“You may ask the world why there was swift action when trade routes and economic interests were at risk but deafening silence when 10,000 children were killed,” wrote a British lawmaker. “The world might not like your questions, but you deserve your answers.”
By Julia Conley
In a viral video released Friday, British member of Parliament Naz Shah, who represents the Labour Party, issued an apology to the roughly 1 million children of Gaza on behalf of world leaders who—despite Palestinian journalists’ live-streaming of Israel’s assault on the enclave and an international court’s finding that Israel is plausibly committing genocidal acts—refuse to see the impact the bombardment is having on civilians, including its youngest residents.
The video shows Shah writing a letter addressed to the “children of Gaza,” along with images of children being treated in hospitals, buried under rubble, and living in shelters since Israel began bombarding the enclave in retaliation for Hamas’ attack on October 7. Children are also seen gathered on a playground prior to the air and ground assaults that have so far killed more than 13,000 children.
“We hear about your dreams and aspirations, to learn, to travel, to visit your beaches with clear blue water or play in playgrounds with swings and slides,” wrote Shah. “To become astronauts, teachers, and doctors. And every day we see how those dreams are no more.”
“You may ask the world, ‘Where were these international values of freedom, justice, and equality when the world could not even protect the right to life for a Palestinian child?’” she added.
The letter was released the same day the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a preliminary ruling in South Africa’s case against Israel, in which the country argued Israeli officials and military officers have committed genocidal acts in Gaza. The ICJ found that South Africa’s case was plausible and ordered Israel to “take all measures within its power” to uphold its obligations under Article II of the Genocide Convention.
On Saturday, the Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that there had been 174 people killed in the enclave in the previous 24 hours.
The U.N. Security Council is expected to meet next Wednesday to discuss the ICJ ruling at the request of the Algerian government, which said it would give a “binding effect to the pronouncement of the International Court of Justice on the provisional measures imposed on the Israeli occupation.”
Al Jazeera reported that, according to diplomatic sources, Algerian officials are likely to call for an immediate truce.
Georgios Petropoulos, director of the U.N. Office for Humanitarian Affairs in Gaza, told the outlet Saturday that nearly the entire population—2.2 million people—is now at risk of starvation and the agency can meet the clean drinking water needs of just a third of Gazans.
“Everyone in Gaza needs aid now and the war must stop,” he said.
The ICJ ruling, said Shah, may give “hope to the children of Gaza. But without an immediate ceasefire we will be letting them down.”
The lawmaker’s viral letter was released nearly three months after about 20 children held a press conference outside Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, asking world leaders to protect them.
Now, said Shah, addressing the children of Gaza, “you may ask the world why there was swift action when trade routes and economic interests were at risk but deafening silence when 10,000 children were killed, when your mothers’ hearts were torn and your fathers clung and kissed your lifeless bodies farewell… The world might not like your questions, but you deserve your answers.”
“The world sees your innocence and bravery, your suffering and endurance, and despite the horror, you still continue, with the world on your shoulders,” Shah continued. “Whilst we raised our voices, filled the streets, and called for an end, it was not enough. When the world should have been your inspiration, you became ours. I am sorry.”
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16 responses to “‘Dear Children of Gaza,’ Says Viral Letter, ‘I Am Sorry’”
WTF!WAS THE WORLD FOR OVER 100 YEARS OF MURDER BY AN ILLEGAL TERRORIST STATE?
Nazi Zionist Israel must be destroyed.
Zionist Judaism = Nazi Germany
As surely as the British colonized India, the Jews colonized Palestine. But something the British could never do was get the rest of the Western world to participate in their war crimes and acts of genocide. Now we see how powerful the Jewish Tribe is.
I view Judaism as the body of a baby with an arm the size of Conan the Barbarian’s, wielding a sword. That huge arm is the political organization of Judaism. That huge arm must be removed, preferably surgically so that the body survives.
How huge is that arm? The link below provides a list of Jewish political organizations. There are 350 of them, with the vast majority in the USA. This is the data that proves the irresistable political coercion of the Tribe, headed by its Tribal Fundamentalists.
https://articlebiz.com/article/1052218096-the-jewish-lobby
Zionist Judaism = Nazi Germany = Holocaust 2 = Nakba 1 = Nakba 2 = Conquest of Palestine = Conquest of the West. Most the world now sees the Star of David as they do the Swaztika.
In all my 67 years of life I have never felt so hopeless and insignificant. We are all Palestinians now. But the Palestinians get the absolute worst part of it all. God help them.
Hi, Carol, I have felt insignificant for my entire 70 years of life. I grew up looking at photos of Vietnamese children being bombed, napalmed, murdered, and the U.S. just keeps on. We are a death cult, not a culture, not a society, just a death cult. At 70 I have little hope for the human species — if some of us can even be called human as we bear more resemblance to sci-fi robots than living beings — and find my solace and peace in nature.
It feels like there is so little we can do! I’ve been boycotting Israel for years and saying it out loud at my local Woke Co-op (“No, I will not buy that; it’s from Israel”), and now I will not shop at stores owned by Zionists. I am going to start wearing a keffiyeh so at least people know where I stand. And if I never see an Israeli flag again it will be too soon.
You and I are kindred spirits then Susan. Here’s to hoping what ever we are able to do within our tiny space in the universe makes some kind of difference.
Good evening All readers. What I cannot understand is how difficult is it, to find a right president to run the US out of a population of 331.9 million who does not believe in conducting war across the world and keen to keep the war machine running at the expense of innocent lives. America has either started or supported more wars than any other country in the world and there is no stopping it. Professors unlimited, engineers, doctors, historians of great note, economists and still no one of suit to lead the US out of war and to manage its own issues on home grounds from gun crime that kills more innocent children and adults and poverty and homelessness and so much more. The billions of dollars sent to Israel in one year can change unlimited lives in the US and create dreams and hopes for so many – your taxes
I remember in 2018 when the world waited with bated breath, over a period of 18 days, for the news and then rescue of 12 children from cave in Thailand. The international relief, when they were all finally brought out safe, was tangible! How can we not engage those same emotions for every single one of the children of Gaza.
The comments reflect the despair I feel as well. Yet I was engaged in debate over this issue last Wednesday evening. There were 6 people around the table and I and a warmonger who insisted that if Israel ‘gave an inch’ they would be destroyed by Hamas. The other 4 were totally silent. I could not believe it. The world has some vile people in it sadly.
Israel is a Running Sore of a country guided by the truly evil precepts of the Talmud which teaches its followers to “hate thy neighbor”. Israel is a pariah, a despicable entity with the Devil as its guide.
Good morning. Good on South Africa for taking a stance against the Zionist war machine.
Netanyahu has a human body, but he is without a soul—He seems to have a palpating heart of some sort, bu t it is of a rather black shade. . He seems to enjoy lying as do other members of his party. I do not believe that this awful man will be long for this world. If Hell actually exists , he should be jettisoned directly.
Gloria, what Netanyahu has and is doing is child’s play compared to what Ariel Sharon and others before Sharon did. This has been going on for over 70 years with the blessing and money of the US.
Gloria: I suspect that Satan will do everything he can to keep the Polish ‘Netanyahu’ here, on earth because he might want to take when he gets to hell …
Since 07 October 2023, the Jews have been perpetuating the most barbaric and criminal holocaust in human history, supported and armed by the regimes of U.S.-led Collective West and their Jewish masters. More than 28,000 (possibly 30,000) Palestinians, half of them are children and babies, have been intentionally murdered by Jews. An estimated 600,000 Palestinians are on the verge of catastrophic starvation. Furthermore, Israeli soldiers are carrying out a cowardly barbaric assassinations of Palestinian inside hospitals in the Israeli-occupied “West Bank”. Jews are fucking coward and lack moral value.
LOL, GENE well that is an answer—-but weirdly the God of Israel is kind of weird….Moses does all that work to bring the people to their “promised land,” and Moses does something wrong or in the wrong order and that God decided to never let him enter “The Promised Land.”
Israel’s God seems rather mean spirited. but then there are quite a few stories in the Bible which show the “god,” to be rather vindictive. Personally, I think the best choice to make in belief is to treat people the way you want to be treated—-otherwise you get these weird stories as if God was a vindictive Mafia member. Netanyahu makes a good mafia member—but a horrible human being. : )