The tragic massacres of October 7th 2023 have unleashed the brutal war in Gaza and now Lebanon. Bombs are falling on all sides.There is no beating around the bush, the Palestinians in Gaza and the Westbank and now the Lebanese are bearing the brunt of this war, which is a genocide. In the International Community and Mainstream Media there unfortunately is a glaring double standard when protraying the Palestinian or Lebanese people in relation to socalled Western Cultures. But Palestinians and Lebanese human beings are like you and I, they want to live and they want to live in freedom, equality and peace. It is this double standard which has led me to write this meditation 'Arab Lives Matter'. It should be everybody's mantra in the face of the genocide we are all witnessing on our handy and TV screens every day and night. Arab Lives Matter does not exclude other lives, it is not a cry to arms, rather it is an emphatic mediation reminding us all of the beautiful people and cultures that are facing the very real threat of destruction in front of all our eyes. The Middle East needs peace not bombs. It needs strong civil societies not war. May a lasting, inclusive and solidarical peace return to Gaza, the Westbank, Lebanon and Israel as well as the entire region sooner rather than later.

Gabrielle von Bernstorff-Nahat: Gabrielle von Bernstorff-Nahat is a writer, painter and architect. Her maternal family is from Syria, Iraq and India. Gabrielle was born in Switzerland and lives in the Lake Constance Region. Gabrielle von Bernstorff-Nahat has written numerous books including Angelwings for Gaza and Israel. For more go to her website www.gevebe.com