Prayer for Gaza is an emotionally charged poetic narrative that paints a vivid image of the human tragedy following the Israel Military Incursion. This profound, long, illustrated poem seeks to awaken global consciousness to the heart-wrenching Palestinian suffering – a consequence of political conflict and escalating violence. The verses weave together stories of despair, resilience, and unjust silence to stir empathy in readers’ hearts. It prompts us to question our role as global citizens and challenges our perspective on freedom, humanity, and peace. Prayer for Gaza does not only depict the stark realities of a war-stricken land but also serves as a plea for compassion – urging us to look beyond the headlines and recognise the human faces behind them. This book is a solemn reflection on conflict, serving as a powerful reminder that peace should be more than just an elusive dream.

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As the world watches from afar, voices of condemnation echo across the globe. Some leaders, politicians, and diplomats express their outrage and sympathise with the afflicted. Strongly worded statements are released, promising justice and support for the victims. The international community seems to unite in denouncing the atrocities unfolding before their eyes. Yet, beneath the surface of solidarity, a deeper truth reveals itself. No matter how eloquent, the condemnations seem to dissipate into the wind, leaving little impact on the tides of suffering and despair. The world awakens to the harsh reality that words alone cannot soothe the wounds or rebuild shattered lives. Behind the closed doors of power, complex webs of geopolitical considerations envelop decision-makers. National interests, historical conflicts, and strategic alliances vie for attention, overshadowing the urgency of responding to human suffering. The weight of political calculations often strangles the untarnished potential for collective action, obstructing the realisation of genuine justice and accountability. The victims, caught in the crossfire of international negligence, cry out for help. Their stories reverberate through the depths of human consciousness, demanding action, compassion, and intervention. Yet, as time passes, their pleas fade into the background noise of media cycles and shifting global priorities.

The media, a powerful force in shaping collective consciousness, plays a peculiar role in this tragic narrative. Sensationalism and the pursuit of profit dominate news coverage, reducing complex human tragedies to mere soundbites and clickable headlines. The voices of those suffering become commodified, stripped of humanity, and transformed into fleeting entertainment, leaving a void where empathy should reside.

Meanwhile, the victims continue to pay the highest price for a world plagued by inaction. Their suffering deepens, their hope dwindles, and their faith in the notion of justice wavers. Displaced, marginalised, or traumatised, they endure the consequences of an international community paralysed by the complexities and risks of intervention.

However, amid the abyss of indifference, a subtle flame of hope persists. Grassroots organisations and dedicated individuals refuse to surrender to apathy or despair. They recognise that incremental change often emanates from the bottom up and strive to bridge the chasm between condemnation and tangible actions. These tireless advocates work hand in hand with local communities, fighting against the weight of bureaucracy, political calculations, and systemic inaction. They are the unsung heroes, our collective conscience, daring to challenge the status quo and reminding the world of its duty to protect and uplift those most vulnerable. True transformation requires a collective awakening and will to prioritise human lives over political expediency. It demands a re-evaluation of the international system that should transcend the boundaries of nation-states and prioritise the well-being of all people, regardless of geographical location or social standing. In this evolution, each individual is responsible for holding leaders accountable and demanding action that aligns with our shared humanity.

As the world watches from afar, voices of condemnation echo across the globe. Some leaders, politicians, and diplomats express their outrage and sympathise with the afflicted. Strongly worded statements are released, promising justice and support for the victims. The international community seems to unite in denouncing the atrocities unfolding before their eyes. Yet, beneath the surface of solidarity, a deeper truth reveals itself. No matter how eloquent, the condemnations seem to dissipate into the wind, leaving little impact on the tides of suffering and despair. The world awakens to the harsh reality that words alone cannot soothe the wounds or rebuild shattered lives. Behind the closed doors of power, complex webs of geopolitical considerations envelop decision-makers. National interests, historical conflicts, and strategic alliances vie for attention, overshadowing the urgency of responding to human suffering. The weight of political calculations often strangles the untarnished potential for collective action, obstructing the realisation of genuine justice and accountability. The victims, caught in the crossfire of international negligence, cry out for help. Their stories reverberate through the depths of human consciousness, demanding action, compassion, and intervention. Yet, as time passes, their pleas fade into the background noise of media cycles and shifting global priorities.

The media, a powerful force in shaping collective consciousness, plays a peculiar role in this tragic narrative. Sensationalism and the pursuit of profit dominate news coverage, reducing complex human tragedies to mere soundbites and clickable headlines. The voices of those suffering become commodified, stripped of humanity, and transformed into fleeting entertainment, leaving a void where empathy should reside.

Meanwhile, the victims continue to pay the highest price for a world plagued by inaction. Their suffering deepens, their hope dwindles, and their faith in the notion of justice wavers. Displaced, marginalised, or traumatised, they endure the consequences of an international community paralysed by the complexities and risks of intervention.

However, amid the abyss of indifference, a subtle flame of hope persists. Grassroots organisations and dedicated individuals refuse to surrender to apathy or despair. They recognise that incremental change often emanates from the bottom up and strive to bridge the chasm between condemnation and tangible actions. These tireless advocates work hand in hand with local communities, fighting against the weight of bureaucracy, political calculations, and systemic inaction. They are the unsung heroes, our collective conscience, daring to challenge the status quo and reminding the world of its duty to protect and uplift those most vulnerable. True transformation requires a collective awakening and will to prioritise human lives over political expediency. It demands a re-evaluation of the international system that should transcend the boundaries of nation-states and prioritise the well-being of all people, regardless of geographical location or social standing. In this evolution, each individual is responsible for holding leaders accountable and demanding action that aligns with our shared humanity.

Media and Social Media

The media and social media can be crucial in highlighting stories of resilience, compassion, and change. Unfortunately, American and Western media and social media often side with the oppressor. However, more people work to amplify the voices of the voiceless, shift public consciousness, and challenge the existing power structures that contribute to inaction. However, people who take the side of the oppressed often risk seeing themselves restricted from access to big international social media networks.

For a long time, though, Western officials and their propaganda machine have maintained that Israel is the sole democracy in the Middle East. They fail to mention that it is a democracy based on military power, occupation, oppression, bloodbaths, and censorship.

So, what is left of democracy?

I was confident that I was living and working in a democratic European country. I used to share news about the books produced by my London-based company, “Global East-West,” as well as articles, research papers, and everything we publish on GEW Reports and Analyses (which recently became The Voice of the Mediterranean) on LinkedIn. I also took the time to comment or converse with others. I have almost 4000 people in my LinkedIn network, which is constantly expanding with new connections worldwide.

But everything changed on October 7, 2023. I regarded it as a counter-offensive, a reaction to Israeli occupation and the full standstill in the Palestinian struggle. It was viewed as a terrorist act by Israelis and their Western sympathisers. As a result, Israel “has the right to self-defense,” they said. Okay, but over 22000 civilian casualties among Gaza inhabitants, including women. Children, old people, and counting: is that what you call “self-defence”?

What about the Palestinian right to oppose occupation at all costs? Nobody wants to discuss it.

I dedicated a book collection to “the Right to Resist,” supported by research papers and essays. I publicised it on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and the “Global East-West” websites. We started the production.

As Israel launched its extermination war against the Gaza population., I was convinced that LinkedIn was a professional network governed by democratic regulations, which implies that freedom of expression is honoured and people can have opposing views.

I had no idea that Israeli military censorship would be exported to LinkedIn and that if you write anything on that network, whether you live in London, New York, Jerusalem, or elsewhere, you will be subject to Israeli military law. In fact, if you strike a sensitive nerve in their brains (for example, if you present evidence of nazi behaviour, fascist ties, and everything else my team and I try to expose), LinkedIn (or Israel military censorship) will simply restrict your account. You can no longer access it, and your page and posts will be removed.

If you object, they will send you an email shortly after announcing your execution by an Israeli martial court ruling. This is the email they sent me:

Observe that it is not one particular post that incriminated me and for which I deserved martial court’s verdict of gas strangulation until death. Nope! It is, as they put it, “The activity on your account”, which means my entire work. Obviously, I failed to satisfy the Israeli military censorship on LinkedIn. Rest assured that if I made those Israeli neo-Nazi war criminals unhappy, even for two minutes, it is an immense honour for me. My goal was not to lose my LinkedIn connections, but if I have to lose them just because I don’t want to keep hypocritically silent and cowardly polite, while an entire population is being eradicated with a green light from those leaders whose behaviour made “democracy and human rights” look like a bad joke, then, well, I repeat: Linkedin’s military censorship made me a great honour by ousting me. Not only do I not regret a single word I published, but I confirm I will continue to show your dirt and your obscene and ugly nakedness under the spotlights.

It is just like that! When you offer them historical evidence based on documents, they feel obviously impotent, and they hate you for showing them their truth. They strive to silence you because they cannot answer to the evidence with counter-evidence. LinkedIn is no longer a professional networking site but rather a conduit for Israeli military censorship.

Many people in my network are probably wondering. What happened to him? I’ve been beating the fascists with words since the commencement of the Zionist aggression against Gaza. Those who know me well, know I have been committed to the Palestinian cause since I was 15 years old. And when I was in my twenties, I jumped from Paris into a plane to land in Beirut amidst my PLO friends. So, those expecting me to change can wait until the day of the resurrection.

I know that my observations and opinions irritated people who could not stand a free voice for a free Palestine, even in the Arab world. But the last thing I thought about in London, the capital of liberalism, was to get kicked out from a social media network for my opinions.

What became of democracy? Is democracy still alive and well in these Western countries? And they dare to claim that “we are democratic” while “the others are dictators!”

I’ll tell you a little story:

For many years, I served as a political analyst and pundit for China CCTV (Panview Stories). I’ve never been censured. The only time that happened was when I wrote a piece criticising Israel’s aggression against Lebanon, where I’ve been a resident writer and journalist since the early 1980s. To my surprise, an entire paragraph had been modified to express the exact opposite of what I had written. When I inquired who it was, they said, “It’s Tom,” a pro-Israel, pro-Trump American copy editor. He modified my words to make me say something I would never utter. I went from being a man committed to defending the Palestinian cause since I was a youngster to a coward condoning Zionist brutality on my Palestinian brethren, owing to Tom. Of course, no one would accept it, but the outcome was there.

I quit. The editorial crew at Beijing Review welcomed me and has remained amicable to this day. And to tell you the truth, I would rather write for the Chinese media than for the Western. For, sincerely, I don’t think Western mainstream media are democratic.

So, if you want to talk about democracy, pay attention to your headlines and the rest of the editorial content in the media, as well as the administrative behaviour of the major social media networks, all of which are American imports. Is there democracy when it comes to Israel’s recurrent bloodbaths in Palestine, or even when it comes to Russia, China, Africa, and the Arab world’s current affairs? You already know the answer. You simply apply the editorial line dictated from Washington DC, wherever you go, with some adaption to the local situation.

My LinkedIn coworkers and friends will miss me, and I already do. But the Palestinians have been subjected to a fascist occupation for more than 70 years, and I will not be silent. I shall continue to pound the neo-Nazis with those phrases they hate to read with my incredible team until I see a free and independent Palestine. And I can already see it with God’s aid. Because the future has arrived, or, as the great poet Mahmoud Darwish put it, “what will be has been.”

Finally, as a professional researcher, the articles I posted on LinkedIn related to our recent books and papers about Israel’s connections to fascism and nazism are a matter of history. Some of the books in the collection “The Right to Resist” have been published already. The others will follow. And if LinkedIn or its Israeli bosses do not like historical documents, I suggest they should erase history. Maybe they will succeed. But silencing us ( I AM NOT ALONE), they cannot.

Let me reiterate for those who may not have heard: Israel is a rogue state (Does it abide by international laws?) with fascist tendencies comparable to Nazi Germany. The United States, as the leading supporter of Israel, also displays a similar fascist attitude. The only dangerous organisation that exists in this world is Zionism. Hamas is a National Resistance Movement, and its actions are exactly those of any national resistance movement against occupation in history.

Now that there is no room for confusion, I will offer my prayers for Gaza. Hallelujah!

Hichem Karoui

London, 6/11/2023.

Quillan, 5/1/2024.