After their kidnapping from international waters and abuse in illegal detention in Israel, Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago Avila have been released.
What does it say about how Israel is doing?
In short, two things.
One, that Israel can still operate with impunity, emboldened by the inaction and cowardice of our governments.
It can kidnap humanitarians from international waters as the whole world is watching. It can continue its illegal occupation. It can continue its genocide in Gaza. And it can continue its destruction of Southern Lebanon.
Two, it shows that international pressure, however insufficient to prevent the crimes listed, does carry some weight.
The fact that Thiago and Saif have been released – and not kept in Israel’s torture dungeons indefinitely, like what it’s doing to thousands of Palestinians – is a success. It is good news. It is a small but meaningful sign that Israel cannot do anything it wants to anyone. And it is only possible because of the pressure we collectively build.
And this is exactly what we have to continue doing.
Because Saif and Thiago are free, but Palestine isn’t.
There is no way back to not caring, to unseeing, to unfeeling.
As long as Israel exists as a supremacist apartheid entity, unleashing death and suffering onto the whole region (including burning itself from within), our work continues.
The good news: we are in a company that contains the best of our humanity. And some of them were just released from the illegal detention of the occupier ✊🏽
As always, stay strong, check on others, and keep your heart open.
❤️💔❤️
Justina
If you have been thinking of taking your speaking-out efforts to the next level and have ever wondered what it takes to create a political podcast, let’s connect on May 26th. It’s also one of my ways to collect funds for humanitarian relief efforts in Lebanon ♥️
Alternatively, you can support my independent political commentary by clicking one of the buttons below:
Receive my work directly to your inbox:
Latest from the Blog
On The Global Sumud Flotilla, What The World with Israel in It Looks Like, And What It Does to Our Nervous Systems
To exist in the world where Israel, too, exists – to physically be and function in such a world – is hard on our nervous systems. The new horrors of the kidnapping of Thiago Avila and Saif Abu Keshek are yet another reminder of how that heaviness won’t go away, as long as Israel -…
How Did Jon Stewart Miss The Greatest Piece of Satire on His Show?
Here’s a reminder that choosing to interview someone who history – and, hopefully, the ICJ – will remember as a war criminal and a genocide enabler, like Annalena Baerbock, is very much not cool. Especially when you have a massive platform.
What, According to My Government, Other Countries Can Learn from Israel
This is the most straightforward way I can put it: just like there are countries in history known for their collaboration with the Nazi regime, my country, Lithuania, has inscribed itself as one of the staunchest supporters of Israel, no matter the scale, depravity, or geography of its crimes. See if my rage resonates with…
The Exploding Head Media 