Finally, after months of uncertainty, the US declared that the “window of diplomacy has closed,” war on Iraq is imminent. The Israeli public, as always frantic for their ‘security,’ has been ordered to seal rooms in case of a biological or chemical attack by Saddam. The defense ministry broadcasted its suggested equipment list for a sealed room, including plastic sheeting and masking tape to prepare the room, stocks of food in hermetically sealed containers and at least one liter of water per person in sealed bottles. The Israeli army has set up its highly advanced Arrow anti-missile system to shoot down any Scuds and the Israeli air forces are constantly flying over Israeli airspace. These preparations were conducted despite less than a zero percent chance of an attack.

Palestinians on the other hand watched Israel’s preparations with amusement, afterall sealing a room of a demolished house or one that has been made to look like Swiss cheese by Israeli bullets is an impossible task. The one liter of sealed water per person Israel recommends its citizens have is equivalent to what a Palestinian family has to drink all day, though the fact that Palestinian water is infested with bacteria at least saves having to place the water in sealed bottles. In any case the equipment list recommended for Israeli citizens costs money, which Palestinian do not have thanks to Israel’s chokehold of the Palestinian economy. No, Palestinians do not fear Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction, but they do fear Israel’s vicious military machine and the unspeakable operations that Israel may conduct as world attention is focused on Iraq.

213 Palestinians have been killed since the start of 2003 as Israel escalates its aggression against a captive Palestinian population. 15 Palestinians, among them a toddler and three children under the age of 15 were killed in the last two days alone. An Israeli military bulldozer ran over an American peace activist, Rachel Corrie, crushing her chest and skull and why not? The world didn’t care when Israeli forces shot in the back a British UN employee, Iain Hook. The world doesn’t care as countless innocent Palestinians continue to die daily at the hands of Sharon’s government.

Palestinians now simply seem to be observing their lives with numbness. As the Palestinian Legislative Council votes, with the approval of President Arafat, for an empowered prime minister, Israel demands that the ‘road map’ not include the word 'independent' when referring to a Palestinian state, Palestinians observe with numbness. As President Bush promises to concentrate on the Israeli – Palestinian conflict and release the ‘road map,’ Palestinians observe with numbness. As the world promises a resurgence in humanitarian aid, Palestinians observe with numbness. It seems continuously being pushed to the backburner, used only when to the political advantage of the US and in the mean time persecuted mercilessly by a fanatical Israeli government is the destiny that awaits Palestinians. Numbness was inevitable!