Member-only story
Are You Afraid of New Ideas?
Don’t stay stuck in cenophobia
My sister and I were discussing the current situation in Gaza. She relies on CNN to stay informed on current events.
She was horrified when I opined that I was totally supportive of the Palestinians. While I don’t promote violence, I totally understand the frustration and desperation that led to the October 7th attack.
She angrily replied, “Hamas is evil! They use civilians as human shields! Israel has no choice but to destroy them! And we have to support Israel, our ally.”
I asked her if she read anything about the history of Palestine or about how the nation of Israel was created. I doubted that she had.
I know that CNN, and other mainstream media, rarely provide historical background to stories, but instead offer a 5 or 10 minute “synopsis” of world events, relayed to the audience by “experts” who simply reinforce the usual talking points of the American empire ( i.e. that there are good guys and bad guys, and the US is always on the side of the good guys; and, after all, it’s terrorists vs. democracy and we must support our allies!).
Not wanting to end the conversation on an angry note, I asked her if I could send her some YouTube videos that are representative of my opinions on the Israel/Palestine relationship…
