Blind

In an interview in the NYTImes, an Israeli journalist describes how a small section of Israeli society is suddenly willing to look at images of Gaza. This is described as a positive development. Till now, there has been a general avoidance, a willed "looking away" at the horror inflicted on the civilian population because, according to the journalist, Oct.7. This is the way the so-called "war" in Gaza/genocide is framed; everything begins on Oct.7. All references to the decades of occupation and repression areswept away. The history around the formation of Hamas is swept away. Of course, this is not just an Israeli phenomena. Recall the American reaction to 9/11. History begins at the moment of exception. But Israel and Israelis have additional layers of trauma and neurosis, which this ethnic cleansing will only add to. I am reading South To America by Imani Perry, where she describes the legacy of slavery and the civil war on various southern cities. And all the ways that historical trauma manifests today. Very striking similarities and there dfoes seem to be some correspondence with this new conservative focus on anti-semitism and the desire to erase the white supremacy that is still so prevelant. And on the topic of blindness, two headlines, side by side in the NYTimes, says it all. First one describes torrential downpours and flooding in Tokyo. Next to it an article saying Norway wants to pump CO2 into wells deep underground. Except doing so is very "expensive". Yeah. So it goes.