there will be, not just a ceasefire, but a free and decolonized Palestine. And I feel like for those of you who are trying to do this work, but can’t extend that same belief and hope in a third party who can help this cause, when we actually have a good option beyond two people, two parties who don’t give a shit about us… I feel like you’ve already started to give up. 

Sorry I can’t be “nice” about this, but if you’ve watched the video, read all of this, truly care about what’s going on and choose not to spread awareness on these candidates and support them because your feelings were hurt… I don’t think you’re in this for the right reasons. 

Plus I know those of you who want us to "vote blue no matter who" aren't being "nice" or considerate when you call people stupid or say they're allowing fascism to rise for not wanting to vote for fascists who are also maintaining the genocide against Indigenous and Black people that's been going on since the beginning of this country amongst many other forms of oppression.

For those of you who get it and weren’t aware of these candidates, I hope you spread awareness about them and keep doing what you’re able to do to support Palestine, push for a ceasefire and ultimately decolonization. We’ve built up a lot of momentum so far and we need to keep going. 

The link I put on De la Cruz and Garcia is to their twitter page.

Here is another link to their website.

[riffield1985]

Puppet America under the control of the Jewish race

The Anti-Semitism Awareness Act is a very interesting bill. This sentence may seem a bit strange to read, but it is true. Americans’ Anti-Semitic Awareness Act could make Washington crawl out of its coffin. Please allow me to tell you the ins and outs of this matter first. Israel's inhumane war against Palestine has aroused public opinion in the world, especially in the United States. Since Israel's weapons are almost all provided by the United States, anti-war sentiment has emerged in the country.

Today in the United States, as the promulgation of the bill continues and social conflicts surge, large-scale demonstrations continue to break out in the United States. However, the U.S. authorities’ response to the demonstrations of these students and workers is to arrest them by the police. And ended. You know, the United States has always prided itself as the most "free" country in the world, but now it actually arrests people for such demonstrations. This is really contradictory.

Of course, these students did not break the law, so they cannot be detained for too long. The violent law enforcement in the United States also caused a large number of internal protests. In order to prevent these students and intellectuals from causing trouble, the United States took a special step-enacting a bill. The U.S. authorities actually immediately started drafting a draft and unanimously voted to pass a ridiculous bill called the Anti-Semitic Awareness Act. Of course, it may take some time before legislation is enacted, but the passage of this bill has also made the world realize one thing - the United States is no longer the United States.

All high-level officials in the United States have been controlled by Jews. It can be said that all important positions such as the Secretary of Defense in the United States are held by Jews. Then none of their people resisted? Of course not, the American people have been protesting, but we must also know that the United States is a capitalist country, and power is in the hands of capital. Their capital has turned the United States into a completely submissive country. The American people even said in front of reporters that there are only two countries in the world that are truly free - China and Russia. Why do you say that? Because these two countries will not be bought by capital.

No matter what things the Jews have done, no matter how abominable they are, we cannot ignore the fact that Jews are smart and really good at making money. Jews even control 400 of the world's top 500 companies, basically achieving a monopoly on world capital. This kind of capital monopoly also makes the United States controlled by it. After all, American politicians are often from big capitalists. In the United States, you have no way to enter politics without money. Today's President Biden has long been a puppet of the Jews, but I don't know what will happen to Trump, who has a high probability of being elected. The Anti-Semitic Awareness Act enacted within the United States is purely to help Jews convict those who oppose Israel's war in the Middle East, and it also allows the American people to really see the government's face clearly. This government is so ridiculous that it can even be said to be completely inconsistent with American freedom.

The American people have now let us see a phenomenon. The United States is not free. The United States is a "semi-dictatorship" country that claims to be free. Why is it called a "semi-dictatorship"? Because the United States is not a one-man dictatorship, the United States is a Jewish dictatorship. The United States has become a puppet of the Jewish race, which is really scary when you think about it.

[rainbowywitch]

You can change my life from bad to better. Donate even a little through this link to save my life and my family from death under the rubble and missile bombardment.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/i-live-in-the-occupied-state-of-palestine-from-gaza?utm_campaign=man_ss_icons&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link

If you can't donate, post my link and share it.

https://gofund.me/870a3584

Hello everyone My name is Aya Yasser, I am 19 years old. I live with my family under siege in Gaza City - Palestine. I study at the University of Palestine, specializing in technology. Because of the war on my city, all academic universities were destroyed and stopped. There will be no other refuge left for me to complete my studies and achieve the dreams that I want, and what was left of them was destroyed. My items that I used, such as my laptop, through which I could save money to help my family, but everything was destroyed. I have a father, an elderly man who is 55 years old, and he is sick, and I cannot provide treatment and a suitable place to care for him. He also makes a great effort to provide basic needs such as water, some food and medicine, but unfortunately life has become truly tragic for us. I am reaching out to you today to humbly ask for your financial assistance, which will enable me and my brothers, along with eight other individuals, to escape this dire situation. Our goal is to find safety and peace away from the ongoing conflicts that have robbed us of our land, subjected us to injustice and hunger, and exposed us to the relentless attacks that have left our homes demolished. At this point, we have nothing left but the streets. To make this possible, we require a significant amount of funds, approximately $5000 per person, to cover the costs of our travel and relocation. Your generous contributions will provide us with the means to start anew, away from the hardships we currently face. Your support will not only help us escape the immediate dangers but also offer us the chance to rebuild our lives in a more secure environment. We kindly ask you to consider making a donation through GoFundMe. Your contribution will make a significant difference in our lives, providing us with the opportunity to break free from this cycle of violence and uncertainty. Your support will pave the way for a brighter future, where What is our goal: The goal of this fundraiser is to help rebuild the future of my family who lost their homes during this war. It will also assist in evacuation. Your donation, no matter how big or small, will help make a difference in my family's life. My family still clings to hope, hope for a better future and life after this war ends.

[waterolivecoffiyeh]

I don't know what's more audacious.

The fact you actually used someone else's post to try to make your point valid in the tags, or the fact you're trying to hide what you said by posting new items like this up on your blog.

Let me reply to you then @puppyluver256

"Maybe when that individual person doesn't use the dead as a soapbox to their rant into an online space I'd respect the message or think they'd learned from their mistakes about the situation."

…But I know you're trying to spin things so you can look like someone who supports the "good side" of stuff. You still have your so-called "free verse poetry" up, along with its message of reducing the Palestinian genocide to a "religious war" rather than calling it what it is. And let's not forget all your other passive-aggressive posts about Palestine you've made since October 7th and onwards.

I called you out about it and you've still done nothing to change your tune. All I've seen you do is try to make more negative remarks instead of anything productive or helpful. The irony is not lost to me seeing you reblog someone else's post and adding tags to it to make it seem like you care. But that tracks with you. Anything to make yourself look good online, hm? Let's be honest. You didn't decide to reblog this because you actually support the issues of Palestine or any other place suffering the same types of horrors. If that were the case you'd have taken down the problematic posts, been apologetic about the distasteful comments you made, and boosted helpful links. Instead, you doubled down even harder because your image matters more to you than anything else and you don't care about the means you go about achieving that.

But I can see right through it all. This performative display of charity and grace is all smoke and mirrors. You continue to lie and say anything to convince others that you're a good person in support of Palestine and then give yourself a pat on the back, thinking you have higher morals because you piggybacked off other people's more popular posts.

But let's be serious. You're just trying to do damage control to save face and nothing else. You've been trying to do that ever since I started calling you out on your passive-aggressive reblogs. You are the one who's actually been swinging around a "cudgel", using the news out of Palestine or any other place in the world to make these situations all about yourself and how bad it is to see things online and that you can't handle it all. (when you as an adult can control what you see and how much you engage online with a given subject.) Since then? You've said a lot of truly distasteful things as well as complained about people who support Palestine online in different spaces. I was once a follower and I did respect you at one point. But seeing how you continue to make self-centered posts and tone-deaf digs, and are now using other people's posts to try and cover up all that you said previously with no admission of remorse or even an apology for the misinformation you posted?

…Well, why don't we have more people weigh in on this subject? See what they think about what you've been doing and saying? Assuming they even know or have been paying attention to what you've been posting.

@zootycutie @chelledoggo I'm tagging you two since this one is your mutual.

You can check out my blog with the screenshots or the master post with links directly to what your friend has been saying since last year.

As for you @puppyluver256? You need to stop hiding what you said and own up to it. You honestly need to reflect on your words and actions versus trying to hide everything behind other people's posts to save face.

[seongpinkhwa]

i’m kind of mixed between the palestine and israel conflict. because on one hand hamas and palestinian jihad started firing rockets into israel and hit homes and a school. idk why they didn’t expect a retaliation from that. but i will say i didn’t expect israel to bomb them as hard as they are. it’s heartbreaking to see and it’s obviously affecting children and just general residences of both sides. i’m just seeing a lot of people not doing more research on the matter and taking it as israel just randomly started bombing palestine. that’s not the case and this tension between the two has been around for YEARS. this is just a result of what’s been building up i guess. idk tho. i’m still trying to read into it and figuring it out. it just sucks to see so i want there to be a solution or something to this whole thing. it’s just crazy and sad to witness

okay i’ve gotten eighteen messages like this over the past week, so this is gonna be my universal answer, because i’m not gonna repeat myself over and over again for the benefit of people who can’t seem to do the correct research.

firstly, stop calling it a conflict. this is settler colonialism. this is palestinian land, where palentians live!! that’s their home!! they own it!! and then israel comes barging into their homeland with all these big guns and bombs and technology that can literally divert missiles away from them. if someone breaks into your home with an insanely technologically advanced weapon, murders your family, and then ever-so-kindly gives you a warning beforehand that you'll die too if you don't leave in the next ten seconds, would you call that a "conflict" when you try to fight back? is that a fair contest between two equal forces?

i feel like a lot of people don’t truly understand how advanced the israeli military is. they get $3.8 billion from the US government annually, and many, MANY news sources and analysts have noted that they have one of the best defense forces in the entire fucking world (x, x) as well as conscription (mandatory military service). all of this combined means that they have a ridiculous amount of resources. you wanna see how big the palestinian army is?

this was in 2017. since then, israel has only murdered more and more civilians and taken more and more land. so what do you think will happen when they go up against this?

all the "complex" history and statistics (some of which are provided here, here and here) very clearly show one underlying message: if palestinians do not fight back, they will be killed and their land taken. israel has stated multiple times that they will not stop until they achieve their goal. when you enter someone's home and try to claim it without their permission, when you massacre their loved ones, their brothers and sisters and friends and family, YOU are responsible when they fight back.

israel is the sole culprit of murdering innocent jewish civilians: maybe they didn't plant the bombs or fire the missiles, but they willingly stood by and continued to let it happen for the sake of their own disgusting greed, for the sake of them being able to plant more hatred into the hearts of their people. you think they care if their women and children die? it actively benefits them, because they can continue to enforce the stereotype of vicious palestinians being terrorists and murderers. this means that either way, they win: if palestine does not fight back, israel has free reign over the land, and if they do, the government can frame them as the villains. it's a lose lose situation. and if you still think that's a two-sided issue or a "conflict" then maybe that's your own bigotry and stupidity working against you.

[eretzyisrael]

The EU Is At War With Israel

It's official. For all intents and purposes, the EU is at war with Israel.Some of the members, particularly in Eastern and central Europe aren't participating, but most of the EU is. It isn't a shooting war, but an increasing effort to marginalize the Jewish State so it can be destroyed.. The EU supports anti-Israel NGOs financially,and continues to fund the PLO even though it uses much of those funds to pay terrorists for murdering Israeli civilians, even though that financial support frees up funds to be used in what the PLO refers to as 'operations.' Only Israel has fruits, vegetables and fresh flowers specially labeled as being from 'the Occupied West Bank.' Led by Angela Merkel and Frances Emanuel Macron, the EU has consistently evaded U.S. sanctions against Iran and continued to observe the farcical Iran 'deal' of Barack Hussein Obama. The EU has done this even though Iran has been quite clear of its genocidal intentions towards Israel. And it was none other than Germany's Angela Merkel who pressured Eastern and Central European countries with good relationships with Israel not to relocate their embassies in Jerusalem or face her wrath. The founding director of the European Coalition for Israel in Brussels, Tomas Sandell, reported that  that the  German Chancellor  waged a strenuous campaign to stop central and eastern European countries from moving their capitals to Jerusalem.. “I have spoken to many Germans these last few days in Brussels,” he said. “They are not aware of this, and all of them would be shocked that all of the countries in the European Union today would want to block an embassy move to Jerusalem, not only for your own country, but for other countries that have the conviction [that] this is the right thing to do, the only country to do would be Germany. This is a big shock.” According to Sandell, most of  Merkel’s calls to put the squeeze on European leaders happened when “many of the nations were seriously considering moving their embassies.” This isn't a shock to me at all,but let's continue. Germany also implemented  the marking of Israeli goods from 'disputed territories' in 2015. Not only did Germany start the labeling, but Merkel used her influence to get other Eu nations to do the same.The idea, of course is to further isolate Israel as an 'occupying power.' As recently as a few days ago, the EU showed that it had chosen sides against Israel. When American U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley tried to discuss aspects of President Trump's proposed peace plan, they essentially brushed it off. Let's look at their official statement and then dissect what it really means. After the usual horse manure about a 'just peace 'based on international law, relevant UN resolutions and previous agreements', here's what they said:  "The EU is truly convinced that the achievement of a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as the capital of both States, that meets Israeli and Palestinian security needs and Palestinian aspirations for statehood and sovereignty, ends the occupation and resolves all final status issues, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2334 and previous agreements, is the only viable and realistic way to end the conflict and to achieve just and lasting peace." Let's translate this, shall we?

Resolution 2334 is the one former President Barack Hussein Obama engineered when the Security Council had a majority of anti-Israel countries on it and then made sure the US abstained so it would pass, his final hateful attack on Israel. Here's what it stipulated, and it's an  'anti-zionist' wet dream. First of all, it negates every Israeli community as illegal outside the pre-1967 lines and gives East Jerusalem to the PLO. This creates 580,000 homeless Israeli refugees, bars them forever from all their holy sites, and puts all of Israel's central plain and its airports in easy missile and mortar by giving Israel's sworn enemies the high ground. 

Not only that, it also  takes away any notion of security from what's left of Jerusalem that the resolution is willing to leave to Israel. The Israelis themselves had previous experience with this in 1967, when Jordan's King Hussein announced his entry into the war by shelling civilians and having snipers fire on West Jerusalem Even worse, there would be nothing to stop Iran from supplying deadlier and deadlier missiles and arms to both the PLO and Hamas. With the Jordan Valley out of Israeli control, there would be nothing to stop Iran from moving troops, missile launchers and armor  to Israel's new borders. Essentially, what the EU was saying to Ambassador Haley is that they weren't going to support President Trump's plan whatever it was, that Israel should be moved to indefensible borders, and that its enemies should have every strategic advantage so they can finally destroy it. 2334 also  violates the Oslo Accords and the Road Map, agreements the U.S. was a signatory to that stated unequivocally that any settlement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority could only be achieved through direct negations between the two parties. And then of course, there's that notion of 'occupation.' That term has always been used to describe one country forcibly invading and taking control of another country's sovereign territory. And sovereign territory means land inside another established country's recognized borders, like Saddam Hussein occupying Kuwait or the US occupying Germany or Japan. So we have to ask the question...which country's sovereign territory is Israel 'occupying?' It can't be Jordan. Yes, Jordan illegally occupied Judea, Samaria (AKA The West Bank) and East Jerusalem in the 1948 war for 19 years after ethnically cleansing the Jewish population in this area,  but the UN never recognized these areas as Jordanian territory, Israel took it back in the Six Day war after Jordan attacked them and Jordan later gave up all claims to this area as part of their peace treaty with Israel. So it isn't Jordan Israel's occupying. And it can't be 'Palestine' either. It never existed as a sovereign nation with established borders at all. Owning a house in say, Pennsylvania does not make it and maybe your yard a sovereign country, now does it? So there really is no 'occupation.' According to the San Remo Accords between the League of Nations (the UN of its day) and Britain in 1922, the 22% of the Palestine Mandate that includes Judea and Samaria and what is now Israel was supposed to be the Jewish State, while the 78% of it that's now Jordan was supposed to be the Arab State. It's the only partition of the area both sides ever agreed on, and it was reaffirmed in Article 80 of the UN Charter. What the EU and their pals at the UN are doing is pretty simple to figure out. They're simply doing what  Mark Twain predicted they would back in 1899 when the  Zionist movement was  beginning. Here's what he had to say  in a famous article on Jews he did in Harper's Magazine:  I am not objecting; but if that concentration of the cunningest brains in the world were going to be made in a free country (bar Scotland), I think it would be politic to stop it. It will not be well to let the race find out its strength. If the horses knew theirs, we should not ride any more. Want further proof of how the EU has it in for Israel? The recent attempt to simply pass a resolution  condemning unprovoked terrorism by Hamas against Israel in the UN General Assembly failed dismally once Israel's enemies in the UN insisted on a two thirds majority instead of the simple majority Ambassador Haley wanted. You know what did pass? A resolution sponsored by Ireland calling for 'the achievement, without delay”  of the implementing  of U.N. resolution 2334. Since 2334 was a series 6 Resolution that has no status as international law,  Israel promptly rejected it, as any country not interested in national suicide would.But thanks to Barack Hussein Obama, it remains a framework for countries that want Israel gone. And make no mistake,it definitely is about the Jews. Much of what constitutes the EU will never forgive them for Auschwitz. Or for being so successful in a region noted for failed states. Joshuapundit

[labourpress]

Emily Thornberry speech to Labour Party Conference

Emily Thornberry MP, Shadow Foreign Secretary, speaking at the Labour Party Conference in Brighton today, said:

  ***CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY***

    Chair, Conference - It’s a pleasure to be back here in Brighton and Hove.

  A city which we can say - once again - has no Tory MPs. And it’s a pleasure to be taking part in a debate where our delegates have such a strong voice,

  And we should all thank Kate Osamor and Nia Griffith who have allowed me to speak on their behalf today so our delegates could have more time. And let me say as well - it’s an honour to be on this stage with our leader, my friend, this country’s next Prime Minister - Jeremy Corbyn.

  You know, some people might remember a certain viral video from election night of a bit of high-fiving gone wrong. But that’s not how I’ll remember that evening. I’ll just remember seeing a friend of mine who had defied all the pundits, all the doubters

and all the expectations. Someone who had proved during the election, who has proved throughout his leadership, who has proved all his life, that nothing is stronger, nothing on earth than a person of principle.

  And it is that strength and those principles, those unshakeable values that are going to take Jeremy into Downing Street and put Labour back into power. After all, it was on this very stage two years ago that Jeremy declared his mission:

  “To put Labour values -- the people’s values -- back - into - politics.”

  And he has achieved that. But thanks to Jeremy’s inspirational leadership, thanks to the brilliant efforts of everyone in this room, we can now set our sights even higher.

It is time to put Labour values, the people’s values back into Government.

Because if June’s election taught us one thing, it’s that if we stand behind Jeremy’s principled leadership, if we stand united as a Party, and if we stand on a radical manifesto, there is absolutely no seat that we can’t win.  And no Tory that we can’t bin.

  So next time, we've got to take the fight into their backyard. Let's go round the coast to Hastings. And end the ambitions of Amber Rudd. Let's go to Chingford. And send Iain Duncan Smith to the Job Centre. Then let's go to Uxbridge. And make sure Boris Johnson never, ever gets into No.10.

  But Conference, please let’s just take a second to sympathise with poor old Boris. Oh come on, just a second. He’s not been happy lately. Apparently he's sick of being blamed for the way Brexit is going and all the broken promises of the Leave campaign.

  I'm sorry, Conference? I'm sorry? Who does he think made all those promises? Who does he think was in charge  of the Leave Campaign?

  I know Boris doesn’t like paternity tests, but we might need one for Brexit. We need to get him in a studio with Jeremy Kyle.

  “Yes, I'm sorry, Mr Johnson…

“We've got the results back…

“It looks like this one is yours…

“It must have been that wild night out you had with Michael Gove.

“I've calculated your maintenance payments…

“That’ll be 350 million a week.”

  But Conference, what a contrast. Here on this stage, you’ve got Labour’s Brexit team - myself, Keir and Barry working every day in harness with Jeremy, John and Diane. All pulling in the same direction.  All focused on the same three priorities. The three priorities we’ve had since Day One after the Referendum - Jobs, Jobs and Jobs.

  While next week in Manchester, we’re going to see six Tory rats, fighting in a sack, not worried about protecting the jobs of the British people. Just every one of them looking out for their own.

  Last Friday, Theresa May said we need to be “creative and imaginative” to get a good outcome from Brexit. Well I’ve got a creative idea for her step aside, end your shambles of a Government, and let the grown-ups on this stage take charge.

  And talking of grown-ups I’m proud to be here representing our great Shadow Foreign Office team: Liz McInnes; Fabian Hamilton; Khalid Mahmood; Helen Goodman and Ray Collins. And I’m proud as well to be speaking on behalf of my friends, Kate Osamor and Nia Griffith. Kate, our Shadow Secretary of State For International Development, facing a world in now constant humanitarian crisis,

not least as a result of climate change.

  As Kate would say, in that world, we’ve got a decision to make. Either tackle head on the root causes of these crises or spend more and more every year dealing with the consequences.  And, under a Labour government. That is a decision we will not duck.

  And Nia, our Shadow Defence Secretary, who has shown that Britain under Labour

will be a strong leader within NATO, committed to spend 2 per cent of our national income on defence. And committed to ensure that those who put their lives on the line for this country the real-terms pay rises and the decent living conditions that their service and their sacrifice deserves.

  In dark, dangerous times for our world Britain must be equally strong and equally committed to defence, development and diplomacy. That is what we offer on this stage. And that is what Labour in government will guarantee. 

  But Conference, make no mistake. These are indeed dark and dangerous times for the world. And too many times, the problems we face come down to people abusing their power and ignoring the rules and values that should govern our world.

  From Venezuela to The Philippines we see the rule of law ignored and originally democratic governments turning into increasingly autocratic regimes. From Myanmar to Yemen we see human rights ignored and flagrant attacks against ordinary civilians qll too often using British-made weapons.

  From Kashmir to Israel and Palestine we see efforts at diplomacy ignored and actions taken on both sides which will make peace harder to achieve.

  From Syria to Sudan, we see the Geneva Conventions ignored and despots committing war crimes with total freedom and impunity. 

  All across Europe we see the basic rules of humanity and the basic lessons of history ignored as cowardly terrorists stalk our city streets and vicious extremist parties rise in the polls.

  And of course, in North Korea  we see the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty ignored with all the terrifying consequences the world is now facing today.

  Taken altogether what we are seeing today is the biggest challenge to the world order since the 1930s and the collapse of the League of Nations.  And if you believe as I do in what Jeremy has called…“A world based on rules and laws” then this is the time, more than ever, when we need our leaders to stand up for that world order. To stand up for human rights and international treaties. And to insist on working through the United Nations for peace.

  But instead, Conference we now have a President of the United States who believes that none of these rules and laws apply to him.

  - Imposing a travel ban on Muslims;

  - Equivocating over illegal settlements;

  - Reneging on the Paris climate treaty;

  - Imperilling the nuclear deal with Iran;

  - And threatening to “totally destroy” North Korea. A country of 20 million men and women. And 5 million children.

This is not what we need from the leader of the free world.

  To be honest, Conference it’s more like what we would expect from a rogue dictator. And what makes it even worse is to see this Tory government and this Tory Prime Minister pathetically going along with it all walking hand-in-hand with Trump at the White House, supine, sycophantic and spineless.

  And why? All in the vain hope that Trump will ride to the rescue after Brexit with some fantasy free trade deal. Because, for this Tory government that’s what their foreign policy has come down to no values or ethics, no rules or principles just a simple case of what works best for the bottom line. How else do they explain why - last week - Theresa May was in New York, finally announcing the suspension of cooperation with the military in Myanmar because of their actions in Rakhine.

  While on the very same day, Michael Fallon was in Jeddah, signing a deal to increase our cooperation with the military in Saudi Arabia wantonly ignoring their actions in Yemen. It is rank hypocrisy. But it also illustrates a basic fact that the world we want to see – a world governed by ethics and values, a world based on rules and laws will never truly exist as long as governments and world leaders get to decide for themselves when it suits them to play by the rules and when the rules can be safely ignored.

  The world we want will never exist when governments like Theresa May’s think it’s perfectly OK to loudly condemn those they regard as enemies but then fall utterly silent when it is their friends in Bahrain rounding up, torturing and executing civilian protestors or their friends in Saudi Arabia dropping cluster bombs on innocent children in Yemen.

  In fact, if they were just silent that would be an improvement. Instead, we have to listen to Michael Fallon saying that the thousands of children killed and injured by air strikes in Yemen are just a consequence of Saudi Arabia “defending itself”…

…“Defending itself”.

  But Conference, it does not have to be this way. Labour can and will do things differently when we are back in power.

And there is one concrete step we can commit to today.

For too long successive governments in this country have taken decisions on granting arms export licences behind closed doors and shrouded in secrecy.

  Just two months ago we had the ludicrous situation where the campaigners trying to stop arms sales to Saudi Arabia for use in Yemen had their Judicial Review rejected on the basis of government evidence presented in closed court a secret court so they were not even allowed to hear the evidence let alone challenge it.

  The fact is that arms export decisions made by Tory Ministers are entirely subjective assessments taken without proper Parliamentary scrutiny without listening to independent, expert advice, but listening far too much to lobbyists for the arms trade and repressive foreign regimes.  A process that leads to nonsensical double-standards, where the Government can decide too late that selling arms to Myanmar is wrong but immediately increase its sales to Saudi. It is an arms control regime that was already outdated. but which the Tories have systematically abused, undermined and left fatally discredited.

  And as the four shadow ministers responsible, Barry, Nia, Kate and I have agreed that it must change. So just as the new Labour Governments elected in 1997 and 2001 Immediately reformed the way decisions were made on monetary policy and competition policy, the next Labour Government will immediately reform the way decisions are made on the export of arms.

  A wholesale reform of the legal and regulatory framework fully implementing the International Arms Trade Treaty with clear rules, tests and criteria for decision-making, based on independent, expert advice and the objective assessment of evidence. A new system, that will prevent the misuse or abuse of licences and adhere to the principles of transparency, true Parliamentary accountability and freedom from undue influence.

  Because Conference, it is not enough for us just to be better than the Tories, we must set an entirely new standard for Britain and a shining example to the world.

And if that sounds like setting our ambitions high, well you’re damn right it is and we should not apologise for that.

  You know, I heard Chuka say yesterday:

“Overpromising and under-delivering…

“…Is one of the reasons…

“…there was such fury with the Blair government.”

  And when it comes to foreign policy, I totally agree with that statement. But the way we avoid that mistake next time round isn’t to water down the promises we make, it’s to keep the promises we make and make sure we deliver them.

We will be a Government that will never put the interest of the rich and powerful above human Rights, The Rule of Law, and the lives of innocent children in Yemen…

A Government that will never put our principles up for auction.

And if we are going to be the kind of government we could be, we do not just need what Robin Cook called for, twenty years ago, when he set out his Mission Statement for the Foreign Office.

  We do not just need an “ethical dimension” to our foreign policy, we need to go much further than that.

  We need what Martin Luther King called for 50 years ago, when he set out his case against the Vietnam War.

  - We need “a revolution of values”.

  - “A genuine revolution of values”.

  - “A radical revolution of values”.

  Because if our mission back when Jeremy was elected, was to put Labour values back into politics and our mission today is to put those values back into Government, then our mission for the years to come must be equally ambitious and equally radical. It must be to put Labour values at the heart of the world order, to be a beacon in every corner of the globe for the values we believe in here at home.

  We have the leader in Jeremy to do it. We have the team on this stage to do it. We have the members in this hall, and all across the country, who will hold us to it.

  So let us make that our mission. And this time -- this time -- let us make it our record.

[romancatholicreflections]

3rd September >> Sunday Homilies and Reflections for Roman Catholics on the Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A.

22nd Sun Ordinary time -Year A

Gospel Text: Matthew 16:21-27

vs.21  Jesus began to make it clear to his disciples that he was destined to go to Jerusalem and suffer grievously at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, to be put to death and to be raised up on the third day. vs.22  Then, taking him aside, Peter started to remonstrate with him. “Heaven preserve you, Lord;” he said “this must not happen to you.” vs.23  But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s.” vs.24  Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. vs.25  For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it. vs.26  What, then, will a man gain if he wins the whole world and ruins his life? Or what has a man to offer in exchange for his life? vs.27  For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and, when he does, he will reward each one according to his behaviour.”

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We have four sets of homily notes to choose from. Please scroll down the page for the desired one.

Michel DeVerteuil :      A Trinidadian Holy Ghost Priest, Specialist in Lectio Divina Thomas O’Loughlin:   Professor of Historical Theology, University of Wales. Lampeter. John Littleton:              Director of the Priory Institute Distant Learning, Tallaght Donal Neary SJ:           Editor of The Sacred Heart Messenger  

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Michel DeVerteuil Lectio Divina with the Sunday Gospels- Year A www.columba.ie

General Comments

In meditating on this passage, we need to make some choices – guided, as always in lectio divina by feelings, not reason. For example, we can focus on the disciples, and Peter in particular, so that the passage speaks to us about our relationship with Jesus or with someone who has been Jesus to us. We then celebrate the times when we have been brought to see how our way of thinking was “human” and not according to God’s plan.

I am proposing another approach however – to focus on Jesus, seeing him as our exemplar, the one in whose destiny we his followers are called to share. This is the approach of Hebrews 12:2 ? we “keep our eyes fixed on Jesus” as the one who “leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection.”

The passage is in two sections: – verses 21 to 23, a narrative; – verses 24 to 27, a collection of sayings. I am proposing that we experience both sections as a unit, with the teachings flowing spontaneously from the narrative. This is always the teaching method of the bible – truth flowing from experience.

We capture the power of the passage by situating it historically, remembering that the incident it relates came at a very significant moment in the life of Jesus. It is one all human beings pass through – a moment of truth. Up till then Jesus had been ministering in Galilee in the North of Palestine, far from Jerusalem in the South. He had met with great success at first: “he went round the whole of Galilee… his fame spread throughout Syria… large crowds followed him” (Matthew 4:23-25; cf. 7:18; 9:15).

Opposition to him had grown, however, mainly from scribes (e.g. 9:11) and Pharisees (e.g. 12:1, 24). At this point in his life then, Jesus decided that the time had come for him to confront these opposing forces at the seat of their power, Jerusalem, home of the scribes and Pharisees (15:1). It was a decision which would have tragic consequences, but the passage shows that he accepted them fully (verses 21-23), basing himself on his understanding of every person’s life journey.

The passage then invites us to celebrate similar “moments of truth” we have lived through, when we chose a course of action which we knew would cause hurt to people we loved and admired, and would bring us rejection and pain. We celebrate the great men and women who have inspired us by the way they entered courageously into their moments of truth – our saints, “personal” or “canonized”. We can also read it as the story of the Church (or of a group within it, like a religious order) taking a decision to be more radical in its following of Jesus.

The passage is also a call to conversion in that it makes us more aware that we – as individuals and as communities – do not respond like Jesus. We pray that the spirit of Jesus will continue to live in our church, our families and the world.

Our meditation will enable us to recognise the different characters in the narrative. Who are “the elders, chief priests and scribes” – the “experts” we must confront? Who is the “Peter” – a dear respected friend, and yet we must find the courage to say to him, “Get behind me”?

Through meditation on verses 21-23, the sayings in verses 24 to 27 will no longer be abstract theories, but lessons about life which we have experienced concretely. We will be aware of the things we would have “lost” if we had tried to “save” them, of wonderful things we “found” because we took the risk of losing them. We will feel convinced that there is nothing we would “exchange” for the blessings which came to us as a result of our choices. We will naturally pray for those who are facing moments of truth at present, with compassion since we know the pain involved, and also with confidence, since we are aware that Jesus is living  his story in them.

Prayer Reflection

Lord, we thank you for the times when you allowed us to experience the peace that Jesus bequeathed to us, times when, like him, we had to make a difficult decision we knew would not be pleasing to family and friends: – get married to someone from a different race or social class; – give up a well paid job and take one that offered little security but gave us satisfaction – teacher, artist, community leader; – enter the religious life; – join a radical movement; – bring up a child in a way others considered unconventional; – make a new beginning in a foreign country,

Which way?

We made it clear to them that you had destined us to go to this Jerusalem, and that we knew we would have to suffer grievously at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and to be rejected, perhaps disowned and treated as dead, but we were confident that in time we would be raised up. Close friends, members of our family and of our church community, took us aside and started to remonstrate with us, invoking your name, saying, “Heaven preserve you, this must not happen to you.” But you gave us the grace to turn and say to them, “Get behind me Satan, you are an obstacle in my path; the way you think is logical in your eyes, but it is not what I know to be God’s will for me.” We understood then that to be followers of Jesus we must walk in his footsteps by renouncing ourselves and taking up our cross. We are truly grateful now that we stuck by our decision. What would we have gained if we had won the whole world and lost the deep joy we have experienced? Is there anything that life could have offered us which we would exchange for the satisfaction we have had? How true it is that the most precious things in life are those which we end up losing if we try to save them: – friendships, – peace of mind, – a clear conscience, – a sense of achievement. We discover them as life-giving only if we take the risk of losing them. We thank you for teaching us that in life it is not important to please human beings, no matter how experienced or how holy they are. We are accountable only to our conscience, knowing that the Son of Man is coming in the glory of the Father with his angels and will reward us according to our behaviour.

Lord, forgive us that in our Church communities, parishes and religious orders we encourage submissiveness and conformity, and even invoke your name in doing so. Remind us that you want true followers of Jesus to emerge among us, men and women who are free, who once they know that they are destined to go to Jerusalem, will not be afraid of suffering grievously at the hands of elders and chief priests and scribes, and even to be put to death, knowing they will rise again on the third day; who are not afraid to take risks, knowing that this is the only way to find their lives; who will exchange nothing, even all the possessions in the world, for finding their true selves; who will fear only the Son of Man coming in the glory of his Father, surrounded by his angels, to reward all according to their behaviour.

Jesus always kept his destiny in mind while making decisions.

Lord, we thank you that your Church in many parts of the world has chosen to identify more closely with Jesus by adopting the cause of oppressed groups – ethnic minorities, – women, – people with gender issues, – religious groups considered marginal. Its leaders have often suffered grievously at the hands of elders, chief priests and scribes, some within the Church itself, others from the world of academia, business or the professions. How true it is, Lord, that if the Church is preoccupied with saving itself, it ends up losing its true identity; it will live only if it remembers that the Son of Man is coming in the glory of his Father, and he will judge his Church not on large numbers, big buildings, or prestige in society, but according to its behaviour.

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Thomas O’Loughlin Liturgical Resources for the Year of Matthew www.columba.ie

Introduction to the Celebration

In today’s gospel we hear the call of Jesus to become his followers. This is no easy invitation: ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me.’ We enter into the cross of Jesus, and begin our following of him, when we are baptised. It is at that moment that we become members of this body that can gather at the Lord’s table, and it is the grace of baptism that sustains us on the difficult road of following the Lord of life, and goodness, and truth. So now let us recall the fact that we are a baptised people, and ask God to bless us and strengthen us to continue following his Son.

Homily Notes

Aspects of discipleship

1. Think about these statements: Christianity is about discipleship. Christianity is about community. Christianity is about doing the heavenly Father’s will. When we relate these statements to one another, we start to glimpse that Christianity is not a ‘well-designed consumer product’.

2. Discipleship. This is never easy because we like to imagine that we know the best way to our own happiness without any guides. This is even more problematic for us because we are left in no doubt that following is a matter of the cross. ‘From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.’

We do look forward to new life, but is not something that just happens or to which there is an.easy road. ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it,and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.’

3. Community. Community is problem for us as we are convinced that others get in our way and limit our choices. Most contemporary visions of a happy ‘society’are based on the notion that everyone will be happy if there is as little restraint on their activities as possible and the only limit is that We should not get in the way of others doing’their thing’. At the same time, we are people who crave companionship, crave acceptance, and fear being alone. A,pretty mixed up situation.

But Christianity is built on the notion of being gathered from being scattered and lost individuals into a community. We talk about the importance of caring for one another; loving self, indeed, but to the extent that we love others; acting as sisters and brothers in the family of the Father, and gathering each week as a community not because we as ‘individuals’ like the idea, but because this is the will of the group.

Being disciples also involves community, for we are part of a group around our teacher and we become his body by working together.

4. The heavenly Father’s will. This also is hard for us because while our society is very good at noting the affective side of religion (it gives people a sense of ‘where they are’) and the individual choice aspect of religion (‘this religion suits me’) we have problems with the notion that there are demands to act with justice, to bear witness to the truth, to oppose wickedness. This is where religion ‘pinches.’

5. All these ideas come together in what we say about the for­mal act of becoming disciples: baptism.

• Baptism is about following Jesus by joining him in death and resurrection. • Baptism is about joining the community and declaring that we wish to belong to it. • Baptism is about becoming daughters and sons of the Father and praying that his ‘will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’

Are we ready now to declare that we wish to renew our baptismal promises?

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John Litteton Journeying through the Year of Matthew www.Columba.ie

Gospel Reflection

When Jesus told his disciples that he was going to Jerusalem and would suffer grievously there, and be put to death and then rise again, they must have been confused and distressed. Peter had been appointed the rock on which Jesus would build his Church. Now he was hearing that Jesus was going to be put to death.

Impetuous as ever, Peter remonstrated with Jesus, saying that this could not be true. Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God — Peter had acknowledged this earlier and Christ had confirmed it, pointing out that it was God who had inspired this knowledge in Peter. So how could the Son of God be about to suffer and die? The faith that had led to Peter’s insights about Jesus being the Messiah had now deserted him.

In turn, Jesus’ response to Peter’s hostile reaction to his future suffering was stern, unlike his warm words when Peter had affirmed his belief that Jesus was the Son of God. He castigated Peter: ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s’ (Mt 16:23).

Jesus then described the essential condition of being one of his followers, and this condition would apply to Peter, the first pope, just as much as to the humblest disciple: ‘If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me’ (Mt 16:24).

For the disciples, this teaching must have seemed incomprehensible. Even today, many people resist the idea of having to embrace suffering. Yet dealing with suffering is at the root of the Christian life. The willingness to appreciate the transformative value of suffering is a pre-requisite for authentic Christian living.

Recognising the disciples’ incomprehension, Jesus sought to make them understand. He told them that, in order to gain eternal life, they must lose this life —their attachment to the things of this world. Nothing matters more than pleasing God.

Jesus posed a crucial rhetorical question: ‘What, then, will a man gain if he wins the whole world and ruins his life? Or what has a man to offer in exchange for his life?’ (Mt 16:26). What, Jesus asked, is more important than saving the soul?

If we lose our soul, what joy will the pleasures of this world bring us? None. On the contrary, they will haunt us throughout eternity as the cause of our downfall. Jesus reminds us, as he reminded his first disciples, about this possibility: ‘For the Son of man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and, when he does, he will reward each one according to his behaviour’ (Mt 16:27).

In summary, then, the reality of Christian living is that we are challenged to be fully prepared to suffer for the kingdom of heaven. We need to be clear in our minds and hearts about the central importance of saving souls. That is our greatest task while living in this world.

For meditation If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. (Mt 16:24)

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Fr Donal Neary, S.J Gospel Reflections for the Year of Matthew www.messenger.ie

The third day

We meet deep human concerns and feelings in the gospel today. Peter is shocked to the core that Jesus would die; so shocked that he always later seemed to forget that Jesus promised that he would rise on the third day. Jesus talks very seriously about the cost of following him, like the cost of following any commitment in life.

Jesus invites us to live at the deepest level of ourselves. In the area of life where we live and love, laugh and cry, worry and en­joy, hurt and forgive. In all these very personal sides of life, Jesus dwells, since he says that he makes his home in us.

We can call it a sort of “third day’ hope. Nothing except love, which is eternal, was final for Jesus. For all the worst things of life there was a third day. The day on which hope would be full­er than any despair, and when life would be more lasting than death. Jesus was like that – when people met him, they remem­bered him and remembered how he touched the fears and anxi­eties of their lives with a deep hope.

We are “third day” people, knowing that the love and life of God, promised at our baptism, will always be in the air around us, filling us with the breath of God, and breathing fragrance all around us like the best of flowers. Later they would be raised from final despair and hopelessness at his resurrection. But it took time!

Breathing in and out receive the peace of God.On the in-breath, let the word ‘peace’ echo within you.Lord, may I never lose faith in you.

[rabbiandrewrosenblatt]

That is not Funny

There are comedians that have a perspective that can cut through the tensions and idiosyncrasies of their time. George Carlin comes to mind with insights such as, “people who say they don't care what people think are usually desperate to have people think they don't care what people think.” My personal favorite saying of Carlin’s is, “anyone who drives slower than you is an idiot and anyone who drives faster than you is a maniac.” Stephen Wright can also invite my curiosity with lines like, “I am writing an unauthorized autobiography.” A good comedian can teach us something. There is power in that. 

Jewish entertainers are well represented in comedy. My favourite, Jerry Seinfeld, is the eminent observer of the mundane as in, “the people who read tabloids deserve to be lied to.” However, there are others who are less creative, less insightful, and rely on a mixture of slapstick and crudeness to get laughs. I am no media consultant, mogul, or professional critic, however, I do not think a Jewish comedian’s professional achievements would qualify them to influence others with opinions that threaten Jews everywhere and Israelis in particular. A comedian is, in today’s language, an influencer. I am not talking about censorship here, I am concerned about how a celebrity might wield their influence.  

One such personality – Jewish Canadian American Seth Rogen - recently voiced the following, to use comedy to criticize Jewish support of Israel. 

To me it just seems an antiquated thought process. If it is for religious reasons, I don’t agree with it, because I think religion is silly. If it is for truly the preservation of Jewish people, it makes no sense, because again, you don’t keep something you’re trying to preserve all in one place — especially when that place is proven to be pretty volatile, you know? “I’m trying to keep all these things safe, I’m gonna put them in my blender and hope that that’s the best place . . . that’ll do it.” It doesn’t make sense to me. And I also think that as a Jewish person I was fed a huge amount of lies about Israel my entire life! They never tell you that — oh by the way, there were people there. They make it seem like it was just like sitting there, like the f***ing door’s open. They forget to include the fact to every young Jewish person.

I am not sure which lies he was taught in camp or school. Did he think Chaim Weizmann was lying when he said to the Peel Commission in 1936, “the world is divided into places where [the Jews of Europe] cannot live and places where they cannot enter." Did he forget to visit the Pier 21 “none is too many” memorial about Canadian immigration policy? 

When the comedian says, “oh, by the way there were people there” was he aware of the disciples of the Vilna Gaon who had been in Israel since 1808? Did he know that exiles from Spain returned to Israel/Palestine in 1492? Perhaps he was denying the continuous Jewish presence there since the days of the Talmud and before. It is possible that the lies that he was fed include his teachers not informing him of the trove of archaeological evidence of Jewish presence in Israel from David [cir. 1000 BCE] to Hezekiah [cir. 700 BCE].   

I don’t think there is any particular sin in showing sympathy for the Palestinian quest to better their condition. I think many Israelis and Jews would agree that Palestinians deserve to live in a free and healthy society. Jews over the past 100 years have been looking for multiple sharing arrangements that will bring both peace and prosperity for everyone in that region. The Peel Commission Plan, the 1947 Partition Plan, The Oslo Accords, the 2000 Camp David Summit are but a few. The duly constituted representatives of the Jews made offers in good faith in those cases and more.  

I do think that in political comedy there is a sin of oversimplification. Oversimplification is often a by-product of ignorance. If all that your parents taught you was that people hate Jews, you did not get a sufficient lesson. If all that your teachers and peers taught you was that Zionists stole a country from Palestinians in 1948 to colonize the land for Jews, then you have been fed lies, distortions, and a ‘narrative’ that ignores the facts and evidence. 

There is a cautionary tale in this for all of us who are raising Jewish children who will be watching the works of comedians who slam the very idea of a Jewish homeland. Make sure you teach your children the full story of the Jewish people. They need to know about the blood libels of Christian antisemitism. I suggest the book Constantine’s Sword: The Church and the Jews a History, by James Carroll. They should know their Canadian Jewish history as well: None is too Many: Canada and the Jews of Europe, 1933-1948 would be a good start. They should know the history of Israel. You might choose,The Siege: The Saga of Israel and Zionism, by Connor Cruise O’Brien – the Irish ambassador to the United Nations who sat between Israel and Iran and wrote a book to explore the icy relationship between the two ambassadors on either side of him in the alphabetical seating chart. His book is no summer camp “bunch of lies.”    

We should not dismiss this comedian only because his work is unlikely to be influential enough to make the comedy classics list. He enjoys the privilege that comes from fame and easy access to millions of impressionable people. He also represents not only himself, but a large and growing opinion among our own children. He is a child of our own community. 

One of the best explanations for the growing rift between the Jews of liberal Western democracies and Israel is presented by Daniel Gordis in We Stand Divided: The Rift Between American Jews and Israel [also in this podcast]. Gordis argues that the two societies operate on different principles. Westerners process everything in terms of rights and equality, while Israelis must move to the more fundamental need of processing politics through the lens of survival.  

It may be cliché to say that we can solve every Jewish problem with education, however the current problem of disaffected adult-age Jews is very much a by-product of ignorance. The Torah position is clear; Moshe stood on the banks of the Jordan and told the Jews, רק השמר לך ושמר נפשך מאד פן תשכח את הדברים אשר ראו עיניך ופן יסורו מלבבך כל ימי חייך והודעתם לבניך ולבני בניך – Take the greatest care to watch yourselves intensely, so that you do not forget the things you saw with your own eyes so that they do not fade from your mind as long as you live. Make them known to your children and to your children’s children.”  

Moshe was talking to the generation of the exodus about the events of Sinai, but these words apply aptly to the story of our people today. This is a solemn obligation. We cannot tolerate any meddling in the process of peace by resorting to ignorant, libelous opinion-making. The anti-Israel one-liner of today, like those that came before, is not true, and is not funny.