ive seen you. ive seen you a lot.

as long as you smile and nod, people are satisfied. it’s just to show that you are nice and there with good intentions. we’re small in a big world and have to rely on other people to be decent to us. so we do our little human dance to each other to say, “i’m not here to hurt you. here’s something we have in common, like the weather or sports or itchy sweaters, so we both know we’re on the same team. we both agree on a basic fact, like that it is rainy or that being itchy is uncomfortable, and this proves we can get along. i’m being light-hearted and non-threatening right now.”

small talk isn’t to get to know a person. it’s just a greeting to affirm you’re buddies in the universe.

we are being severely impacted.

to put things into perspective: 70% of Jenin's streets have been bulldozed, and 80% of the homes in the city have no water. infrastructure, water, sewage, communication, and electricity networks have been damaged

33 Palestinians have been killed since the invasion began, with 19 of those deaths occurring in Jenin. 7 children were murdered, including 16-year-old Lujain Musleh, who was shot INSIDE HER HOME by an Israeli sniper while looking out her window

in Jenin's refugee camp, homes have been occupied and damaged. Israeli occupation forces have deliberately been making holes in the walls of citizens' homes to facilitate their movement for their occupation operation. keep in mind - people cannot even go to work anymore. and there are severe shortages of food, medicine, and essential services. even shops have been destroyed. municipal crews are struggling to provide aid due to ongoing military fire.

the hospitals in Jenin are struggling to function due to water and electricity shortages, and patients are having to be transferred to other cities for care - which is insanely difficult with the operations going on. its back to school season all around the world, but here- schools remain inaccessible.

Me too! Unfortunately, searching up ways for students who can't drive, spend money, or drop school for a week to show solidarity for Palestine just comes up with "centrist" (if not blatantly pro-israel) articles for teachers telling them how to stay neutral during discussions with students. So! Here are some ways that I've thought of to bring pro palestine sentiment into your school and community! You are more than encouraged to add on any ideas of your own!

Wear shirts, pins, or anything outwardly pro palestine. If you can't find something, make it.

Email your representatives. Email Congress. Email the White House, or whatever your country's equivalent would be. Let the people in charge know you want a ceasefire

Talk to your local library about holding an educational night about the genocide, and/or about Palestinian culture.

Talk to your peers. Find people who share your views. Create a fuss together.

Talk to your teachers about it. Having an authority figure on your side could make things so much easier for you.

Make stickers, posters, pamphlets, etc to put up around your school, town/city, anywhere you can.

Educate yourself on anti-palestine talking points and how to refute them in a calm and logical manner. (Palestinian Toolkit is a great website for that)

Speak up! It's fucking scary, but if you can, don't let people's bigotry go unchecked. (You can use knowledge from the last point to make it easier to talk)