I just finished my first read of Sunrise on the Reaping which cascaded I to a re-read of Hunger Games. I don't know Suzanne Collins' views on the Genocide in Gaza but especially in the third book, Mockingjay, I couldn't help but be horrified by the similarities.
The bombing of the District 8 hospital:
"I want to tell the rebels that I am alive. That I'm right here in District Eight, where the Capitol has just bombed a hospital full of unarmed men, women, and children. There will be no survivors. I want to tell people that if you think for second that the Capitol will treat us fairly if there's a cease-fire, you're deluding yourself. Because you know who they are and what they do. This is what they do! And we must fight back! President Snow says he's sending us a message? Well, I have one for him. You can torture us and bomb us and burn our districts to the ground, but do you see that? Fire is catching! And if we burn, you burn with us!"
All 36 hospitals in Gaza have been bombed MULTIPLE times. If you were horrified reading the books (with good reason), be horrified again.
“The Diocese of Jerusalem is appalled at the bombing of the hospital now for the fifth time since the beginning of the war in 2023..."
The use of propaganda within Panem is very interesting. How the two sides portray Katniss, and how different it is to who she really is. In this genocide there is still so much media coverage supportive of Israel, and there is media coverage that is critical. I worry that the reality is somehow worse.
The complete destruction of District 12. Gaza has been flattened. Over 80% of the infrastructure and houses gone.
The barriers put up around this districts to freedom and to feed themselves. There are fences and guards and it's a crime to hunt. In Gaza, fishermen and fisherwomen are shot at. The farms and orchards have been destroyed. There has been a siege of Gaza since this genocide started and before that, a BLOCKADE by Israel. People in Gaza are not permitted to feed themselves.
Tesserae is taken by the poor and desperate in Hunger Games and consists of Oil and Flour mainly. These sounds like aid staples. So many people in Gaza prior to the genocide were reliant on aid (Tesserae) and for the last 4 months this has been removed.
The Jabberjays in Book 2, screaming with Prim's voice causing Katniss to go running to save her. The Israeli drones that play the sounds of babies crying and then shoot at people as they try to help.
Based on this body of work, and the one interview I've read I would be shocked if Suzanne Collins didn't support Palestine.
Anyway, free Palestine.
