For days, I’ve been seeing unbearably cruel images online. Gaza is the stage of horror, and almost all the photos and videos circulating show a massacre being broadcast live.
Every day, I share on Instagram and Facebook stories the atrocities I come across in the media: press reports, videos from journalists and media professionals, and especially images filmed on mobile phones by Gazans themselves, documenting their own extermination. The images are so brutal it’s hard to breathe. The suffering of the Palestinian people pierces through the screen.
I’ve come to realize that there are two main actors responsible for the direction the world is taking: the United States and Israel. But… what about Europe? What role is it playing? I get the feeling that Europe has become a convenient pawn serving the most powerful. The Europe of human rights, of democracy and justice, has vanished. The Europe we were sold is not the one we have. And I dare say, maybe it never was. Maybe what we’re witnessing now isn’t a failure, but part of the original plan. Politics can be complex, yes — but you don’t need to be an expert to recognize a betrayal of basic human values. Common sense is enough.
Saying “I don’t understand politics” doesn’t work when we’re talking about genocide. We all know what life is, but we like to keep death at a distance — until it touches someone close to us. The truth is, death can arrive at any moment. And if you’re reading this, congratulations: you’re still alive. You still have a voice. You can still do something.
In Gaza, survival isn’t a metaphor — it’s literal. People are trapped between the sea and a massive wall of steel. With no way out. Living in constant fear that a bomb will fall on their tent, or that they’ll be shot while trying to collect food. The distribution points are death traps. Behind it all are American mercenaries and the Israeli army. This is ethnic cleansing in broad daylight.
And you… where are you? Why are you silent? I don’t believe you’re insensitive. I want to believe you’re not. But maybe fear has taken over. Fear of losing your job, of retaliation, of being labeled, of upsetting others. But staying silent in the face of genocide makes you complicit. There is nothing in this world more valuable than our freedom. And private indignation is not enough. When it comes to genocide, there are no shades of grey. There is no neutrality. Killing innocent children, women, and men is horror. It is wrong. You don’t need to be a political expert to defend a population facing extermination — you just need to put your hand on your heart and ask yourself: what if it were us?
Because if we don’t stop this, sooner or later, it will be our turn. And then who will stand for us?
I hope fear loses ground, and that common sense rises in all of us. Because silence is no longer an option.
** The photo illustrating this text was taken a couple of days ago on the street, near my home.
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