Then Herod, Now Benjamin Netanyahu; The Pain And Helplessness Is The Same

The crime is the same. The gospel reports of Herod killing innocent children in Bethlehem (Matthew 2: 13-18). Bethlehem being a small town, the numbers may not have exceed 20-25 children. In the ongoing Israel-Gaza war, Oxfam reports of Benjamin Netanyahu killing 11000 children. Both killings are in the same land of Palestine; both are done by two authoritative, insecure, leaders who find no other more creative, ethical, and honorable ways of problem solving; and now on a scale of 500 times bigger.

“Gaza has become a graveyard for thousands of children” said the spokesperson of the Unicef. Over 25,000 children have either lost a parent or become orphans, leaving them in deep emotional distress. Most children are grappling with anxiety and severe physical injuries, with many having lost limbs.

A nativity scene at the Vatican has been removed after backlash over its depiction of the baby Jesus lying on a keffiyeh, the traditional scarf used by Palestinians as a national symbol. Perhaps for them Jesus being identifies as a Palestinian was too much to bear, but not the killing of 11,000 children. Whether we like it or not Jesus was a Palestinian.

2000 years ago, mothers, fathers, siblings, and people of goodwill must have been frozen in pain and helplessness when Herod mercilessly killed the innocent children just for his personal advantage. The helplessness of people in so many countries, and I am sure even in Israel who disapprove of it in every way is the painful incompetence of modern world order. We boast of so much of rights and privileges; where is our individual right to act? Where is our collective right to act? "Thou shalt not be a victim, thou shalt not be a perpetrator, but, above all, thou shalt not be a bystander" said the article, The world needs blue helmets who act as blue helmets by Hermanprit Singh.

On a deeper sense all three stand helpless in the hands of a few mindless, cruel authoritative leaders. I have seen helpless victims of war, who are abandoned by either their own country or attacked by another group, and unattended by any celebrated world organisations. I have seen soldiers not wanting to fight, kill, and destroy, still have to put on their military uniform everyday and fight wars which are inherently unjust. I have been, and I have seen helpless mothers, helpless civil society, who are condemned to be mere onlookers.

We have become detached and remote, now we have no power on whom we have voted for, what we have created, and who we have become. Recently in a session on protection of children and vulnerable adults, the speaker, Joy Sebastian reminded us that it takes a village to raise a child; and consciously and firmly he added it takes a village to abuse a child. However helpless we are, we too are guilty of the killings and wars against the innocent children.

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