This year, 2026, is opening with some very concerning news regarding Israel/Palestine. As spiritual people, we are called to keep our eyes open, be informed, and devise all possible actions to alleviate the suffering of the population of Gaza and the West Bank, even though we are exhausted to hear about it.
The parliament of Israel, after years of brazen and unproven accusations, has decided to expel from the occupied territories 37 humanitarian organizations, effectively stopping their relief work. In the list, we find Caritas International, the American Friends Service Committee, Doctors Without Borders, and most notably UNWRA, the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees. The latter has already mourned the death of 400 of its personnel in two years, during the slaughter in Gaza. This expulsion will precipitate the humanitarian crisis, with thousands of people exposed to illnesses and epidemics due to open sewages, lack of sanitation, and lack of clean water and food.
The government of Israel has unilaterally recognized the independence of “Somaliland,” which consists of a portion of the territory of Somalia that has proclaimed its independence many years ago, but had received no international recognition until now. There are speculations that the unprecedented move by Israel is meant as a preparation for a future mass deportation of Palestinians in such a region. Trump’s verbal attacks on Somali people must be seen in this context, i.e., as a way to signal his distancing from the legitimate government of Somalia and as a preparation for the U.S. recognition of Somaliland, much supported by Ted Cruz and others.
The Italian movement of resistance against the genocide, one of the strongest in Europe, is receiving a huge blow from a judicial inquiry accusing Mohammad Hannoun, a Palestinian man at the helm of several charitable organizations, of being an accomplice of Hamas. Right-wing politicians are exploiting the situation mightily: they have asked their left-wing opponents and all the movement of solidarity with the Palestinians to make public amends and, basically, to shut up. But the information leading to the judicial case comes almost entirely from the IDF (the Israeli Army). Even though the case has just begun, there is a strong push to convince the public opinion that any money given to mosques, schools, hospitals, widows, and orphans in Gaza must be construed as a direct help to Hamas. (I have treated before this cruel way of thinking in my Oct. 29 DM).
These events must be seen as interrelated. They are concerning. They are alarming. They require us to keep our level of attention high on the situation in Palestine.
Let us not miss any chance to unite our voices with those fighting for peace and for sanity in this troubled world. The way in which the future of the Palestinians will be determined in 2026 regards not just them, but the conscience of humanity and the future of us all.
Although the plans of war criminal Netanyahu and his minions seem to go along, the stakes now are very high, with the International Court of Justice, the United Nations, and a majority of countries — at this point — opposing the triumph of illegality and sheer power over the desire of humanity for peace and justice. Let us keep praying and acting accordingly.
Banner Image: “Free Palestine” demonstration in Columbus Circle, November 27, 2025. Photo by Pamela Drew on Flickr.
Queries for Contemplation
How do you receive and verify your information on Israel/Palestine? What is your way of dealing with them, as a spiritual person?
Related Readings by Matthew Fox
Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and Society
Trump & The MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ
Creation Spirituality: Liberating Gifts for the Peoples of the Earth
The Tao of Thomas Aquinas: Fierce Wisdom for Hard Times
Prayer: A Radical Response to Life
A Spirituality Named Compassion: Uniting Mystical Awareness with Social Justice
3 thoughts on “Concerning News”
Thank you GG for keeping us informed of the continued immoral genocide and political injustices of Netanyahu’s authoritarian regime against the Palestinian people, their lands, and culture. The United Nations, International Courts of Justice, European nations, and international humanitarian aid organizations and media need to continue condemning and acting to oppose the Israeli government’s human atrocities against our Palestinian sisters and brothers. I wish the UN would vote to send an international Peace Force to Palestine to Stop the human atrocities and begin increasing humanitarian aid and political justice. It’s also shameful and equally unjust that our authoritarian regime of Trump continues to complicitly arm and politically support Israeli’s genocidal and destructive regime. May God’s Spirit of Love~Wisdom~Truth~Peace~Justice~Healing~Transformation~Freedom~Creativity~
Compassion… continue guiding and strengthening all Lightworkers and humanitarian/world leaders… for the survival of All Humanity and Life on Our Sacred Mother Earth….
Amen
Thanks for your reflection GG, on the IDF and this cruelty and strategically genocidal move to eliminate the organizations which are trying to mitigate the genocide in Gaza. It is terrible. I pray for the people, and I donate to the World Central Kitchen, and I send letters to the Congressional reps, but we are effectively silenced by the preponderance of Republicans in Congress who still continue to bear Netanyahu and Trump, and do not use their power to stop them. It does seem like we will finally and soon come to a place where the people MUST wrest the government away from them. This new criminal assault on Venezuela has added a new level of atrocity to the administration’ crimes against humanity.