We Ignore It – And Yet it Persists

Palestinians. Peace process. Settlements. Occupation.

None of these topics appear as an article tag option for a TOI blogger. Sweden, philanthropy, flag football, and Israel-India relations do. This is striking because TOI isn’t considered a right wing publication. If even here these words aren’t mentioned, what is the implication for society at large?

How can we solve these issues when it’s taboo to even talk about them? We must ask why these words don’t appear as tags here, or in so many conversations about Israel’s future. A few possible answers come to mind. First and foremost, shame – for (hopefully) obvious reasons. Fear. Not wanting to face the consequences of our actions. Racism – not seeing Palestinians as equal human beings worth addressing. (Ironically, the same way Islamic regimes view Jews. It’s on par with the argument that a Palestinian state shouldn’t exist because it might hurt the Israeli economy). The least hopeful answer is blindness and ignorance – not knowing or caring to learn about the full extent of reality in the West Bank and Gaza.

So, TOI – which one is it?