Photo/Illutration U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Oct. 18 in Tel Aviv. (AP Photo)

Heartbreaking images have arrived from northern Gaza, where a hospital was bombed on Oct. 17.

A wide-eyed little girl has tears streaking down her blood- and mud-covered cheeks. A woman holding her infant is completely expressionless, giving her the look of a wax doll.

It is not yet certain who was responsible for the blast--Israelis or Palestinians.

But it is a fact that many Palestinians remain in northern Gaza. Similar tragedies will be inevitable when Israel’s ground offensive begins. Israeli forces are said to have warned Gaza residents that if they refuse to evacuate, they will be treated as Hamas supporters.

Which side are you on? People’s allegiances are often tested during war, precipitating division that leads to a chain of hatred.

The images we have seen of the explosion at the Gaza hospital have angered us all. But precisely because of that, we really must closely focus on every development that transcends racial and religious barriers.

In the United States, Jews mourning for those who were slain by Hamas held demonstrations, hoisting placards with messages opposing the Israeli invasion of Gaza. “My grief is not your weapon,” one placard read.

In Athens, an Islamic imam declared, “We desire neither violence nor war.”

In the Netherlands, airplanes flew with banners on which the word “peace” was written in both Arabic and Hebrew.

U.S. President Joe Biden has so far pledged support for Israel while calling for humanitarian considerations. The picture I visualize here is Biden unleashing a ferocious dog with his right hand while holding a first aid kit in his left hand.

I wonder what he has talked about with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv. I am sure many people are anxious to know.

But right now, I could not agree more with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, who has said, “There is no use in talking now about anything except stopping the war.”

The chain of retaliation must be broken. That’s why we must speak out, even if our voice is small.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Oct. 19

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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