My long solidarity with Palestine and Palestinians is well-known. I have written two books and countless articles on this topic, and have spoken publicly about it for years.

During that time, I connected through social media with many people in Palestine, and established friendships with a few, who I never actually met in person.

This article is about one of those, Mahmoud. He was in his late twenties, married and the father of three young children. As I was taking Arabic instruction, he and I would often talk; he spoke no English, so between my limited but growing knowledge of Arabic, and occasional assistance from Google Translate, we got to know each other well. He loved playing soccer; outside of his family, that was his life.

Over the years, prior to October 2023, I occasionally helped Mahmoud. One time, I saw online that he was selling his bicycle, and I asked him why. He said he was short on his rent, so I “bought” his bicycle. I sent him the $60 he was asking for it, telling him that I would use it when I eventually visited Gaza.

Once the genocide began, I provided him with more assistance. I was able to send him money on several occasions, and he purchased a tent, generator and recharger early on. However, he was........

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