As a Shadow Looms

Trying to Stay Hopeful

The latest text from Mahmoud should have been a cause for joy, simply because the family had been craving something sweet like dates for many months and meat had become a distant memory. (Corned beef hash is not particularly Middle Eastern, but they'll take it - the protein is absolutely vital.) Everything is overshadowed though, by Netanyahu's announcement of the Israeli intention to occupy the full Gaza strip. I take some solace in imagining that if soldiers are patrolling the streets, there won't be air strikes and artillery wreaking random havoc. But almost certainly, they will be searching every tent or remaining house for hostages, and it could easily be that Mahmoud is taken into custody only because he is a 21-year old male of fighting age. He speaks no Hebrew, so they could bark a command he doesn't respond to fast enough - that could be all it takes. Men and boys are all assumed to be Hamas by the IDF, none of their denials are given the slightest weight. (Plus few soldiers are taught Arabic.)

Mahmoud's detention, however arbitrary, would be a disaster much worse than if he is outright killed, because knowing he was being subject to torture would be a living death for his family and I don't even want to imagine what it would do to me. And getting in touch with a prisoner in an Israeli prison is about as likely as contacting inmates at CECOT was. There is no due process of Palestinian prisoners in Israel, period. Which is the reason Hamas took hostages in the first place — to free their own.

I can't help but have this tiny hope that somehow, when the soldiers see Gazans, particularly the children, up close, the scales of dehumanization will fall from their eyes. But I know the chances of that are infinitesimal. There is no evidence whatsoever - from either the war so far or the occupation of the West Bank, that this is even a possibility. IDF veterans only tend to experience regret -- and a high rate of suicide-- when they finally return to civilian life and are haunted by what they participated in.

But there is no reason to "go there" ahead of time. What is possible TODAY is that enough goods are finally showing up that he thinks he can buy some in quantity for resale and make some money. He is not sure what product, as of late last night, it would depend on what he finds at the market.

Who knows if the Israelis will allow any "store" to stay open. But I sent him enough to give him options. With a little help from Tim Bergling and Sandra Moreano. Merci.

MCO 2025