“In Israel I noticed no-one was consumed with such hatred regarding the people of Gaza,” she writes.
Eventually, Todd regained her health and returned to her home in Canada. Eventually, too, she found the inner strength to divorce her abusive husband, and to challenge the assumptions of her former colleagues in the “peace camp.” Predictably, that change of heart has come at a price. She says there is an online campaign calling for her death, administered by many of the so called “peace activists” that she used to work with. She requires police protection, from people who believe that all Gazans are innocent victims of Israeli aggression needing to be defended (and are willing to kill in order to impose that view on skeptics).
Ironically, Todd says that she agrees wholeheartedly that Gazans are victims of a violent, corrupt occupation that is poisoning young minds and ensuring a future to the conflict with Israel
“Make no mistake – the 13-year-old girl who wrote that essay is definitely being targeted – not by Israel, but by those who profit from her pain and her trauma. She is targeted by those within and outside Gaza, who take children like her and focus their anger, hatred and fury on Israel. A 13-year old girl should be talking about the silly things that 13-year olds talk about, not about killing Israelis.
Sadly, however, Todd says the children of Gaza will continue to develop ideals like this 13-year old if people continue to convince them they are perpetual victims who need not take responsibility for their lives. Their acts of violence are applauded and well compensated.
This, then, exposes the ultimate hypocrisy in the “pro Palestinian” movements, especially those who focus on Gaza. “They are screaming about ethnic cleansing in Gaza, whose population continues to increase, while thinking nothing of this child’s essay that clearly states her plan for the ethnic cleansing of Israelis.
“The people who take pleasure in this girl’s story are the monsters. They are perpetuating a conflict that will see no end, as long as generations are brought up in an environment of such seething hatred… if anyone is truly committed to peace, then they cannot defend such generational violence. Before anyone defends their role as a peace activist, they first need to be clear whether they are going to defend this kind of violence or denounce it,” Todd says.