There is hardly ever a time when there is no war in some part of the world. Regular occurrence, however, does not make it familiar or acceptable, or reduce its horrors. Over time and with advances in technology, war has actually become more horrific. In the past, war was a distant happening, fought on battlefields far away, and victory or defeat was communicated by such means as runner-messengers. The most famous of these was the Greek, Pheidippides who ran 42 kilometres from Marathon to Athens to announce the defeat of the Persians in the battle of Marathon in 490 BC. He gave the world the popular modern marathon race, now part of the Olympics and staged by major cities across the world. In modern times, war is much closer in time and space, and destruction. Wherever it breaks out the press and their cameras, and increasingly those of ordinary citizens, are there and beam the images of death and destruction to living rooms around the world in real-time, with running commentary intended to create revulsion, cause outrage, or inflame passions. Which they always do and then trigger condemnation (some more than others do depending on the power and influence, wealth, or strategic importance of the combatants), calls for restraint, and frantic efforts to broker peace. Rarely are these calls heeded; they are actually mostly ignored, or when they are, end up in interminable talks as destruction continues. Although wars are fought in many parts of the world, there are areas where it may be said they are endemic. In Africa, our own Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa are such places. Indeed, there is an ongoing one in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo). Horrific massacres of innocent civilians and wanton destruction of their property, including the mass slaughter of their livestock, have been committed. The world does not seem to notice these horrors, or if it does, does not care much or treats them as localized skirmishes. Perhaps because the world’s cameras are not there to capture and broadcast the images of death and destruction. Not for the first time either. Similar indifference was famously on display during the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994. Countries in the region seem to be the only ones concerned, but their efforts to end it receive lukewarm or indifferent support, or are undermined from within or by individual interests of some of those involved. In the middle of Europe, in Ukraine, another war has been going on for more than one year and a half. Though started with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and largely fought on its territory, the war there has consequences beyond the two countries or even Europe. First, it is fuelled by other countries. Second, it affects world trade (supply and price of such goods as petroleum, grain, and fertilisers). Even with these wider consequences, most people outside Europe see the war in Ukraine as happening in distant Europe, between Europeans with the backing of the Americans. Of course, the rest look on with interest, but largely keep out of it The Middle East is another war-prone area. A new war has broken out there between Israel and Hamas-ruled Gaza triggered by a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 and the killing of hundreds of Israelis and taking others hostage. It really is not a new war but the resumption of old wars, the most recent of which has been going on for more than 70 years. The history of wars stretches back to biblical times. Israel retaliated in a predictable manner with a massive aerial bombardment of Gaza, its total blockade, and an order to Palestinians to evacuate from the north of Gaza. The bombing has continued without let up since then and a ground invasion has been expected. In the meantime, hostilities have extended to other Palestinian areas in the West Bank. Now, all wars are extremely divisive and stir very strong passions and some human beings’ base instincts. These seem to be at their worst in wars in the Middle East, especially between Israel and Palestinians. Perhaps because the cause for which they fight is really not very different: one the right to exist as a state, the other the right to a state. Again, most wars have effects beyond the territory where they are fought and draw outsiders into their conflict. For most, this is limited. Israeli-Palestinian wars, however, are notorious for rousing the strongest passions and most intemperate reactions outside the region and sucking in the rest of the world. Social media in this country is full of hard-line, uncompromising positions, a lot of it based on partial understanding or total ignorance of the situation, or conflating it with religion. War is a horrifying experience even for those who fight. There are horrors –death and destruction - that are the very definition of war, a war normal, if you will, the extent of which determines the degree of horror and condemnation or praise. In this sense, massacres and indiscriminate destruction can rightly be denounced as war crimes, but the same acts are also approved as legitimate self-defence or resistance. And so, there are other casualties of war beyond physical destruction. The first, it has been said often is truth. That also has become a war normal. Assault on truth is part of warfare, mostly waged in the media where lies, fabrications and disinformation are passed on as fact and a credulous public falls for it. The ongoing war in Gaza has brought to the fore another horrifying aspect of various groups and individuals on both sides cheering on the warring sides, urging them to even greater horror. It is horrifying because some of the most enthusiastic cheering comes from people with power and authority who should be urging caution and restraint, and from people far from the theatre of war but whose passions are aroused by matters other than the actual cause of the war. Both social and traditional media become vehicles of extremist views, of demonization and dehumanisation of parties to the conflict, and calls for extermination of one or the other. All of which drown out voices of moderation or appeals to reason and a sense of common decency. It is scaring how in the din of these calls, otherwise sensible human beings tip to extremism, lose their usual balance, moral compass and sense of judgement and proportion. In this situation, each side hears only its own sound - nothing from the other side. Which, of course, leads to hardening of positions and ensures there can be no ground for understanding and resolution except victory on the battlefield. It also breeds intolerance of, and even criminalises, divergent views and alternative paths to resolving the conflict. You cannot say Israel and Palestine or the suffering and destruction in the region in the same breath unless you characterise one as victim and blame the other as villain. In this scenario, another important casualty is free speech. For instance, reporters come under fire for reporting what they see. In some cases they have been known to be cut off from air when report things contrary to the official line. Other observers are pilloried for the same or expressing a contrary opinion. Ultimately, the biggest casualty of war is humanity itself, the failure individually and collectively to be each other’s keeper and good neighbour on our shared earth. It is a strong indictment coming from the land of holy teaching on good brotherly and neighbourly relations.
