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In response to
"This is probably the framing of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict I most agree with so far. -- (link)"
by
znufrii, vice president
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I haven't really posted about this here because I'm finding all of this very painful and difficult to deal with (and I think many Jews are finding the
Posted by
pmb (aka pmb)
Oct 29 '23, 13:18
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same). What's happening in Israel and Gaza is horrible in a myriad of ways and is affecting me, my family and our Jewish friends in ways that I don't really think people who are not Jewish (or have not at least visited Israel) don't fully understand. And the way it is being framed in this country, especially by those we consider allies in political thought, is deeply disturbing and distressing in ways I don't think many others fully understand. This article hits on some of it.
First, I (and virtually all of my Jewish friends and family) despise Netanyahu (he is smarter version of Trump). We disagree with the settlements in the West Bank and the conditions in the Palestinian territories. But, there is a context for all of this that is seemingly completely ignored and/or forgotten. First, the mistaken view of Jews /Israelis as colonizers (as described in the article), but secondly the history of the country and endless terrorist attacks that they have suffered from the Palestinian territories as well as attacks from surrounding countries. Israel is a tiny country with a population of just slightly more than NYC. And these events are not part of some distant past. There are still holocaust survivors there. People who fought in wars to protect from attacks from all sides. People who have seen or have direct losses from terrorist attacks. Imagine 9/11 happening repeatedly for decades and that may give you some sense of it. Troops walk around the cities with machine guns all the time. When I was there we visited a town near the territories. Every home is required to have a bomb shelter. Bus stops are bomb shelters. We visited a playground that is inside a bomb shelter. When the siren goes off you have 45 seconds to get to a shelter. 95% of the residents suffer from PTSD. So aside from generational trauma, you have people that have been directly repeatedly traumatized.
And yet, what is still forgotten is that Israel tried repeatedly to forge peace. To have a two state solution that at one point included sharing Jerusalem. It was turned down. And there was never a party on the other side that could hold up any side of a deal. No guarantees of protection against attacks. No other surrounding countries (all predominantly Muslim) offering to help or take on any of the Palestinian people. Just constant attacks.
All of this is part of what led to a guy like Netanyahu. Even though the majority of Israelis support peace and a two state solution, like here, a president was able to forge a new set of allies just big enough to result in a minority controlling the majority. But in response to Pixie's comment about Biden embracing Netanyahu, what choice does he have. He is the prime minister of that country and like him or not, the country was attacked again.
All of that is not to say that I condone the damage being done here to Gaza. I don't. I would like to see more humanitarian support, more time to move civilians out. I don't even really want to see the attacks continue, but then what. Just rebuild and get attacked again? I fear like others (and as described in the article) that actually getting rid of Hamas is unlikely. That the costs outweigh the benefit, but why is Israel bearing all the blame for that? Isn't it Hamas who is using the people as human shields and pawns to frame the war the way they want? Where are the other middle eastern countries in trying to deal with Hamas if they want the people protected. Iran is orchestrating all of this and most of the rest of the Mideast knows it, doesn't like it and yet stays silent.
Which brings us home. Here. I have a niece that came home from college last week because she was overwhelmed by constant anti-Israeli and frankly antisemitic attacks at here school. My daughter has talked to me about being overwhelmed by her equally liberal friends having no regard for her feelings and unwilling to listen to any counter to the colonizer framing. My kids former Jewish grade school had bomb threats last week. I have experienced antisemitism many times in my life, but never felt as threatened by it as I do now. I don't think people understand that the "from the river to the sea" chants are like white people marching through the streets of black neighborhoods with confederate flags.
I have no answers. I feel for the Palestinian people. I despise the Israeli government. But Israel has a right to protect itself and it's on an island surrounded by people who have wanted them gone and have tried to make that happen. Repeatedly traumatized. Most Jews you know have family there (I have distant relatives that I barely know, but one of them was at that music festival (though she managed to escape)). All I'm really trying to say is try to be sensitive those issues when you talk to your Jewish friends or are around others that may be Jewish. We're having a tough time. Sorry for the lengthy post and thanks for listening.
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