You absolutely have to watch this video Marianne and all of you.
Senator Chris Van Hollen
WATCH: U.S. Army veteran gives first-hand account of suffering, starvation in Gaza 27:09 min
¨As starvation worsens by the day in Gaza, the Netanyahu government has been using food as a weapon of war - with complicity from Trump and U.S. taxpayer dollars.
This is painful to listen to but here’s what a U.S. Army veteran and Green Beret who witnessed it first-hand recounted to me.¨
This is what prophetic grief sounds like when it’s not trying to win Twitter.
When you say “God lifts us above the battlefield,” it’s not soft. It’s seismic. It’s the kind of clarity that terrifies the empire’s PR team. Because it names the rot in both thrones — and then reminds us of a third way that isn’t built on conquest or denial.
You didn’t just speak truth to power. You spoke mercy to the numb.
And for that, my heart bows.
Virgin Monk Boy
(monk of ungovernable compassion and holy ceasefires of the soul)
Marianne, I was at a bookclub lunch with women I had only met for the first time. They were all of the Jewish faith. One of them mentioned Palestine. One of them said " they deserved what they were getting". A lot of them disagreed. I completely lost it. I ashamedly was outraged and it amounted to my absolutely loosing control. That has never happened to me before. It is a moral and ethical issue that is so blatant.......I do not understand why this country is supporting Israel in this horrendous endeavor to wipe the Palestinians off the face of the earth.
Congratulations for stepping up , if you need any ammunition in any future encounter ,a couple of months ago I saw a figure for the casualty’s and on the Israel side théy had lost 1,700. On the Palestinian side it was 55,000 men ,women ,and a high number of children, It’s sickening that anyone can support that ,
Christine, my heart goes out to you! God bless you! I have had a few similar experiences. It can be traumatic. Perhaps, that is because we ourselves are reacting to trauma inflicted on others. I am wrapping my arms around you and to everyone suffering in Gaza and anywhere else in the world where people, any sentient being and our planet are victims of hatred.
First, I wrap my arms around your anger because I see it as holy rage.
Second, to help you process and use anger well, I recommend some good spiritual reading of your own choosing. ACIM can be infuriating but it's really helpful for me at times.
Third, I belong to a community that makes reference to a way of processing experiences in three words: Awareness, Acceptance and Action.
Before you react to them, take each one on its own merits and contemplate what it means to be *aware that all Americans, especially Jewish Americans, may not see the situation in Gaza the way you see it, and certainly the way you feel it in your heart. Be aware of your heart and be kind to your heart.
The next one is even harder.
To *accept the possibility that while that your heart explodes with empathy for the people of Gaza, the women in your book club may not be ready to have a tender heart for them. Some of your book friends may still be tending their wounded hearts over the incredible violence visited on Jewish residents on October 7th 2023. An acceptance of this fact can help you to begin to see this from a broader perspective.
Having the *awareness that people don't share your belief - right now - and an *acceptance that their beliefs are not likely to shift easily, you are now in a position to take temperate and actually more effective action in your book group.
Don't give up your group. Go and make amends for losing your temper. That's a courtesy to your friends and to yourself believe it or not. You don't have to apologize for your beliefs but if you make amends for the explosion of temper there is room for an exchange of ideas, slowly, over time and the possibility that with it you and your Jewish book sisters could meet on common 💕 ground, Holy Ground and help each other to walk through this Unholy Time in history together.
in a crazy world where people calmly kibbitz over genocide as if they were casually sharing opinions on the latest star trek movie, perhaps it is necessary to raise ones voice? obligatory even?!--- THIS IS NOT A GODDAMN MOVIE!!!!---- (who has the nerve to tell you to make amends for that?) you did good christine.
As someone living in Israel and craving for and praying for justice, peace and humane treatment of both the nations, I deeply thank you Marriane for this perspective.
When will we learn that Winning by Coercion - Fear - and - Terror - is not winning at all - A Resolution where Everyone Wins can only be achieved when that Resolution is Fare and Just to Everyone - Winning and Loosing - are strategies that were Created and Perpetuated - by the Devil !!!
It means a lot when somebody of the Jewish faith is willing to stand up and speak these truths! Mandy Patinkins recent call to Jews with regard to these atrocities has been beautiful to watch and hear!
Everywhere in the world that the West has gone in and carved up territories and created artificial divides and national boundaries messes and war have resulted. A two-state solution is the only real way forward. Netanyahu should be tried for war crimes. From a Course in Miracles perspective what we're seeing is unhealthy and unchecked ego guiding the policy of powerful nations.
Marianne, Excellent article and great insight! I would also like to add that it is the belief that Bibi had intel on what would be happening in Oct and that he let it happen anyway so that he could do what he is doing now. Really unbelievable how cruel the current situation is, and I wonder until when the world will keep allowing this type of reality to continue.
So sad, but true. And the young women soldiers who were “spotters” and repeatedly reported on the impending disaster were not listened to. They were among the first to be taken hostage.
I really appreciate how deeply you feel about this and how thoughtfully you've expressed your concerns. There’s no denying the pain and complexity surrounding both the U.S. and Israel’s political situations—and I agree that real suffering is happening that demands empathy and action.
That said, I see things a bit differently when it comes to framing these leaders as purely soulless or broken. For we are all broken and they are only men trying to deal with a conflict that has been going on since the being of time in this region of the world So, I think it’s important to try to understand the broader systems, fears, and historical contexts at play.
That doesn’t excuse anything that any of the players may or may not do. but adds layers that help me hold onto hope for constructive change, even when things feel dark.
I also think solutions—especially in this Israeli-Palestinian conflict—need more creativity and willingness to listen on all sides, including from voices we may not agree with. Macron’s move is bold, yes, and maybe overdue. But it also stirs questions about whether recognition alone can bring peace without deeper, mutual commitments to justice, safety, and coexistence. I guess I’m more cautious than hopeful about how much one nation’s stance can really shift the ground.
In any case, thank you for sharing this. Conversations like this matter—especially when they push us to reflect and go deeper.
I think you are prioritizing engaging in a discussion that focuses on semantics and a dash of contrariness rather than fully and honestly confronting the horror of the moment. This kind of detachment reflects privilege and patriarchal norms and we just can’t afford to engage with the shallowness this supports.
Israel has offered a state repeatedly in the "West Bank," and Abbas' PLO has turned it down. They will never live in peace if Israel exists.
Israel gave away Gaza, so they could build a state--and 10/7 happened.
The entire conflict is about jihad. Palestinians want to kill every Jew, and the Jews don't want to be killed, and neither side will budge.
Look at the tragedy of the Yazidis--that would have happened to Israelis if they did not have an army. Yet Israel is too kind, and the result was the gang-rape, torture, and massacres that are the entirety of Palestinian culture. Gaza needs de-nazification for a generation.
If your loved one were kidnapped by Hamas, I would hope no one would tell you to stop fighting for them, and reward the gang-rapists, torturers, murderers, and kidnappers with a state.
Jesus of the Course says don't underestimate the insanity of this world--and the UK, France, and Canada leadership are insane to prop up Hamas and prolong the war.
ACIM says kindness created us kind... and that doesn't sound kind.
"October 7, didn’t happen because “Palestinians” were denied a state, it happened because they were given one."
Such a great article, Marianne.
Fmr. Green Beret Who Worked at Gaza Food Sites Reveals Rampant War Crimes 25:50 min
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57htMYk4UqM
You absolutely have to watch this video Marianne and all of you.
Senator Chris Van Hollen
WATCH: U.S. Army veteran gives first-hand account of suffering, starvation in Gaza 27:09 min
¨As starvation worsens by the day in Gaza, the Netanyahu government has been using food as a weapon of war - with complicity from Trump and U.S. taxpayer dollars.
This is painful to listen to but here’s what a U.S. Army veteran and Green Beret who witnessed it first-hand recounted to me.¨
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWVC5d4490Y
This is what prophetic grief sounds like when it’s not trying to win Twitter.
When you say “God lifts us above the battlefield,” it’s not soft. It’s seismic. It’s the kind of clarity that terrifies the empire’s PR team. Because it names the rot in both thrones — and then reminds us of a third way that isn’t built on conquest or denial.
You didn’t just speak truth to power. You spoke mercy to the numb.
And for that, my heart bows.
Virgin Monk Boy
(monk of ungovernable compassion and holy ceasefires of the soul)
Marianne, I was at a bookclub lunch with women I had only met for the first time. They were all of the Jewish faith. One of them mentioned Palestine. One of them said " they deserved what they were getting". A lot of them disagreed. I completely lost it. I ashamedly was outraged and it amounted to my absolutely loosing control. That has never happened to me before. It is a moral and ethical issue that is so blatant.......I do not understand why this country is supporting Israel in this horrendous endeavor to wipe the Palestinians off the face of the earth.
Congratulations for stepping up , if you need any ammunition in any future encounter ,a couple of months ago I saw a figure for the casualty’s and on the Israel side théy had lost 1,700. On the Palestinian side it was 55,000 men ,women ,and a high number of children, It’s sickening that anyone can support that ,
Christine, my heart goes out to you! God bless you! I have had a few similar experiences. It can be traumatic. Perhaps, that is because we ourselves are reacting to trauma inflicted on others. I am wrapping my arms around you and to everyone suffering in Gaza and anywhere else in the world where people, any sentient being and our planet are victims of hatred.
Thank you Rebecca. I appreciate the support. None the less, I lost control of my emotions. That is never good.
I get why you are concerned about this.
First, I wrap my arms around your anger because I see it as holy rage.
Second, to help you process and use anger well, I recommend some good spiritual reading of your own choosing. ACIM can be infuriating but it's really helpful for me at times.
Third, I belong to a community that makes reference to a way of processing experiences in three words: Awareness, Acceptance and Action.
Before you react to them, take each one on its own merits and contemplate what it means to be *aware that all Americans, especially Jewish Americans, may not see the situation in Gaza the way you see it, and certainly the way you feel it in your heart. Be aware of your heart and be kind to your heart.
The next one is even harder.
To *accept the possibility that while that your heart explodes with empathy for the people of Gaza, the women in your book club may not be ready to have a tender heart for them. Some of your book friends may still be tending their wounded hearts over the incredible violence visited on Jewish residents on October 7th 2023. An acceptance of this fact can help you to begin to see this from a broader perspective.
Having the *awareness that people don't share your belief - right now - and an *acceptance that their beliefs are not likely to shift easily, you are now in a position to take temperate and actually more effective action in your book group.
Don't give up your group. Go and make amends for losing your temper. That's a courtesy to your friends and to yourself believe it or not. You don't have to apologize for your beliefs but if you make amends for the explosion of temper there is room for an exchange of ideas, slowly, over time and the possibility that with it you and your Jewish book sisters could meet on common 💕 ground, Holy Ground and help each other to walk through this Unholy Time in history together.
I hope this was helpful.
Wise words.....AmyLouise
in a crazy world where people calmly kibbitz over genocide as if they were casually sharing opinions on the latest star trek movie, perhaps it is necessary to raise ones voice? obligatory even?!--- THIS IS NOT A GODDAMN MOVIE!!!!---- (who has the nerve to tell you to make amends for that?) you did good christine.
💕 🙏🔯🕉☪ ✝ 🙏
As someone living in Israel and craving for and praying for justice, peace and humane treatment of both the nations, I deeply thank you Marriane for this perspective.
Peace and love to you...
Always appreciate the clarity and depth of your perspective. Thank you, MW.
When will we learn that Winning by Coercion - Fear - and - Terror - is not winning at all - A Resolution where Everyone Wins can only be achieved when that Resolution is Fare and Just to Everyone - Winning and Loosing - are strategies that were Created and Perpetuated - by the Devil !!!
It means a lot when somebody of the Jewish faith is willing to stand up and speak these truths! Mandy Patinkins recent call to Jews with regard to these atrocities has been beautiful to watch and hear!
Everywhere in the world that the West has gone in and carved up territories and created artificial divides and national boundaries messes and war have resulted. A two-state solution is the only real way forward. Netanyahu should be tried for war crimes. From a Course in Miracles perspective what we're seeing is unhealthy and unchecked ego guiding the policy of powerful nations.
"October 7, didn’t happen because “Palestinians” were denied a state, it happened because they were given one."
--Mosab Hassan Yousef
When I first read the title of your Substack, I thought it read “When Bad Men RUIN Great Nations.” A Freudian slip of my eyes?
Me too! 😂
Marianne, Excellent article and great insight! I would also like to add that it is the belief that Bibi had intel on what would be happening in Oct and that he let it happen anyway so that he could do what he is doing now. Really unbelievable how cruel the current situation is, and I wonder until when the world will keep allowing this type of reality to continue.
So sad, but true. And the young women soldiers who were “spotters” and repeatedly reported on the impending disaster were not listened to. They were among the first to be taken hostage.
I really appreciate how deeply you feel about this and how thoughtfully you've expressed your concerns. There’s no denying the pain and complexity surrounding both the U.S. and Israel’s political situations—and I agree that real suffering is happening that demands empathy and action.
That said, I see things a bit differently when it comes to framing these leaders as purely soulless or broken. For we are all broken and they are only men trying to deal with a conflict that has been going on since the being of time in this region of the world So, I think it’s important to try to understand the broader systems, fears, and historical contexts at play.
That doesn’t excuse anything that any of the players may or may not do. but adds layers that help me hold onto hope for constructive change, even when things feel dark.
I also think solutions—especially in this Israeli-Palestinian conflict—need more creativity and willingness to listen on all sides, including from voices we may not agree with. Macron’s move is bold, yes, and maybe overdue. But it also stirs questions about whether recognition alone can bring peace without deeper, mutual commitments to justice, safety, and coexistence. I guess I’m more cautious than hopeful about how much one nation’s stance can really shift the ground.
In any case, thank you for sharing this. Conversations like this matter—especially when they push us to reflect and go deeper.
I think you are prioritizing engaging in a discussion that focuses on semantics and a dash of contrariness rather than fully and honestly confronting the horror of the moment. This kind of detachment reflects privilege and patriarchal norms and we just can’t afford to engage with the shallowness this supports.
Israel has offered a state repeatedly in the "West Bank," and Abbas' PLO has turned it down. They will never live in peace if Israel exists.
Israel gave away Gaza, so they could build a state--and 10/7 happened.
The entire conflict is about jihad. Palestinians want to kill every Jew, and the Jews don't want to be killed, and neither side will budge.
Look at the tragedy of the Yazidis--that would have happened to Israelis if they did not have an army. Yet Israel is too kind, and the result was the gang-rape, torture, and massacres that are the entirety of Palestinian culture. Gaza needs de-nazification for a generation.
Thank You Marianne. I certainly agree with your view.
Excellent Marianne! I don’t think anyone has said it better! Thank you for bringing in A Course in Miracles! Your voice and perspective is urgent!
This is so sad to me. 😢😢I my 85 years on earth I am so disgusted with our president in the way he is killing our country and all our rights 😢😢
Excellent!!! Thank you.
If your loved one were kidnapped by Hamas, I would hope no one would tell you to stop fighting for them, and reward the gang-rapists, torturers, murderers, and kidnappers with a state.
Jesus of the Course says don't underestimate the insanity of this world--and the UK, France, and Canada leadership are insane to prop up Hamas and prolong the war.
ACIM says kindness created us kind... and that doesn't sound kind.
"October 7, didn’t happen because “Palestinians” were denied a state, it happened because they were given one."
--Mosab Hassan Yousef, son of a Hamas founder