Why is there a War Between (Palestinians) Hamas and Israel?

 

It is horrific that Hamas has killed or captured innocent Israelis!  The same thing happened during the Olympic Games in Munich in 1972 on a much smaller scale.  But the Israelis are no better:  Letting Palestinians die of thirst and starvation, bombing hospitals, etc.  Israelis violate human rights just as much as Hamas does.   The Israeli army has also repeatedly hit schools and UN-run facilities.  Its war on Gaza has killed more than 20,000 Palestinians so far, including more than 8,000 children!

Gaza has 2.2 million people - half of them under the age of 18 living in 365 square kilometers and it has been an open-air prison for nearly two decades.

In just 50 days, Israel killed in Gaza over 20,000 civilians + 7,000 unaccounted, 8,176 children + 4,700 children unaccounted, 4,112 women, 201 medical staff, 22 civil defense personnel, 67 journalists, 104 UN aid workers, in addition to over 36,000 injured, 75% of them children and women, and displaced 1.73 million people.

70% of residential units were bombed, over 60,000 housing units were completely destroyed, and over 225,000 housing units were partially destroyed.

25 were hospitals, 52 health centers were out of service, and 55 ambulances were targeted.  262 schools were destroyed. 17 United Nations schools which people used as shelters were bombed.  249 mosques and 3 churches were bombed.

Israel broke SIXTY TWO United Nations Resolutions…

Well, it is true that Hamas (NOT the civilians in Gaza), started the war.  But their gruels are not comparable to what Israel does now.  Read more about the background:

Palestinian civilians are not Hamas!  And Hamas does not represent every Palestinian!

I was in Israel many years ago, after the 6-day war, also in Palestinian territory, and observed that both folks like to quarrel and to fight.  And there are reasons for this - here is the historical background:

https://www.pcrf.net/information-you-should-know/what-was-palestine-before-1948.html

https://www.palestinianhistorytapestry.org/history-references-for-embroidery-panels

https://www.vox.com/world-politics/23921529/israel-palestine-timeline-gaza-hamas-war-conflict

With their aggressive settlement policy, the Israelis have undermined many Palestinian rights for decades.  The UN Security Council has long criticized the illegal Israeli settlement construction in the Palestinian territories under the leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu.  

The UN opposes the confiscation of land and the destruction of Palestinian homes as well as the displacement of Palestinian civilians.  Israel has done the same for many years as Russia did with the Krim and Ukraine.  Israel does not have any right to steal land from the Palestinians.

Instead of suppressing the Palestinians by Israelis, there should be an independent Palestinian state that coexists peacefully with Israel.  But Israel's right-wing religious government seems to have other priorities...  This strategy is not one that ever produces peace or that is designed to lead to a solution.  It accepts a low level of Israeli deaths from rocket fire, and occasionally dozens or hundreds of Palestinian deaths from air strikes, as the status quo.

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Newsletter November 2023 - Tips for Successful Publishing

 

CONTENT of this Newsletter:

- WRITING CONTESTS

- FREELANCE WRITING

- RESIDENCIES 

- LOTS of FELLOWSHIPS

Find the most lucrative fellowships in this November Newsletter.

NaNoWriMo: Are you already working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel from scratch until November 30? NaNoWriMo helps you track your progress, set milestones, connect with other writers in a vast community, and participate in events that are designed to make sure you finish your novel.  Oh, and best of all, it’s free! 

- WRITING CONTESTS

Brooklyn Non-Fiction Prize 

This $500 prize is sponsored by the Brooklyn Film & Arts Festival. Genre: Non-fiction essay between 4 to 10 pages, set in Brooklyn about Brooklyn and/or Brooklyn people/characters. (Up to 2500 words). Deadline: Nov 15

https://www.filmbrooklyn.org/

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Treehouse Climate Action Poem Prize

Open to US poets for previously unpublished poems of any length that "help make real for readers the gravity of the vulnerable state of our environment at present." Genre: Poetry.  Prize: Up to $1,000.  Deadline: Nov 15

https://poets.org/academy-american-poets/prizes/treehouse-climate-action-poem-prize

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Somerset Maugham Awards 

Open to UK writers under the age of 35. Genre: Published work of fiction, non-fiction, or poetry. Prize: 2,500 British pounds apiece to four winners. Prize money must be used for travel. Deadline: Nov 30

https://www2.societyofauthors.org/prizes/the-soa-awards/somerset-maugham-awards/

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Lilith magazine—independent

Jewish & frankly feminist—seeks quality short stories with heart, soul, and chutzpah, 3,000 words or under, for our Annual Fiction Contest. First prize: $300 and publication. We especially like fresh fiction with feminist and Jewish nuance and are eager to read submissions from writers of color and emerging writers of any age. No entry fee. Deadline Dec 31

https://lilith.org/contact/writing-for-lilith/

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The Calibre Essay Prize 

Open to all essayists writing in English. Essays of between 2,000 and 5,000 words on any subject: personal or political, literary or speculative, traditional or experimental. The winner will receive $5,000 AU. The second prize is worth $3,000 AU, and the third prize is $2,000 AU. All three winning essays will appear in the Australian Book Review in 2024 (print and online). Open internationally. Only English.  $20-$30 Entry fee. Deadline Jan 22, 2024. 

https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/prizes-programs/calibre-prize/2024

- FREELANCE WRITING

The Guardian

Pitch Danielle Renwick, Editor at danielle.renwick@theguardian.com. Seeking stories on climate/environmental justice and on efforts to hold the fossil fuel industry accountable for the climate crisis. Pays $1/word.

https://www.theguardian.com/us

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Chicken Soup: Holiday Book Topics

Please submit your true stories and poems about the entire December holiday season, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year's festivities too. Pays $250 and ten copies for 1,200 words in first person. Deadline April 30, 2024

http://www.chickensoup.com

- GRANTS & WRITERS RESIDENCIES

Between the Vines Residencies

Writing Between the Vines provides self-guided writing retreats for individuals. No workshop or writing guidance is offered. There is no housing fee. Retreat stays are provided free of charge. All costs for meals, transportation and other personal needs are the responsibility of the retreat recipient. Location Sonoma County, California. Deadline Nov 14

https://www.writingbetweenthevines.org/

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The Gulliver Travel Grant 

The Gulliver Travel Grant is awarded annually to assist writers of speculative literature in their non-academic research. These funds are used to cover airfare, lodging, and other travel expenses. Travel may be domestic or international. You may apply for travel to take place at any point in the following year. Grant: $1000. Deadline: Nov 30

https://speculativeliterature.org/grants-3/the-gulliver-travel-grant/

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Read also about the coolest Writer's Residencies here:

https://electricliterature.com/the-11-coolest-writers-residencies/

- LOTS of FELLOWSHIPS:

Emerging writers to academics can receive from $15,000 to $90,000 - and many of these fellowships are offered on a yearly basis. If you don’t make it this year, mark your calendar for the 2024 deadlines.

                 The Stegner Fellowship at Stanford University

Application deadline: November 1, 2023

Eligibility: Emerging writers in fiction and poetry

Payment: $50,000 per academic year (two-year program) plus tuition and benefits

Patrick Henry Writing Fellowship

Application deadline: November 15, 2023

Eligibility: Writers working on a broad range of topics related to American history and culture 

Payment: $45,000 stipend for nine-month residency in Chestertown, MD

Nieman Fellowships 

Application deadline: International applications due December 1; U.S. applications due Jan 31 

Eligibility: Working journalists with five or more years of full-time media experience

Payment: $80,000 stipend paid over a nine-month period 

The Steinbeck Fellows Program

Application deadline: January 5, 2024

Eligibility: Exceptional talent in the areas of creative writing, creative non-fiction, or biography

Payment: $15,000 stipend 

O’Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism

Application deadline: January 19, 2024

Eligibility: American journalists with at least five years of professional experience 

Payment: $75,000 stipend plus moving, research, and travel allowances

MacDowell Colony Fellowships

Application Deadline: February 10, 2024 (fall/winter); September 10, 2024 (spring/summer)

Eligibility: Artists and writers at various career stages

Payment: Residencies include room, board, and studio space

Scripps Fellowship 

Application deadline: March 1 annually

Eligibility: American journalists with five or more years of experience working in any medium.                    Payment: $71,000

James Jones First Novel Fellowship 

Application deadline: March 15, 2024

Eligibility: American author who has not yet published a novel

Payment: $10,000

The Ben Bagdikian Fellowship Program

Application deadline: Spring 2024

Eligibility: US citizens able to commit to a year of  full-time work in investigative journalism

Payment: $22.68 per hour plus benefits

The Hodder Fellowship

Application deadline: September 2024

Eligibility: Promising writers and artists 

Payment: Academic year at Princeton; $90,000 stipend 

Thanksgiving is in three weeks and Christmas is in seven weeks! 

Countdown to introduce your books to reader communities, at libraries, schools, or retirement home readings. Use Draft2Digital to get into the library market for free. Organize some giveaways, and, and, and… maybe write a rough draft of your next novel.

November is a busy month for writers : )