Feeling useless in turbulent times

On doing something but never doing enough

Since the 7 October taking of Israeli hostages and killings by Hamas, and the bombing of Gaza by Israel, the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict is back in the daily news and it’s impossible not to be affected. However much I try to get on with daily life, the news of atrocities committed by Hamas, and Israel’s relentless bombing, forcible evacuation and withholding of basic amenities to Palestinians on the Gaza strip, play out their grim consequences in my mind. To do nothing, to say nothing, feels like complicity. To make an attempt at responding to these events feels like edging towards performative action - or certainly risks provoking that accusation. But what a luxury, and how self-indulgent, to ponder such things when innocent people, including many children, have died and are still dying. Better to do something than nothing, so I’m listing here some actions I’ve taken that maybe you have too, or maybe you might want to take if you’re also feeling that doing nothing is not an option for you.

• I’ve donated to the charity Medical Aid for Palestinians which gives health and medical care to Palestinians living in Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Lebanon. If you can’t make a donation, sharing the link to MAP and their donation button on your social media platforms is a way of helping the charity and its cause.

• Writer Anthony Anaxagorou has organised a fundraiser for the charity Medical Aid for Palestinians, an online poetry event with many fantastic poets reading on Monday 30 October. All proceeds to MAP. To donate and buy a ticket (suggested donation £10 but you can pay what you can afford) to watch the event, here’s the link.

• I’ve written to my MP to whom I’m in regular correspondence with, by email. We’re at opposite ends of the political spectrum and I can’t think of any time I’ve been encouraged by his voting record, but he always replies to every email I send to him and each letter tells him what matters to at least one of his constituents. The more of us who write, the more MPs know what matters to people with the power to vote them in or out of office. (For the record, in my letter to my MP, I’ve expressed my condemnation for the acts of Hamas and I’ve asked him to work to help negotiate for the release of Israeli hostages, as well as demanding that Israel abides by international law and allows Palestinian people access to food, water, fuel and medicine. I’ve also written asking him to demand a ceasefire. I’ve written twice in less than two weeks and he’s replied both times, not agreeing with me about anything but at least he seems to have listened to my concerns and explained his point of view.)

• I’ve shared posts that have resonated with me in light of unfolding events, whether it’s poems, articles, art. These have included:

• A new poem by Fadi Joudah, ‘Good Morning Gaza’ after the poem ‘The Final Meeting in Rome’ by Mahmoud Darwish.

• The poem Ghazal: Will Be Free by Zeina Hashem Beck.

• The poem ‘Don’t Mention the Children’ by Michael Rosen.

• The poem ‘Love Letter’ by Abeer Ameer.

• The poem ‘Do the Birds Still Sing in Gaza?’ by Hanan Issa.

Beyond this, I’ve told the people that matter the most to me how much I love them. I’ve prayed for peace. I’ve switched everything off and tried to sleep. I’ve wished for better times.

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