Thursday, August 21, 2014

Support for Palestine gives hope for change

Blogging about Palestine is not easy, especially lately. I have plenty of material, but I had no words to express what was in my heart. I still don’t. But I’m a novelist. It’s my job to find the words to express emotions…words that will make the reader feel the sorrow and the desperation of the character. I cry as I write because that’s the only way to make the reader feel the pain.
But after the hero has been challenged beyond endurance, he or she dredges up the last bit of strength and will to make one last push to overcome and triumph. That makes a satisfying novel. The hero (and the reader) are satisfied.
Unfortunately, what has been happening in Palestine is not the stuff of novels. The people of Gaza have been pushed beyond endurance, but that last shred of strength and will may only serve to help them survive. There has to be a shred of hope somewhere.
Maybe there is just a glimmer, like a lone firefly on a hot summer night. 
Protests from around the world showed up on Facebook.
In New York they marched over the Brooklyn Bridge.
Then there were pictures from New York from Jewish Voice 4 Peace NYC
http://pic.twitter.com/guQkq7lTuJ


In Oakland, California, thousands gathered to protest an Israeli ship docking.http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/17/israeli-ship-remains-at-sea-thousands-protesters-gather
They kept it blocked for four straight days!





One of the most impressive demonstrations was in Karachi, Pakistan, where thousands upon thousands of people flooded the streets as far as the eye could see! (Palestine Festival of Literature)



Did it have any effect? The tiniest firefly-glimmer of hope  begins to flicker.

Gallup poll shows young Americans overwhelmingly support Palestine.

And Uruguay joined Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru and Venezuela in having an embassy in the Palestine   http://bit.ly/1u5l4Wr

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