February 22, 2026

Of course there is only despair on the ground in Gaza. Their land is in ruins, their homes have been destroyed, and Palestinians in the West Bank are having their land stolen from them. They also have the historical memory of promises made and promises broken.

As Emily Dickinson once wrote, "I many times thought peace had come, when peace was far away". She likens it to a shipwrecked sailor who think they spot land only to realize they are still at the center of the sea. She then wonders, "how many fictitious shores before the harbor lie"

I personally don't think there is a harbor. I don't think there will ever be peace with dignity for the people who live in Gaza or the West Bank. The words and actions of the governments of Israel and the United States show us just how little chance there is for actual peace for the descendants of the land that was officially known as Palestine as late as 1947. And now we get official confirmation that high level members of the American government think that even the people of other Middle Eastern countries don't have the right to the lands they are living on.