War on Gaza: How Palestinians are resisting existential despair

In times of severe humanitarian crises, whether natural or man-made, profound questions and doubts tend to emerge about the meaning of life. These questions weigh heavily on individuals and communities, especially when salvation does not appear to be on the horizon.

In 19th-century Europe, the advancement of political thought and the notion of democratic governance fostered an atmosphere of optimism and ambitious dreams. But it was not long before this transformation met the horrors of the First and Second World Wars.

These conflicts consumed millions of lives and devastated societies, both physically and spiritually. The widespread destruction deeply shook the achievements of modernity, leading to the resurgence of existential questions in philosophy, literature and art – a reconsideration of human nature and the soul.

After World War II, extensive reassessments led to the establishment of new foundations for international relations. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was issued alongside global laws designed to prevent genocide in the wake of the Holocaust. The slaughter of millions of Jews by Nazi Germany prompted the slogan: “Never again.” 

It is both astonishing and terrifying that the very same nations and groups that established these principles are now repeating their own dark history across Palestine. In Gaza, we are witnessing a systematic genocide and a deliberate strategy to erase an entire people.

Through their complicity in Israel’s ethnic cleansing, western nations are reminding new generations of the foundations upon which these countries were built: the extermination and erasure of indigenous peoples. They are reaffirming their deeply ingrained supremacist and racist mindset. 

This painful reality is precisely what drives people back into a spiral of existential despair. It also raises a profound dilemma: how can one survive in such a world, and is there any ethical framework capable of preventing total internal collapse?

Unspeakable savagery

For many people, faith provides a strong immunity against this question and the doubts it may provoke. Faith provides meaning and refuge; the same applies to people committed to humanitarian or liberationist causes, whether religious or secular. 

Still, existential questions may rise to the surface when people find their inner reserves of resilience depleted. This is a natural and profoundly human experience. 

In Gaza, the resilience of a people who have endured a year and a half of Israel’s brutally executed genocide has been nothing short of legendary. When the people of Gaza question the world around them, their focus is primarily on the state of humanity: on those who rule over imperialist, genocidal empires, and on the Arab regimes subjugated to western power.

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In this age of consumerism, greed and oppressive power, there might be no people on earth with the same astonishing capacity for endurance as the Palestinian people. Still, many Palestinians would implore us not to perceive them as heroes but rather as ordinary human beings left with no refuge except faith and steadfastness. 

What they really need is tangible support. Palestinians have endured countless horrific trials that have decimated entire generations. Their prolonged confrontation with the Zionist colonial project has produced extensive literature, some of which is profound and essential, while other works are little more than shallow rhetoric.

Even the most radical and insightful critiques, however, have failed to materialise into a concrete strategic plan.

But the existential question has never been posed with the same intensity and urgency as it is today – among both Palestinians and their allies around the globe. War creates endless tragedies and tales of suffering. In the face of such devastation, humanity itself begins to wither.

This brutal war on Gaza is being executed by the most powerful military force on earth, the ruthless American empire and its allies, against a tiny, impoverished entity. This unspeakable savagery is being broadcast in real time, as the perpetrators revel in the destruction of homes and the extermination of children, women and elderly people.

In the face of such barbarism, the world stands in shock and horror, asking: how can this happen with impunity in the 21st century? How is it possible that humanity, or those who rule the world, have learned nothing from history?

This terror at the nature of the global system and its Zionist foundation has fuelled an international civilian front, one that represents an extraordinary intersection of struggles. Just as past generations have triumphed over tragedy, today’s generation – keenly attuned to injustice – believes in the possibility of restoring human dignity and holding violent actors accountable.

In this way, the Palestinian people and their global supporters are resisting the pull of existential despair, as they forge a liberatory vision in the face of sheer barbarism.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.