#Israel never again put to shame

[officialyourdailyinspiration]

Restoration Promised

21 Do not fear, O land; / Be glad and rejoice, / For Jehovah has done great things. 22 Do not fear, O beasts of the field, / For the pastures of the wilderness turn green. / For the tree bears its fruit; / The fig tree and the vine yield their strength. 23 O children of Zion, / Be glad and rejoice / In Jehovah your God. / For He gives you / The early rain in righteousness, / And He makes the rain come down for you: / The early rain and the late rain / At the beginning of the season. 24 And the threshing floors will be full of grain, / And the wine vats will overflow with new wine and fresh oil. 25 And I will restore to you the years / That the swarming locust has eaten, / The licking locust and the consuming locust and the cutting locust, / My great army / That I sent among you. 26 And you will eat to the full and be satisfied, / And you will praise the name of Jehovah your God, / Who has dealt wondrously with you; / And My people will never be ashamed. 27 And you will know that I am in the midst of Israel, / And that I am Jehovah your God and there is none else. / And My people will never be ashamed. — Joel 2:21-27 | Recovery Version (REC) The Recovery Version of the Holy Bible © 2009 Living Stream Ministry. All rights reserved. Cross References: Exodus 10:5; Leviticus 26:4-5; Leviticus 26:10,11 and 12; Deuteronomy 11:15; Deuteronomy 12:7; Psalm 46:5; Psalm 65:12-13; Psalm 67:5; Psalm 126:3; Proverbs 3:10; Isaiah 44:8; Isaiah 45:5-6; Isaiah 54:4; Jeremiah 30:10; Jeremiah 46:23; Joel 1:4; Joel 2:2; Amos 9:13; Malachi 3:10; Acts 14:17; James 5:7

[matan4il]

(non-jew here) I just realized that Holocaust Remembrance Day is this Saturday and I'm not looking forward to the pro-hamas idiots trying to make it all about Palestine and attacking Jewish people for daring to mourn while they are "killing Palestinians" (ignoring that practically 99% of Jewish people have little to no control over Palestine but that doesn't matter to antisemites because because all Jews are responsible for what's going on in Gaza in their minds)

Hi Nonnie!

(I'm scheduling this to post on the aforementioned day)

Oh, trust me. The appropriation and inversion of the memory of the Holocaust, in order to use it as an attack against the right of Jews to self defence (which is basically the right of Jews to live) has to be one of the most vile things I've ever seen. It's a loss of shame and morals on a level I can't comprehend.

But in a way, it had to happen. Those who want a second genocide of the Jews HAVE to dismantle the biggest protection that Jews have today, which is the Jewish state. Now, Israel doesn't exist "thanks" to the Holocaust. It exists because Jews are native to Israel, and our religion and heritage have dictated never giving up on our homeland, and it exists "thanks" to the Nazis's failure during the Holocaust to eradicate every last single Jew. Israel exists in spite of the Holocaust. But the Holocaust DOES provide the ultimate proof of why the existence of a Jewish state, to shelter all Jews, is vital. So anyone who wants to destroy the Jewish state, must tackle that. And today's antisemites do that by applying "never again" to everyone other than the Jews. Never again is now. Never again means Jews have the right to defend themselves, and destroy an antisemitic, genocidal terrorist organization. Never again means supporting the war against Hamas' Nazi-compatible ideology.

TBH, this DARVO (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender) inversion is reminiscent of Nazi rhetoric, too. In his Jan 30, 1939 speech, Hitler attacked any sympathy expressed for the plight of Jews, claimed that it's the Jews who are responsible for the upcoming war, and that despite that, Jews will be the ones to pay the price for it, through their extermination in Europe.

Applying "never again" to cases where no genocide is happening, while wielding this appropriation as a weapon to deprive Jews of their right to live, means it's happening again.

^ Holocaust survivors from Buchenwald on board of the Meteora in July 1945. As the Israeli port of Haifa came into view, they put on their prisoner pyjamas, held up this Israeli flag, and took this pic.

On International Holocaust Memorial Day 2024, I am going to remember the Holocaust survivors who were murdered on Oct 7. I am going to think of the Holocaust survivors who were kidnapped during this massacre. I am going to recall that so many survivors sought to build their families instead of questing for blood and vengeance, and then they had to watch their families attacked, abducted and butchered by Palestinian terrorists. I am going to honor the overwhelming majority of Holocaust survivors who were Zionist, the two thirds of survivors who chose to make their home in Israel after the end of WWII, those who had to fight British soldiers and Arab attackers in order to make that happen, and the survivors who made up roughly 65% of Israel's fighters in our War of Independence.

I am going to remind everyone, that there are survivors who experienced Oct 7 as a second Holocaust.

Never again IS NOW.

Sending big hugs! xoxox

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Julian Borger and Lorenzo Tondo at The Guardian:

The UN general assembly has voted overwhelmingly to back the Palestinian bid for full UN membership, in a move that signalled Israel’s growing isolation on the world stage amid global alarm over the war in Gaza and the extent of the humanitarian crisis in the strip. The assembly voted by 143 to nine, with 25 abstentions, for a resolution called on the UN security council to bestow full membership to the state of Palestine, while enhancing its current mission with a range of new rights and privileges, in addition to what it is allowed in its current observer status. The highly charged gesture drew an immediate rebuke from Israel. Its envoy to the UN, Gilad Erdan, delivered a fiery denunciation of the resolution and its backers before the vote. “Today, I will hold up a mirror for you,” Erdan said, taking out the small paper shredder in which he shredding a small copy of the cover of the UN charter. He told the assembly: “You are shredding the UN charter with your own hands. Yes, yes, that’s what you’re doing. Shredding the UN charter. Shame on you.”

The Palestinian envoy, Riyad Mansour, pointed out the vote was being held at a time when Rafah, the southernmost town that is last haven for many Gazans, faced attack from Israeli forces. “As we speak, 1.4 million Palestinians in Rafah wonder if they will survive the day and wonder where to go next. There is nowhere left to go,” Mansour said. “I have stood hundreds of times before at this podium, often in tragic circumstances, but none comparable to the ones my people endured today … never for a more significant vote than the one about to take place, a historic one.” Friday’s resolution was carefully tailored over the past few days, diluting its language so as not to trigger a cut-off of US funding under a 1990 law. It does not make Palestine a full member, or give it voting rights in the assembly, or the right to stand for membership of the security council, but the vote was a resounding expression of world opinion in favour of Palestinian statehood, galvanised by the continuing bloodshed and famine caused by Israel’s war in Gaza.

Even before the vote in the assembly on Friday morning, Israel and a group of leading Republicans urged US funding be cut anyway because of the new privileges the resolution granted to the Palestinian mission. The US mission to the UN, which voted against the resolution, warned that it would also use its veto again if the question of Palestinian membership returned to the security council for another vote. “Efforts to advance this resolution do not change the reality that the Palestinian Authority does not currently meet the criteria for UN membership under the UN charter,” the mission’s spokesperson, Nathan Evans, said. “Additionally, the draft resolution does not alter the status of the Palestinians as a “non-member state observer mission”. The other nations which voted against the resolution were Argentina, Czechia, Hungary, Israel, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Papua New Guinea. The UK abstained.

According to the resolution, the Palestinian mission will now have to right to sit in the general assembly among other states in alphabetical order, rather than in its current observer seat at the back of the chamber. Palestinian diplomats will have the right to introduce proposals and amendments, they can be elected to official posts in the full chamber and on committees, and will have the right to speak on Middle Eastern matters, as well as the right to make statements on behalf of groups of nations in the assembly. But the resolution also makes plain that “the state of Palestine, in its capacity as an observer state, does not have the right to vote in the general assembly or to put forward its candidature to United Nations organs.”

The UN General Assembly voted 143-9 with 25 abstentions in favor of backing a bid to make the State of Palestine its 194th member and to grant more privileges as an observer state.

Further, the UNGA recommends that the UN Security Council reconsider the matter to grant the State of Palestine full membership. The US is likely to veto it.

Sadly, the US (along with 8 other countries such as Israel, Czech Republic, and Argentina) voted no in order to protect Israel Apartheid interests.

[letsdeerintheheadlightsuniverse]

<<Previous Chapter <<

**Masterlist**

>>Next Chapter>>

Pairing: Izzy Hands x gn!reader

Synopsis: Your screams of pain sound all too familiar to the First Mate.

A/N: This chapter is short and sweet but I think it nicely moves yours and Izzy's dynamic in a new direction.

Content Warning: mentions of injuries, trauma, blood, self-harm and angst. I think that's everything. This series is 18+, so minors dni. Go away (politely).

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE DO NOT REPOST, REPUBLISH, OR TRANSLATE MY WORK ANYWHERE WITHOUT MY EXPLICIT PERMISSION. I DO NOT OWN OFMD OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

=============================

"Are you okay now, Izzy?"

Gods, what a question to be asking him, the First Mate thought bitterly, as he failed to meet you concerned gaze, all the while sitting stoically in a chair beside your bed. You had dared reach for his hand only moments prior, but that had merely resulted in the silver-haired pirate flinching away from your touch.

It hurt to see him so closed off and unreachable, as he paid mind to whatever unpleasant thoughts were undoubtedly running through his head. A never-ending torment that sneered venomous poision and jeered at how he had once again letting you down.

He was a fucking coward, the First Mate concluded, as his attention trailed from the sight of his bitten down nails, towards the vivid world beyond the window. Despite the butter yellow warmth, Izzy felt chilled to the bone. The cold reminiscent of his time in the row boat, when he had searched for the overboard body of Pete, below the tumultuous, midnight blue waves.

A shiver ran through him, shaking up his already fragile insides. Gods, his constitution felt gossamer thin. The unshakeable Israel Hands, reduced to a snivelling, faint-hearted...twat, all because he could not steel his nerve long enough to be unaffected by your screams. Oh, how you had begged him to stop the doctor. The heartbreaking deals you had been willing to make in those tortuous moments. The deals with the devil, you had bargained in return for your freedom from the pain you had endured- all equally distressing for the poor pirate. The sight of blood and a limb at risk had been too much for Izzy to handle. Too similar to his own fate upon the Revenge, all those many moons ago.

His name had fallen so saccharine sweet and full of longing from your chapped lips, while a contrasting frown marred your enviable features, as the First Mate had abruptly fled from the room but even your desperate calls for his return were admittedly, not enough to drown out the ghosts of long before. The smell of rotting flesh, of gunshots wounds and putrid blood, had haunted him all down the hallway, as he put as much distance between himself and you.

Despite his wanting to be by your side, the overwhelming recollection of his own suffering had become too much for the First Mate to handle alone. Surprisingly, he had found solace from those he often held in contempt. The crew of the Revenge had welcomed him with open arms and even softer reassurances. He hated it. Loathing their pitiful gazes and attempts to console his traumatised mind.

It had to be some kind of sick joke. You were the one who needed comfort. Needed soothing words to inspire strength. He wondered, in his shameful absence, who had taken his place to hold you hand. Both Captains had be present to witness his act of cowardice but they were too busy holding your writhing body in place. Come to mention it, he had no laid eyes upon Buttons, when the rest of the crew had come to his aid. Had the mystic been by your side?

"Izzy, please speak to me." you implored, anticipating your request to be met with further silence, but the pirate surprised you this time.

"I didn't mean to leave you again. Gods, I'm..." he could not even finish his apology. The words felt so hollow, so insincere in the wake of his cowardice. How many more times was he to utter 'I'm sorry' to you? How many more times would you forgive him until you reached your limit and showed him the door? Or perhaps you would always accept his regretful acknowledgement, and he would abuse such a kindness time and time again, like the detestable creature he was. Never knowing when to stop and only ever pushing at everyone's boundaries until they snapped and showed him no mercy. What would such a punishment look like at your hand, the pirate wondered.

He was entitled to your wrath and yet, why the fuck were you being so nice to him? Talking calmly and handing him a cloth to wipe his tears. Wait, when had he started crying? Salt water tracked down the weary man's face, as you pressed a torn piece of rag into his hand, urging him to wipe away the evidence of sorrow. "I know." you said with such simplicity and ease, conveying all your understanding and acceptance so concisely in two singular words. Your tone completely devoid of any judgement or resentment.

The look of innocent consolation sent an involuntary flare of anger through the silver-haired pirate, igniting his quick fire rage in an instant. "Don't fucking agree with me." his hissed, eyes ablaze with disgust. Not for you. No, the abhorrance was not really directed towards you. Izzy was digusted with his own actions but old habits died hard. Lashing out at the nearest person, whether by tongue or by sword, was second nature to him. "Don't...don't be so fucking nice all the time. Just for once, would you shout at me? Push me away. Be selfish, be-be angry! Scream at me. Fucks sake, hurt me even. Treat me how I fucking deserve to be treated!" he implored you, breathless at his own admission. Chest rising and falling in rapid succession.

He craved the pain. The familiar sting of a slap or a bite- whichever you were willing to provide. It was a language he spoke well. Violence spoke all of the words he coukd not voice. A punch, a kick, a hand around his throat. Izzy knew what they represented, he understood their deeper meaning. You and that Stede fucking Bonnet, with all your 'talking it through as a crew' bullshit. That was the true enigma for the First Mate. Emotions were battled channelled through actions, rather than whatever drivel the Gentleman Pirate could ever babble on about.

Except, there was no retaliation on your part. No breaking him into submission. Just a watery gaze and a trembling lips at his confession. Dual hearts broke in succession.

You anguish derived from the pirate's self-hatred. Did he truly believe he was only worthy of such brutality? You detested those who had come before you, cursing every reprobate whom had dared enforce the darkness, that stoked Izzy's requirement for punishment. To add insult to injury, he longed for such cruelty to be delivered by your own hands. As if you could ever dare lay a finger upon his persons, that was anything other than a gentle caress or a squeeze of a hand. You may have been a pirate but never would anyone envisage such savagery from you. Your stomach turned at the mere thought of harming your beloved. "But you told me off for giving you a hug."

The sight of you so sad, made the ache in Izzy's chest double to the point of agony. Surely sorrow of such a magnitude would break through his ribcage and spill onto his obsidian black shirt? Whatever darkness had dwelled within him dissipated like mist upon the rolling ocean. Shoulders slumped forwards, as the First Mate reached forward, using the cloth you had handed him to wipe your own face. He could have wept when you leaned into his touch. Even after begging you to treat him like the dog he was, you still responded with a level of compassion, that completely flummoxed the pirate. "Why're you so bloody kind?" he whispered, truly wanting you to answer him.

Then, in that same sweet voice, you responded with a heartfelt truth. Five mere words that Izzy wished to have tattooed upon his body, across his heart. "You inspire it in me."

And with that, the First Mate vacated his chair and gathered you in his arms, mindful of your injured arm. Cradling you to his chest, he kept you close, savouring your warmth and softness- such a contrast to him own gruff and jaded exterior. "You stupid, wonderful, infuriating..." the sweet nothings continued, as he pressed a rough, chaste kiss to your forehead. The first of many, you hoped.

=============================

A/N: I hope you liked this chapter. Genuine curiosity, what would you like to happen next?

[grumpycakes]

SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE VOTE 2, DISASTER BOOGALOO CONT. **UPDATED

DAY 3 10/19/2023 • OOPS NO VOTE • 12 Noon EST

< Previous (Day 2)

So McHenry saunters in w the entourage, calls them to order, and the Chaplin leads in on prayer.

Chaplin’s prayer is basically “we’re over it but got grant us the compassion and wisdom to get our shit together and govern for the country, Amen” just flower-ier and less sassy.

Still hate that we gotta have a prayer before govt work but

Still gotta have them pledge allegiance

AND THEN MCHENRY IMMEDIATELY CALLS A RECESS.

So what TF happened?

Jim Jordan in a moment of clarity (and probably some shaming from his colleagues) realized he doesn’t have the votes, and won’t for a while. So he has TEMPORARILY pulled his bid for the Speakership.

In the meantime, it looks like they are working on a proposal for McHenry to take over some speakership roles for a LIMITED TIME. We won’t know how long until the proposal is made/put before congress.

This move is most likely JUST to get the budget done and agree on how much aid we’ll be sending to Ukraine and Israel. Otherwise the Government will shut down and shit will go into free fall. This covers the asses of the Republicans while still not having to pick a speaker.

It also is taxing to force them all in session DAILY for at least 2 hours to do these votes.

SOME TAKEAWAYS I’VE SEEN

We could still get a 3rd vote today depending on how fast they make up the legislation

This isn’t great for Jordan, it’s a weak move to let someone else do speaker things while you beg and bribe people to vote for you

A lot of the far rights/hardliners are mad about the move to give temporary powers. Basically advocating for making everyone stay and suffer multiple rounds of voting again (cannot fathom why when it just made McCarthy look stupid last time, unless they truly just would rather burn the govt to the ground than do anything helpful)

Reportedly McHenry doesn’t want temporary powers either rofl

While the republicans will whine and moan that the Dems should have bailed them out (either by voting present for McCarthy or by the same for the new speakership votes) it is not their job NOR DID REPUBLICANS HELP THEM AT ALL WHEN THEY HAD THIS NARROW OF A MAJORITY. And they didn’t devolve into this kind of chaos

Dems are just asking to pass budgets and aid, and are probably just stepping out of the way of this train wreck

This has never been an issue till this year (and this partisanship/far right monstrosity the Republicans have fomented)

The next speaker will most likely IMMEDIATELY reverse that dumbass rule that one person can force a vote to remove the speaker

APPARENTLY some of the republicans that did not vote for Jordan have been receiving “Credible death threats.” Over it????? JFC

Yes, since they called a session to vote, they HAD to gavel in, pray and get set up to CALL IT OFF. And that’s hilariously stupid

ADDED EDIT 8PM 10/19/2023

Lolll fuck. So Jim Jordan had a “Closed door meeting” with the rest of the republicans to work out how/if to give McHenry additional powers and CAME OUT AN HOUR LATER SAYING THERE WILL BE NO SPECIAL POWERS. HE’S GONNA GO AGAIN. (Didn’t happen today lol) They apparently were fighting over whether or not it’s LeGaL or cOnStiTuTiOnAl to give the interim speaker powers. Loll but according to McCarthy when Gaetz tried to argue they basically told him to shut up. So it sounds like some of the repubs are still mildly homicidal abt Gaetz.

But a few things,

1. It’s legal and constitutional if y’all MAKE LEGISLATION FOR IT. And you can make the legislation be like ONLY THIS ONCE CAUSE WE GOTS PROBLEMS

2. I cannot fathom why they are so down bad to embarrass themselves. This doesn’t look good, this isn’t inspiring confidence, and since no one on the repubs are willing to budge or concede for each other you’re fighting a losing battle. You have the majority, use it.

3 . This feels like weird toxic grandstanding of if you just stand your ground it’ll bend but like, it’s not HAPPENING. And people will hate you worse for fucking w the government.

4. OH AND IF YHEY PASS THIS AND DEMS JOIN IN FOR IT TO HAPPEN IS RHAT NOT A WIN FOR THE REPUBS????? That they can get ANYTHING DONE?????

McCarthy talked to reporters and said it’s the fault of Gaetz, the “Crazy 8” (really classy dude) and the dems. And that he was taken out by less than a quarter of the house. But my dude. If it was 8 of your Repubs and then ALL THE DEMOCRATS. That’s. That’s a MAJORITY OF THE HOUSE.

Jim Jordan apparently did denounce the death threats agaisnt republicans.

END ADDITION

So that’s where we are @ u @ chaos-ville. I’ll make a new post or update y’all if they do a vote today.

Next (Day 4 Vote 3) >

[vicsuragi]

content warnings: sibling death

His brother Israel died five months ago.

There was no official record for it, he’d gotten into a fight at the pub and came home half-bled, bruised, barely alive, and the light left his eyes while he was just inside the door. He watched him breathe his last breaths, stayed by his side while his skin went cold, shook his shoulder and whimpered while all of his thoughts came so quickly.

Get someone, find someone right now, you can’t help him, find someone who will. But fat tears blurred his vision and his lungs heaved with sobs, his throat went tight and prickly like he was about to vomit, and he cried over Israel until he spent his last ounce of energy and collapsed on top of him. The only solace was that he wasn’t alone while he gasped his last breaths, that he died in the arms of his beloved sister.

He had been helping ships unload cargo at port for a while now, making measly earnings but still enough to supplement their lost wages when their father left. It wouldn’t be enough now that Israel was gone, just him and their mother. His. There was no second Hands child anymore, just him. It was a shame his mother was left with a girl, even if he did his best to make himself a boy.

It’s apparent very quickly that the cost of feeding him is simply too high now that Israel is gone, now that he can’t help pay for his weird sister’s life. So, he leaves in the middle of the night with nothing but his mother’s ring jostling in his pocket – she never wore it anyway, and if worse comes to worse it’ll buy him a meal or two.

He arrives at a dock in the early hours of the morning and waits for ships to come in. He’s left with his own thoughts, his own feelings on inadequacy and waste. If he hadn’t cut his pretty hair, hidden his figure, perhaps he could have been a wife by now, unburdening his mother of him entirely. If he’d tried harder, Israel would still be here. What life was he to live without his brother? It’d been months now, his body was cold and buried, but the thought had never resolved itself or left him. It just grew larger and larger in his small body, and it was close to fully consuming him.

He is jostled awake in the middle of the day, the sun beating down on him. A man is standing over him, shirt littered with holes and dirt and brownish stains he immediately recognizes as dried blood, and he gives him a once-over.

“Can you clean?” He asks in a gruff voice.

He clears his throat and puts on a deeper affect to his own. “Yes.”

“Are ye able-bodied?” He kicks the bottom of his foot again.

“Yes.”

“Have ye ever sailed before?”

“No.” He chokes out, but quickly continues his thought. “But I’ve unloaded cargo for fishermen for ages, I’m strong and I can learn.”

The sailor thinks for a moment and shrugs. “Good enough for my boss. We just lost some men on a raid, and you look like a spry little fucker. C’mere.”

He brings himself up onto his feet and follows the sailor onto a large, fearsome-looking ship, completely unlike the fishing boats he’d been paid to unload back at home. Men are moving all about the deck, and he is brought over to a sandy-haired man with a ruddy face, standing tall and barking out orders to other sailors. His eyes fall over him, and quickly he feels his stomach knot up unpleasantly.

“What d’you think of this one, boss?” The sailor standing behind him asks, and the bigger man regards him with a smirk. His stomach knots grow tighter.

“Small, but he doesn’t look weak.” He looks him over again. “Put him on deck duty today – moving crates, polishing the deck, the works. And where’s Teach?”

Suddenly, the sandy-haired man disappears, and he is sent to move crates.

They’re filled with cargo, and he’s supposed to load them down into the bowels of the ship with the rest. Some crates are filled with silks, some with spices, some with food that is taken to the kitchen, and once those are all packed away he is sent to polish the deck with a rag and some very aromatic liquid. Dark stains have seeped into the wood, and no matter how hard he scrubs he can see that it’s just moving the dried blood on the surface around. According to another sailor, that’s normal, and the planks that make up the deck weren’t this color originally.

It’s night when he finishes, and he’s given one hard biscuit and a metal cup of rum. He gags on the stuff, but it’s alright when he dips his biscuit into it. The dining area has multiple tables but he’s nestled off into a corner, sitting on the floor and trying to keep his space from the other sailors. He’s soon joined, someone slides down the wall and plops down beside him, carrying a plate with the same biscuit and cup of rum in his hands.

He puts the plate in his lap and breaks his biscuit up before dipping the pieces into his drink.

“Good idea,” he says to him through a mouth of soggy hardtack.

He doesn’t say anything back, he simply keeps eating.

“I haven’t seen you before. It’s exciting, we haven’t gotten anyone new in ages.” He takes a long drink of his rum, and he looks up at him. He has tan skin and dark hair skimming his shoulders, and his eyes are utterly massive, like two eclipsed suns. His heart beats irregularly.

“Just started today,” he says back in his deepest voice, stumbling slightly.

“Cool, I’ve been here for a couple of months now. It’s pretty sweet, but Captain’s kinda strict. Don’t get on his bad side, okay?” He is incredibly serious when he says this.

He nods once, putting a dry fragment of hardtack into his mouth. After a brief but fidgety pause, his new companion continues.

“Oh, you’ve gotta meet Jack. I dunno where he is, but I think he’ll like you. Quiet, broody type, it’ll be like a challenge for him.” He smiles, the expression turning smaller, a little coyer as he fully fixes his gaze on him again.

In his brown eyes he can see some shadow of Israel’s, and when he smiles, warmth pours into them like rays of sunshine spilling across the waves. There’s something about him that makes him feel safe, even though they’ve barely exchanged words. He can’t say he’s felt this way about a boy before. He looks down from the pretty boy, feeling his cheeks go warm at that thought.

“What’s your name?” He asks in a voice licked with an accent that’s wholly unfamiliar, but he loves the sound of.

He thinks on this for a moment. He can be honest, he can say that he’s a girl posing as a boy, that underneath this shirt and breeches he looks different than Pretty Boy, but his throat goes dry at the thought of admitting that to him. He’s only just met him, who’s to say he can trust him with that knowledge?

“Israel,” he says shakily, suddenly losing control of his voice. He’s certain Pretty Boy can tell he’s lying, that it’s not his name, it’s his brother’s, and perhaps he’s being nice when he smiles at him and reaches his hand out.

“I’m Edward. Ed. Whichever you like.” He meets Edward’s hand halfway and he shakes his pale, clammy hand twice before chuckling. “Nervous?”

He locks eyes with him for a moment and pulls his hand away, but he notes how firm his grip was. “A little.”

“Don’t be. We’re gonna be legends, Israel, I just know it.” The warm smile transfers onto his, Israel’s, face. “Tomorrow, I’m going to teach you everything there is to know so you don’t stay on deck duty forever.”

He looks down into his lap to hide the way his face lights up. Has the rum gone to his head? Has he forgotten what compassion feels like? He’s sure it’s a little of both, but it still makes his stomach do flips when he and Edward retire to the sleeping quarters, his hand gripped firmly onto his arm so he doesn’t lose him in the winding pathways of the ship.

He and Edward share a hammock out of necessity, but when he lies against his side, head on his shoulder, the light rocking lulling him to sleep, he can see his brother, his mother, even his father, together around the dinner table, warmth enveloping them, and he smiles slightly. In the depths of this pirate ship, nestled up to a boy he just met who makes his face go warm and his heart flutter, it’s like he’s at home again. Everything smells of sea salt and lightly of bile and too many sweaty bodies piled into one room, but Edward smells like a fire, comfort, safety. One day he’ll tell him of the lost brother, of the ring that burns a hole in his pocket, of the ways their bodies differ from one another, but for now, tucked into his arm and rocking with the gentle waves of the ocean, all finally feels right again.

[izzyeffinhands]

The only Facebook group I feel safe in as an Izzy Hands stan is Our Flag Means Daddy.

Even though I am apart of the two main groups as well, i.e. Our Flag Means Deathposting, Our Flag Means Fans, I do NOT feel SAFE. I see the wildest and hottest fucking takes in these groups and they piss me off. Are you even watching the same show? I’m also sick and tired of people calling Izzy a villain when he clearly is not. Also there are many that don’t recognize he’s gay, even after season 2. If you voice you’re upset and betrayed? You get attacked. I was again last night.

I guess I’m a proud Izzy “apologist”, but it fucking baffles me how fans just give Ed a pass on all the brutal things he did. Oh but the love story—- NO. Recognize you’re an Ed apologist as well. I like both Ed and Izzy, but I recognize the horrifying things Ed did.

The day of the finale, I posted my thoughts on various social media. I got attacked. I got messages even on tumblr from anon cowards who I imagine followed through Twatter. I was called the t slur. That I was stupid, fat, all sorts of things.

It’s because I said I’ll never trust David Jenkins again. Now, do I have my own thoughts as to whether parts of the finale are a dream state/gravy basket that Stede himself is in? Absolutely. But let’s dive into why I was especially hurt.

First off. I am disabled. For those who know me, I’ve also had two leg surgeries and my injury has ruined my life. So seeing Izzy with a false leg, as a disabled character, still being badass? It felt good. It boosted my confidence for me to keep going. I had so much metal in my leg it caused pain that left me bedridden and using a wheelchair and cane. Many a time I wish they’d chopped my leg off.

I see a lot of myself in Izzy. I swear, he has the traits of an Aries with his anger and intense emotions. This man feels deeply for those who cares for, even though at first this seemed to just be Edward. Despite the hardened shell, he’s a romantic at heart. I’m very much the same.

That hardened shell is also a form of masking to me. In my opinion, and in my own headcanon for this roleplaying blog, Israel is neurodivergent and suffered sexual assault on ships when he was young. It’s part of the reason he has bowel issues. He had to force himself to put on that rough motherfucker mask in order to protect himself. I was bullied mercilessly in school. When I started middle school, I decided to align myself with the “bad kids” as a form of protection. Guess what? Part of myself was masking I was a bad ass, part of myself became the badass I was masking to be after years of torture.

Also. I am transmasculine. I’m pre-HRT. But to me, Izzy is very transmasc coded. This was even confirmed by Con himself when a transmasc fan at Supercon brought the conversation up. I’d just like to say again how much I adore him for supporting the trans community, particularly transmascs who often are glanced over.

Then David Jenkins, a straight man, that swore he wouldn’t fall into the kill your gays trope did exactly that. So let’s exclude here the thought that this is possibly a dream state, or even that he might be resurrected by Buttons as a zombie or ghost which I fucking hope not. We’re talking about my initial feelings. Now it felt like they were setting him up to be killed but I said oh no Jenkins wouldn’t do that to us. He promised he wouldn’t.

Guess what?! He fucking did. Not only that, he murdered off the disabled, gay, transmasc coded character after giving him the most beautiful character arc of any character on the show. You can have a gay pirate rom com, you can understand some characters can get hurt, but killing someone as a means to advance plot? Fuck you. Also, the fact that Izzy apologized to his ABUSER?! As if the victim blaming and shaming wasn’t enough for Izzy Hands, which I see plenty of still, that’s fucked up on so many levels.

So to me I watched a version of myself be murdered. It hit me in the hardest way imaginable. I cried for days. I’ve never been so attached to a character in my 38 years of existence. I’m sick and tired of people saying they like his redemption arc. Izzy never needed redemption. He just needed one, single, person to tell him that he was loved and cared about.

So voicing that I felt betrayed and that I no longer trust Jenkins got me nothing but vitriol. Then toward the end of the day, he made a tweet about how there’s no version of the show without Izzy and had the comments turned off. He knows what he did. And then in the FB groups, if you dared say you were upset that day, requoted Jenkins, you’re a horrible person? Right. I didn’t start attacking the writers. I just said I’m betrayed and I can’t trust what I thought was my comfort show. Because of that, I got hate.

As much as I’d like to believe Izzy will return, the interviews David has done post season 2 talking about his character give me little hope. It’s like he just stabbed every fan in the back. Id like to think the rushed finale is really a dream sequence or gravy basket deal. Id like to think that Izzy will come back thanks to Buttons. But now I just don’t trust David Jenkins.

And if you dare voice this opinion anywhere but Our Flag Means Daddy and Twatter, you get attacked. So here goes. Thanks for my TED talk.

[evita-shelby]

Incantatrice

Chapter 7

Gif by @damien-rose-art

“What do you want?” Eva asks her former lover once Luca leaves as he was ordered.

“Clear the air, like my suegro keeps saying.” She answers still drinking Patricio’s liquor.

“Go on.” Eva stays where she is and crossed her arms.

Eva was owed an apology, an apology she would refuse until she felt well enough to forgive her.

Maybe when she and Luca return from Rome, Eva will do it.

“I am sorry I fell in love with Franco and was not honest with you about it, I am sorry I had the god-awful idea of not inviting you to my wedding and I am sorry I made things worse by cutting off all my communication with you. It was a shitty thing to do, and I am sorry I did it when you were at your weakest.” It is genuine, even if Antonia’s voice makes it sound a little insincere, but Eva knows this woman like the back of her hand.

And to prove her sincerity, Toña, put the glass on the side table and stood up. Made sure Eva could see how much she meant it.

But even that couldn’t make Eva forgive her before she has fully healed from it all.

“I don’t think I am ready to forgive you. Like you said you hurt me when I was at my weakest, hiciste leña de un arbol caido, and I need time to see if I can trust you not to hurt me again.” The witch said hoping she did not sound as hurt as she still felt when Antonia dealt her the final blow.

“I loved you and you loved me, maybe we were never meant to be, but I hope we can be friends like we used to.” She walks towards the witch repentant, and when Eva only moves out of the way, she leaves to rejoin the family.

“How much did you hear?” Eva asks Luca who had not left.

“Enough. I did not become who I am now by following all my orders, Evuccia.” There is a warning in his voice, but there is that edge that thrills her.

Luca had the appeal of war, of danger, glory, and adrenaline.

“So now you know I am sexually ambidextrous, so to speak. Antonia and I were lovers, things ended badly, and they ended for good, you won’t have to worry about me leaving you for a woman.” Eva hates this part; the I hope you don’t think I am an abomination and that you aren’t the type of man to hurt a woman for not abiding to the norms when it comes to love and sex.

“I trust your word,” he says. For now, she can hear it unsaid.

Not good enough, but still sufficient enough for her.

A shame that in this day and age Eva has to content herself with adequate and sufficient understanding instead of true acceptance.

Still, they pretend this never happened especially when Magdalena escapes her bedroom in her peach-colored night dress and ambushed them in the hallway.

Maddy is intrigued by Luca, asking all sorts of questions and saying all the nice things she can think about Eva.

It is adorable even if a bit embarrassing.

“Israel said you are very smart, and papa said we wouldn’t let stupid people into the family anyways.” Magdalena finished her assessment of him and gave him her seal of approval.

“And how would you know I am very smart, bambina?” Luca makes the mistake of asking her.

Please don’t say the thing about the nose, this she prays to whatever gods can hear her. Eva will kill Izzy tomorrow.

“Israel says men with big noses are very smart.” Magdalena says too honestly to everyone’s collective horror.

That’s it, Eva is never going to marry Luca.

“I feel like I shall spend the entire night apologizing to you and still it won’t feel like enough.”  Eva apologized as he just chuckled about it.

He was used to it, he said that at least Maddy had somehow made it a compliment.

“Don’t worry about it, Evuccia.” He pushed her against the wall, and she knew this man was not like the rest. There was nothing that would scare him off, nothing to stop him from making her his. “I will let you make it up to me tomorrow at the office, maga. Might be what gets me through all those meetings I have.”

“Won’t your secretary mind, cariño” Eva could taste the wine in his breath. She wanted him, she may not love him yet, but lust is a good consolation prize she thinks.

She’d find a way to get him to fire her, he had fucked his secretary like most men do. Eva would be an idiot to let him keep her that close.

Luca is hers, and if he expects him to remain only his, he must do the same.

“Does my secretary make you jealous, cara mia?” he asked pinning her and making her wish they didn’t have to return to her family.

“Terribly, always been selfish that way, you know.” Eva answered wanting to kiss him to show him how much she wanted him, but he keeps her just constrained enough to make it impossible.

“You won’t see Antonia; I won’t see Laura.” He proposes and Eva thinks it’s a good proposition.

The secretary is pretty and Italian, Laura, was involved with the Family and had a brother or a father working for them.

Laura hates Eva. Eva had been unlike the other women, the only one who somehow got his attention and made him unable to even think of having someone on the side.

“I won’t see anyone, not Antonia, not anyone else if you promise me to do the same.” Eva hopes he will agree to her change in the terms, he had only implied he would not stray, she needed him to swear to her he will not betray her like Antonia and Diosdado had done so many times.

“Te lo guiro, maga, she will be gone tomorrow if you want it so.” He swears and Eva believes him…for now.

[orthodoxadventure]

Psalm 71 (NKJV)

In You, O Lord, I put my trust; Let me never be put to shame. Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape; Incline Your ear to me, and save me. Be my strong refuge, To which I may resort continually; You have given the commandment to save me, For You are my rock and my fortress.

Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. For You are my hope, O Lord God; You are my trust from my youth. By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb. My praise shall be continually of You.

I have become as a wonder to many, But You are my strong refuge. Let my mouth be filled with Your praise And with Your glory all the day.

Do not cast me off in the time of old age; Do not forsake me when my strength fails. For my enemies speak against me; And those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together, Saying, “God has forsaken him; Pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.”

O God, do not be far from me; O my God, make haste to help me! Let them be confounded and consumed Who are adversaries of my life; Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor Who seek my hurt.

But I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more. My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness And Your salvation all the day, For I do not know their limits. I will go in the strength of the Lord God; I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.

O God, You have taught me from my youth; And to this day I declare Your wondrous works. Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come.

Also Your righteousness, O God, is very high, You who have done great things; O God, who is like You? You, who have shown me great and severe troubles, Shall revive me again, And bring me up again from the depths of the earth. You shall increase my greatness, And comfort me on every side.

Also with the lute I will praise You— And Your faithfulness, O my God! To You I will sing with the harp, O Holy One of Israel. My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You, And my soul, which You have redeemed. My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long; For they are confounded, For they are brought to shame Who seek my hurt.

[patrice-bergerons]

My GOD the sheer callousness and lack of self awareness and tone deafness of USAmericans putting a post that says

There has never been a point in any of our lifetimes where the US wasn't contributing to some atrocity or war crime or SOMETHING somewhere in the world. There just hasn't been.

as justification for why you either vote for Biden or you are a moron on my dash time and again without an ounce of hesitation.

And don't get me wrong. The prospect of another Trump presidency is scary (even for us in the rest of the world, it's scary) and I vote strategically myself but how can you care so little about human life to say something like this with no shame or hesitation? How can you be so blase about the role your country plays in funding genocide and committing atrocities and war crimes, and so condescending to everyone who dares disagree with your simplistic nonsense view of the world?

It is so telling to me also that not one of these moral high horse vote blue no matter who posts say 'protest the biden admin and what they are doing with israel with your every breath until election day and then give them your vote'. Not a single one.

[officialyourdailyinspiration]

Boldness at The Throne of Grace

by Charles Spurgeon

O GOD! we would not speak to Thee as from a distance, nor stand like trembling Israel under the law at a distance from the burning mount, for we have not come unto Mount Sinai, but unto Mount Sion and that is a place for holy joy and thankfulness, and not for terror and bondage. Blessed be Thy name, O Lord! We have learnt to call Thee “Our Father, which art in heaven”; so there is reverence, for Thou art in heaven, but there is sweet familiarity, for Thou art our Father.

We would draw very near to Thee now through Jesus Christ the Mediator and we would make bold to speak to Thee as a man speaketh with his friend, for hast Thou not said by Thy Spirit, “Let us come boldly unto the throne of the heavenly grace.” We might well start away and flee from Thy face if we only remembered our sinfulness. Lord! we do remember it with shame and sorrow. We are grieved to think we should have offended Thee, should have neglected so long Thy sweet love and tender mercy, but we have now returned unto the “shepherd and bishop of our souls.” Led by such grace, we look to Him whom we crucified and we have mourned for Him and then have mourned for our sin.

Now, Lord, we confess our guilt before Thee with tenderness of heart and we pray Thee seal home to every believer here that full and free, that perfect and irreversible charter of forgiveness which Thou gavest to all them that put their trust in Jesus Christ. Lord! Thou hast said it, “If we confess our sins, Thou art merciful and just to forgive us our sins and to save us from all unrighteousness.” There is the sin confessed. There is the ransom accepted. We therefore know we have peace with God and we bless that glorious one who hath come “to finish transgression, to make an end of sin,” to bring in everlasting righteousness, which righteousness by faith we take unto ourselves and Thou dost impute unto us.

Now, Lord, wilt Thou be pleased to cause all Thy children’s hearts to dance within them for joy? Oh! help Thy people to come to Jesus again today. May we be looking unto Him today as we did at the first. May we never take off our eyes from His divine person, from His infinite merit, from His finished work, from His living power, or from the expectancy of His speedy coming to “judge the world in righteousness and the people with His truth.”

Bless all Thy people with some special gift and if we might make a choice of one, it would be this, “Quicken us, O Lord, according to Thy Word.” We have life. Give it to us more abundantly. Oh, that we might have so much life that out of the midst of us there might flow rivers of living water. The Lord make us useful. Do, dear Savior, use the very least among us. Take the one talent and let it be put out to interest for the great Father. May it please Thee to show each one of us what Thou wouldest have us to do. In our families, in our business, in the walks of ordinary life may we be serving the Lord and may we often speak a word for His name, and help in some way to scatter the light amongst the ever-growing darkness, and ere we go hence, may we have sown some seed which we shall bring with us on our shoulders in the form of sheaves of blessing.

O God! bless our Sunday schools and give a greater interest in such work, that there may be no lack of men and women who shall be glad and happy in the work of teaching the young. Do impress this, we pray Thee, upon Thy people just now. Move men who have gifts and ability also to preach the Gospel. There are many that live in villages and there is no Gospel preaching near them. Lord! set them preaching themselves. Wilt Thou move some hearts so powerfully that their tongues cannot be quiet any longer and may they attempt in some way, either personally or by supporting someone, to bring the Gospel into dark benighted hamlets that the people may know the truth.

O Lord! stir up the dwellers in this great, great city. Oh! arouse us to the spiritual destitution of the masses. O God, help us all by some means, by any means, by every means to get at the ears of men for Christ’s sake so that we may reach their hearts. We would send up an exceeding great and bitter cry to Thee on behalf of the millions that enter no place of worship, but rather violate its sanctity and despise its blessed message. Lord! wake up London, we beseech Thee. Send us another Jonah. Send us another John the Baptist. Oh! that the Christ Himself would send forth multitudes of laborers amongst this thick standing corn, for the harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few. O God! save this city. Save this country. Save all countries and let Thy kingdom come. May every knee bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Our most earnest prayers go up to heaven to Thee now for great sinners, for men and women that are polluted and depraved by the filthiest of sins. With sovereign mercy make a raid amongst them. Come and capture some of these that they may become great lovers of Him that shall forgive them and may they become great champions for the cross.

Lord, look upon the multitudes of rich people in this city that know nothing about the Gospel and do not wish to know. Oh! that somehow the poor rich might be rich with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And then, Lord, look upon the multitude of the poor and the working classes that think religion to be a perfectly unnecessary thing for them. Do, by some means we pray Thee, get them to think and bring them to listen that faith may come by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.

Above all, O Holy Spirit, descend more mightily. Would, God, Thou wouldest flood the land till there should be streams of righteousness, for is there not a promise, “I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground.” Lord, set Thy people praying. Stir up the Church to greater prayerfulness.

Now, as Thou hast bidden us, we pray for the people among whom we dwell. We pray for those in authority in the land, asking every blessing for the Sovereign and Thy guidance and direction to the Parliament, Thy benediction to all judges and rulers as also upon the poorest of the poor and the lowest of the low. Lord, bless the people. Let the people praise Thee, O God! Yea, let all the people praise Thee, for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen and Amen.

[pugzman3]

Psalms chapter 71

1 In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.

2 Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.

3 Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.

4 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

5 For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.

6 By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.

7 I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge.

8 Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.

9 Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.

10 For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together,

11 Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him.

12 O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.

13 Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt.

14 But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.

15 My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.

16 I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.

17 O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.

18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.

19 Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!

20 Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

21 Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.

22 I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.

23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.

24 My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt.

[dylanadreams]

‭Zephaniah‬ ‭3:11‭-‬13‬

“On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame

for all the wrongs you have done to me,

because I will remove from you

your arrogant boasters.

Never again will you be haughty

on my holy hill.

But I will leave within you

the meek and humble.

The remnant of Israel

will trust in the name of the Lord.

They will do no wrong;

they will tell no lies.

A deceitful tongue

will not be found in their mouths.

They will eat and lie down

and no one will make them afraid.”

[kendrixtermina]

I have officially lost all belief in human progress or that western civilization is anything other than a fraud

all these people are basically livetweeting their deaths and no one DOES anything

So much for the UN, the long arc of history or 'never again'.

videos of ppl outright mocking the victims like "we have water and you don't"

so much propaganda it puts the WWI meat factory thing to shame, no wonder no one knows what to believe

the constant shaming and actionism and guilt-tripping as if panicking helps anyone

How many babies to need to be killed till it's no longer "self defense"?

RIOTS ARE ALWAYS A FAILURE OF THE AUTHORITIES. It doesn't matter if anyone 'condones' killing (I don't), but, you mistreat people, some of them WILL riot. I'm not saying it's great, or they should, but they WILL. Human fucking nature. Israel had all the power there; They created conditions where ppl will riot.

Who is dumb enough to believe there's always conveniently a base under everything they bomb? Even if there was, I assume Hamas have legs & can walk away, whereas the civilian infrastructure STAYS destroyed.

And even if you get all the baddies, what then? In 5 seconds you'd have a new, worse group out for vengeance for their slaughtered family members, burning with the same "rightheous" fury as you

We can debate about labels all you want, but there's no way cutting off water to a large city isn't an attemt to kill-em-all. Same for bombing the place they were told to go

On the other hand... Ppl's tendency to shove everything into the currently popular framework... the colonization thing certainly applies in many respects and it was in some ways smart of the activists to frame it that way, but, you can send the British back to Britain, where are you gonna send the israelis? You realize you're not getting them moved anywhere without yet more atrocities? So big side eye when ppl go putting 'Israel' in quotation marks, I do wonder what course of action they're implying. I can't in good conscience tell ppl not to be triggered or scared over it.

I get that it's not just to expect anyone to 'be the bigger person'. But someone has to. They pulled it off in Rwanda. Do you want "justice" or peace? You can't have both. How about no more killing of anyone.

Biden was kinda coming near to saving himself with the union stuff he's been doing, but now he's shat the bed bigtime which is a problem cause there's no viable replacement. If only a competent person with a spine were in his place. I mean, China & Russia doing shit? Ok, they're nuclear powers, no one can stop them. But Israel? If the west threatened to close the money faucet they'd play ball. They're all just too gullible, too chicken, or perfectly happy with the outcome. Biden blew it; I think out of incompetence more than malice, but they're functionally indistinguishable at this point.

Europe doesn't believe in free speech apparently. Ashamed to live in Mitläufer-Land and the spineless peninsula union, apparently.

The spikes of islamophobia and antisemitism all over the world

ppl trying to use this to push antisemitic conspiracy theories or hindu-nationalism, (wasn't collective punishment and category brainrot exactly the problem? I guess some are just looking for any excse to terrorize ppl)

ppl too busy for-us-or-against-us-ing celebrities and making yet another orthodoxy discourse out of it, like that won't do the opposite of convince ppl

Did I mention DEAD BABIES GALORE?? That oughta dwarf everything else, really. It's bad enough on its fucking own. There shouldn't be anything left to say. They all look like my siblings to me. But those are all alive in a warm house with food in the fridge and I' gonna see them tomorrow.... and their families won't.

entire bloodlines wiped out. Not even people left to remember them

I lived in a small village with 10 thousand inhabitants once. When I see the death toll, I picture that entire village wiped out, or multiples or fractions of it. Everyone one would interact with every day, the teachers, the neighbor's kids, the croissant lady. 'cept ppl in Gaza were so piss poor they probably ain't seen a croissant in their lives.

So this is what it's like, to see something like that happening

there are all those posts of one person after another being wiped out, families whittled down till there's nothing left

Yes, you could drag Netanyahu to the hague, and they should, but will that even matter? That won't un-kill those ppl or un-destroy the infrastructure.

Something irreversible has been done.

Something irreversible is done each time one of those lives is casually snuffed out

[eponinesflowers]

One last thing. Not all indigenous people support Palestine.

https://www.indigenouscoalition.org/articles-blog/media-release-condemnation-of-te-pti-mori-co-leader-debbie-ngarewa-packers-reckless-statements

I really recommend to look around that page. And maybe watch interview with Yoseph Haddad as well. Really changed my perspective.

I literally never said that, I said that Indigenous people overwhelmingly support Palestine, but I don’t speak in absolutes. Again, please don’t make up my arguments for me and put words into my mouth. I will look at that though, as I am always interested in learning more and educating myself further.

Edit to add: I read the article. It was extremely one-sided and associated all Palestinians with Hamas, yet did not recognize that Israel is also ruled by a radical/alt-right group. There was no mention of the harm that Israel has caused Palestinians, which I think is sad and shameful given how many thousands of people have been killed in the past three months. The murders and kidnappings of Israeli civilians is abhorrent, but their lives don’t have more value than the lives of Palestinian civilians. The source, the Indigenous Collective for Israel, is part of an international Christian initiative, which seems strange given that Christianity has a deeply intertwined history with colonialism. They also clearly state on their “about” page that Indigenous people who support Palestine are the majority at this time. Moreover, it’s heavily made up of Māori people, which doesn’t seem like it is truly a collective of Indigenous people, but rather a small group of Indigenous people who are predominantly based in New Zealand.

Also, while I was doing more research on this, I found that Israel was absent from voting on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which doesn’t show a strong solidarity with Indigenous peoples. Since it’s relevant to the conversation, New Zealand was one of the four states to reject it, with Māori people disagreeing with each other as they currently do with Israel-Palestine.

[saucerfulofsins]

The OP of the post never said anything about the Houthi or anything about the ship other than it was owned by an Israeli billionaire, which is true. But now there are Zionists harassing anyone who reblogs the post, harassing a Muslim lady directly affected by the genocide, and claiming all the kids and civilians on the boat are somehow terrorists too? Typical bigotry. Thank you for standing firm against Zionist harassment campaigns, so many are falling for it and joining in what is actually some pretty extreme behaviour.

Exactly! I didn't know about the Houthi, and I drew my own conclusion from the way the initial post was worded, which... I shouldn't have done, clearly, but also I really don't mind it when someone says "hey actually!" In this case though? Hell fucking no. Never mind the adage "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter", which people tend to miss since usually the line's a little more clear cut.

Regarding Israel/zionism, I know where I stand on this and I will stand by it. I had a very good high school history teacher who worked at the Dutch institute for war, holocaust and genocide studies (NIOD) for many years, he did a lot of work on locating which Dutch Jews were sent to which camps/where they were killed/etc. That high school wasn't a ~traditional school so I had a lot of time to talk to him one on one about history in general, and the "invention" of Israel (as well as the Dutch position on it. They were hesitant to support the independence initially because Indonesia was fighting for its independence from the Dutch, and then the Netherlands took a very pro-Israel stance from the point it became clear just how big the government's role was in the persecution of the Jewish people living in the Netherlands at the time so it's literally out of guilt; this affected not just Dutch Jews but also German refugees like Anne Frank's family. They willingly gave out addresses etc. which lead to the decimation of over 80% of the Jewish population here - this is among the highest of Europe).

I also know how terrible the holocaust was because I've met two Jewish people over here. That's fucking it. One of them was a zionist, though, and I'm just not here for it and I never have been. Genocide aside, the displacement of the Palestinians is not okay and never has been okay. The invention of Israel was essentially a final act of European colonialism, at a time many colonies had either recently gained their independence or were on the brink of achieving it. I'm not blaming the Jewish people for wanting/desiring/needing a safe space; I do blame whoever believed/decided and whoever continues to believe/decide that means a place without the locals that lived there for centuries. If you cannot live in peace with your fellow people, even if they have a different religion, you do not deserve the position you've been put in. It's simple as that.

And like I said, I know it's more complex than simply saying "Israel" because actually it's also "all of Europe and all of Europe's mistreatment of the Jews in WWII and before and its consequent shame and guilt" - but does that mean we must let the same thing happen again, place the blame on a different dehumanized ~Other, and act like they are so different and thus less worthy of a life in peace? No. No amount of past genocides, no amount of past victims, no amount of generational trauma warrants what is currently happening. I don't even believe in "an eye for an eye", never mind this.

Of course the supporters of Israel as it currently stands equate anti-zionism to antisemitism. That's the point. An attempt at silencing the increasingly loud opposition by doing so, because what other ground do they have to stand on? Only the ground they forcefully took from others.