Hi and welcome back!
It’s taken me a minute to gather my thoughts on South Africa’s historic genocide case against Israel. If you watched the two-day hearing at the ICJ last week, you were probably struck by the poetry of South Africa coming to Palestine’s defense, rooted in a violent and tragic history with too many parallels to count.
South Africa’s talented legal team laid out a powerful case, and whatever the outcome (not particularly important as the ICJ doesn’t actually have any enforcement powers, and we all know by now what a joke the UN Security Council is) the facts presented are undeniable, at least to an intelligent, free thinking community.
Germany brashly jumping in to defend Israel was the icing on the cake for the aforementioned intelligent community, as was German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s bold support of Netanyahu’s statement that Hamas are “the new Nazis” — the irony exploding twofold given 1. Israel’s insistence on utterly anhiliating as many civilians as possible in Gaza and 2. How recently we’ve learned the Nazis are very much alive, thriving, and actively mobilizing in Germany. On a legal basis alone, Germany is certainly in no position for any such intervention. Namibia’s poignant reminder of Germany’s extremely blood-stained past was, thankfully, an excellent clapback.
If after watching the hearing, you somehow still find yourself in the “not a genocide” camp (brainwashed by Robert Habeck’s bluster, perhaps?) all I can suggest is that you turn inward. Life becomes more enjoyable when you live it with a sprinkle of empathy and without an agenda. But then again, you probably aren’t reading my Substack. Cheers to that!
In today’s issue you’ll find: some of my thoughts on the relentless passage of time, a look at the magic that is girlhood in your twenties, and my weekly art curation of the best art under 50 and 100 Euros.
Let’s brunch!
A few pieces of unsolicited advice
Learn to enjoy your own company. Be your own best friend. Stop worrying if your friends are hanging out without you. Don’t cry over short men. Don’t cry over tall men. If you find yourself crying, for any reason at all, go on a walk. You’ll feel better soon. It’ll all pass.
Girlhood
I have been re-watching Girls and I continue to be amazed at how beautifully the show has aged. I know Lena Dunham’s been embroiled in a controversy or two over the years, but I think it’s pretty undeniable that she created a masterpiece of a show.
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