What could have been (…But All Now Ends in ‘War’)
O see,/in the impossibility of it all/one hundred years from each/new holocaust/how what could have been/instead of what was,/what could have been/but now will not,/what could have taken breath/but could not/what could have been/allowing each of these dead/and silenced children/to speak
“If not now, when and if not us, pushing for this change, who?..”
(UN’s Francesca Albanese slams US sanctions as retaliation for exposing Gaza war crimes)
Child,
What could have been
but now will not
what would have taken breath
but could not
what could have been but we ourselves
both could or would not speak
seeing the size of our solitary catastrophe.
2
Could or would or even
“I do not know” (nor care)
you must still stand in line
embrace now
the curse of these lawless soldiers
their flag naked with only fear
left free to unfold
soldiers, they say,
the “willful executioners of a genocidal attack” (Francesca Albanese)
soldiers
“…haunted by what they have done”
and
“…what they have seen.” (Francesca Albanese)
Soldiers, in their strange and solitary suicide
called “war”.
3
“If not now, when, and if not us, pushing for this change, who?”
(Francesca Albanese)
4
Here, we must all come to stand and wait
at the razor-sharp edge of sinking seas
here where our once-sweet thoughts
will travel, speechless, just to drown
drown and die and disappear
in this deep dead dark;
and yet, what could have been
but you yourself would
or could not speak
to stop this savage slaughter?
And see,
a sacred stillness is
now being taken from our world.
5
“If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And being for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?” (Hillel the Elder)
6
What could have been
at the deep-dark edge of despair
i can only stand
and stare
bewildered like a child
its stifled flight still facing
their fire and futile fury
here where a world
without hunger and ‘war’
noone can no longer recall
and what could have been a self,
instead, listen, only its shadow
may whisper softly
to these few old men
left all alone
bent-broken on a stick
their silenced voices soon to be
buried beneath the stone.
7
“If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
If not like this, then how? And if not now, when?”
(Primo Levi, Song of the Polish Partisans)
8
O see,
in the impossibility of it all
one hundred years from each
new holocaust
how what could have been
instead of what was,
what could have been
but now will not,
what could have taken breath
but could not
what could have been
allowing each of these dead
and silenced children
to speak
(as we ourselves could, or would not,
unable – now – to ever speak again)
the contradictions
of our own beautiful
yet broken being
séamas carraher
30 june – 29 july, 2025
https://seamascarraher.blogspot.com/
IMAGE
A 4 years old Palestinian Girl – assassinated by Israel as a “terrorist”
CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A 4-year-old Palestinian girl, lost her life due to malnutrition and lack of treatment due to the war on Gaza – 14 August 2024
Source UNRWA: United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
Author Ashraf Amra
Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories interviewed
“ An Israeli army reservist who served in Gaza has told Sky News that IDF troops killed Palestinian civilians arbitrarily — with orders to shoot, sometimes “dependent on the mood of the commander”.
Francesca Albanese: “…the entire Israeli society is falling apart, especially the younger population, which has been … turned into the wilful executioner of a genocidal attack.”
Francesca Albanese: “And yes, now this kind of testimonies are becoming more frequent, but I’ve also been hearing from Israelis on the ground that there is an alarm within the society because most of the young people coming out of Gaza who have been fighting what Israeli leaders clearly keep on calling a war… the impact that it has had on the soldiers while the dehumanization of the Palestinians among them still continues. Many of them are haunted by what they have done, what they have seen… doesn’t make sense. This is not a war. This is an assault against civilians and
this is producing a fracture in many of them. Many of them are assisted by psychotherapists, but many of them are committing suicide…
Israeli soldier describes arbitrary killing of civilians in Gaza
“An Israeli reservist who served three tours of duty in Gaza has told Sky News in a rare on-camera interview that his unit was often ordered to shoot anyone entering areas soldiers defined as no-go zones, regardless of whether they posed a threat, a practice he says left civilians dead where they fell.
‘We have a territory that we are in, and the commands are: everyone that comes inside needs to die,’ he said. “If they’re inside, they’re dangerous you need to kill them. No matter who it is,’ he said”.
Israeli reservists speak out against war in Gaza: What have they seen? | DW News
“It…it doesn’t really matter because there is no accountability. You won’t hear about the Israeli authorities looking to do anything concerning death of Palestinians…”
Additional Reports
Death of Soldiers
Qassam footage shows “Israeli” soldiers and vehicles targeted in central Khan Younis
“New footage released by Qassam Brigades captures direct strikes on “Israeli” soldiers and military vehicles in central Khan Younis as part of the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The “Israeli” army has confirmed casualties, including a commander.”
Royal News English – July 7, 2025
&
Royal News English – July 8, 2025
Other Soldiers
Israeli reservists speak out against war in Gaza: What have they seen? | DW News
“An Israeli army reservist has told DW News that the goal of Israel’s war against Hamas is to “conquer Gaza for the political survival of the government.” He is among a number of reservists now refusing to serve who are speaking out about the conflict. “
References (Text)
“If not now, when and if not us pushing for this change, who?”
Exposing a global economy of genocide working with Israel | Francesca Albanese | The Big Picture
Middle East Eye – July 10, 2025
Member states… “Like the US, Israel, and others who have been plotting to transform this genocide into a lucrative endeavor is that they need to pay reparation. Capitalism and markets that know no rules that are able to sustain themselves and keep citizens embroiled into criminal activities even when the crime… the crimes… are ostentatious in the name of profits hidden by…the claim of neutrality. Now Palestine is the next defining moment that needs to lead to accountability.
If not now, when and if not us pushing for this change, who?”
UN’s Francesca Albanese slams US sanctions as retaliation for exposing Gaza war crimes
“We stand at a historic reckoning,” she declared, her voice sharpening. “Either the world awakens to stop this disgrace, or we surrender to the mafia logic of power.”
With Gaza’s death toll rising as she spoke, Albanese’s defiance echoed her earlier warning: “The genocide continues while we talk.”
Rabbi Hillel
“…called Hillel the Elder or Hillel the Babylonian… died c. 10 CE… was a Jewish religious leader, sage and scholar associated with the development of the Mishnah and the Talmud and the founder of the House of Hillel school of tannaim. He was active during the end of the first century BCE and the beginning of the first century CE.
He is popularly known as the author of…
“If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And being for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?”
“If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
If not like this, then how? And if not now, when?”
Song of the Polish partisans
Primo Levi, ‘If Not Now, When?’
“to embrace the curse of soldiers
soldiers”
“…probably this is the first time that the Israelis are…I mean the Israeli soldiers are awakening to this and they don’t make sense to this because their attachment to being part of the IDF which is embedded in their national ideology is too strong. They cannot, they cannot be traitor to that… ideal and this is why they are psychologically broken.”
Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories
“one hundred years from each
new holocaust”
Before the Holocaust: Germany’s genocide in Namibia | People & Power Documentary
‘Unimaginable horrors’: more than 50,000 children reportedly killed or injured in the Gaza Strip
“In total, more than 50,000 children have reportedly been killed or injured since October 2023. How many more dead girls and boys will it take? What level of horror must be livestreamed before the international community fully steps up, uses its influence, and takes bold, decisive action to force the end of this ruthless killing of children?..” Edouard Beigbeder (UNICEF) Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa)
Related Articles
Rwanda: Allow Independent Autopsy of Opposition Politician
Foreign Experts Should Investigate Circumstances of Murder (New York) – The government of Rwanda should allow independent foreign experts to
Bosnia and Herzegovina must reject Burqa ban
The new law would would violate women’s rights to freedom of expression and religion © APGraphicsBank Amnesty International has urged
Germany: Accepting Guantanamo Detainees a Positive Step
Resettling Those No Longer Considered a Threat Helps Advance Effort to Close the Prison (Berlin) – The German government’s decision
