“Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality.” -Lewis Carroll
(Washington, D.C., Dec 18, ’23) – Today, at World Imagined News, we are sharing a timeline recap of the extraordinary events that have taken place since the tragic October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, in which 1200 Israeli citizens were killed, and 240 hostages were taken. The editorial team hopes to convey the welcome and astounding ripple effect of goodwill that culminated last weekend with the wall between Gaza and Israel coming down.
Timeline Recap
Oct 7: Immediately following the attacks and considering Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial and the months of nationwide protest over his attempts to overhaul the Israeli judicial system, the country’s Justice Minister, Yariv Levin, recognized the threat that Netanyahu would use the situation to seize power and escape justice under the guise of “unfolding crisis.” Levin announced that the trial would be sped up while members of the Knesset worked in a furious 24-hour-long session to chart a response for the country while addressing the needs of impacted Israelis and the grieving families of both those killed and hostages.
Oct 8: Stunning revelations came out that Israeli officials, including PM Netanyahu, knew about the Hamas attack plans more than a year ago and that he had, in fact, secretly been encouraging funding of Hamas for over a decade to delegitimize calls to negotiate toward a resolution that would create a Palestinian state. With this information, Netanyahu was forced to resign and shortly after was convicted and sent to prison for his role in the death of Israeli citizens and other corruption charges.
Oct 9: Only 48 hours after the attacks and in the spirit of stabilizing their country and securing the safety of their citizens, former political enemies within the Israeli government came together in a governing coalition. Co-Prime Ministers were sworn in on live television and quickly recognized as heads of state by world leaders. The rapid changes in the Israeli government and with no military response other than to evacuate citizens near the borders and secure the area from further incursions left Hamas leadership in suspension. Although they had claimed responsibility for the attacks, they awaited Israel’s response before moving forward with previously planned strategies.
Oct 10: The Co-Prime Ministers of Israel, having already conveyed their intentions in a series of early morning private meetings with US President Biden, UK Prime Minister Sunak, and heads of state throughout the Middle East, held a live press conference at 12 PM Jerusalem time which was internationally broadcast. The transcript of their world-changing, history-making message is widely available on the internet, but it began:
“Today, Israel, in our deepest mourning since the Holocaust, humbly extends the olive branch to our Palestinian brothers and sisters. Their long relationship with the olive trees of our shared land makes them uniquely capable of understanding our gesture. We hear your anguished cries and see your deep suffering. To quote the great American, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in the attacks of three days ago, we recognize ‘the language of the unheard,’ a language our own ancestors spoke in times of necessary resistance. Israel seeks now to be the catalyst rather than the inhibitor of peace.”
The conference ended with the PMs, other high-level representatives, and journalists alike openly weeping. The completely unanticipated response was a jaw-dropping rebuke of terrorist violence and left Hamas leadership stunned as they worked to devise a counter-response.
Oct 11: Hamas released widely-praised statements saying they would cooperate on peace and reconciliation efforts, in partnership with the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, and members of the Palestinian National Authority, on condition that the Secretaries of State or equivalent counterparts from several nations as well UN envoys, would aid and help negotiate the process. UN Peacekeeping forces were also requested and agreed to by both parties to help ensure security and neutralize any attempts to derail the peace process by militants on either side.
Oct 12: All hostages from both Gaza and Israel were exchanged via a 24-hour-long operation run by Red Cross and Red Crescent crews. The world watched tearful reunions and celebrations of families across both regions.
Oct 13: Just one week out from the attacks, a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, similar to that used in other apartheid conflict settings, like South Africa, was set up, and the process of historical honesty, admission of harm to both parties and reconciliation began. World leaders began giving speeches praising Israel’s response and Hamas laying down its weapons. Pope Francis, the Dalai Lama, and other religious leaders also issued statements about their respect for the humility and hopeful forgiveness displayed in the religious traditions of all parties involved as they started to navigate peace efforts in earnest.
Oct 14-Dec 14: A daunting but largely unimpeded peace process progressed throughout the next 60 days. Aid poured into Gaza, including huge teams of medical providers, engineers, and educators. The world, spurred on by the rippling goodwill, worked to virtually overnight attend to decades of unaddressed needs at the direction of the existing Palestinian leadership in various societal sectors. The level of human connection and cooperation has left many in the media and religious spaces to comment that it has been not only an astonishing political success but also a growing spiritual transformation for humankind, with knock-on effects beginning to be observed in other high-conflict areas like Sudan, Ethiopia, Congo, and Ukraine. COP28, which was held during this 60-day period, also marked a major turning point in global climate change action.
The Wall Comes Down
Dec 15: Spontaneously, last Friday, December 15, 2023, young people from all over Israel and Gaza began working together with bare hands, small tools, and in some sections bringing in heavy equipment to tear down the wall between the two states.
Those old enough to remember the fall of the Berlin Wall in November of 1989 watched breathlessly, remarking that they had the same emotional response. People all over the world took to social media to share the images and even share video of themselves and their communities crying with joy.
The well-known Palestinian poet and literature professor, Dr. Refaat Alreer, was seen and told one reporter on the scene, that he had brought his family to fly kites (note date on this linked article) while watching the wall be dismantled. Young Palestinian influencers and journalists, like Bisan and Motaz Azaiza, were also on the scene to document it for the world. World-wide celebrations have broken out.
Reclaiming Imagination
Obviously, this isn’t real news, but it’s also not fake. It is the reclaiming of imagination.
One of the most impactful things I’ve been taught to date in terms of my social justice education is that the first thing we lose in an oppressive system is imagination.
Let me say that again: The first thing we lose in an oppressive system is imagination.
You know when you learn something new that suddenly gels so many other things you’ve previously learned or helps a bunch of information all connect at once in your brain? That’s how it felt for me the first time I heard an instructor say this. Now, I can’t unsee the evidence of loss of imagination all around us.
A glaring and topical example of loss of imagination is the repeated mantra from world leaders that is then also parroted by millions of their citizens, “Israel has a right to self-defense.” When I use this example, I’m not really debating the legitimacy (or lack of legitimacy) of national defense. I’m pointing out that in our very harsh global environment, the only response to attacks like October 7th or 9/11 is ruthless “self-defense,” even though we have ample evidence that these responses don’t work to reduce terrorism. Oppressive systems have a ton of inertial force, making it very difficult to think about, let alone attempt new approaches.
This imagined news recap was my attempt to break out of the inertia, to consider what a peaceful response might look like. I want to be free, if just for a moment, of the oppressive systems that train us to believe that the only possible response to violence must be even greater violence.
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Winter Break Announcement
Neighbors, for the last 72 days, we have been:
bearing witness to extreme suffering
learning and unlearning
protesting
writing and calling our reps
donating
amplifying the voices of the oppressed
having hard conversations, publicly and privately
It is not enough and we must refuel ourselves.
If you are anything like me, you are feeling a lot of internal conflict about stepping away, even for a moment, when the need in Gaza is so great. It doesn’t feel nice to think about enjoying the holiday in your cozy home, having big meals with loved ones, or even just relaxing at all, in contrast with Palestinians who have no homes, food, or water and can’t even take a deep breath due to the constant seige.
Still, the truth is that our solidarity with Palestine will last the rest of lifetimes. We do need to pace ourselves, so that we can sustain that solidarity and remain functional in our own lives. Community care requires individuals with wells to draw upon.
I am taking my winter break, and this will be my last note for a few weeks. There is a Christmas gift coming on Wednesday though! I’m using my break to focus on the tired humanitarian aid worker in my life (my husband’s org has had a presence in Gaza since the 1960s and they’ve been working feverishly these past months) and to practice using my imagination. I can tell it’s a muscle that needs a workout.
Wishing all of you a joyful holiday and praying for peace as we enter 2024.
Do you have holidary plans you’re looking forward to? Are you struggling to balance your needs with what we’re witnessing in Palestine (and in many other parts of the globe)? Let’s talk about it as a community.
Thank you for keeping our imagination alive 🙏
Reading this made me think of Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggeman. Once again I appreciate your thoughtful writing here. I agree that we need to engage our imagination to create a better world. That is what the poets and artists help us do. I believe it's also what rest and time away from reading the news can help incubate in us. I hope you have a refreshing break over the holidays.