Just saying.

And now the question. The question is: What if?

I know that’s a broad question, so I will narrow it down a bit and put it in context.

The International Court of Justice issued preliminary orders regarding the claim that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. The preliminary orders including requiring Israel to avoid committing genocide, which includes issuing threats against Palestinians in Gaza. Virtually immediately after the preliminary orders were issued, there was a conference in Israel on the future (or the “resettlement”) of Gaza, organized by right wing Israelis, and attended by fifteen members of the Knesset and eleven cabinet members in the Netanyahu government, at which the main issue was the future of Gaza without Palestinians and with new and increased Jewish settlement. In other words, exactly what the ICJ told the Israeli government not to do. Clearly, outrageous.

But here is my question: What if those who organized and spoke at this conference are correct? What if Hamas cannot be eliminated as long as there are Palestinians in Gaza? What if Israel cannot be secure as long as there are Palestinians in Gaza who have political autonomy, or weaponry (or the ability to create weaponry)? That thought may be well outside the box, but….what if it is true?

You might wonder what this question has to do with Gauguin. Did Gauguin ever even travel to Gaza? Not as far as I know. He was one of those Europeans who thought that Tahiti might be a better choice.