Remember Gaza?
Over 90% of homes destroyed, twelve universities demolished, famine spreading, and Israel tightening its siege. Mark Davidson makes the case for why Americans who have stopped paying attention are not off the hook.
Rev. J. Mark Davidson
5/21/20262 min read
Remember Gaza? Most people would rather not. Keeping up with the current situation in Gaza? Most people aren’t. Carrying Gaza in heart and mind? Frankly, most people couldn’t be bothered. Mainstream corporate-owned media feeds at the trough of Trumpian chaos, and drags us down into the mess. With rare exceptions, so-called trusted sources of information such as the New York Times, the Washington Post, and cable news offer up a steady stream of Zionist talking points and militaristic propaganda. The vast majority of ordinary, hardworking Americans are preoccupied with the rising costs of essentials of daily life – housing, gas, groceries, and health care. A deeply worried, perpetually distracted public simply lacks the appetite for the crushing sadness and outrageousness of Gaza. I get it.
So, why continue talking about it? First and foremost, because it is a massive humanitarian crisis, which we played a major role in causing. We are fully culpable because we provided uncritical political support and diplomatic cover for Israel’s atrocities; supplied devastating offensive military weapons to Israel which they used to kill over 100,000 people, mostly women and children; because we disregarded American laws prohibiting these sales; and betrayed international humanitarian law. Because we are complicit in this genocide, we have a moral obligation to repair the devastating damage we have caused. Looking away may reduce our cognitive dissonance, but it won’t change the realities on the ground. Looking away may be psychologically comforting, but it is morally indefensible.
Living conditions in Gaza are catastrophic. Everything that was true about Gaza on the first day of the “ceasefire” in October 2025 remains true today. In fact, it’s much worse. Over 90% of homes have been destroyed by Israel’s carpet-bombing. Israel’s relentless bombing campaign has severely damaged Gaza’s health sector. Famine is widespread in Gaza. The vast majority of Gazan families are huddling in tents, trying to survive persistent Israeli drone strikes, and fending off an infestation of rats. They are chronically sick and severely malnourished. Israel has obliterated all twelve of Gaza’s universities (serving over 90,000 students) and most of its elementary and secondary schools (serving over 650,000 children). This “scholasticide” struck a terrible blow to a talented people whose literacy rates have traditionally exceeded 95%, and whose love of education was the crown jewel of the Arab world. Israel retains full control of everything that comes in or out of Gaza. Israel has tightened its 19-year siege of Gaza’s air, land, and sea. Today, Israel occupies over half of Gaza. Its steadily expanding “yellow line” steals more and more Palestinian land. Before October 7th, Gaza was one of the most densely populated regions on earth – 2.3 million people packed into an area 11 times smaller than Rhode Island, our tiniest state. Today, Gaza’s population has been mercilessly shoved into half the former area. This is a mere snapshot of the wreckage that systematic violation of international humanitarian law - indeed genocide - causes.
Purely on humanitarian grounds, this should move us to come swiftly to their aid. Like the Solidarity Flotillas, we should never allow their suffering to be forgotten or dismissed. We must offer what financial assistance we can, and support humanitarian aid organizations working in Gaza. On moral grounds, we should demand from our government, civil society, and the international community accountability for genocide, prosecution of war criminals, boycott, divestment, and targeted sanctions to dismantle the “economy of genocide,” reparations for the Palestinian people, and Palestine-led reconstruction of Gaza. Anything less is simply unacceptable.