If my mother were alive, she d be asking me why I haven t written anything this week about Israel and Gaza and the West Bank. (Well, in fairness: she d be asking why I haven t written about Israel. She didn t care about Gaza or the West Bank.) We had this conversation often, when she was alive and was well enough to get cranky with me about what I did or didn t write.
I m struggling to find words this week. Would my words actually make things better for anyone? Would they bring light, or only more heat? Would they open anyone s heart, or just deepen entrenchment? What purpose would my words serve? Instead I ve been seeking out the voices of Israelis and Palestinians. Their words matter right now in a way that mine does not.