Witnessing From Afar: The Emotional Weight of the Palestine Conflict
Witnessing From Afar: The Emotional Weight of the Palestine Conflict
The ongoing conflict in Palestine and Israel continues to fill news cycles, timelines, and conversations with images and stories that are often unbearable. For many, even those far from the region, these events evoke deep emotional reactions: grief, rage, fear, helplessness, and moral confusion.
You don’t need to have a personal connection to the region to be impacted by what you’re witnessing. Living in an interconnected world means our nervous systems are often flooded with more than they’re built to carry.
When witnessing becomes wounding
Over time, exposure to violence, even through screens, can start to wear on us. You might notice:
A heaviness you can’t quite explain
Trouble sleeping or focusing
Feelings of guilt or emotional paralysis
Disconnection from others, especially those who see things differently
An urge to act paired with uncertainty about what to do
It’s not unusual to feel stuck between wanting to help and feeling completely powerless. The complexity of the situation only deepens this inner tension, especially when moral clarity is hard to find, and there’s fear that saying the wrong thing might cause more harm.
The pain of disagreement
What adds another layer of grief for many people is not just what’s happening “out there,” but what’s happening in their own circles: friends falling out, families divided, people going silent out of fear or fatigue.
It can be painful to realise that those we care about may not see things the same way, or to feel that our own grief is not seen, or not permitted.
Making space for what you feel
There’s no single right way to respond to events like this. There is only what’s real for you.
Some people feel intense emotion. Others feel numb. Some throw themselves into activism. Others withdraw. All of these are human responses to being overwhelmed. This is collective trauma, and our systems react accordingly.
If nothing else, know that it’s okay to feel what you feel. You don’t have to justify it. You don’t have to fix it. You don’t have to explain it to anyone.
If you’re finding it hard to process, I offer a calm and confidential space, both online and in-person at Studio 17 in Richmond. Fill out the form below to connect.