My dad is dying

 Here I am, a palliative appointment with my brother tomorrow. Surreal, somehow never expected.

My dad is dying. How very sad. I’m so sleepy, but need to express this.

I feel sad he’s really uncomfortable, in such challenging ways.

But it’s still so sad... my Dad. 

I am Jewish, and I am AGAINST the displacement and the GENOCIDE of folks in Palestine.

 I am Jewish. I am against ZIONISM.

I AM AGAINST the displacement of people, who lived there first.

I AM also 'Canadian'. I am against the REAL history of colonialism, when white folks came and took OVER Native land.

Every time I hear 'oh Canada, our home and native land', I feel vomit-y. It is 'OUR HOME ON NATIVE LAND'.

Same and different reality in Israel.

As a Jew, as a Humyn raised with orthodox/Reform Judaism- depending on the stage of my life... I certainly have a connection to my roots culture. I do, I have some really special feelings about my Jewish roots, my memories, my heritage.

Because of my Judaism, and the wealth and selective-sharing of Jews around the world- I went to Israel twice, and given an amazing 'tour' and snapshot of the beauty of that land. But we were on buses, protected by Israelis with guns, and it was beautiful and fun and safe and really an expansive experience for me. I was 19 & 20 years old I think when I went.

My first trip, started with a trip to Poland. I went to Auschwitz, I went to Birkenau, I saw/felt/heard the stories of how Jews (and very many others of groups of humans) were massacred, in the most inhumane and perverse and awful ways. I know that happened, I still can't believe it... knowing that if I grew up in a different place, in a different time... just based on one part of my identity, I would have been tortured, starved, DISPLACED, and killed.

Fast forward.... freedom for those Jews, after the most AWFUL of times. 

Israel... the homeland...a land where they could make home anew...jump in to a place where many Jews lived.

BUT... others lived there too, already. Non-Jewish people.... but Humans.

I think of the culture I know better now... Canada, residential schools, colonialism that CONTINUES. Industry and non-indigenous folks trying to take over/away indigenous folks LAND... their language, their culture. I think of how that was largely erased from 'Canadian Culture' for many years, meanwhile, Native Folks on this land have been suffering, especially because of the destruction and the aftermath of having their lands/families so hARMED at the hands of folks coming, and TAKING OVER THEIR land. They were taken advantage of, without true consent. Why would they consent??

Now Israel, Now Palestine.

I remember when I was in Israel, I kept on hearing.... that if I chose, I could make Alliyah, because of my Jewish heritage, it was my ' BIRTH RIGHT'. The name of these tours were called 'BIRTH RIGHT'

Is it really my right as a Canadian Jew to be able to go over to Palestine/Israel, and move in?

Making Aliyah, immigration of jews from the diaspora to the land of Israel. our 'Birth Right'

Now today, May 2021. Palestinians on that land. Their land, before the war ended, and jews were saved from the awful torture they endured at the hands of Holocaust regime and the surreal reality that occurred in Europe. How could entire populations of people let that happen?

I understand how it may have felt/sounded/seemed to then go to this beautiful land and make it your home.

I know how it felt as a Canadian to go to Israel and be shown it's beauty and rich-ness and be told I 'too' could move here, make this my home. Really 'nail down' my culture in my birth right HOMELAND.

But you know what it truly means to be continuing to encouraging folks to make Aliyah- it means we are displacing humans.

But it is WAY MORE than just displacement going on here... there is no more space for any more International jews to go to Israel. Israel has TAKEN OVER THE LANDS AND HOMES of Humyn that were ALREADY THERE. We took it. We Jews, we humans.

Zionists, the most bully of Jews and humyns. Folks who somehow rationalize the most faithless of behaviours- taking families of many generations, taking their belongings from them, taking their homes and lands from them.

and WORSE.... killing them. KILLING, as in TAKING THEIR LIVES from them. Taking their families.

Bombing, destroying, damaging their businesses, their cars. Saying hateful words. Not seeing them as fellow humyns, as equals.

Killing.

I am Jewish. I am AGAINST Zionism. I am AGAINST Colonialism. I am AGAINST taking. I am AGAINST the hate, the awful faith practices that are so far from 'faith-full'. From those real true beautiful wholesome ideals of respecting each other, and the earth, and respecting us all.

I am SO SORRY to my fellow Palestinian Humyn siblings. I am so sorry as a Jewish humyn, as a humyn... that we are letting this happen. We 'canadians', we EVERYONES... it is not right.

It is not fair, or right. It is not our land or homes to take. no one should be scared in their own home for their LIVES.

I am Jewish, and I am AGAINST the displacement and the GENOCIDE of folks in Palestine.