Hunger. Gaza. Framing.

Once angered by others accusing Israel of genocide and feeling an obligation to call attention to nuances distinguishing between genocide and Israel’s actions, questionable though they were, but perhaps inevitable in war when defense if not retaliation was justifiable. Once. A process. Discussing with likeminded people, in my comfort zone, yet still silencing the voice. The mind knew. The voice. Internal. Arguing with another internal voice and its lame claim that you don’t hang your dirty laundry out in public. Maybe hoping it would stop, as if it had begun unintentionally and regretfully.

Genocide? “It’s a trigger,” a colleague and friend said to me this week. It is! That is why, at this stage in the process, once angered by others accusing us of genocide, I am now angered by those denying it. I understand it. It angers me. I get it. Cringe. Wince. Precisely for those reasons, please stop denying it. Stop avoiding the word.

If the details don’t align and match the Shoah, it doesn’t mean it isn’t genocide. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t fit the definition. The State of Israel never recognized the Armenian genocide. Yet I do. Many Israelis, many Jews do.

By association, I’m reminded of people who wouldn’t say, “cancer.” Not saying it didn’t make it go away. My grandmom died, even if they didn’t call it by its name. At least they treated it.

Hunger. Famine. Starvation. Pick your word of choice. Denial? Sorry, zero tolerance for Israeli denial of people dying in Gaza from HUNGER. At the demonstration protesting the war, calling for agreements, for bringing all hostages home at once, with tens of thousands of Israelis on Thursday evening, the word was missing. Hunger. Because tens of thousands of Israelis are skeptical? Maybe it’s not really the truth? Or maybe it’s not Israel’s fault?

Once upon a time, Israelis placed tremendous confidence in the credibility of statements from the IDF Spokesperson. We believed in the “truth” of those statements, even if there were strategic considerations (or because there were) behind the framing of the truth. This past week, the IDF stated that there is no starvation in Gaza. Me, scream, shriek: no starvation in Gaza? Like every institutional statement under this government of Israel, credibility questionable.

But hunger in Gaza was not on the agenda at the demonstration. A few isolated signs demanding Israel take responsibility. Presumably too many of the tens of thousands of demonstrating, demanding the end of the war, demanding that all the hostages be brought home at once, and calling upon the government to stop sending our children to war because we don’t have sons and daughters to replace them, and we question the purposes of this war without a strategy.

Pictures of hunger in Gaza on the Friday evening news.  A panelist says, “No hunger in Gaza, though there are hungry people.” Really? He adds something about the mythological purity of arms – yet armed warfare is the antithesis of pure. Another commentator reminds us to ask who’s responsible for the hungry people in Gaza. Hamas, of course. But. Not in a vacuum.

It’s time for Israel to take responsibility. Blame? Denial. Framing. Perspective. Time to take responsibility. Hunger in Gaza. People starving.

Tens of thousands demonstrated. Young and old. Elderly. Families with children. Many religious men recognizable from their crocheted kipot and religious women with them or recognizable from their style of dress. Noted because over the years for various reasons their absence has been largely noticeable at center-left, center-right demonstrations. Maybe stereotyping, and maybe another aspect of an evolving society, but also noted that in the hum of English and Spanish above and below the Hebrew spoken in the crowd, there were many Russian speakers to be heard. Ten thousand Arabs and Jewish demonstrated against the war today in an Arab town. Masses against the war. Masses for liberal democracy.

The Knesset may be lacking Opposition to the government worthy of the name, but opposition has emerged from civil society. A colleague wrote this week that this gives him hope that our next elections will bring change. Concern that Netanyahu will interfere with those elections taking place as people who believe in liberal democracy expect, notwithstanding. Another spokesperson for peace and renowned negotiator who worked with various Israeli leaders in the past wrote this past week about the disturbing chance that Netanyahu could win another election. On that pendulum between the latter saying what I hope he doesn’t really believe, and the former saying what I’m not sure makes a difference remains the fact that Israel must take responsibility for the hunger in Gaza, regardless of the roles of other players.

Harriet Gimpel, July 25, 2025