“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
–Martin Luther King, Jr
“Having grown up in a Zionist home, lived the first half of my life in Israel, served in the I.D.F. as a soldier and officer and spent most of my career researching and writing on war crimes and the Holocaust, this was a painful conclusion to reach, and one that I resisted as long as I could. But I have been teaching classes on genocide for a quarter of a century. I can recognize one when I see one. My inescapable conclusion has become that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people.”
–By Omer Bartov, Dr. Bartov is a professor of Holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University. (From a NYT op-ed)
I confess that I altered the above quote. The last sentence, calling out genocide, was actually the first sentence in the original text. I changed it hoping some folks would not stop reading before knowing the author’s background. Such is the problem with discussing Israel/Palestine. To speak out, to share the truth of what is happening right before our eyes, is to be dismissed, means losing friends, colleagues, clients, customers, jobs, opportunities. Have you felt it?
I know that I’ve hesitated and held myself back. I understand that, especially for some Jewish people, it is painful to hear strong criticisms of Israel. And that pain leads to anger and rejection. Yet, when I weigh all that against the pain of my Palestinian friends – friends who are daily losing relatives and watching the destruction of Gaza and what is left of their land in the West Bank – I know I must speak out. And I encourage others, Jews and non-Jews to speak out. The silence is killing people.
Israel is on course to literally ethnically cleanse all of what’s left of the land of the Palestinian people. And in the course of that, to kill a very large number of them. We, especially those of us of Jewish heritage, must speak out. Every day, close to one hundred Palestinians are killed as they attempt to get to food and water and shelter or under attack from settlers under the watch of Israeli soldiers.
Here is a very moving plea to the Jewish people from, as is the author above, a long time supporter of Israel, Mandy Patamkin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFjOb9DGS1w
I continue be amazed at how folks who are progressive on everything – for the environment, for immigrants and refugees, for LGBTQ rights, for economic and racial justice – turn a blind eye to what most legal experts now call genocide, GENOCIDE!, happening right now with the support of our government. Yet I understand it. I get the emails from groups like AIPAC that turn reality on its head and continue to assert that the IDF is the most moral military in the world and it’s all the fault of Hamas. I know the teachings, from early childhood, that Israel and the Jewish people are one. I know how criticisms of zionism are felt in the gut and heart, no matter what the eyes would reveal. It’s unfortunate that those heart/gut feelings can’t hear the cries of Palestinian babies.
Perhaps the most toxic part of all this is the equating of criticism of Israel or Zionism with antisemitism. The presence of large numbers of Jews fighting for Palestinian freedom or declaring themselves non or anti-zionist, seems to be changing this somewhat. But it’s this accusation that silences people.
There are, of course, the arguments. It’s all the fault of Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran. Or, the Palestinians have never accepted peace, they’ve always sabotaged peace efforts. These arguments are refuted by scholarly sources within and outside Israel itself. There are so many good sources of information, but here are several to consider:
Just Vision: https://justvision.org/ Just Vision fills a media gap on Israel-Palestine through independent storytelling and strategic audience engagement.
+972 magazine: https://www.972mag.com/. Independent Journalism from Israel-Palestine
Peter Beinart: https://peterbeinart.substack.com/ One of the best sources on the middle east with interviews with Israeli, Palestinian and other experts.
Partners for Progressive Israel, https://www.progressiveisrael.org/
Or read: A Very Short History of the Israel-Palestine Conflict by Ilan Pappe, Israeli historian (written after Oct.7)
Or if you are ready to speak out and take action, join Jewish Voice For Peace: https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org (you don’t have to be Jewish).
One final thought. It’s not just Netanyahu. When he goes, any replacement for him will continue the Occupation and the suppression of Palestinian life. Only outside pressure will change the course. And that’s us, the United States. U.S. politicians, except for a brave few, both Democratic and Republican, are way behind the shifting views of the American public. We can make a difference. Let your congresspeople know, at every opportunity, to stop military aid to Israel and demand an end to the Occupation as part of any future agreements. And don’t be afraid. Speak out. Lives depend on it.
Thank you for considering this.
For peace and justice,
~Alan
www.CrossingTheBoundary.org
P.S. I just received this note from my friend, Nada Khader, about a fundraising drive: a Virtual auction to support doctors, humanitarian activists, and families on the frontlines in Gaza – those risking everything to save lives and survive.Here’s the note from Nada with something very practical you can do to help.
Gaza Aid Collective‘s virtual auction is open until July 31st! The auction is benefitting a few families, including my friend Enshrah Munifi and her parents, for whom I fundraise year-round.
We have a seriously impressive range of items and services to bid on.
Interested in a South Africa safari trip? Giclée art prints? A personalized yoga class? Job coaching? Handmade ceramics and jewelry? Books signed by authors? We have all that and more!
The auction will close July 31st. Check out our site and place your bids today!
If you have an item or service to donate, you can submit here by July 24th.