44 Comments
21 hrs agoLiked by Diane Engelhardt

Diane, your awareness is bold and beautiful, and your voice is precious, much needed, and priceless. Thank you very much for this.

Expand full comment
author

Thank you for your kind words, Lee, and for listening to the recording!

Expand full comment
20 hrs agoLiked by Diane Engelhardt

We cannot allow them to take us hostage. Even if they can physically take us, we cannot allow them to control our thoughts. We need to fight them in every way we can other that taking up arms and killing them because, most of all, we never want to be like them. We need to figure out how to stop them.

Expand full comment

The hostages in Gaza are there because of Israel. They were taken because Israel's superior surveillance was not working and the IDF were not there for hours. The Hamas soldiers who broke out did not expect to live. It was a suicide mission. They did not expect to live to capture Israelis.

The hostages are now held underground because there was no deal to get them out and the sloppy rescue of 2 resulted in 400 Palestinians killed. It has to be terrible but Hamas now has no choice. So, no more freedom to go out shopping with an escort for any of those hostages.

Yes, many are now "hostage" to the Western support of this ghastly regime. I am in a state of disbelief of what I know. And, what many others in my world do NOT know.

Expand full comment
author

Israel has taken the world hostage!

Expand full comment

Yes, more than Israel, it's the Jewish plus the lunatic "Christian" American Citizens who have taken hostage the most powerful country in the world. It's very bad for the USA and perhaps fatal to Israel. What kind of country will Israel be with the world wide rampant antisemitism it has inspired. Now almost anyone can be accused, rightly, of being antisemitic. Was this their underlying goal? To reinforce their victim role?

Expand full comment

Those that committed genocide have had their victim credentials permanently rescinded.

Expand full comment

I now believe that just the term "anti-Semitic" is a (relatively recent) contrived term, originating maybe late 19th century? Among the "Semites," even by Wikipedia frameworks, the Jews are a clear minority, whether it's interpreted racially (which I don't) or culturally. Arabs are "semites," and way more numerous. Ancient Phoenicians and even Ethiopians were "semites." The only significant recent "surge in anti-Semitism" in this country and the "West" was/is against Arabs, most prominently after Sept. 11 (wonder who was behind it). NOW, it's Israel that says you're an "anti-Semite" if you support the "Semites" in Palestine and don't support Israel. It says you're not "Jewish" (even if you are) if you don't wholeheartedly support Israel and its policies. "Gentile" Trump is way more "Jewish" (to Israel and himself) than Jewish student protesters against the Gaza genocide who grew up in Jewish Brooklyn neighborhoods. They've practically turned the term into a badge of honor.

Expand full comment
19 hrs agoLiked by Diane Engelhardt

What a powerful essay! People think they live in a democracy, but what you have is a corporatocrasy. Whomever you vote for are puppets of big corporations and big money. Everyone of them is going to make sure that war and conflict continue unabated. I like to mention General Smedley D. Butler's book, War is a Racket. What he describes in this book before the Second World War applies even more in today's world. So think twice before you give your vote to either of these monsters that do not represent you if you want peace on earth.

Expand full comment

Diane, I'm honoured to have my image gracing this powerful article that you've written.

I agree whole heartedly that all of us who object to this genocide, and are doing everything we can to stop it are being held hostage by the various actors you've named.

And, I agree, that's not to diminish the horrors faced by actual hostages held by Israel and Gaza.

Thanks for this wonderful piece of writing.

Expand full comment
author

Thanks, Diana, for cross-posting!

Expand full comment

You're welcome, Diane. It was worthy of cross-posting, something I rarely do.

Expand full comment

Diane, this post is beautiful and relevant almost beyond description. Your writing is impressive and articulate to the point of genius. Thank you so much for truthfully and passionately expressing what so many are feeling and thinking, and for describing the shameful nature of the perpetrators and enablers of this evil, cruel, brutal depravity. And what a dynamic and resonant image, Diana! Thanks for cross-posting this brilliant and miraculous message by Diane! Truly outstanding.

Expand full comment
author

Thank you so much, Leon! This kind of feedback keeps me going!

Expand full comment

Thank YOU, Diane! It’s a privilege to read your extraordinary writing.

Expand full comment

Fuck the system😤

Expand full comment

"We, who oppose and abhor genocide, are being held hostage by governments that, without our consent and against our conscience, misappropriate tax money for essential public services in order to supply Israel with more weapons and military aid and, thereby, facilitate Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people."

Hear, hear! This is the opening paragraph of our new Declaration of Independence, our stand against the hostage takers. Let us go you manipulators and enablers of genocide and ecocide, or you will feel our wrath!

Expand full comment
author

Good for you!

Expand full comment
15 hrs agoLiked by Diane Engelhardt

The truth will shatter the fragile ego of the liar.

The reason for the silence is by design, those who dare to speak out know that they'll be replaced as fast as the African heads of state who refused to go along with the ''vaccine'' narrative - while those who are left over have decided to stay silent or they'll risk everything that they've ''worked'' so hard to attain.

We're fucked unless we get the numbers to push back like never before.

Expand full comment
21 hrs agoLiked by Diane Engelhardt

Entirely accurate . Now what ? Other than prayer .

Expand full comment
author

Prayer, protest, persistence, remembering, rage, resist, rise up! Anything you can do!

Expand full comment

Unfortunately there seems to be less protest than before . My memory of useless demos , petitions etc goes back at least to ?1964 . Is God listening ?

Expand full comment
author

Good question, Rukshana!

Expand full comment

God always listens and we are not privy to His thoughts. But I trust Justice in the eternal life will not be kind to those that committed genocide.

Expand full comment

Disobey. Become ungovernable. Civil disobedience works!

Expand full comment

Praying to the God who made Jews the Chosen people? Something is wrong with that on many levels. ...Chosen...for what? Chosen......perhaps, by Lucifer?

Expand full comment

we only have their word for it that they were chosen. We don't even really know who wrote that down.

Expand full comment

There are no chosen people, it's all fairy tales and make believe.

Expand full comment

A jewish woman I've known for a long time gave me the "Chosen People nonsense. I said Chosen to do what? Rule, loot and manipulate the minds of Gentiles? I'm not religious but I don't think so!

Expand full comment

Chosen by God but not for inherent virtue but to be the first carriers of the truth . Not all Jews - or other People of the Book - are guaranteed to be exemplars !

Expand full comment

Now what, say you? Besides Diane's answer, how about spreading the word for a concerted, well-planned and thought out "People's Action" to stop the wars, stop the wasteful and destructive military budget, etc. etc. by We the People in street performance of the 7 Magic Words. "Take To The Streets, Withhold your Labor" (peacefully) Shut down all commerce., including farm labor too! United We Stand (to win) Divided We Fall, as is happening already.

Expand full comment

Yes , of course that would be ideal , at least morally . However you need the numbers . I think the 'powers that be' are totally ready for it . There is a long history of being ready for it !

Expand full comment

Isn't this unreal, that it all can be happening, where the only real outcry is about the hostages when they are a teeny percentage of the Palestinians being slaughtered -- and those not killed, even women and children being gratuitously mowed down, are being starved to death. We deserve Trump, we are so damn stupid. Actually unevolved. Trump could possibly save us by getting elected, which could be the unthinkable occurrence that shakes us all awake to create a world that runs on humanitarian concerns and not on economic gain, which is what we need to get to if humanity is to survive.

Subscribe to my Substack where I look for our survival.

Expand full comment

Thank you Diane . Your writing is fuel for those of us who don’t feel we can go on speaking up and protesting and grieving . You articulate and condense all that matters right now into one lightening strike of an essay .

Expand full comment
author

Thank you, Heather, for your kind words!

Expand full comment
18 hrs agoLiked by Diane Engelhardt

I am a hostage,

Appalled and disgusted,

By Gaza carnage.

Expand full comment
author

Brothers and sisters in arms!

Expand full comment
21 hrs agoLiked by Diane Engelhardt

'Last but not least', yes

Expand full comment

We become more aware of things when we listen to others who also have feelings.

Expand full comment

Nothing like writing from the Heart, or Center of Emotions, and thank you, Diane for writing th 'Hostage' article for your grateful readers and the hope they spread the word about the continuing Holocaust in Palestine and maybe in Lebanon by the maniacal, ruthless cold-blooded killers of Israel whose vision in the 20th century and beyond for the stolen land called Palestine, simply, Jews in, Gentiles out! "But keep the Gentile money flowing in!"

Regarding the term, "anti-semitism," it's a bogus term but has been quite effective for the Zionist/Jewish Lobbies in North America, Europe and elsewhere to achieve what they want, but not always so.

But money talks and well-crafted written and verbal propaganda works wonders in influencing a willfully ignorant public more interested in sports and entertainment venues than the plight of people being murdered, maimed, tortured, and afflicted with diseases now, as the water, power, food and medical supplies have almost ceased to be. Hey, the no-nonsense Nazis of the infamous Waffen SS weren't as bad as the IDF of Israel, contrary to the Hollywood version of WWII.

With the recent end of the latest BRICS+ Summit, nary a word was said about sanctioning Israel or humanitarian bombing of Tel Aviv and for the arrest of Netanyahu, for committing war crimes and crimes against humanity.

And of course, the jaded clergy of organized religions are silently condoning the Holocaust for fear of being called, anti-semitic. So what?

And it's estimated the Jews of Israel killed over a hundred journalist already, for fear of their reporting on the massacre. And bona fide news stations like RTAmerica and RT stations in Europe have been shut down, first when Putin and the Politburo finally got off their deriere's 2 1/2 years ago, by militarily intervening to recuse the people in the Donbass Region of Ukraine and the Crimean Peninsula, as RT reported factual events, anathema to Western Imperialists and the infamous "international bankers", and now, even more so, since RT reporting in Gaza was second to none. Hmm... a violation of the First Amendment to the US Constitution, which neither the Repulsive or DemoRAT parties adhere to, as much as they invoke it in front of the media "presstitutes."

I read the 34 comments, Diane before I added mine. Kindred spirits, are we not?

A grateful reader, too!

Expand full comment