(Andrew’s mom posting here: with thanks to Brad Brooks-Rubin’s post, “A Winograd of Our Own” for inspiring me.)
I sat at my kitchen table today reading an invitation, addressed to my husband and me, to the Annual Israel Bond dinner for Western Massachusetts. I assume we received the invitation because, having joined our local conservative synagogue, we were put on the mailing list of the Western Mass. State of Israel Bonds organization.
On the cover of the invitation are photos of this year’s honorees, none of whom is familiar to me. I think these folks and I don’t hang out in the same circles. Inside the invitation, the guest speaker is announced: Professor Kenneth Stein, “an advisor on Mideast Affairs and colleague of Jimmy Carter for many years [who] has broken with him and has publicly and expertly critiqued the ex-president’s provocative work.” An insert to the invitation, a “personal” letter from two of the honorees who are fellow congregants at my synagogue, urges me to show my love of Judaism and Zion by purchasing a bond. “Supporting Israel takes many forms,” they tell me, listing things like “teaching our children a love of Judaism and Zion” as one of several examples. It is clear, of course, that the particular form they wish my support to take is purchasing an Israel Bond. However, the letter writers are savvy enough about the liberalism of their audience in this part of Western Massachusetts to acknowledge that “Here in the Diaspora, we do not always agree with the policies of the government of Israel, however, as Jews, we must be united in affirming our commitment to our people and our homeland.”
Here is my RSVP.
Dear Honorees,Tribute Committee, and others involved,
Thank you for your invitation to attend a dinner honoring various members of the Western Massachusetts Jewish community who, presumably, have demonstrated their devotion to “Judaism and Zionism” by contributing their money to Israel Bonds as well as engaging in other pro-Israel activities. You suggest that if I help “fill in the seats at the Israel Bonds dinner,” and invest in as large a bond as I am able to, I will be showing my support for Israel.
I would like to ask you: what Israel would you have me support? Would you like me to support the Israel that went precipitously to war in Lebanon, bombing Lebanese civilians, homes and roads, putting its own population at risk, leaving its own soldiers vulnerable and incurring many casualties of both dead and wounded? Should I contribute to the Israel whose Prime Minister is now stubbornly fighting to retain his position in spite of the devestating Winograd Report and a rally in which over 100,000 people urged him to step down? You would have labeled me a “Jewish anti-Semite” had you taken note of me — and a small minority of fellow Western Mass. Jews — who, when the war in Lebanon broke out, did NOT lend our voices to the chorus of supporters of this folly, who urged diplomacy and negotiations instead, who voiced the same concerns then that the Winograd Report now takes the government to task for.
Would you like me to invest in the Israel whose soldiers all too often kill or wound innocent Palestinian civilians? The Israel whose security police, in January, killed a 10 year old Palestinian girl (Abir Aramin) when they fired rubber bullets at some school children who they claim were throwing rocks at them? Abir’s father, a leading member of a Palestinian/Israeli peace organization (Combatants for Peace) that urges both Palestinians and Israelis to lay down their arms and talk, spoke out after her killing to affirm his commitment to continue to work with his Israeli colleagues toward a peaceful solution to the conflict.
Would you like me to invest in the Israel that built a wall which deprives many innocent Palestinian farmers access to their fields, which makes travel from one West Bank town to another difficult and often impossible? A wall which, if it truly existed for security and not as another tool to appropriate land, would have served its purpose equally well if it had been built along the 1967 borders? Should my money go to the Israel which gives guns to 18-year old kids serving in the IDF and puts them in charge of checkpoints where they have to make judgment calls that are morally and politically laden, and where their major job is to control (and often humiliate) Palestinians who are for the most part trying to shop, go to work, go to school, get medical care, visit family, attend weddings?
Would you like me to invest in the Israel that continues to build new settlements and expand old ones, over even the occasional objections of the US government, creating ever more “facts on the ground” while giving lip service to various peace proposals such as The Road Map and the latest Arab League Peace Plan? The Israel which closes its eyes to the proliferating illegal settlements that spring up all over the West Bank?
I could continue along these lines. But I think you get the idea. By this time, perhaps you have stopped reading and decided that I’m a self-hating Jew, even though I’d like to reassure you that I take my Judaism very seriously AND that I care deeply about Israel and its right to exist, albeit not at its current borders. Or perhaps you have read what I’ve written but have filtered it through the counter-arguments that enable you to push aside the painful realities of the Israel that you support. I know many Israelis have been killed by suicide bombers. I know there are many in the Arab world who would like to see Israel cease to exist. I also know there are continual raids by the IDF into Palestinian homes, where fathers, brothers, sons are seized and imprisoned in Israeli prisons. I know too that there are targeted assassinations of presumed Palestinian “militants” occurring much more often than we hear about in the US papers. The occupation has created a cycle of retaliation and revenge that has gone on for 40 years now.
But in this situation it is the Israelis who have the power. It is the Israelis who can move toward a political, not a military, response and eventual solution. It is the Israelis who can stop building settlements, who can make a different set of “facts on the ground” which might lead to a just and fair solution. I am not interested in a “peace” which is only a euphemism for “quiet”, for keeping the Palestinian rockets at bay, for keeping the suicide bombers out of Israel, for maintaining a veneer of false calm that enables Israelis to get on with their daily lives while the Palestinians continue to suffer economic hardships, daily humiliations, and erosion of their human rights. That kind of “peace” is not a just or fair solution.
There are groups of Israelis who are working for real peace, for a fair and just resolution to the conflict. It is those Israeli (and Jewish-American) organizations that I choose to support. The Israel I support is that of Combatants for Peace, MachsomWatch, Refuser Solidarity Network, The Parents’ Circle, and (in America), Jewish Voice for Peace, Rabbis for Human Rights and Brit Tzedek v’Shalom.
So I regret that I will not attend your dinner, nor will I buy a bond for Israel until you can show me that the money will go to support the Judaism and Israel that I believe in: a community of justice, compassion, committed to human rights of all people.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Schamess
Ron Fox here with thanks to Stephanie Schamess, Andrew’s mom and Brad Brooks-Rubin’s post, “A Winograd of Our Own” for inspiring me. I don’t know if this is correct posting protocol (let me know if it isn’t) but I just posted this on my Blog http://judaismandisrael.blogspot.com/2007/05/will-they-sign-this-ad-next-time.html and have copied it here:
WILL THEY SIGN THIS AD NEXT TIME?
TWENTY FIVE YEARS AGO JUST AFTER ISRAEL’S INVASION OF LEBANON 1.0
An op-ed piece in the New York Times on June 26, 1982, by Roger Hurwitz and Gordon Fellman commented on the Invastion of Lebanon: “Under present international conditions, there is little likelihood that Prime Minister Menachem Begin will get the strong Lebanese government – that is, one dominated by Phalangists – that he seeks. His further pursuit of it would entail a prolonged Israeli occupation and strain his country’s resources and morale.….. West Bank Palestinians were moved to protests by expropriation of lands they worked, suppression of their cultural institutions and denial of political rights. … for three decades, Israeli officials boasted that their armed forces respected the lives of innocents … Such claims can no longer be believed, not even by the Israeli public. Until now fear of disunity has muffled public criticism by American Jews of Israel’s approach to the Palestinian issue. This fear must be overcome, for at stake are Israel’s moral future and the identity of Jews everywhere as moral agents.”
ON JULY 12, 2006, ISRAEL’S INVASION OF LEBANON 2.0 BEGAN
During July, 2006, many of us distributed this petition
On July 6, in a full-page ad in The Times of London, 300 British Jews cried out against the collective punishment of the people of Gaza with the anguished question, “What Is Israel Doing?” Several weeks later, as the Middle East sinks deeper into chaos, that question is ever more urgent.
Hezbollah’s attack on an IDF outpost was a violation of international law. And after Israel attacked Lebanon, Hezbollah fired missiles at Israeli cities, killing and injuring civilians.This is not morally acceptable, whatever the provocation.
But Israel’s response– an explosion of violence and collective punishment directed against airports, bridges and populated neighborhoods of Lebanon–is an even greater crime. And now Lebanon, like Gaza, is on the brink of a humanitarian disaster.
In the face of so much violence and suffering, the United States’ vetoes of UN Security Council resolutions calling for a cease fire are immoral and irresponsible.
We call upon U.S. Jews and others to join us in support of Israeli peace groups who write: “The only way to guarantee a different future of peace and security is by ending the occupation and establishing a relationship of equality and respect between Israelis and Palestinians and between Israelis and the neighboring nations.”
We call upon the U.S. government to use its influence with Israel to stop the collective punishment of the people of Gaza and Lebanon; to work with the international community to impose a cease-fire and prevent any further loss of civilian life; and to work for the immediate start of direct, good-faith negotiations.
Israel’s ongoing occupation of Palestinian territories and massive human rights abuses against the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples are opposed by many Jews in Israel, the U.S., and throughout the world.
Attacks on civilians will not bring peace, security or justice to Palestinians, Israelis, or Jews anywhere.
THE FINDINGS OF THE WINOGRAD COMMITTEE
Olmert criticized for ’serious failure’ in Lebanon
Defense chief, ex-army leader are also faulted
By Scott Wilson, Washington Post | May 1, 2007
JERUSALEM — An official Israeli investigative committee yesterday accused Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of “a serious failure in exercising judgment, responsibility, and prudence” in taking the country to war in Lebanon last summer. The interim findings of the Winograd Committee also sharply criticized Defense Minister Amir Peretz for not grasping “the basic principles of using military force to achieve political goals” and accused Lieutenant General Dan Halutz, the army chief of staff at the time, of acting “impulsively” in advocating an “immediate, intensive military strike” to secure the release of two captured Israeli soldiers. The findings amount to a harsh indictment of some of Israel’s most respected institutions and the people who lead them, portraying the Jewish state’s military commanders as complacent and its political leadership as rash and inexperienced. The committee concluded that Israel’s army “was not ready for this war,” and blamed Halutz for failing to devise an effective strategy or to make Olmert aware of sharp disagreements within the military over how to achieve Israel’s goals against Hezbollah’s guerrilla force. “After 25 years without a war, Israel experienced a war of a different kind,” said Eliyahu Winograd, a retired judge, presenting conclusions that focused on the decision to go to war and the first days of fighting. “The war thus brought back to center stage some critical questions that parts of Israeli society would prefer to avoid.” The committee is due to issue its final report this summer. But its preliminary findings describe an Israeli government that lacked a plan to achieve goals characterized as “too ambitious,” suffered from a lack of military experience among civilian leaders and was undermined by a general staff that failed to adapt on the battlefield after its strategy showed early signs of failure. The report used the word “failure” dozens of times in connection with the prime minister and said Olmert bore “supreme and comprehensive responsibility for the decisions of his government and the operations of the army.”
THE HUGE AD IN THE JULY 20, 2006 EDITION OF THE BOSTON GLOBE
It is difficult for me to understand how anyone who has followed the actions of the Israeli government over the past number of years could not have serious, serious, reservations about signing an ad in support of its Invasion of Lebanon 2.0 Time and again the Israeli governments have acted in a way that would give many who have read the history or and studied the Israel Palestine conflict reason to believe that the primary goal of the government of Israel is the total control of the entire West Bank with either pacified Palestinians or no Palestinians. The actions of the government of Israel in relying on military action while avoiding serious negotiation over the 40 years of the illegal and immoral occupation of the West Bank and Gaza would have to serve as evidence to many that the government of Israel has no genuine desire for peace with justice.
How did that ad appear? It is interesting to note that there is nothing to indicate who is responsible for it although I think I read a quote from someone at the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Boston that it came about because people were asking her what they could do to support Israel and something else that said that the language in the ad was similar to wording that had previously appeared on the JCRC and the American Jewish Committee’s website.
And yet here is the copy of the ad and a partial list of the signatories.
“We Stand With Israel”
“As concerned citizens, we stand with the Jewish community and proudly raise our voices in solidarity with the people of Israel, a brave democracy that has yearned so long to live in peace.
“We firmly support Israel’s right to defend her population against unprovoked acts of terror, including the missile attacks launched against Boston’s sister city, Haifa, which have killed and maimed innocent civilians.
“We express our heartfelt concern for the safety of innocent people, Israeli, Palestinian and Lebanese, who have been hurt most by the brutality of those terrorists who have brought a new level of violence to the area.
“We call upon terrorist organizations and the regimes that support them to put an end to the terror. We call upon all who care about peace to join us in our support for Israel as she defends herself against the enemies of peace.”
(a partial list of the signers)
“Salvatore R. DiMasi
Michael Dukakis
Barney Frank
Chrisopher Gabrieli
John Garvey
Chad Gifford
Deborah Goldberg
Scott Harshbarger
Kerry Healey
Philip W. Johnson
Jay R. Kaufman
Edward M. Kennedy
John F. Kerry
Gloria C. Larson
Peter Lynch
Edward J. Markey
Thomas M. McGee
James McGovern
Peter Meade
Francis X. Meaney
Martin T. Meehan
Thomas M. Merino
Christy Mihos
Richard E. Neal
John W. Olver
Thomas R. O’Neill III
Deval L. Patrick
Douglas W. Petersen
R. Robert Popeo
Thomas F. Reilly
Mitt Romney
Frank Smizik
John F. Tierney
Stephen P. Tocco
Robert E.Travaglini
Kevin White
Michael J. Whouley
Dianne Wilkerson
Alice K Wolf”
Other headlines that day in the Boston Globe : Israel hits Hezbollah stronghold – Militants say Beirut bombing missed leaders; Humanitarian crisis feared as Lebanese flee bombing – Half a million called refugees; Raids kill 13 Palestinians in Gaza and West Bank; US broadens its evacuation of citizens from Lebanon strife
THE SUPPRESSION OF DISSENT
Since the occupation, especially since 1980, we have seen the rise of the Jewish tribalism – not the concept of universal care and concern but a very narrow perspective -We are the chosen people – we have to rely on ourselves – we can’t trust “others’ – These are the voices of fear and distrust of anyone, non-Jews and Jews who criticize the actions of the government of Israel.
After an incident at a local temple in 1989 where an individual’s criticism of the Israel government was met by derogatory vocal language, a member of the audience who continues to be a strong supporter of Israel, approached me and suggested we form a group which would serve as a place where all views of the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians would be tolerated and listened to respectfully. That group continues to meet 17 years later.
In those years despite all that has taken place in Israel and the occupied territories, and the heated debates and variety of opinions expressed in Israel, I am not aware of ONE open public meeting sponsored by a local temple, JCC or Jewish Federation which has as its goal anything other than presenting the views of the government of Israel.
In fact, two years ago, according to the May 6, 2005, issue of The Salem News, a church in Salem was planning a conference on “Peace-making in Israel/Palestine: Is it Possible/”; a group organizing it described itself as one that supports the existence of the state of Israel, but it opposes Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza.
The response from the head of the local Jewish Federation was not to request to participate in the conference but to charge “My concerns are that an anti-Israeli – by extension, potentially anti-Semitic – conference is going to be taking place in our community, one that will potentially inaccurately reflect both the position of the government of Israel and , more importantly, the Jewish community.” He e-mailed 250 Federation members warning them of the event and asking them to call organizers to protest. The minister of the church responded that the conference was neither anti-Israel nor anti-Semitic. “Some people honestly believe that just to be critical of the government of Israel is anti-Semitic. I personally find that untenable and I say that as a supporter of Israel.”
Fortunately, the conference went smoothly without incident.
What has impressed me over the years is how monolithic the Christian community believes the Jewish community to be. The reaction to Bishop Shaw’s actions outside the Israeli consulate a few years ago confirmed that. The result is, as one clergyman said to me, the reluctance of Christian clergy to criticize the government of Israel and speak about the plight of the Palestinians out of concern about being labeled as anti-semites. From my conversations with elected officials, I believe that that concern is shared by many of them especially since it involves the possibility of the end of a career in public office.
TWO SUGGESTIONS
First, we should not be intimidated by these tactics, the possibility of being labeled an “anti-semite or “self-hating Jew.” We need to show our support for the core values of Judaism - social justice, love and respect for human dignity to speak out. We need to talk to other Jewish people and our elected officials and let them know that the primary obstacle to peace in Israel Palestine is the occupation and the settlements.
Second, we could try to make a reality of the hope expressed by Brad Brooks-Rubin who wrote in “A Winograd of Our Own” on April 30, 2007
http://semitism.net/2007/04/30/a-winograd-of-our-own/
“Should I bring (my sons) to the anti-Olmert protests that will likely be ongoing after we arrive, or fear that, if they ever explained to friends here that they went to such an event – with hundreds of thousands of Jewish Israelis — that they would still be deemed traitors to their people and community? So let me just ask this, for my sake as a father, and for my sons’ sake as very young American Jews: will the mainstream American Jewish leadership form its own Winograd commission? Will they look at their own actions, their own decisions during that time? Will they examine their overall approach to the strategic issues of how to connect American Jews with Israel, of demanding that that connection always equal full support of the Government of Israel? Will they question whether, in some cases, and especially now that we can see that the system in Israel is “deeply flawed,” Israel’s future depends on our being allowed to have our own opinions on Israel’s actions, being allowed to have a real debate in the American Jewish community?”
And what about those in politics who signed the ad, Jewish and non-Jewish!! In the near future, perhaps tomorrow, when the government of Israel undertakes a military action and sends Apache helicopters into the West Bank, Gaza or Lebanon and they are asked to sign another ad starting with the words “We Stand with Israel” that does not include a commitment to end the occupation and dismantle the settlements in the West Bank will THEY do some soul-searching self-criticism? Will they reexamine their overall approach to the strategic issues of how to connect with Israel? Will they accede to the demand that the connection always equals full support of the Government of Israel?
Thanks, Ron Fox, for adding your interesting and informative post to the discussion. Sadly, I fear that the organized/institutional Jewish community sets the agenda for debate about Israel and moves quickly to ensure that any public discussion that is not vigorously, unambivalently pro-Israel is tarnished as anti-Semitic or is marginalized as the views of a few on the “far left.” But we need to keep talking and working to make ourselves heard. I personally respond to any and all fundraising requests I get (from Hillel, the ADL, etc.,– God knows why I’m on their mailing lists but I am) with comments similar to the one I posted here as my RSVP. (I printed this post out and mailed it as hard copy to the Israel Bonds Dinner Committee in their RSVP envelope.) I do not delude myself that it does any good but at least I sleep a little better at night!
It does do good.
A few years ago, there was almost no public voice or forum for Jews who opposed the occupation and other Israeli policies. Organizations like Peace Now had lost membership and retreated in the wake of the failure of the Camp David Talks. AIPAC and the Conference of Presidents, representing a hardline position that was often to the right even of the Israeli leadership (remember they opposed the Gaza withdrawal) went largely unchallenged as the official spokespersons for American Jews.
That doesn’t mean all Jews signed on. The Jewish traditions of humanism, love of justice, and dissent from power are too strong for all of us to suddenly buy into an ideology of Jewish expansion that rationalizes the domination and displacement of another people; or to leave the half-truths that support that ideology unchallenged.
So the Jewish left slowly reconstituted. This took place at first in living rooms and listserves, on obscure websites and in small grassroots groups easily labeled as fringe organizations.
But we would not be quiet. We brought Israeli protesters to the U.S. on speaking tours. We posted dissenting views on forums, on blogs. We wrote letters like yours to Jewish organizations.
Look at the situation now. There are two major national groups, Brit Tzedek and Jewish Voice for Peace, opposing the occupation and criticizing discriminatory policies in Israel. There are several important and widely read new websites addressing these issues - Muzzlewatch, Realistic Dove, Mondoweiss, and of course Judaism and Israel, among others.
Now, when they quote pro-Israel groups, the media is regularly checking in with people like Richard Silverstein and Cecilie Susarski to get an opposing view.
And, what may be most important, the events of the past few years have largely proved us right in our critique of Israeli policy. We were right that unilateralism would fail to bring peace. We were right in our criticism of the Lebanon invasion. We were right in our rejection of Kadima.
We need to keep writing letters, keep blogging, keep organizing and speaking out. The left is gaining in strength and numbers.
The American Jewish voice matters tremendously in Mideast policy. It’s only a couple of years until the next administration. If we keep at it, I really believe we can influence American policy and, perhaps, help to make a just peace a reality in Israel and Palestine.
I’m glad to read your comment here, Steph. I was wondering how you got all that onto the RSVP card!!
I’m so happy there’s activity here again. And I can’t second Andrew’s sentiments strongly enough. A few short years ago, I remember that there was so much silence on this subject that we even wondered how many others were out there who shared our sentiments. The connections we’ve made because of this blog have strengthened us personally, and given us the courage to keep saying what has to be said.
Hi Andrew, Steffi and Rebecca
This reminds me of my Philosophy 101 class I took about 48 years ago - I agreed with Locke, Kant, Nietzsche, Machiavelli; i.e., thank you for your message, Steffi, your response, Andrew, and your encouragement, Rebecca.
I just posted a five part series on my site on the policies of the government of Israel that lead to house deomolitions - stuff from ICAHD, RHR and Btselem and some of my thoughts - here is a link to Part 1
http://judaismandisrael.blogspot.com/2007/05/israels-house-demolition-policies-part.html
and followed it up with this sequel to my “Israel Does Not Want Peace” post which is entitled entitled “Nor Does the US Government Want Peace” which includes such a powerful paragraph from Steffi’s RSVP.
http://judaismandisrael.blogspot.com/2007/05/nor-does-us-goverrnment-want-peace.html
NOR DOES THE US GOVERNMENT WANT PEACE
Today is Day 14,267 of the Maintenance of the Immoral (and Illegal) West Bank Settlements and almost the 40th anniversary of the start of the immoral (and illegal) occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.
Micah.6:8 “He has told you, O man, Only to do justice and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God
In a previous post I included an article from Haaretz entitled “Israel Doesn’t Want Peace” http://judaismandisrael.blogspot.com/2007/04/friday-13th-april-2007-israel-still.html in which the author says “But, time and time again, Israel avoids the most basic prerequisite for any just peace - an end to the occupation.”
Some of you may have read the previous 5 posts describing in detail the policies of the government of Israel that lead to the demolition of houses of Palestinians.
What astounds me is that while this is just one of the many ways in which the government of Israel treats in an inhumane way the Palestinians in the occupied territories, the government of the United States, now that it is for the first itme in six years, trying to bring “peace to the area” proposes something like it did recently, that the Palestinians must do this and that and the obligation of the government of Israel is limited to easing some travel restrictions. No wonder the United States has no credibility. How absurd and ridiculous it is to propose this!! While maintaining the occupation, the government of Israel is demolishing houses, uprooting olive trees, building settlements, allowing assaults and property destruction by “deluded” Jewish Israel squatters, developing a discriminatory road regine with humiliating road closures and check-points, routinely carrying out assassinations of “suspected criminals” rather than arresting and trying them, denying access to medical care and allocating water and other resources unfairly.
And the United States proposal is “If the Palestinians will stop being violent, the government of Israel may ease travel restrictions.”. The government of the United States would like to have criticized the Palestinians’ representatives for rejecting what they might have called a “generous offer” except that, according to the Boston Sunday Globe, May 6, 2007 “The Israeli government, beset by an internal crisis, had already poured cold water on Washington’s plan for steps that included Palestinian forces cracking down on rocket attacks and Israel easing travel restrictions.”
The reason that the United States is not seen as an “honest broker” is because it isn’t.
For a well thought out RSVP to an invitation to attend an Israel Bonds event, read the article by Stephanie Schamess at http://semitism.net/2007/05/04/an-rsvp-to-my-invitation-to-the-israel-bonds-dinner/ Here is an excerpt:
“I know many Israelis have been killed by suicide bombers. I know there are many in the Arab world who would like to see Israel cease to exist. I also know there are continual raids by the IDF into Palestinian homes, where fathers, brothers, sons are seized and imprisoned in Israeli prisons. I know too that there are targeted assassinations of presumed Palestinian “militants” occurring much more often than we hear about in the US papers. The occupation has created a cycle of retaliation and revenge that has gone on for 40 years now. But in this situation it is the Israelis who have the power. It is the Israelis who can move toward a political, not a military, response and eventual solution. It is the Israelis who can stop building settlements, who can make a different set of “facts on the ground” which might lead to a just and fair solution. I am not interested in a “peace” which is only a euphemism for “quiet”, for keeping the Palestinian rockets at bay, for keeping the suicide bombers out of Israel, for maintaining a veneer of false calm that enables Israelis to get on with their daily lives while the Palestinians continue to suffer economic hardships, daily humiliations, and erosion of their human rights. That kind of “peace” is not a just or fair solution.”
With arrogance, the Israel government persists in making life less secure for Israelis and escalates the violence and increases human suffering primarily for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. What has been the effect on Israelis? David Grossman, speaking at the memorial for Yithak Rabin in Tel Aviv on November 4, 2006, said “(I)n an amazingly short time, Israel has degenerated into heartlessness, real cruelty towards the weak, the poor, and the suffering. Israel displays indifference to the hungry, the elderly, the sick, and the handicapped, equanimity in the face of, for example, trafficking in women, or the exploitation of foreign workers in conditions of slave labor; and in the face of profound, institutionalized racism toward its Arab minority. When all this happens as if it were perfectly natural, without outrage and without protest, I begin to fear that even if peace comes tomorrow, even if we eventually return to some sort of normality, it may be too late to heal us completely” He went on to suggest that the Israeli government in thinking about the Palestinians “Look at them, just once, not through a rifle’s sights and not through a road block. You will see a people no less tortured than we are. A conquered, persecuted, hopeless people.”
The Israeli government looks for a military approach as a solution and the approach to make the country secure. How tragic that President Bush has adopted the Israeli Government approach with certainty that “we are good” and made it a major principle in his foreign policy. He does not consider those he opposes as simply “the other”. Iraq, North Korea and Iran became “evil”. Gen Richard Dannatt the head of the United Kingdom Army recently suggested that the occupation in Iraq only exacerbates the situation and that it was time to leave. Compare that to what can happen after a 38 year oppressive occupation.
Yitzah Frankenthan, founder of the Parents Circle - Families Forum, a grassroots organization of bereaved Palestinians and Israelis, said on July 27, 2002, “My beloved son Arik, my own flesh and blood, was murdered by Palestinians. The Palestinians … have been ready to make peace with us; it is we who are unwilling to make peace with them .. as an occupation force it is we who trample over human dignity, it is we who crush the liberty of Palestinians and it is we who push an entire nation to crazy acts of despair. Finally, I call on my brothers and sisters in the settlements – see what we have come to.”
In the same way we should call upon the government of Israel and the government of the United States - See what we have come to.
End the illegal and immoral occupation and dismantle the illegal and immoral settlements!
Deutoronomy 16:20 – “Justice, justice shall you pursue that you may live and inherit the land which God gave you” and the footnote in the 1980 Hertz Edition “(T)here is international justice, which demands respect for the personality of every national group, and proclaims that no people can of right be robbed of its national life or territory, its language or spiritual heritage.
Brava, Steffi.
Now *that’s* a “no”.
(And I love Micah 6:8)
:7)
Steffi, you need your own blog. I’ve read your posts here at Semitism.net, and they’re all winners. Let’s get cracking on this, Sis. (I also suspect that you may have more free time on your hands than does Andrew.)
And a couple of niggling points for you, Andrew:
(1) In your comment, the links to Muzzlewatch and Mondoweiss have invalid href values. (You didn’t generate these links using a *shudder* HTML editor, did you?) The correct coding is:
Muzzlewatch
<a href=”http://www.muzzlewatch.com/”>Muzzlewatch</a>
Mondoweiss
<a href=”http://www.philipweiss.org/”>Mondoweiss</a>
(N.B. www.philipweiss.com leads to a totally different site!)
(2) Cecilie’s last name is spelled Surasky (a helpful way to remember this is “7 letters in each name”).
Cheers,
Andy in New Orleans
Great reply! And these letters DO matter — all acts of resistance do matter, and, as Andrew so rightly pointed out, we are collectively making a big difference. I can hear the ice cracking — a sound which, if you’ve ever lived far enough north to really hear how miles of ice sound like thunder roaring when it breaks, you don’t forget. I just came back from the first national Jewish Voice for Peace conference, with people there from groups all across the U.S., and the excitement and sense of shared purpose was astounding. We have an analysis, we know we operate from a place of a real belief in justice, human rights, those parts of the Jewish ethical/universalist traditions that have sustained so many before us, and we know we are not alone.
Although the official JVP line, which I support, is that the organization takes no official stance on Zionism, therefore being a place where people with different relationships to the label/ideology can work together around what we have in common, there were also many many conversations calling into question the role of Zionist ideology, the history of Zionist thought and action, and the how these have shaped so much of the current disaster, including the sharply-increasing oppression of Palestinian citizens of Israel and persecution of Bashara. To be in a room with 100 people all asking the hard questions and willing to act on the answers would have been unbelievable to me just a few years ago.
Elliott batTzedek
Jewish Voice for Peace, Philadelphia
Thanks, Elliot, for the encouraging words. It is true that there are growing numbers of voices like yours, like mine and Andrew’s, and the others who write and comment on the posts here and in similar blogs. I hope we can all find ways of making ourselves heard — one on one as well as in groups: heard by those who are “on the fence,” or in denial, or just ignorant of what is really going on in Israel and the occupied territories. A good friend of mine, an intelligent and otherwise well-informed woman, when she heard me mention IDF soldiers with guns at the checkpoints, said, “Oh, I had no idea they had soldiers with guns there. I thought the checkpoints were sort of like toll booths here.” It does occur to me that not EVERYONE reads Haaretz every morning, or gets the articles emailed out from JVP, or reads the various left=wing blogs! I hope to continue to find creative ways of making the points I made in the RSVP and if even one or two Jews of my acquaintance has an epiphany as a result of something I’ve said or written, I’ll be very gratified! Meanwhile, keep up the good work that you and the others at JVP are doing.
Also thanks to Andy, for your complimentary comment. It’s nice to know that someone thinks I could actually have my own blog! But there are lots and lots of blogs out there, and frankly I’d rather share this space with Andrew, Brad Brooks-Rubin and any others who would like to contribute to an intelligent and thoughtful discussion of these issues. I am also pleased that the comments on this blog have (so far!) consistently addressed the issues presented in the posts; I find myself distressed at the name-calling and level of vitriol that Muzzlewatch and even Tikun Olam, both blogs which I highly respect, seem to have attracted. So I hope you keep coming back to semitism.net to read Andrew’s posts when he can do them, and mine when I have the time to supplement his entries and/or when I feel I have something that merits saying.
It is so clear from where Andrew’s great wisdom and humanity comes. Steff, your reply is a classic. I am going to make sure JVP Muzzlewatch gets it. Now, can you please just start the JVP Western Mass chapter already?
Hi Rebecca, Andrew, Rebecca, Andy, Howard, etc.
I am not one who could be considered a scholar of Judaism but, over the years, I have accumulated and compiled a number of quotes from teachings and writings that are consistent with what I think are the highest standards, or the core values, of Judaism.
In my most recent post,
http://judaismandisrael.blogspot.com/2007/05/pursuing-injustice-restricting-movement_14.html
I have attempted to apply some of them to the topic of the responsibility of the government of Israel for the poverty of the Palestinians and the connection with the settlements and the resulting restricting of movement of the Palestinians.
If you are willing to do so and have the opportunity, I would appreciate your reading the post and giving me your comments and suggestions – either by a comment after the post, or by adding a comment here or e-mailing me at admin@ronaldwfox.com.
I agree that Steffi should post directly.
Ron
http://judaismandisrael.blogspot.com
Those who count themselves part of the Jewish people identify with the struggles of the Jewish state, even when they’re wrong.
Those who stand on the side of anti-Zionism are self hating.
The American Council for Judaism agrees with steffi, but they are irrelevant.
If steffi would join forces with the Satmar hasidim who met with the benign leaders of Iran, peace would result. Ploughshares beaten.
Not investing in the state of Israel is no sin. However, removing yourself from the community and urging others to do so also eloquently articulates your core values which are hardly in the prophetic tradition.
To buffalo bill;
Obviously we don’t agree on this topic, but I do appreciate your taking the time to read this post and comment on it. My response to a few of your points follows:
You said: “Those who count themselves part of the Jewish people identify with the struggles of the Jewish state, even when they’re wrong.
Those who stand on the side of anti-Zionism are self hating.”
I FIND THE USE OF THE TERM “SELF HATING” MOST CURIOUS.(I REALIZE THAT IT’S A COMMONLY USED TERM SO THIS IS A GENERAL QUESTION, NOT DIRECTED SPECIFICALLY TO YOU.) WHY SHOULD A STANCE THAT QUESTIONS, NOT ZIONISM ITSELF BUT THE ACTIONS OF SOME ZIONISTS BE INDICATIVE OF SELF-HATRED? OR HATRED OF ONE’S “JEWISH” SELF? IF I WERE NOT FULLY COMMITTED TO AND IDENTIFIED AS A JEW, BELIEVE ME I WOULD NOT SPEND HOURS READING BLOGS AND FOLLOWING THE NEWS FROM ISRAEL VIA HAARETZ, YNET, THE FORWARD, ETC., NOT TO MENTION GOING TO SYNAGOGUE!
You said: “Not investing in the state of Israel is no sin. However, removing yourself from the community and urging others to do so also eloquently articulates your core values which are hardly in the prophetic tradition.”
THIS STATEMENT IMPLIES THAT “THE COMMUNITY” OF JEWS [AMERICAN AND ISRAELI] IS MONOLITHIC. WE SHOULD ONLY BE SO LUCKY: SURELY YOU KNOW THE OLD SAYING THAT IF YOU HAVE 5 JEWS IN A ROOM YOU HAVE 6 OPINIONS! WHAT I AM TRYING TO SAY IN THIS POST IS THAT MY IDENTIFICATION WITH “THE COMMUNITY” OF ISRAEL IS WITH THOSE IN THAT COMMUNITY WHO ARE WORKING, AGAINST GREAT ODDS AND OFTEN AT GREAT PERSONAL SACRIFICE, FOR PEACE, PEACE WITH JUSTICE. I DO INVEST IN ISRAEL; BUT NOT THE ISRAEL THAT RECEIVES THE MONEY FROM ISRAEL BONDS.
Hi Steffi
Below is the primary content of a post I just made on my Blog
Ron
Thank you, Steffi, for taking the time to read the article in my last post and for sending me your words of support and encouragement. I will continue to connect my criticism of the actions of the government of Israel to the writings and teachings of Judaism. There are many reasons why I believe such an approach is appropriate. For the moment I will just refer to one of them.
Often when a Jewish person criticizes the government of Israel, there is frequently a response from someone like the person who wrote to you yesterday, who, rather than trying to counter the basis for the criticism, resorts to simply leveling a personal attack on the critic by accusing him or her of “anti-Zionism” or of being “self-hating”.
For example, for many years testimony has been accumulated about the actions of the followers of Rabbi Moshe Levinger, the Jewish Israeli settlers in Hebron and how they have: assaulted and killed Palestinians, spit at and attacked aid workers, illegally taken houses, destroyed olive trees and stolen property. There is also much evidence of the failure of the Israel military forces and Civil Administration officers to bring criminal charges against these Jewish Israeli settlers.
While most of us would agree that what the Jewish Israeli settlers are doing violates human rights, civil rights and international law, neither this nor pointing out Yossi Beilin’s labeling of them as “deluded” and “crazies” is likely to be an effective response to those hurling these insults.
My approach is to refer to the Torah and other Judaic teachings such as:
“Thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbors by oppression and hast forgotten Me, saith the Lord God. Behold, therefore, I have smitten My hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made, and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee.” Ezekiel 22:12-13
“You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” Exodus 22:20-21
“ ‘ Love your neighbor as yourself. Leviticus 19:18’ This is the major principle of the Torah.” Rabbi Akiva
Micah 6:8 “He has told you, O man, Only to do justice and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God”
The only conclusion I can come to is that the Jewish Israeli settlers of Hebron are oppressors and they and the government of Israel, by supporting them, have betrayed these core values of Judaism as set forth in the prophetic traditions.
Every person has the right to support the government of Israel no matter how immoral its actions are. I would just suggest that they pause and give it some thought before defining the government of Israel as Judaism.
I am further confused by those who say that criticism of the government of Israel is “anti-Zionism”. First of all, I do not have a comprehensive definition of Zionism so I am not clear on the extent to which the actions of the government of Israel are consistent with Zionism. Second, calling a conclusion that the government of Israel has acted improperly anti-Zionism is about as appropriate as defining my opposition to the US invasion of Iraq as anti-US or anti-Democracy. If there is a need for labels why not refer to the acts of the government of Israel in this case as anti-Judaism and the criticism as pro-Judaism?
My love of and obligation to Judaism commands me, as a member of the Jewish community, not to condone the immorality of others even if it be the act of the government of Israel. “Self-hate”, in fact, would describe how I would feel if I kept silent about the oppression of others. Judaism demands that I pursue justice.
Ron
I am out here in Western Ma. and in complete agreement with Steffi. It is good to join in the dialogue. The more I read on this blog, the more I recognize my role as an elder/teacher and am affirmed in knowing that this is a responsibility I do not take lightly. In just one year I will take my “special needs” grandchild to Israel as he will be 13. No loving Judaic scholar in his small town was willing to take him on to educate him. His mother, my daughter, faced similar discrimination during her 12th year although the synagogue was happy to take my annual dues and “giving”. She is now an advisor to Hillel and runs the preschool for the JCC in her tiny town. That was when I walked from organized religion but not from my religion. My parents chose to become antisemitic Jews after a mishap with a child. My choice is different. I have worked hard and know I must work harder.
I guess what I am saying is that we must never give up our responsibility to continue to teach the next generation about human rights and dignity. All beings are entitled to the same things. And what about the forest…that is for another blog.
Next Generation -
I think I have seen this web design elsewhere?
Thanks for your comment. I agree wholeheartedly that “we must never give up our responsibility to continue to teach the next generation about human rights and dignity.” I imagine you’ve also read the posts from Brad Brooks-Rubin on this blog, in particular the one about taking his son to the playground in East Jerusalem (”My son’s answer to Palestinian textbooks”), as well as the others. Brad provides us all with very moving examples about how to instill values of human rights and dignity in the next generation, as you obviously strive to do with your grandchild. I hope when you take your grandson to Israel you will be able to expose him to both the truly wonderful aspects of that country and the passion and devotion it inspires in so many, while also helping him become aware of the ways in which Israel could be acting considerably more humanely toward its own Arab citizens and to the Palestinians living in the terrible conditions of the Occupation. I wish you well!