There is no Justice in War / A.J Hendry

Over 100 days since bombs began dropping on Gaza, yet instead of building peace, world leaders continue to stoke the flames of war!

Photo by Janne Leimola on Unsplash

I read the ICJ (International Court of Justice) report last night.

It spoke of the horrors occurring in Gaza right now.

Of children starving, of entire whānau being displaced, living in tents, without shelter, safety or security. It spoke of mothers giving birth amongst rubble. Of the looming threat of famine and disease hanging over those who endure.

It spoke of the genocidal and dehumanizing way key Israeli Government officials have been speaking of the state of Israel’s actions in Gaza. Of the degrading of Palestinian humanity, of the calls for the annihilation of the Palestinian people.

In black and white it reminded us of the horror’s unfolding within that tiny strip of earth we call Gaza.

25,700 Palestinian people have been slaughtered.

63,000 thousand have been reported injured.

0ver 360,000 houses have been destroyed or partially damaged.

And approximately 1.7 million people have been violently removed from their homes and internally displaced.

This is the cost of Israel’s war.

Of course, Israel claim they are acting within their rights.

They are simply defending themselves, protecting their families, fighting for the safe return of the hostages.

There is no denying that the violence of October 7^th was horrific. There are no words that can ever justify ending a child’s life. No cause just enough to erase the immorality of the destruction of innocents. My heart lingers still on the hostages in Gaza, the fear they must feel, the trauma they have experienced. I long for their safe release. For an end to their suffering.

There is no justice in any of this.

The loss of all life is horrific.

Tragic.

Those who were killed and captured on October 7^th, the 25 thousand who’ve been slaughtered in Gaza since, and the many Palestinians who – at the whim of the Israeli state - have been murdered, oppressed, kidnapped, and displaced over the last several decades, are deserving of life, liberation and justice.

And yet, instead of justice, the world marches to war.

Oh yes, we talk about peace, we mumble under our breaths about mitigating the loss of civilian life, and the importance of upholding the rule of law, but we are not moved by the suffering of our Palestinian brothers and sisters. We are not driven to stand with our suffering family in Gaza. To renounce the violence and do all we can humanly possible to end it.

Our political leaders may send press statements, or firmly worded tweets calling on Israel to uphold international law, but we are not driven to action.

Well, not until our economic interests are threatened. Then we go to war.

But rather than enter into the conflict in a way that could stop the ongoing slaughter of thousands of human lives, we join the Imperial pact, committing troops to join in the defence of boats carrying the vital life blood of the capitalist machine.

New Zealand, this nation that prides itself on being advocates of justice and peace, has abandoned the Palestinian people, and instead, in a decision which displays a love for wealth over a love of life, has placed our feet upon a path that – if calmer minds do not prevail – will inevitably lead us to war.

No matter what justifications we have, no matter how we might attempt to insulate ourselves from the reality of the decisions our world leaders are making, there can never be a justification strong enough for choosing the path of violence.

War is never Just.

Violence breeds violence, hate multiplies hate, those who march to war seeking justice, retribution or revenge, find that in the end, the enemy they sought to vanquish has not been defeated, but once the dust clears, only wears a different face.

No matter what you think of Israel, their place in the world, history, theology, there is no justice in the Israeli state's crusade.

Those bearing the cost for Israel's "righteous ambition" are children, men, women, human beings, children of God.

The human family must cry out against this injustice.

We must weep at the suffering of our brothers and sisters.

We must scream in rage at the apathy of those who claim to lead us.

The lives of our Palestinian family have no less value than the lives of Israeli children. Their humanity shines defiantly, no matter how long the bombs continue to drop.

The slaughter in Gaza must end. This crusade will never bring peace.

For Peace has never been found at the end of a gun. And Justice cannot be realized through the slaughter of innocents. If there is to ever be peace, then the Palestinian people must be free, the West Bank must be free, Gaza must be free.

Security is never secure while the people remain oppressed.

And so, we must step back.

We must call for an end.

An end to occupation.

An end to the oppression and dehumanization of our Palestinian whānau.

An end to this ludicrous idea that violence could ever stop violence.

There is no outcome where the current path the Israeli Government are on leads to peace or security for the Israeli people.

Violence breeds violence.

Those who drink from hates twisted cup, poison not only themselves, but the whole world.

We're seeing the reality of that playing out in front of us in real time.

The world is burning, one more spark and we might just explode.

And so, ff we want peace, then we have to make it.

We must choose the Way of Love.

We must choose to stand on the side of humanity.

We must refuse to dehumanize ourselves any further.

Only #LoveIsTheWay.

And unless we embrace the path, we will all suffer the consequences.

#FreeGaza

A.J. Hendry is a Laidlaw College graduate, and a Youth Development Worker and rangatahi advocate, working in the Youth Housing and Homelessness space. He leads Kick Back, a service supporting rangatahi experiencing homelessness and is also an advocate working collectively to end youth homelessness in Aotearoa. He is also the curator and creator of When Lambs Are Silent.