Where Do We Come From?
We’re reminded of the costs of statelessness as Israel expands its position in Lebanon following a devastated Gaza.
We are (a lot of us) so wrapped up in the immediacy of each day that we forget our privileges. It’s easy to lose sight of the simpler aspects of being, namely, belonging.
I, myself, belong to two ethnic groups out of Nigeria, in addition to ‘belonging’ in the strictly geographical sense to the UK for my living here. I could so easily pick up one of those 3D globe map things and point to either one of these places in the event someone should ask me where I’m ‘from’. In reality, my true response to this question would depend entirely on who it is that’s asking me, and their intentions here, of course, but my point stands. Outside of occasionally feeling ‘lost’ in that existential way in the way that I’m sure everybody does, and that I’m certain most of you artists on here have, I’m privileged enough to know that I’ve never been lost in placing myself in the context of the material world.
But I saw a clip of a woman the other day, (her name was Marwa), who in the business of feeling ‘lost’ represents another experience. Like Palestinians all over the world, she found herself scouring the ball in front of her for a place to put down her finger in pride of her family and her culture and her heritage and yet found herself still standing outside of the entire world somehow. So she picked up another, and still saw there was no place to call ‘home’ for her. So she picked up another, and still she saw no place to show off to others, or to any children she might have, those who would at some point ask her ‘Where do I come from?’ But in all of this, nowhere could shock or surprise be found, as I’m sure has been the familiar experience of Palestinians for decades. This thing made intentionally by man out of plastic made manifestations of un-belonging so incredibly real, with military support of course.
[For those of you who despise poetic styles of ‘news reporting’, in that they’re ‘emotionally charged’ or ‘lack objectivity’, I’d like to remind you of two simple truths before I continue. That 1. Genocide, in the way of ethnic cleansing, is nothing if not both personal and emotional, and that 2. My words don’t come from subjectivity, but rather from the effort to convey the depressing reality of what stands at a death toll of over 42,000].
Lebanon
2 weeks ago, Al Jazeera warned us of Israel’s desire to use "all the means" necessary to target Hezbollah amid fears from the rest of us that those same tactics used to ‘exterminate’ Palestinians before and after Oct. 7th would be employed during a potential ground invasion into Lebanon. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced the next phase of the war would begin soon, aiming to ‘protect Israelis’ displaced by nearly a year of border attacks.
Since Israel’s assault on Gaza last year, Hezbollah has launched low-intensity strikes, and both sides have exchanged daily fire across the Israel-Lebanon border, displacing tens of thousands of civilians. Recent Israeli airstrikes targeted Hezbollah, killing its leader Hassan Nasrallah and other commanders, while Hezbollah has defended Lebanon using rocket attacks on Israeli settlements and military positions. Following acknowledgements from the U.S. regarding Israel’s "limited operations," President Biden called for a ceasefire without elaborating on any plans to stop the conflict. Former Israeli Justice Minister Yossi Beilin urged for renegotiation of UN Resolution 1701 to avoid further escalation, though Hezbollah has affirmed its readiness to maintain its position. In southern Lebanon, Israeli strikes have intensified, killing over 136 people in 24 hours, straining Lebanon’s emergency services, and forcing over 100,000 people to flee to Syria. Lebanon’s acting Prime Minister Najib Mikati expressed willingness to implement the 2006 UN Resolution to end Hezbollah’s armed presence in the south, but Israeli efforts remain extreme.
More recently, Israel accused the UN's UNIFIL peacekeepers in southern Lebanon of being ineffective, with Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen calling for their withdrawal. Israel argues that UNIFIL has failed to prevent Hezbollah's attacks and accuses the peacekeepers of acting as "human shields" for the group, which to me is an interesting way of admitting one’s indifference to civilian casualties of war. Nevertheless, UNIFIL condemned recent Israeli incursions into its bases, including an incident where Israeli tanks breached a UN facility, sickening personnel with nearby shelling. Amid Israeli violations, UNIFIL has reported a diminished capacity to monitor the situation due to repeated Israeli attacks on its equipment. The EU condemned Israeli attacks on peacekeepers as "completely unacceptable," while the U.S. has ‘urged’ Israel to ensure the safety of UNIFIL forces. Nevertheless, words never did pose much of a threat in the face of destructive violence, and so Israel continues its military operations in southern Lebanon, continuing to affect displaced civilians.
Given that there’s a certain familiarity in Israel’s approach here, I wonder whether in years to come, those whose family history traces back to Lebanon will be able to find their place of belonging on the globe, or whether they’ll have to rely on anecdotes from their grandparents about life before the occupation.
Iran
There is a clear irony in the ‘pleas’ made by The United States government regarding Israel’s position on Lebanon, given that it has since announced its willingness to send the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) system to Israel to bolster its air defences amid tensions with Iran after it’s shown support for those in Palestine. This advanced anti-missile system, along with around 100 U.S. personnel, aims to enhance Israel's protection against potential ‘missile threats’. While Washington advocates diplomacy in the region, its true intent can be found in its budgetary allocations, as Biden continues to offer strong military support to Israel.
The term ‘expansionism’ seems to fall in the ‘genocide’ category of words to remain unspoken within the realm of Western news and media so it comes as no surprise that I’ve yet to see accusations of expansionism within this sphere. It also feels like we’re wary of placing Israel, a country whose political and historical affiliations seem to lie with Western objectives, in the same category as countries who (rightfully or wrongfully), have been dubbed a global threat whilst engaging in similar or less extensive conflicts,
(see China, Iran)…
Asisa
I think connecting the conceptual idea of belonging to the real and material context of genocide is really important in urging us to reflect on how our personal privileges are inherently poltical. I also feel as though despite the US and UN “condemning” on occasion Israels military activity, not facilitating physical interception to protect Palestinians and those in Lebanon, feels like tacit consent to genocide. Thank you for encouraging us to locate where our privileges lie in this time of world destruction.