The American wakes up in a bed, in a house they live in, with clean water and heating. They curse their alarm clock, the wrinkles in their clothes, and their unruly hair. A child in Gaza dies of starvation. The American curses traffic. Gazans cheer for food falling out of the sky from air drops because the Israeli occupation and its settlers have continuously blocked aid trucks from entering Gaza. The American complains about the long wait at the doctor’s office. Injured Gazans lay and wait for death after civilian attacks. They have extremely limited access to healthcare due to the bombing and raiding of hospitals and the blocking of medical supplies by the occupation. The American complains about their homework load. Gazan children miss studying before their schools were bombed. The American complains about their menstrual cramps and the cost of sanitary products. Most Gazans have no pads, no clean water to wash with, no prenatal care, and experience a high degree of miscarriages and infant mortality. The American wishes social media, activists, and the news would shut up about the “Israel–Hamas” war already. 

The American asks themself, “What can I do to help? How is this my responsibility? Aren’t we all helpless to the government?” There are currently hundreds of GoFundMes yet to be filled for Gazans trying to evacuate to other countries, which costs up to $10,000 per person. There are hundreds of politicians and companies one could call to vouch for a ceasefire and/or divestment. Misinformation is running rampant as political Zionism — in mine and millions of leftists’ opinions, a fascist ideology — has infiltrated Judaism, and many aren’t aware of the line of demarcation. Many folks still believe anti-Zionism is antisemitism. There is so much research to be done, and so many ways one can inform their community. The American is responsible for the atrocity because our government has funneled billions of our tax dollars into weapons for Israel. We are not helpless at all. We are citizens of a country founded on the basis of standing up to a corrupt government. 

The American believes business as usual is appropriate. Maybe they feel for the tragedy of the situation, but they’ve still got classes to go to and bills to pay. The Palestinian death toll climbs to nearly 30,000 as of Wednesday. On average, over 100 Palestinians are killed per day by the occupation. Considering this death is funded by our taxes, it seems more appropriate to be willing to set aside time to help save lives. One could argue that, as an American, you have blood on your hands.