Bassam Nasser’s holiday message from Gaza arrived late — on January 11, just before news of a possible ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. I was glad to learn that Bassam is still alive. … (He has grown a beard since I first met him; the screen shot above is from a video posted last April.) Readers might recall columns I wrote about Bassam, the Catholic Relief Services director in Gaza who fled his home after the Israeli attacks commenced in 2023. I published a brief message from him in late 2023. He reported that his house had been bombarded and possibly destroyed. He was living in southern Gaza with five other families in one apartment, with no electricity and a small supply of water. … Bassam is a man, it seems, of indomitable spirit. There is both bitterness and hope in his communications. Here is the message I received six days ago.
Second Christmas in the Endless Nightmare
My hope was to send you all warm wishes for Christmas and the New Year, to spread joy and strength during this season. Instead, I find myself searching for words that won’t cast a shadow on your holiday and family time. My intention was to offer a glimpse of resilience in the midst of hardship, but reality has led me elsewhere. Today, instead of celebrating, I sat beside Maher, a dear friend grieving the loss of his son, senselessly taken in this genocidal war. Now, my friend faces the daunting task of raising his three-year-old grandson, who has lost his father to this tragedy. A lifelong advocate for human rights and civil society, Maher now confronts a world that feels consumed by injustice and oppression.
Christ, the son of this sacred land, returns on the day of His birth to walk among the rubble of destroyed homes, His feet torn by the devastation. He weeps for the suffering of children and mothers, shares in the hunger of the poor, trembles in the cold, and mourns as He lays His loved ones to rest. O Christ, we implore You—come to us, bring with You all the angels and saints. We can bear this pain no longer; it is too much for human hearts to endure.
Merry Christmas for those celebrating and sincere wishes for 2025.
Goodbye 2024, Please Go! Shut the Door and Please, Never Come Back: Not sure why, on the last night of 2024, my kids shared photos from home, or what used to be home! They brought me to the conclusion of, “the deepest misery is being brought to tears by the memory of a home that once held nothing but smiles.” As I close my eyes and make a wish for the new year, I do so on behalf of the people of Gaza: May no human or animal ever endure what we faced in 2024. This year was not meant for humanity. … Happy new year.
Discover more from Dan Rodricks
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Dan Rodricks 
To be sure, incredibly sad for your friend and other non-combatants. Thank you for bringing his story to us on this and several other occasions. All precipitated by a horrible invasion of civilian residences and a music festival, with the rape, torture and murder of innocent Israelis and the hostage taking of 255 others, many of whom were murdered in captivity. Americans, Nepalese, Thai, Israeli, British, and others, some of whom remain in captivity. A child who observed his 1st and 2nd birthdays in captivity. A holocaust survivor.
I have read that many Gazans reject Hamas and blame Hamas for their plight, justifiably so. In addition to the return of hostages, a rebuilding of Gaza, with new homes, hospitals, infrastructure, and lives, together with the reformation of the government of Gaza, without Hamas or other terrorists running the show, would provide long term relief for innocents.
But let us remember that we look at this from a Western vantage point. We can’t understand why a group such as Hamas would invade and kill women and children. We can’t understand how Hamas can spend large amounts of financial aid given to them from other countries on tunnels and weaponry, instead of spending it on housing, education, medical care, and on business enterprises. We can hope that the efforts to rebuild Gaza after this terrible war will successfully build a stable Gaza, with schools, hospitals, resorts, businesses, and modernization. Only without Hamas in charge could such a hope be realized. Let’s hope that the good people of Gaza can prevail over the Hamas terrorists.
LikeLike
Remarkable!!!!!
>
LikeLiked by 1 person