Isabelle Antwerp, Belgium

Hello there,

I am a 46 year old European liberal jew, born and raised in Antwerp, Belgium.

My parents were teenagers during WWII. Both of them survived, but were deeply traumatized for the rest of their lives. As a matter of fact, they passed their trauma on to me. Thus I am what psychoanalysts call a typical case of “second generation”.

Yet luckily, my Mom kept on repeating to me as far as I can remember: Never hate no one, nor anything. Hate destroys, hate annihilates, hates poisons your heart and your mind. But there is one you should definitely hate: WAR.

As an adult, I had the good idea of undertaking a long therapy. It really helped getting out of the victimhood I had locked up myself into. I guess getting to know myself better helped me to sort out things in my head and made me feel much stronger about certain things…

No, I am not ready to see anyone die in any war.

No, I do not accept that a government I did not vote for and an army of a country I am not a citizen of occupies or bombs any other country in my name.

Why don’t all those warmongers meet in a big stadium and fight with each other, like gladiators. They are all so proud and arrogant. And so macho. Let them finish each other off.
And let the people of Iran, Palestine and Israel share their culture, their cuisine, their music, their literature, their daily stories, their best jokes…

Shalom, Salaam

Isabelle, Antwerp, Belgium