israel as a jewish state

I was reading this op-ed, and I wanted to point out that the writer is simply wrong about a certain point. He claims that:

They [the Palestinians] recognize the State of Israel’s right to exist, on condition that it does not define itself as the Jewish people’s national home.

Actually, my understanding is that the Palestinians have never said anything about how Israel defines itself, rather they argue that they should not have to accept it as a Jewish State in order to speak with them. Egypt didn't have to, Jordan didn't either. In fact, would you personally refuse to speak with someone because they didn't explicitly declare your personal identity?

There is much more I could say about this article, but I will leave it at that. Expect a new blog, a new voice, and a new format entirely. New adventures, new attitudes, new kind of crazy.

hungry arabs

I had never seen a truly hungry Arab until I went to Hebron. But then again, I've never been to the Gaza Strip. In my incensed and frantic search for more and more reactions to the Israeli raid on the Freedom Flotilla in international waters, I found this blog that does a great job of showing how starved the people of Gaza are:

In order to prove that there is no humanitarian crisis, Israel's government boasted that since the beginning of this current year, it magnanimously allowed 24,302 tons of fruit, 14,879 tons of flour and 600 tons of meat into the Gaza strip (all tons metric). Divided by 150 days and by 1.5 million people, that works out to 108 grams (4 oz) of fruit, 66 grams (2.25 oz) of flour and 2 whole grams (less than an eighth of an ounce) of meat per person, per day. But Israel hopes you won't do the math.

Maybe that's not the exact diet of every Gazan. I understand that some people in Gaza have more food than others and that the aid doesn't necessarily go to every individual because the "rich" ones get stuff from the tunnels (probably not for long) or whatever their source is. But then again, there are probably plenty of Gazans who never see even that food. A humanitarian crisis shouldn't be defined by how many people are dying, rather how many are starving. To me it seems like a sick Mengele-esque caloric restriction experiment, and I will have none of that done in the name of Judaism.

So one of the world's most advanced militaries decides it a good idea to drop just a few soldiers onto a boat of many more civilians, oh, in international waters. Did they expect the people on board to just put their hands up, "Oh, you guys got us! Sorry." Let me try to think what I would do if I were in a boat that was boarded via helicopter and rope by soldiers--armed to the teeth--that were sent to disable our mission in the middle of the night. Oh right! I would panic! Could the Israeli intelligentsia and military leaders not come up with a less explosive plan?

I had been following the status of the Freedom Flotilla for a few weeks now, and I thought that just maybe they might even get to Gaza. If they didn't, I had more faith in Israel than to think they would send a military operation to forcibly* take over the boats. I was wrong.

--Abraham



*Tell me they were defending themselves and I will agree, those soldiers were defending themselves in that situation, fine, but they were sent into that situation by the Israeli government, into a trap. What country uses an elite military unit to stop a civilian protest that was transferring food, medicine, and other aid to a gigantic population of people that are deprived of access to sustenance? Surely not the "only democracy" in the Middle East?

McCarthyism in Israel is Misread in America

I read my local Jewish newspaper to get a sense of the community in which I will be reentering next year in Philadelphia. I plan to be very engaged in our new local J Street chapter in addition to whatever else I find to be an important step in getting American Jews to become better informed about what happens in Israel.


But this is what they see.

I see that I have a big challenge ahead of me. In this particular article, Leslie Susser--whom I look forward to meeting one day, should I get the opportunity to discuss this article with her--creates a parallel between the New Israel Fund and Im Tirtzu. Excuse me?!

Without too much negative ranting about the latter organization, which Gideon Levy so adequately criticizes in his own op-ed, it's easy to see what kind of group this is from their own description. A "centrist group" that argues that "the Oslo Accords led to the shattering of the dream of the Greater Land of Israel." Is a prolonged occupation of millions of disenfranchised Palestinians one of the examples of the "justice" that they seek to return to Israeli national identity?

And calling out the NIF, specifically their president Naomi Chazan, is outrageous. The NIF provides funding to grass-roots organizations for humanitarian purposes, and they actually don't discriminate! This is rare in Israel, that an organization will support groups that look to better the standards of living for a certain group, even if that group is not satisfied with the ruling regime. Hell, some of these groups are flat out against the State of Israel--as many of them have not had the best time under the rule of the Knesset for the past 60-some years. But the NIF supports groups with values of democracy, including freedom of speech.

Now, that photograph above shows Im Tirtzu protesters "dressed as Arabs"--who obviously all dress like that "terrorist" in the foreground--and displaying horned caricatures of Naomi Chazan, one of the most noble of Jewish footsoldiers for peace. And Leslie Susser has the nerve to ask in the headline if the NIF is "destroying democracy."

If I had clicked on that link, seen the headline, and saw the picture, without having much knowledge about the NIF, I would probably make the following conclusion: the NIF is an Israeli group that supports terror organizations and organizations that wish to subvert the state. The problem is that mainstream American Jews read these articles without a backstory, and it is very difficult to become truly educated about who the involved parties are when Leslie Susser gives an even hand to hawkish McCarthyists and non-profit heroes.

jewish terrorist

For 12 years he's been acting, and alone, and nobody stopped him until now. He even confessed to killing two men and was dismissed because of lack of evidence. It seems that every headline in Ha'aretz. I think that the only "positive" things I can get from this are that in both English and Hebrew they are calling him a terrorist, yes, a terrorist and not just a serial killer or a hate criminal, even though he's Jewish... oh, and that even the spokespeople for the settlement movement condemn his activities:

Acts of the kind allegedly committed by Yaakov Teitel are grave, prohibited and unacceptable. The security forces should be congratulated for discovering him.

So said Danny Dayan, chairman of the Yesha Council. But discovered now? After 12 years? Perhaps these so-called security forces should be investigated for bias. I highlighted some other words in that quote that really tell it all. Allegedly, because his proud confessions and the 12-year-long file of his crimes are still not enough evidence to really say...

This situation is just one of the many disgusting stories that we hear from Tales of the Occupation. I hope my next post can be a little more uplifting. After all, there is one less terrorist standing in the way of peace now that this guy's all found out.

washington, jon stewart hold peace conferences

The same test being applied to Obama is now being applied to the American Jewish community. This past weekend, I was fortunate to be able to attend the first national J Street Conference in Washington, DC. There, I saw an amplification of the activists that I got to meet in Nazareth at the New Israel Fund board meeting back in June. Many of the same people were there, but they brought all of their friends and colleagues with them this time. In addition, there were hundreds of students who feel similarly about the conflict and a need to end it, as it's time. This event marked a turning point in the American Jewish rhetoric, with the masses to back it despite others' fears and criticisms leading up to the event. They should be afraid; no longer can the American Jewish community sit around and watch a minority feed its agenda to Washington, perpetuating the situation in the Middle East. Peace is security; force, occupation, and military might are not.

The atmosphere in the conference was slightly euphoric, optimistic, and--yes, even--realistic. It went like this: these are the facts, this is the situation, this is the way out, take it or leave it. I attended presentations about the settlements and their being an obstacle to the peace process, Palestinian economic empowerment, civil society in Israel and Palestine and how they use social change to bring communities closer to peace and stability, and other panels dealing with relevant activities and issues. There were great speakers, among them being Daniel Sokatch, the new CEO of the New Israel Fund. I had the pleasure of meeting him, and in our short conversation I told him what an incredible position he had and how important his job was, wishing him the best of luck. His reply? "It will be your job in 10 years or so!" Insha'allah. Overall, I felt very positive about the message and the goals of the conference, and one of the most interesting aspects was that while the vast majority of the participants were American Jews, there were quite a few Christians and Muslims from all over the world, including Arab states. It's great to see that these efforts at changing the attitude of Jews in the US and policies in Washington are appreciated by members of the Palestinian community.

***

In addition to this, I read an article on a blog that I frequent and I invite you all to read, The Black Iris of Jordan, containing video of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart in which he holds his own peace conference with an American Jewish woman, Anna Baltzer, and a Palestinian, Dr. Mustafa Barghouti--both non-violent peace and human rights activists. I encourage you to watch the videos posted in the link, obviously. The only thing that made me a bit uncomfortable was Baltzer's praise of the boycott initiative as a non-violent struggle for Palestine. I feel that a boycott of Israel is a serious threat to Palestine, seeing as how over a million Palestinians are Israeli citizens and many products in the West Bank (not sure about Gaza, but I would imagine the same is true) come from Israel. A boycott of Israel would make the already difficult lives of Palestinians even more difficult. I had a discussion about this exact sentiment with Palestinians and Americans at the J Street Conference the other day, as a matter of fact.

***

Yes, the general trend in America these days is to oppose shying away from our discomfort with political decisions that perpetuate instability and injustice in the world. We, as a community and hopefully as a government, are confronting our evil policies in Iraq and Afghanistan. And we are confronting our unfair and blind support for Israel and its cruelties towards Palestine and the Palestinian people. While there are many people working towards such positive progress in Israeli society, I wish I could see a corresponding trend that would bring that society toward a unanimous and genuine peace process. Still, unfortunately, I do not see that kind of thing sweeping Israeli society anytime soon.

Peace שלום سلام,

Abraham

jim jones

I'd like to direct your attention to this speech at the J Street Conference by Jim Jones, unfortunately with a name too similar to this Jim Jones, but more importantly to the comments below it. It's incredible that there are very limited angry comments or sweeping blows at J Street as an organization. Maybe I'm reading the comments too early though because the count is only at 16 so far. Either way, it's good to see some positive responses to the J Street success in Washington this week. Upwards of 1,500 participants to their first national conference, myself being just one of them. Much more to come, photos and stories, once I get a free moment. Until then, enjoy the article.

the doctor but not the king

Recently, Brandeis had the opportunity to host Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish (which I would rather spell as izz ad-din abu el 3ish, but this is how he spells it in English). You may have heard about him, especially about the tragic story of how he lost his three daughters during the war in Gaza earlier this year. His message remains hopeful, which is highly respect-worthy in light of his tragic losses and the difficulties he must have faced in living through that war and being affected by it so personally, as many people in Gaza have.

He spoke of his "roadmap to humanity." He made it very clear that this "map is not territory" and even stuck his neck out to say that he did not see Palestinian statehood as the priority. In crediting the King, he declared, "I have a dream that my four children will live securely and peacefully." Unfortunately, not all of his children lived to see his dream come to fruition, and I felt very strongly for him.

Dr. Abuelaish also presented some very biting criticism of the PA, as I think it deserves, indicating that the Palestinian people are a victim of their government and that he hopes "a time will come that we admit that we are responsible," when referring to Palestinians taking their fate into their own hands and not leave it in the hands of those who have managed to gain power from the current situation and its vulnerabilities.

Why am I bringing this up, is it just to tell you that I saw him? No. It's because something did not sit right with me about the presentation. This man is going on a tour with Brit Tzedek v'Shalom, a progressive Jewish-American organization, visiting dozens of synagogues across the states and I believe Canada (and Brandeis). What concerns me most is that his message is exactly what undecided and mainstream Jews want to hear:

I am from Gaza, and I am a real person to whom you can relate. I am educated, and I am a leader in my community. I believe in peace, but the Palestinian people are not ready for a state.

What is wrong with this statement? Well, I have news for you, but the two-state solution is the easiest way to end the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip at this point, and it may be the only option for Israel if it wishes to survive in its current form. The logistics of it are complex, of course, but if American Jews, prominent in their communities, hear from an educated Palestinian from Gaza whom they assume to be a leader of his community that the state is unimportant, they can cause much harm.

I understand that to most Palestinians their instincts tell them to protect their children, wish for a safe environment in which their children can thrive and have opportunities like children in all free peoples of the world. But they cannot right now, and the occupation is a large contributor to that harsh reality. The two-state solution is the most widely accepted platform to which Americans can subscribe that will end this occupation.

I understand that it is not the ultimate goal of many Palestinians in addition to others who advocate for a one-state solution in which all of the people in Israel and Palestine can participate in a national government that encompasses everyone's historical and cultural connection as a solution to the neverending story of the conflict. However, never before have these two nations been more separated in every realm of life. Children don't know each other but "know" all about each other. Young adults, Jewish and Arab, have recently experienced two wars that pitted Jews and Arabs against each other once again.

Look, the one-state solution is a beautiful thing in a world that does not exist. These people don't know each other and are not about to have a meet-and-greet at the first assembly of the Isratinian Congress. On a microscale, these things happen. On a national scale, no. Israel needs to make peace with any Palestine and remove all of the sources of hatred from Occupied Palestinian daily life.

...

Meanwhile, here I am at the J Street Conference. I have met Jews, Christians, and Muslims all dedicated to understanding and engaging this issue in an honest and open way. Much more to come after the conference. Stay tuned, and do me a favor, send this blog to 3 or 4 friends you think may be interested in what I'm writing here. While I cannot thank my followers enough for being so faithful and dedicated to reading these posts, I feel that I can reach more people and open up broader dialog. All feedback is always welcome!