Am a Jew. Had/have multiple Jewish children. Yes, I’m a recidivist. I did it over and over and over again. Can I have lots of points, please? Support Israel ever since my parents taught me that my ancestors came from there and I realised that my ancient DNA still vibrated in sync with the place. Have always been a proud Zionist which I define as Jews being safe to live securely on our indigenous homeland just as I think all people should have that right. Never kissed the wall but started crying uncontrollably when I touched it and felt the echoes of the hands of my ancestors. Does that count? Would take money from AIPAC or anyone who rings the electricity company and offers to pay my bill. I have asked the electricity company not to screen anyone who rings up to pay my account. Don’t ask for their proof of ID, date of birth or password. If AIPAC or anyone rings up, pretending to be me and wanting to pay my account, just take the money.

@Yuval Cohen When it happened, while it happened, during, I was in contact with my family… some of whom lived in K’far Aza. I do not currently live in Israel. It was harrowing. I knew it was bad, though I was not privy to the fine details and I didn’t need to ask. One family member was so traumatised from what she saw that after she was taken from the kibbutz by the IDF, after hiding for 16 hours and shielding her son with her body the whole time, she was incapable of uttering a single word for several weeks. I knew it was bad and as the GoPro footage flooded the internet, I determined I would not watch it. But then… several people I know started writing on Bookface saying things like, “It never happened” and “”The footage is fake”. I knew that if I was going to refute these lies, I had to be able to say with certainty that the footage was true and authentic, that it really happened, that it was as horrific as it was said. I didn’t have to watch very much. I saw enough to be able to state with absolute certainty that the people trying to deny the evidence were wrong, were spreading malicious misinformation and were either lying or had no idea what they were talking about. I didn’t have to watch too much to satisfy myself that I had enough information to be able to be absolutely accurate in what I was saying. I didn’t want to contaminate my mind with images that might irrevocably damage my heart and soul. Just enough so that I could categorically state it was true. I turned the page of images and movies off during one harrowing clip. I didn’t need to see it through to its conclusion. I had seen enough. There was a heartbreaking quality of bearing witness to what some humans are capable of doing to other, innocent people, coupled with the tension of not wanting to intrude on the privacy of the victims and their surviving families. But I saw enough. My point is, I think we must each determine for ourselves. So long as the reason for watching is not sensational or prurient, I think we should all bear in mind that bearing witness to this kind of thing is both sacred and toxic. It is toxic because the sight of such evil soils the soul and one must guard oneself from poisoning ourselves. But it is also sacred because we are acknowledging that innocent people were sadistically and cruelly torn from this life in barbaric fashion and we do not turn away from that fact. We face evil, acknowledge it and do not deny its existence. Our counter to evil is to be unflinching in its presence and to stand, as best we can, with its victims.

@Yuval Cohen 😢 These are dark times.

@Daniel Bell Yes. It certainly looks that way.

@Daniel Bell I’m not sure that Preston Stewart’s interpretation of what Trump said is a correct understanding. When I read Trump’s words, I did not interpret them as a threat against the Iranian people. It came across to me that Trump was simply stating a fact; that fact being that if the U.S. accepted the proposal of the current “regime”, which Trump describes as being “… different, smarter and less radical…), insofar as the U.S. objectives of taking out the heads of the previous “regime”, damaging their nuclear structures to the point where they cannot go nuclear in the foreseeable future and agreeing to certain terms, like re-opening the Strait of Hormuz to free traffic, then the U.S. objectives have been met. I think the first part of Trump’s statement acknowledges that while the U.S. military objectives have been met, then agreeing to a cessation of hostilities under these conditions (of a less than ideal regime change taking place), will amount to the death of traditional Iranian civilization. I think he is saying that so long as the stated military objectives of the U.S. are met, then he’s out but in view of the lack of complete regime change, traditional Iranian society is doomed and there is nothing he can do about it. I want to add that just because I think that’s what he meant, I don’t agree that the Iranian civilisation is necessarily doomed as long as they are prepared to continue to resist. But I do think that’s the price is going to be even higher 😢 I hope I’m wrong. I hope the Iranian people can still topple a “new” regime that Trump is prepared to “work with”. This is a dark time.