Gaza Children's Trauma: A Feature, Not a Bug, of Policy
The story details that over 80 percent of Gaza's youth exhibit trauma symptoms, suggesting an 'acute' problem. What goes unsaid by many major US outlets, however, is that this wasn't an unforeseen consequence, but rather the cumulative result of policies repeatedly supported by US taxpayer dollars and diplomatic cover. Since 2008, Israel has launched major military operations against Gaza in
2008-09, 2012, 2014, 2021, and the current, devastating campaign, each time drawing minimal meaningful condemnation from Washington. These aren't isolated incidents of 'trauma'; they are sustained, predictable outcomes of a deliberate strategy. One might wonder at what point 'acute trauma' becomes chronic, systemic psychological warfare, enabled by the very nations that then express 'concern.' The
US approved an additional 130,000 rounds of tank ammunition to Israel in December 2023 without congressional review, as reported by the New York Times. How many 'cycles of violence' are needed before we admit the cycle is a policy choice, and the trauma a direct feature of that choice?