This Bob Bauer photo always makes me think of the desert. So it seems a good image to hold while I think about what’s happening in our Congress and in Palestine today; unbelievably at the same time. It’s hard to talk about the Middle East sometimes because the issue is so fraught, even though my family history is there. When I walked the streets of my grandparent’s village in Lebanon, I had to be careful of leftover Israeli mines.

Congress is working it’s way through terrible legislation (the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act) defining criticism of Israel as anti-Semitic in an effort to crush speech in favor of justice for the Palestinian people. At the same time, Israel has made plain its plan to cleanse Gaza of Palestinians while it continues to engage in a war of starvation. So many children are being killed, and dying simply for the crime of being born in their homeland. We like to think humanity is past this but here we are, not only being silent in the face of atrocities, but making silence the law of the land; all while our bombs and bullets bring death and destruction to human beings and we help destroy the infrastructure and agriculture necessary to support life.

This is not just Republicans. Democrats are complicit. John Fetterman recently said “kill them all” when discussing his support for Israel’s campaign of terror. Fifteen Democrats are co-sponsors of the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act.

Our representatives will all be cheerleaders for this campaign of death and silence. Calling is so hard when it feels pointless. Does Mile Lee listen to anyone? But it’s on my to-do list.

“Cleavage” untitled abstract photograph by Bob Bauer.