Hi Johannes, A number of things. First, several weeks ago I put up a fairly long post which was based totally on the practical, and there was a good discussion that emerged from this. Second of all, having had a year in Israel and two other trips in the past, and in touch with someone who works on a diplomatic level (as well as my mother who, I think I mentioned, made over 50 diplomatic trips to the mid-east in the interests of piece), I think I've read enough and written enough on the practical; I am also entitled, as we all are, to an artistic and emotional response.
I can say again, it's impossible to comprehend. Net. and company are far right-wing are far right-wing, supported by the religious far-right who vote enbloc. I do not go along with their policies. Again, it is not only Jews who are afraid here; an Islamic man selling religious items outside a mosque, here, in Providence, was shot recently. Again, Gaza hasn't been self-governing for decades, and what would you want to see come out of that? Much less the W. bank with Israeli settler violence. My friend is working on this diplomatically. I do what I can, we all do. I'm frightened. I hate Net. etc. I think you and I have to break ranks here. I do care what the left says. As I mentioned when I was in Is. the 1st time I had a letter of protest published in the Israeli engl language national paper - supporting the Arabs; already I saw what was going on, and this was less than two decades after the Holocaust. Finally without thinking inconceivably, you wouldn't have Paul Celan, possibly not Karl Krauss (who I am reading in depth now), and a number of other writers. And Providence is NOT a "lovely democratic safe community" as far as I can see. Best, Alan, apologies, you touched a nerve. Everyone I know is struggling over the war with widely varying responses; if one type of response doesn't suit you, you can just ignore it. I value your friendship more tha that. You always have the choice of course not to read my posts or anyone's; if you'd read my earlier one, you would have realized I also am on the practical side, perhaps more than you think. On Mon, Dec 4, 2023 at 3:34 PM Johannes Birringer via NetBehaviour < [email protected]> wrote: > > >>we have the duty here now of _thinking inconceivability_ > to respond with art, music, writings, analyses..>> > > Alan I agree with what you write, I disagree with what you write too. I > realize yes, remembering it well, a few years ago, during the war in Syria > and the ISIS attacks, > we created a discussion, for a whole month, on "ISIS, Absolute Terror, > Performance" (empyre list). I also remember collating all the > contributions, editing it all for a book, and we did not find a > publisher. > > These past weeks, October-November, I heard a few expressions here, about > "yes, but", and "yes and." In tried to join a discussion, and posted here, > but no one was really discussing, and art, Alan, "art, music, > writings...",. well it has been a disaster I think. > > No one here wanted to say outright that it is not quite right to argue > that "it's impossible to comprehend what is occurring in Gaza, impossible > to think through the violence and destruction, through the continuous > cruelty." It is possible. > > I see it in Germany and England, and I hear it from Jewish friends in in > this country and my neighbor country (France), and from friends in the US; > Jewish families are afraid to send their children to school or go out of > their homes, their houses in Berlin have been defaced, Synagogues attacked, > demonstrations in London shout for annihilation of Israel, and I cannot > calm down my anger, after the atrocious attacks of Hamas against Jewish > civilians, which has now led to the new military repercussions. We > experienced the attack on Ukraine, and many declared their solidarity with > Ukrainians; I tried to also help raising awareness, we showed Ukrainian > film and photos in a gallery where I work, and I will do the same for > Israel defending itself against inhuman, grotesque violence, and using Gaza > civilians now as a shield (they are not a shield) - offering them up as > victims. > > What I am saying is that the conflict is not inconceivable, and yes there > is a historical context (i don't care what, I am upset about what the Left > says, what Greta Thunberg has to say); but why are so very very few arts > organizations, theatres, galleries, writers, musicians expressing their > solidarity with Jews who now afraid of their lives and safety, not only in > Israel, but right here in all our lovely democratic safe communities in the > West and the North. I grew up with the stern, incontrovertible maxim, > 'never again' ; and now it happens right here and right now. > > respectfully, > Johannes Birringer > > On Mon, Dec 4, 2023 at 5:24 AM Alan Sondheim via NetBehaviour < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> >> >> Gaza >> >> https://youtu.be/Yda-c_4agZA (saz) >> >> it's impossible to comprehend what is occurring in Gaza, >> impossible to think through the violence and destruction, >> through the continuous cruelty. we don't think clearly, >> perhaps not at all, impossible but occurring, absent here >> but there, but continuous, but incessant, what is to come >> everywhere our abject fear, our fear is safe _here,_ it >> is our fear to own from _this_ distance, this safety. >> we did years ago have ongoing discussions on email lists >> set up for that purpose, war, violence, testimony. now we >> have our _safe nightmares_ as cruelty spreads everywhere. >> perhaps everything falls short of weeping, of our safety >> here, perhaps not. inside we were napalm not real here >> we are irreal bombardment, accounts, disasters, bodies, >> limbs, massacres, children, infants, so many civilians, >> we have the duty here now of _thinking inconceivability_ >> to respond with art, music, writings, analyses, otherwise >> than _there,_ in different words _here_ and not _there,_ >> the safety of the aporia, the moment of the trench >> adjacent to the cusp. i contribute this long-necked saz >> piece, i am useless, we watch the war inside of us, we >> survive in the safety, for now, of our bodies, our minds >> elsewhere, no where at all, the world inconceivable, lost >> >> it'simpossibletocomprehendwhatisoccurringinGaza, >> impossibletothinkthroughtheviolenceanddestruction, >> throughthecontinuouscruelty.wedon'tthinkclearly, >> perhapsnotatall,impossiblebutoccurring,absenthere >> butthere,butcontinuous,butincessant,whatistocome >> everywhereourabjectfear,ourfearissafe_here,_it >> isourfeartoownfrom_this_distance,thissafety. >> wedidyearsagohaveongoingdiscussionsonemaillists >> setupforthatpurpose,war,violence,testimony.nowwe >> haveour_safenightmares_ascrueltyspreadseverywhere. >> perhapseverythingfallsshortofweeping,ofoursafety >> here,perhapsnot.insidewewerenapalmnotrealhere >> weareirrealbombardment,accounts,disasters,bodies, >> limbs,massacres,children,infants,somanycivilians, >> wehavethedutyherenowof_thinkinginconceivability_ >> torespondwithart,music,writings,analyses,otherwise >> than_there,_indifferentwords_here_andnot_there,_ >> thesafetyoftheaporia,themomentofthetrench >> adjacenttothecusp.icontributethislong-neckedsaz >> piece,iamuseless,wewatchthewarinsideofus,we >> surviveinthesafety,fornow,ofourbodies,ourminds >> elsewhere,nowhereatall,theworldinconceivable,lost >> */the hurry/* >> >> ___ >> >> _______________________________________________ >> NetBehaviour mailing list >> [email protected] >> https://lists.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour >> > _______________________________________________ > NetBehaviour mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour > -- *=====================================================* *directory http://www.alansondheim.org <http://www.alansondheim.org> tel 347-383-8552**email sondheim ut panix.com <http://panix.com>, sondheim ut gmail.com <http://gmail.com>* *=====================================================*
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