Palestine Activism Update, plus I got covid :(

 Last week I got covid for the first time. It was really brutal. There was one night when I felt like my chest was going to explode for almost the whole night. Thankfully I was sharing the bed with Eva, and she comforted me and kept me calm through the night. I was watching the news from the recent Israeli bombing campaign in Lebanon and, even though it sounds crazy to say, I really felt like I was in Lebanon myself. The screams of children, mothers, and really everyone were ringing in my ears, and I either felt, or imagined, the unbelievable pain that Lebanese people have been experiencing since the beginning of this Israeli bombing campaign. 

Even though the virus was very unpleasant, I also felt that it gave me the time to process some of the really deep grief I have been experiencing since the Israeli government began its genocide in Gaza last October. It has been very challenging to keep up with the norms and pressures of daily life amidst this genocide. How in the world are people just supposed to continue going to work each day, paying rent, seeing friends, going out to dinner, while our US tax dollars fund a genocide overseas. I feel like I am watching the Nazi holocaust all over again. This time, the world is not silent, but it hasn't manage to stop the IDF in its bloodthirsty rampage either. 

One thing I have been working on is channeling these really painful emotions of grief, heartbreak and rage into activism. At the beginning of the genocide, I went to a lot of rallies. They were nice and important and inspiring, but at some point I felt that they weren't really accomplishing anything, or they weren't accomplishing as much as I would have hoped. I realized that I could further help the pro-Palestine protest movement by working to elect a member to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors who is supportive of the Palestine liberation movement. If the city of San Francisco divested its investments in Israeli weapons manufacturers, that would be a very powerful statement with possible real world repercussions. I am now realizing that even if Jackie were elected, the BOS might not have enough supporters of Palestine to pass such a resolution. That has been an upsetting realization for me, but there would be many other benefits to electing Jackie. She is a member of the DSA in San Francisco, and has been a strong supporter of tenants rights, homeless rights, and other progressive causes, so there would be plenty of reason to celebrate if Jackie wins, even if BDS at the level of the BOS might remain out of reach.