It is striking to me, how surprised American Jews are to hear rational Palestinian voices, and to hear about the hardships and tragedies of day to day life under the occupation. It’s not like this information is hard to come by, but we somehow manage to insulate ourselves from it.

That’s why the work you’re doing - bringing Combatants for Peace to Western Mass, and blogging about it too - is so important.

You’ve always been an example to me, you know.

It also seems to me that this could be a good piece for Commondreams.org or similar places. I hope you consider sending it there.

Quoting you - ‘the “problem” of demographics in Israel: i.e., the ratio of Jews to non-Jews, and how Israel will remain a “Jewish” state — (a topic on which I hope to blog in the future)’ :
my comments-
I look forward to your comments. I would enjoy being a part of a conversation on this topic - a calm, respectful, even loving conversation. I believe the issue of a “Jewish state” is the very root of the situation, that it is the elephant in the living room that most people, including very courageous opponents of the Occupation, do not address.

It seems to me that the parameters of the public discourse need to be widened, to include the question of how (in your words) or if (my word) “Israel will remain a ‘Jewish’ state”. This will not be an easy task, considering that people like President Carter and Tikkun founder Michael Lerner, who are loud in their declaration of love for Israel, nevertheless receive death threats for their opposition to the Occupation and some of Israel’s more extreme policies toward the Palestinians.

My own position is conflicted - I have been immersed for fifteen years in the struggle for justice for the Palestinians. When Ali Abunimah, author, and founder of Electronic Intifada, was asked what does optimism look like, he replied, “Optimism is that the conditions of the Palestinians right now are not as bad as they will be in six months.” I feel that what we are seeing is an attempt to destroy the Palestinian people as a people. And to not do everything in one’s power to oppose this most grievous crime is to be complicit.

At the same time - I am 59-years old. I am the second generation after the Holocaust. I recall a quote, that right before the Holocaust, “there were two kinds of countries in the world, those that would not let the Jews out, and those that would not let them in.” So there is a part of me that grieves to think that justice might mean there not be a Jewish home.

Are justice for the Palestinians and the existence of a Jewish home two goals which are mutually exclusive?

I’ve been recently researching Zionism - a hugely complex system of thought. It encompasses a lot more than “a desire to have a Jewish homeland”. It is a related topic which I would like to see a calm discussion about.

Looking forward to reading your comments - as well as others’.

ellen

Here are my two posts on the affair which ea. contain links to both the Heb & Eng lang versions.