I am ashamed
December 16th, 2008I was very glad to find this article yesterday in Ha’aretz. Finally someone else than only me says what I’ve been thinking for a long time already: We Jews and Israelis ask the whole world to “never forget”, to learn a lesson from the past, from the Holocaust. But in fact, WE, ourselves – Jews and Israelis – have NOT LEARNED THE LESSON we’re asking others to learn. Not all of us – of course – there is never a “everybody thinks and acts the same way”, one can never put everyone into the same pot, anywhere!
The message of the article still stands:
Since then, I have watched on television as young Jews in Hebron assaulted their neighbors, including defenseless families – vandalizing property, destroying, burning and defacing sites holy to others. And my words in Bern are ringing in my ears. I told myself: I, too, am keeping silent. And I was ashamed.
Therefore, I am breaking my silence. Because I believe that the individual is also obligated to make his voice heard – his personal voice, not a political voice – in order to warn against atrocity. I will not be drawn into the unnecessary debate over whether there was or was not a “pogrom” in Hebron, because what happened in Europe in the past cannot be likened to anything; it has no parallel in human history. The lawbreakers’ use of similar terms against our security forces is also an unforgiveable crime.
It is not only the world that must learn the lessons; so must we. Every one of us. Including myself. And I must do so honestly, publicly. To tell the public what I have held back for so long.
I am ashamed of my silence. I saw the uprooting of olive trees, the overturning of market stalls, the attacks on property, and sometimes on innocent people, and I kept silent. I heard the words of incitement, I identified the messages and I was ashamed, but I kept silent.
The 20th century proved that words can become a strategic weapon that threatens the entire world, I said in Bern. It is a weapon that our enemies still use against us today. It has been proven that incitement always precedes action – that in a place where one can say anything, one can also do anything. The actions were preceded by brainwashing: statements that planted messages masquerading as ideology, in the name of which everything is permissible, in the hearts of young people trying to find their way. That is how they silenced the voice of conscience. And these young people unhesitatingly perpetrated ruthless deeds.
Here’s a link to the full article.
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As an Israeli American, I think every Jewish American and Israeli leader needs to speak out against the settlers. I even know some right wing American Jews that hate the settlers. The settlers need to be criticized and isolated. The settlers themselves no longer view the State of Israel as their state. The settlers aren’t proud of Israel and Israel should not be proud of the settlers. The union between Israel and the settlers need to be severed.
One neo-con friend of mine said that Israel should just withdraw to the determined borders after a peace deal is signed and let the settlers face the judgment of the Palestinians. It might be cruel and irresponsible but some of these settlers are just out of their minds.
If settles want to live in that land, that is fine. When the two state solution goes into effect they can be part of the palestinian state (I think the likeliness of a bi-national state is close to nill at this point). It will be the palestinian government’s responsibility to ensure they do not face persecution. In fact, from a coexistence perspective it would be better to have arabs and Jews scattered about the land as opposed to concentrated in their own areas Both states should have Jews and Arabs within them so they are forced to get along. If we create two ethnically homogenous states in an already tense region, when we are asking for trouble.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1047895.html
Read this too
that’s also my idea, but will those settlers ever accept to live under the laws of a Palestinean state & on the other hand: will a Palestinean State ever allow Jews to live as citizens in their country? – I doubt it. – Remember the expulsion of about 800.000 Jews out of Arabic countries, who lived there since centuries. – Does any Jew live in Gaza or would he survive if he would live there? – I deeply doubt it!
Well as much as I love Israel, I also see the behaviour of those extreme settlers as disgusting & to be blamed – Truth is a 2-sided sword, which should always first judge the own side with the same kind of rule, like it judges the opponent side
Fault lies on both sides, only if these fools would just grow the fuck up and get on with their lives.
Hi Eva, happy Hanukah by the way:) Both parties need to participate when the conflict is going to be uprooted forever, both people need joining forces in an effort to say no to the conflict, I think Jina makes sense, the blame could not go all to one side, and the blessing would be shared between all the ones who wholeheartedly jojn the cause to uproot the problems, and Middle East should support that. As to the borders and who will stay where, it is all upto people of the land to decide, how would we know what is best, we pray
The everyday costs of war in Israel-Palestine are indeed immense:
Has anybody heard that Strategic Foresight Group, a political think tank based in Bombay will release its latest report “The Cost of Conflict in the Middle East”in January 2009.
The Report analyzes the human, military, political, economic, social and environmental costs of conflict among others, using 97 parameters.
You can find excerpts of the COCME report on http://www.strategicforesight.com
Ginanjali,
Great books, I wish I could purchase from Iran, it is not possible for now, our G-dfathers need to check and all that, but you can tell with what the website shows and the table of contents that a group of people there have tried systematically to reflect the problems we have in teh Middle East and that is honorable.
Thank you Eva for your post and the good points you’ve raised. I think as a muslim, i am ashamed too, bcs muslims and their governments are silent too when they see people suffering. I am sure God will send down bad muslims to hell first.
BTW, there is something i read in comments that i can not get it. I’d never seen that they call other people of a country who have lived there for centuries as “settlers”! What’s this word? It’s too much Racism!
It happens that many americans also are not proud of their country for the misseries it brought for Iraqis and Afghans or just Americans due to awful economic. But they’re considered as American. It happens that there are many Desis in UK or Canada and they call themselves Canadian or British even if their fathers were from Pakistan or India.
This wrong view and prejudice to other people is the reason that we have big wars and trouble issues in our world. While our lifestyle is getting more and more modern, we’re getting more and more backward.
It’s also shameful..
Hi all!
I apologize for replying so late. I agree with most of what all of you said. Just a few remarks to some comments..
I never hear/heard someone saying this here – except for myself! I completely agree with that and don’t understand why Israel has to forcefully “evacuate” these settlers at all. It would be enough, in my view, to tell them: “We’re leaving in 6 month. If you want to stay, fine with us. If you want to leave, you’ll get a new house inside of Israel.” – I’m told that to leave them “behind” would be cruel… Indeed! But why not just give them a choice instead of “forcing” them out??
To Heimo:
It might not be as easy as I’ve heard Palestinians say many times: “If they want to stay, they are welcome, as citizens of a Palestinian State” – But yes, theoretically it would/will be possible – only that I don’t “see” exactly these people stay… And concerning Gaza – there are Jews living in Gaza.. How many? I don’t know – but some, I’m totally sure about it, having heard it from my closest Gazan friend (who speaks Hebrew, btw.)
And Wladimir – thanks for the link!! I know these things “oh-too-well” – but it’s good for others to know it as well!
good to hear this!
I’m surprized, I was convinced by all I hear & heard about the situation between Israel & Hamas-lead Gaza, that this would be meanwhile impossible. – But conviction is not always the truth – I always accept getting corrected in facts I don’t know already – (& now I’ll start googling for some more information about Jews living in Gaza – not that google reveals everything)
It is really sad to hear about the current clashes, it is enough to make one feel hopeless about the things we assume would one day replace the current state of affairs over the Middle East. The change is a gradual process, one should really try to focus on very far fetching ideals to handle the situation and keep being motivated for calling for peace. Having faith in G-d and his encompassing power over the people might make one try to keep faith in that one day that might arive and people not shooting people in our region. Amen
Eva, you are brave and wise. Thank you.