Weep for the wasted years and shrunken futures
of the Palestinian children born and not yet born
in exile since 1948 and captivity since 1967.
Weep also for the wasted years and shrunken futures
of the innocent children born and not yet born
to the thieves of land and another people’s future.
Rage and storm against the ramparts of indifference,
the smug complicity in the looking away
and the excuses for doing nothing.
Rage and storm against the ramparts of intimidation,
the invocation of founding myth as history
to justify the horrors and continue.
How dare anyone tell me
in these late years of my life
when I have seen everything and forgotten nothing
about the theft of an entire country
and the imprisonment of an entire people
that it is antisemitic
to believe in the rule of law;
to say that human rights are universal
and there are no exceptions.
that it is antisemitic
to support a boycott and sanctions;
to expect accountability and judgement
for crimes against humanity.
that is antisemitic
to push back against the ramparts of intimidation;
and to write this poem.
I may be a little wierd, but I can’t understand how so many pro-Palestinians can watch Palestinians driven from their homes in the occupied West Bank including E Jerusalem for the establishment of Jews-only colonies, roads and other infrastructure and not call this ethnic cleansing. I can’t imagine how the ethnic-cleansing colonial Zionists can justify this and would dearly love to see them try.