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Conflict in the Middle East
Original poster

My Palestinian Christian family has gone

105 replies

Theend123 · 22/10/2023 20:19

I am late to this and name changed as I frequently get accused of anti-semitism for just telling my family story.
I am of Palestinian Christian heritage, I have lived in the UK for most of my adult life and am agnostic because I have faith, but cannot believe in religion due to its destructive nature.
Until two weeks ago, I had 16 relatives living in Gaza, I believe I now have two: my father's cousin and her daughter.
I also have relatives in Bethlehem but the connectivity is bad and no-one wants to identify themselves.
It's heart-breaking on a personal level. My Palestinian relatives have suffered so much living in the Occupied Territories.
There is fault on all sides but I am rarely able to express my family's problems because they are not seen as being legitimately part of the region's natural order.

OP posts:
herbygarden · 22/10/2023 21:57

Oh OP, that's overwhelming awful, I am so desperately sorry Xxx

lavender2023 · 22/10/2023 21:58

I am Jewish and am so sorry for your loss.

karakchai · 22/10/2023 22:00

Utterly heartbreaking. I am so sorry for your loss.

eurotravel · 22/10/2023 22:36

I can not and never will understand why people can't coexist. Why people can't just respect each others right to live where they do & have own beliefs. I know it's complex, I've need to Isreal briefly as a Christian it was an amazing.
Now so much conflict & needless murder. Whilst I can see why faith schools exist I purposely chose very diverse schools for my DC so they become global citizens & can see this is so wrong

eurotravel · 22/10/2023 22:36
  • went to Israel
PerkingFaintly · 22/10/2023 22:45

I'm so very sorry.

Dablikeacrap · 22/10/2023 22:50

Theend123

Yup. It’s exhausting. I’m not even really talking about it as I’m so sick of having to explain that my heritage and empathy for my people does not make me an antisemite

Namechange600 · 22/10/2023 22:54

OP I’m so sorry for the tragic loss of your family members - this is truly appalling and heartbreaking. No words for the suffering and grief 💔💔💔

AtrociousCircumstance · 22/10/2023 22:59

I’m so sorry for your loss. My heart is breaking for all the innocent lives lost in this horrific conflict 💐

Rabbitcar · 22/10/2023 23:05

So very sorry OP, that is just horrific. To lose so many family members, my heart breaks for you. Flowers

Dotcheck · 22/10/2023 23:09

I’m so sorry💐

etmoietmoietmoi · 23/10/2023 00:39

LondonMummer · 22/10/2023 20:23

I am Jewish and let me be the first to say I am SO sorry for your loss. Nothing about your post is antisemitic. It is heartbreaking. For all sides.

I echo this. Sorry for your loss Flowers

saraclara · 23/10/2023 00:46

Your loss is at a level that my head can barely compute. I don't even know where to start.

I am so desperately sad for you and those many thousands of people suffering such losses.

There's something about this situation that is too big to process. But someone like you posting as an individual, makes it real, and opens a chink in the barrier that our minds put up to avoid having to imagine something so horrific.

I'm so sorry. But I thank you for sharing and I hope it helps you.

Cropcycle · 23/10/2023 00:56

This is heartbreaking OP. I’m Jewish and despair that innocent people in Israel and Palestine are the ones dying, injured, tortured and suffering terribly at the hands of extremist madmen who don’t want peace. Our terrible governments want to wipe each other out, while most Israelis and Palestines just want to live a safe and normal life. Sending you love and strength in these horrific times.

DiscoBeat · 23/10/2023 01:04

Your loss is unimaginable. I feel for you so much. Wishing you strength.

Mdg247 · 23/10/2023 02:14

Dear OP

I am a Middle Eastern Jew who is desperately sorry for your loss. Palestinian Christians are almost totally overlooked and it’s a terrible predicament.

There is virtually zero space for representation or even protection of Christians in the wider Palestinian struggle, and on the other side of the fence I am heartbroken to see this not only ignored by the Israeli government, but that they are responsible for this.

As an ME Jew I understand the struggle of being a minority in the Muslim world of the Middle East. A minority that is almost never spoken about, and is hugely neglected by so many of the ‘free palestine’ movement and protestors who use the conflict as a purely Islamic struggle, which I constantly argue it is not.

There is nothing I can say to you that will make you feel any better, particularly as it is my own people who would have been directly responsible for this. All I can say is that I will forever fight your cause and forever be thinking of you. I’ve met many wonderful Palestinians from the West Bank and you are always in my heart.

With love xxxx

decionsdecisions62 · 23/10/2023 03:16

It's horrendous and the true war mongers will not even be in those countries. I'm so sorry. It's sickening 💐

Biasquia · 23/10/2023 04:17

@Theend123 I am so so sorry for your losses. I cannot bare the whole thing. It makes me so sad. I remember from growing up in Ireland never being able to see a way out of the troubles here and I just hope and pray something changes in the ME. Peace is precious.

StartupRepair · 23/10/2023 04:29

I am so sorry for your losses. It is so utterly sad that people cannot just safely go about their lives, raise their children, work or study, love their friends and family and follow their preferred religion. Those of us who can live like this are so very very lucky. I am thinking of you and your family.

LushFloral · 23/10/2023 04:36

Echoing everyone else’s comments and thinking of you and your family OP. I’m so sorry for your losses.

beetle02 · 23/10/2023 04:39

💐

Brocollimatilda · 23/10/2023 05:06

I am so so sorry OP.

inigomontoyahwillcox · 23/10/2023 06:24

I can't begin to comprehend how much pain and anger you are feeling right now. I'm so so sorry for your loss.

The current situation is devastating, and it's like the rest of the world has been watching this unfold in slow motion for decades.

As someone else earlier said - I stand for peace and the protection and safety of innocent civilians on both sides.

feralunderclass · 23/10/2023 11:45

Mdg247 · 23/10/2023 02:14

Dear OP

I am a Middle Eastern Jew who is desperately sorry for your loss. Palestinian Christians are almost totally overlooked and it’s a terrible predicament.

There is virtually zero space for representation or even protection of Christians in the wider Palestinian struggle, and on the other side of the fence I am heartbroken to see this not only ignored by the Israeli government, but that they are responsible for this.

As an ME Jew I understand the struggle of being a minority in the Muslim world of the Middle East. A minority that is almost never spoken about, and is hugely neglected by so many of the ‘free palestine’ movement and protestors who use the conflict as a purely Islamic struggle, which I constantly argue it is not.

There is nothing I can say to you that will make you feel any better, particularly as it is my own people who would have been directly responsible for this. All I can say is that I will forever fight your cause and forever be thinking of you. I’ve met many wonderful Palestinians from the West Bank and you are always in my heart.

With love xxxx

As a human rights activist you don't speak on my behalf or anyone that I know. I want a Palestine free from occupation for ALL Palestinians.

Ketzele · 23/10/2023 12:29

I am so very sorry. May their memories be a blessing.