Detail from a poster by Burhan Karkoutly, “Jerusalem is Ours and Victory is Ours,” 1977 | Palestine Poster Project Archives
by Isidoros Karderinis 31 October 2023
The region of Palestine since October 7 has entered into a terrible war. And, of course, there the flowers have withered, and the sun has disappeared because darkness has come, and the youths cannot sing, and the children cannot play carelessly in the streets, and the white doves of peace do not fly in the gloomy sky.
And who is to blame for this tragedy? Is it the fault of the Israeli people? Is it the fault of the Palestinian people? Clearly, no. Both peoples are innocent and good. Israelis are entitled to have their own state, but so are Palestinians, must have their own piece of land with state status. But the politicians, and primarily of the powerful Israeli side, in all the previous years, did not take the necessary right steps to solve this hot problem in the Middle East region, resulting in the current tragic situation.
And, of course, peoples all over the world are innocent and good. The people in every country overwhelmingly do not want war, they do not want killing, dead and crime. They want to live in an environment peaceful, beautiful and happy. They want peace. They want to smile every day and dream. All people in this world set goals and try to achieve them, thus giving meaning to their lives. They do not want these goals to be violently, suddenly, and abruptly interrupted, as happens when a country plunges into the throes of war. They don’t want to wallow in this horror for months or even years under any circumstances. Fathers and mothers want to see their children progress and make them proud. They don’t want to be sent to war and killed in the most gruesome way.
But who on this planet makes the wars? Of course, the huge economic powers that dominate our planet and through wars promote their interests, purposes and plans. They literally feed on wars and don’t care how many thousands or even millions die. Of course, some politicians who set, promote and try to implement extreme nationalist and conquering aspirations also have a role in the wars.
And today we see that humanity has been plunged into the madness of war. Humanity today is passing through the most critical phase of its history, as it is literally one step before the Third World War, the devastating results of which for human civilization many of us will not live to see. And as Albert Einstein said “If there is a third World War, the fourth will became with batons”.
In any case, then, the people are the victims. They pay for the war with their blood. In the past there have been peoples who have been lured by their politicians through relentless propaganda, brainwashing and fear mongering down this pernicious and tragic path. Typical is the example of the German people who were victims of Nazism and Goebelian propaganda and thus turned into a lever for the extermination of other peoples.
And, of course, the soul and heart of every good and compassionate person is broken by the tragic events taking place today in the Middle East, but also in Ukraine and elsewhere. Any good person cannot help but weep before the hideous sight of people with severed heads, arms and legs. He can’t help but weep before the image of children disfigured and drenched in blood. He can’t help but weep with the caravans of refugees leaving their beloved land with bombs hanging over their heads. He cannot but shed tears for every person who is lost, whether he is armed or civilian, whether he is Palestinian, whether he is Israeli, whether he is Russian, whether he is Ukrainian, or of any other nationality. After all, all humans, biologically we are the same, we have come out of the same womb and have the same fate.
All people, and above all those in key positions of political power, and I want to believe that there are also sane politicians and politicians who have some political stature, we must fight to stop the merciless murderous wars, to avoid the catastrophic Third World War and to give birth to a new democratic world that will be based on cooperation, mutual respect and the peaceful coexistence of all states and peoples of the planet.
Palestine year 2023
A region steeped in war and in the mud
Without sun, without joy, without flowers
Watered with bitter tears and red blood
Without carefree children, without songs.
Corpses gruesomely strewn everywhere
Without heads, without legs, without hands
Destroyed cities that look like death lands
And in the sky the pigeons nowhere.
Caravans of refugees without clear bourne
With bombs flying in the melancholic air
They leave their beloved homeland in fear
And on the pole the flag, bloody and torn.
Dreams buried in the wounded terrain
And hearts broken into a thousand pieces
Pale faces lacerate by indescribable pain
And around the Death with his black horses.
Victims in this miserable and unfair world
They are always the innocent and good humans
Which give off a nice perfume by their soul
Either they are Israelis or Palestinians.
O Palestine, our soul is full of bitterness
For this terrible tragedy and savagery
Our planet is sinking into darkness
And in our eyes, anger and sadness.