It is impossible for a person to keep their feelings inflamed all the time about what is happening to them or around them, and they cannot make passion vigilant, interest standing, and care continuous without being affected by boredom, apathy, and perhaps aversion when it weighs on them, settles on their chest, and causes unbearable pain.
This psychological and nervous state applies to major events that one experiences or witnesses, including of course wars, which captivate the eyes and preoccupy the minds when they erupt, becoming the talk of the town morning and evening, only to gradually lose their appeal until they become routine daily occurrences.
The Israeli war on the Gaza Strip is not an exception to this rule, as we have seen in recent times in the civil war raging in Sudan between the army and the “Rapid Support Forces,” and the Russian-Ukrainian war that attracted global attention in its early days, dominating the headlines of news agencies, newspapers, and news channels, then fading into the background, overshadowed by many other news stories, including curiosities and amusing anecdotes.
Mixed Feelings
This naturally occurs for those who follow wars from a distance; from the very first moment, they do not have unified feelings, understanding, and emotions towards it. As for those who suffer in the midst of war, hearing the shelling of planes, cannons, tanks rumbling, and the sound of gunfire and machine guns, then carrying the wounded to hospitals and the dead to graves, their concern cannot cool or age, as every moment gives birth to a painful story from the heart of fire and destruction.
Even the habituation of people at the heart of the brutal battle with its bloody chapters is a matter of endurance, resilience, and positive defiance. A regular army cannot continue fighting with a disheartened populace, increasing the need for resistance with guerrilla warfare, essential for the patience and support of the people, providing it with the strength to continue fighting.
As for those who are outside the battle, they may experience a sense of apathy and perhaps numbness as days pass with repeated or identical news. However, when an event occurs during the course of the war that is different, people are drawn back to the battle, only to return to their previous state until another event of the same nature occurs.
Despite the ongoing “genocide” in Gaza, the protests on the streets have waned, and people are no longer as preoccupied on social media as they were in the past weeks. Other news has taken precedence on many television screens, and people no longer mention it much in their everyday conversations in homes, cafes, and workplaces.
Abrupt Wars
In addition to the natural psychological factor that prevents complete immersion in an event, there are several factors specific to the war on the Palestinian people in Gaza, this time more than ever, due to the difference in the level of a conflict in terms of its scope, depth, and duration.
There is an accustomedness to sudden or short wars between the Arabs and Israel, as occurred in all previous rounds. The longest of these was the war on Gaza in 2014, and on Lebanon in the summer of 2006. This time, the war has approached its fourth month, amid Israeli discussions that it will not cease until Tel Aviv achieves its objectives, and counter discussion from the resistance that it is prepared to fight to the end without weakening, faltering, or surrendering, or even accepting loss.
This announcement and its contradiction made people realize that they may be facing a prolonged war and they should prepare themselves for this possibility, which dominates their attention and emotions throughout the days. This allocation of emotions is guided by their natural ability, which science has proven, allowing them to allocate attention as they wish, preserving their ability to endure, and perform their duty, whether it involves staying focused on what is happening to the people of Gaza as a duty, or at the very least.
Also, there are those who can no longer bear the cries of pain when they see the injured, waiting for the day when they will no longer have to endure what they hear and see. They are advised to distance themselves from following the war to preserve their mental health.
Desperate Attempts
Moreover, there are those who prefer not to follow out of disinterest or curiosity, as it might make them lose the feeling or understanding they have fixed in their minds, and close the door to anything that makes them question and worry.
In this uncertainty, there are those who believe that the result of the war was determined on its first day, considering everything that is happening now to be a desperate attempt by Tel Aviv to avenge the Israeli army due to what it did on October 7th, and that it will not lead to a real change on the ground.
There are significant differences in the two cases; Israel understands that any apathy among people towards the war is in its favor, as the attention that is directed at the war reprimanded and blamed by demonstrators in several European and American cities, annoys and pressures them.
On the other hand, the Palestinian resistance wants this attention to remain, as it is its support and ally and at the same time puts pressure on its adversary.
Leaving the preoccupation and emotions about the aggression on Gaza is beneficial in all cases for the Palestinian cause, especially as its events are not of fleeting battles but instead form part of a lengthy struggle.
Hence, maintaining focus and emotion on the aggression on Gaza is beneficial for the Palestinian cause in all situations, especially since its events are not of fleeting battles, but rather part of a long struggle that should not be given any opportunity for disregard or abandonment.
