I immigrated to this country 12 years ago, as an adult, with 2 babies. I did it for “Zionist” reasons - not to “settle the land” beyond the Green Line, but because I wanted to live in a Jewish environment and saw many advantages in living here, concerning this goal.

So, for ten years I lived here as a completely “regular” Israeli, having doubts about my governments policies, but no big contestation or no big questioning. Essentially I believed what most Israelis believe: That we were “only” defending ourselves against Arab/Palestinians aggressions. That our army was doing it’s best to be “human”, despite all the adversity and all the atrocities committed by the enemy. That our Secret Service was here to protect us (Israelis) and doing it’s best as well to be as “human” as possible.

I was proven wrong.

By whom?
By the Secret Service itself.

I cannot enter in detail into what happened to me in a completely surprising and unexpected way - you’ll have to take my word for what I say about this.

On a bright summer morning in June 2006, I woke up unusually early, and more unusually, I got up and went straight to my computer. From one minute to another (actually it took about half an hour) I, who until then was a completely “innocent”, “naive” and good willing Israeli mother, was thrown right into the middle of the conflict in a way that very few people are able to grasp.

I did nothing wrong, nothing at all. In my own eyes - and in the eyes of all those who know about it - what I did was something I just had to do and was good for both sides (not kidding).

What I had found on my computer made me see immense humanity in my “enemy”. This has forever changed my life. I did a lot of personal inquiry about who and how and why - sometimes even in anger, because this event has had many very serious and very unpleasant consequences for me. Nevertheless, I’m forever thankful for what happened - it made me see the deepest humanity I ever saw in my life - except for history books and accounts of events that didn’t touch me directly.

Naturally I was questionned how and why and so on - how I came into this position - and truly, I was warmly thanked for the tiny little thing I had done, that finally didn’t matter very much in the course of history. Yet, I was told that my action had been good and courageous.

Fine - but what happened next was that my privacy was violated completely and the real “thank you” was nothing but abuse.

It was then that I realized that “something was wrong”: That if I, the perfect Zionist Israeli citzen, was “thanked” in such an abusive way (although what I received as “abuse” was tiny compared to what Palestinians usually get), how must it be for a Palestinian “suspect”?

It was then that I began to investigate and have a closer look into what was going on, as I call it “on the other side of the Wall”.

This was more than 2 years ago. I slowly got in contact with “real Palestinians” - meaning that I met and talked to Israeli Arabs and Palestinians and learned to understand their perception, their feelings and what actually was “going on” on their side.

I found out that Palestinians where not the “devils” as they are seen in mainstream Israeli minds. I naively thought that by telling my friends and colleagues about my “discovery” I would bring them “good news”.

The complete opposite happened.

While these people had known me for 10 years, liked/loved me and trusted me, in very little time I was categorized as “crazy”, “manipulated” and the like. Most friends dropped me completely. One of my bosses, a very educated and intelligent man, officially left-wing, told me (I quote, because I’ll never forget that sentence!!): “But Eva, what happened to you? A normal Israeli doesn’t know any Arabs!”

In the meantime I have learned that indeed, I’m not “normal” any more.

About 95% of all Jewish Israelis never talked (deeply and on a basis of mutal respect) to any Palestinians in their whole life. Palestinians almost don’t exist in the life of “regular” Israelis. “They” are somewhere - in Gaza, in Jenin - just thinking of how best to kill us. I’m barely exaggerating - I’m talking about what “regular” Israelis think. (I’ve written a report about this matter, called “From Jerusalem to Auschwitz”).

Yet, as Israeli living where I do, I am subjected to exactly the same conditions as all my Israeli neighbors. Terrorist do not distinguish between a “good Israeli” or a “bad Israeli” when they’re out to kill.

I, my husband and my children travel on public busses in Jerusalem every day. We go to malls, we go to the pedestrian streets, we go to movies - we live here, every single day. Many people I know have bought cars just to avoid to take busses. I never could afford a car, and will not be able to buy one in the near future.

My and my husbands bus line goes through ALL the main and “favorite” spots for terrorist attacks. Even the next to last “bulldozer attack” was on a bus station I use many times. It’s been more than once that I’ve (Thank God!) escaped a bombing by a minute - once it was not more than 30 seconds. Our bus left the station at French Hill station, moved away, and right behind us, a young woman blew herself up in the remaining crowd.

French Hill Junction has been the target of at least 15 attacks in the 12 years I’ve been living here, and I have to go with my bus line EVERY DAY through that junction.

The father of a friend of mine was killed in a bus bombing at French Hill Junction in exactly MY bus line - the one I need to take to get to town at all. My bus goes through Jaffa road, through the spots where 4 busses have been blown up within a few weeks in 1996. My bus passes Machane Yehuda Market, where I often stop to do some shopping.

If I would make a list of people I know who have been killed or wounded in such attacks, and of friends of friends I know very well, this list would be long.

In not many years, my two children will have to join the army. I would love to stop this war as soon as possible. I would say that I would love to stop it “yesterday”.

So - when someone on mepeace or anywhere else tells me that in claiming for basic Justice for Palestinians to obtain the Peace (means non-violence) that Israelis need I’m inciting and calling for War, I slightly get “mad” (sometimes ).

In these two years of investigating what is going on “on the other side of the Wall”, I’ve seen too many almost unbelievable abuses of basic rights of civilians (not “fighters” in any way). I’ve learned about incredible injustices, witnessed never imagined racism and more and more.

While I can’t judge what has been done or not in the past - I admit that this whole issue is way to complex and complicated to come to any clear conclusion - I can see what is going on now.

And whatever others say or believe - and while I am totally aware of Quassams falling on Sderot and all other violences committed - even among Palestinians themselves - I came to the conclusion that there is - now - a very clear inequality of power.

That - now, at present - there is, as someone said in a discussion, a bully and a victim, that there is an abuser and an abused. The abuser may have all the reasons in the world for having become what he is - he’s still an abuser.

I believe that Israel is the “one” in power - much more in power than Palestinians. That Israel must do the first step to stop this completely inequal situation. That the human rights abuses must stop. That justice and basic rights for Palestinian civilians must be restored.

I never claimed that Israel should stop to defend itself against real aggressions, but it must stop to aggress those who do NOT aggress us.

There is extremely little knowledge within the Israeli public about what is “really” going on on “the other side of the Wall”. As I said before, only about 5% of all Israelis ever had any serious contact with a Palestinian. (I’m quoting Gershon Baskin from his introduction to the first IPCRI work-shop I attended).

CO Udi Nir sentenced to 21 days in military prison

- Please distribute widely -

Dear Friends,

CO Udi Nir, 19, from the Tel-Aviv suburb of Hertzlia, has been sentenced yesterday (20 Aug. ) to 21 days in military prison.

Udi Nir is the first conscientious objector to be imprisoned among a new group of high school seniors, who signed a collective declaration of refusal to serve in the Israeli army of occupation. He has been called up to enlist this Monday, 18 Aug., but planned to delay his imprisonment (technically - by going AWOL) to join other signatories of the letter. This intention, however, was noted by the press (Udi appeared in a TV feature and a negative newspaper feature over the weekend). This resulted in what was arguably the quickest operation of its sort in Israel’s history. On Tuesday, one day after he has not showed up at the Induction Base, Udi Nir was arrested by civilian police (itself an unprecedented move), and was subsequently given a conditional sentence of 6 days in prison. The following day he was again tried, this time for refusing an order to enlist, and was sentenced to 21 days in prison.

A small demonstration to protest Udi’s imprisonment was organised by other members of the high school seniors group (see images below), and has received some media coverage.

In a brief statement made on the day of his arrest, Udi Nir said:

I cannot take part in the activities of an occupying army, which constantly violates human rights. As an Israeli citizen and as an adolescent liable for enlistment I feel a sense of extensive responsibility for the cycle of violence and for all the choices I am making. It is out of this sense of responsibility that I refuse to enter the cycle of bloodshed and to add fuel to the fire of hatred raging here. I refuse to enlist into an occupying army so that I will not lend my own hand to the occupation and to acts that contradict my most basic values: human rights, democracy and the personal responsibility each and every human being bears towards fellow human beings.

Udi’s full declaration of refusal, sent in a letter to the Minister of Defence, can be read here.

Udi’s intention is to refuse to wear a military uniform in prison, which means he would be, or has already been, transferred to the Isolation Ward of the prison. He is due to be released from prison on 7 Sept. and is very likely to be imprisoned again several times after his release.
His prison address is:

Udi Nir
Military ID 6022372
Military Prison No. 6
Military Postal Code 01860, IDF
Israel
Fax: ++972-4-9540580

Since the prison authorities often block mail from reaching imprisoned objectors, we also recommend you to send your letters of support and encouragement to Udi via e-mail to shministim@gmail.com, and they will be printed out and delivered to him during visits.
In addition, you may want to follow some of our recommendations for action below.

Recommended Action

First of all, please circulate this message and the information contained in it as widely as possible, not only through e-mail, but also on websites, conventional media, by word of mouth, etc.

Other recommendations for action:

1. Sending Letters of Support

Please send Udi letters of support (preferably postcards or by fax) to the prison address above.

2. Letters to Authorities

It is recommended to send letters of protest on Udi’s behalf, preferably by fax, to:

Mr. Ehud Barak,
Minister of Defence, Ministry of Defence,
37 Kaplan St.,
Tel-Aviv 61909 - Israel
E-mail: sar@mod.gov.il or pniot@mod.gov.il
Fax: ++972-3-696-27-57 / ++972-3-691-69-40 / ++972-3-691-79-15

The War Resisters’ International set up a web-based mailing service, through which you can send a standard e-mail letter (with added comments) to the Israeli Minister of Defence on Udi’ behalf. The form is available on the WRI website

Copies of your letters can also be sent to the commander of the military prison at:

Commander of Military Prison No. 6,
Military Prison No. 6,
Military postal number 01860, IDF
Israel
Fax: ++972-4-9540580

Another useful address for sending copies would be the Military Attorney General:

Avichai Mandelblit,
Chief Military Attorney
Military postal code 9605, IDF
Israel
Fax: ++972-3-569-43-70

It would be especially useful to send your appeals to the Commander of the Induction Base in Tel-HaShomer. It is this officer that ultimately decides whether an objector is to be exempted from military service or sent to another round in prison, and it is the same officer who is ultimately in charge of the military Conscience Committee:

Gadi Agmon,
Commander of Induction Base,
Meitav, Tel-HaShomer
Military Postal Code 02718, IDF
Israel.
Fax: ++972-3-737-60-52

For those of you who live outside Israel, it would be very effective to send protests to your local Israeli embassy. You can find the address of your local embassy on the web.
Here is a sample letter, which you can use, or better adapt, in sending appeals to authorities on the prisoners’ behalf:

Dear Sir/Madam,

It has come to my attention that Udi Nir, Military ID 6022372, a conscientious objector, has been imprisoned for his refusal to perform military service, and is held in Military Prison No. 6.

The imprisonment of conscientious objectors such as Udi Nir is a violation of international law, of basic human rights and of plain morals.

I therefore call for the immediate and unconditional release from prison of Udi Nir, without threat of further imprisonment in the future, and urge you and the system you are heading to respect the dignity and person of conscientious objectors, indeed of all human beings, in the future.

Sincerely,

3. Letters to media in Israel and in other countries

Writing op-ed pieces and letters to editors of media in Israel and other countries could also be quite useful in indirectly but powerfully pressuring the military authorities to let go of the objectors and in bringing their plight and their cause to public attention.

Here are some contact details for the main media outlets in Israel:

Ma’ariv:
2 Karlibach st.
Tel-Aviv 67132 - Israel
Fax: +972-3-561-06-14
e-mail: editor@maariv.co.il

Yedioth Aharonoth:
2 Moses St.
Tel-Aviv - Israel
Fax: +972-3-608-25-46

Ha’aretz (Hebrew):
21 Schocken St.
Tel-Aviv, 61001- Israel
Fax: +972-3-681-00-12

Ha’aretz (English edition):
21 Schocken St.
Tel-Aviv, 61001 - Israel
Fax: +972-3-512-11-56
e-mail: letters@haaretz.co.il

Israel Hayom:
2 Hashlosha St.
The B1 Building
Tel-Aviv - Israel
e-mail: hayom@israelhayom.co.il

Jerusalem Post:
P.O. Box 81
Jerusalem 91000 -Israel
Fax: +972-2-538-95-27
e-mail: news@jpost.co.il or letters@jpost.co.il

Radio (fax numbers):
Kol-Israel +972-2-531-33-15
and +972-3-694-47-09
Galei Zahal +972-3-512-67-20

Television (fax numbers):
Channel 1 +972-2-530-15-36
Channel 2 +972-2-533-98-09
Channel 10 +972-3-733-16-66

We will continue updating on further developments.

Thank you for your attention and action,
New Profile.

________________________________

UPDATE:

I just finished this post 2 minutes ago when I received another mail with the same content, about a second young man imprisioned - the second of the same group:

CO Avichai Vaknin, 18, a pacifist conscientious objector from the town of Yehud, near Tel-Aviv, has been sentenced on 20 Aug. to 21 days in military prison.

Avichai Vaknin
ID number 030146277
Military Prison No. 6
Military Postal Code 01860, IDF
Israel
Fax: ++972-4-9540580

The same actions as proposed for Udi are recommended here as well !!

Many friends asked me to stay, to continue to speak out - so I decided to come back as Alice, a nickname I use frequently on the Internet.

Yet, after a while people understood who I am (I have my very personal style of writing) and the abuse continued and increased. I reached a breaking point where I said: NO MORE!! - and decided to leave again and for good, but this time not to delete my profile so as to preserve at least my posts and comments.

Now I go there only to reply to messages and comments on my page, to watch what is going on and hopefully to make some (good) new friends and contact. But I’m no longer posting or commenting there - it drains my energy for no result. My profile is now called “Alice doesn’t live here any more”

I didn’t want to leave unnoticed, so I posted this “discussion” (see here below) to publicly announce why I’m leaving:

My farewell to mepeace!

I’ve been an active member on mepeace.org since I heard about the site presented as a platform for dialogue between Palestinians and Israelis - or at least that’s what I understood at the IPRCI workshop in April 2008. I may have misunderstood it, and I’m sincerely sorry for my mistake (if it was a mistake).What I see on mepeace is a platform where Jews and Israeli Jews (as opposed to Israeli Arabs) dominate discussions - not matter where they live and how much they actually want peace.

From more than 900 “peacemakers” (as everyone is called on mepeace.org) roughly 50 (maybe) participate at all. Many members have never said a single word. In a little research I did, while I can’t possibly go through the statistics of 900 members, I found at least 100 members (mainly people who’ve joined mepeace a year ago from now) who’ve never said a single word. Some members clearly spread hate.

The most prominent “peacemakers” for us Israelis & Palestinians are Paul Reti from Australia, Yigal D. Kahana from the US, Neri Ba On as the sole Israeli, Max S. from the UK and Elaine Friedman from the US.

Almost NO Palestinian ever participates in discussions, except for Hiba, Wael, Mohammed from Gaza, Abed Khalil, Abeed Quassem, Donna from Jordan, Marwa from Canada and a few others that are not on my friends list and whom I might forget right now. While I appreciate their interventions very much, they don’t make even some kind of equality in weight and interventions on mepeace. They are by the way not even considered as “prominent peacemakers”.

In any case I’ve felt increasingly alone on mepeace.org, and am not prepared to continue my lonely “mission”.

Therefore, while leaving my profile, I’ll not come back to discuss or post anything else than this - unless I see a significant change and my Palestinian friends tell me that things have changed on mepeace and that THEY feel at ease to discuss there - which I don’t believe will happen anytime soon.

I’ve gone through many disappointments and frustrations ever since I was there, and while many Palestinian members tried actively to support me and asked me to stay, only one Israel-Jewish member of mepeace ever did anything similar. She’s unknown to most of you.

My conclusion is that while I have been speaking about what I witness here in the country where I live, what I see and hear, events and fact that sometimes (or maybe often) do not make it in to the Israeli media, events and facts that are denied by a big part of the Israeli public, while I try to speak out on behalf of Palestinians whose rights are denied and whose reality and perceptions I happen to understand very well through my personal experiences in the past 2 1/2 years, I have recieved continuous abuse by many “prominent” or less prominent “peacemakers”, while most other “peacemakers” stayed silent.

In my perception, to stay silent while one witnesses other peoples rights being denied and abused is a form of condoning this denial and abuse, as well as making oneself an accomplice of the deniers and abusers.

This goes as much for what is happening in the West Bank, Gaza and even inside of Israel, as well as for what I felt it towards myself. I am not prepared to take abuse alone, without any kind of solidarty from members of whom I know that they witness the same things happening all over the WB, Gaza and Israel.

As I didn’t get this solidartiy and support from my Israel-Jewish friends on mepeace (except for this woman), neither from any other Jews present in this forum, I decided to leave as an active member myself.

Enough! Khalass! Maspik! - make yourself heard if you want to be heard - I’m not going to do this any more on mepeace.org.

I’ll continue to Blog on my private Blogs and write on several websites, I have joined other more supportive (and in my perception: also more honest) networks, and I’ll be more active in real-life grass root movements and projects.

Good bye and many thanks to those who DID support me!

Alice

P.S. I closed this “discussion” as I don’t want to discuss about my leaving mepeace, I only wanted to let you all know why I left. Good luck to all!

This time lots of people had joined – and as I said before – many of them (like me) not members of Peace Now. We came just to see reality on the ground. 

The trip was supposed to go to Hebron (H2, to be precise). Peace Now had asked and obtained all the necessary permits for this trip – asked and obtained from the highest possible level in the Ministry of Security. 

We set out from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv (5 busses full of Jewish Israeli citizens with blue ID card and tourists). Yet, as few miles ahead we were stopped by the police and not allowed to continue our trip. 

The explanation given to us was that on that very morning settlers of H2 had aggressed a group of visitors led by members of Breaking the Silence. While the responsible people from Peace Now tried to negotiate the continuation of our trip, we were told that Hebron (H2) had been declared “Closed Military Zone” for the next few hours. 

We were all very annoyed by this decision – for me it would have been my first visit to Hebron. Yet, a few of the settlers had arrived at the scene to give us a taste of what it would have been to go to Hebron. 

As before in Beit El, they tried by shouting as loud as they could that WE were responsible for all terrorist attacks to disturbed the explanations given to us by our guides. We tried to figure out what to do, and some of us decided to continue our way as pedestrians. 

While we tried to reach Hebron this way, policemen warned us that we were penetrating a Closed Military Zone and if we continued, we would be arrested. Yet, while walking a few dozens of meters towards Hebron, I saw several Israeli cars with kids on board penetrate without restriction this same Closed Military Zone. At that point I took out my Israeli ID card and asked the police to stop these people as well. As they didn’t react, I asked them all to explain to me what difference there was between those Israeli citizens allowed to penetrate a Closed Military Zone and me, Israeli citizen with exactly the same rights (or so I thought). I was sent to the officer in charge to get my replies (naturally lower graded policemen cannot give such an answer). One of them, though, (and I thank him for that) told me that as a private citizen he’d completely agree with me. Thank you, unknown policeman, for testifying your inner humanity… 

So I went to talk to the officer and explained my case. The only answer a got after lots of extremely polite insistence that these Israeli citizens had a special permit to enter the Closed Military Zone, which I had not. 

But the most AMAZING thing I’ve seen right in front of my eyes: while I was stopped and not allowed the Closed Military Zone, one of the tourists that had joined the trip, exhibiting his British Passport was ALLOWED TO PENETRATE THE CLOSED MILITARY ZONE of H2.

_______________________

I just found an article about this in The Jerusalem Post of today (20.07.2008)

My name is Eva, I’m Israeli and Jewish.

I was born in Austria, but left that country as soon as I could, at age 20. I then lived, married, studied and worked for 16 years in French speaking Switzerland before my husband and I decided to come on aliyah with our two children, who still were babies then. 

When I was young in Austria, I often demonstrated together with like-minded Austrians against old and new Nazis (still very popular there), against racism of any kind and similar issues. This was just something natural for me and for those Austrians who had learnt a lesson from the past. 

In Switzerland at first I felt much less racism, much more openness for others, more warmth and more tolerance than in my country of birth. For someone who doesn’t know Austria as I do, this may seem strange – but that’s how I felt – and at first sight (even at the second sight) the Swiss are less racist and more tolerant that Austrians – speaking, of course, in very big generalities. 

Yet, as it happens often, with the passing years I learnt to understand better what’s behind the Swiss tolerance and “niceness”. That the picture isn’t as rosy as I just said before – and this was also the reason that pushed us to leave and come to live in Israel. Still, like in Austria, there are many nice and honest, good hearted people around – I’m definitely speaking in generalities here. 

Arriving in Israel was at first the fulfillment of a dream – to live in a Jewish environment, not to have any troubles to beg for days off for Jewish holidays, possibility to find kosher food everywhere – living, for once, among a majority of Jews, not as a minority as everywhere else. 

I definitely knew that “not everything was ok”, not as “democratic” as it should be, that we were at war with the Palestinians, and so on.  

Although we didn’t come to “settle the land” across the borders of the Green Line, we weren’t “rich” as Swiss people are “supposed to be”, and as we absolutely wanted to live in Jerusalem, we had to choose what was possible for us – to live in Pisgat Zeev [neighborhood in the North East of Jerusalem, de facto across the Green Line, but integrated officially into the municipality of Jerusalem, as well as all the Arab neighborhoods around it].  

Yesterday in Pisgat Zeev, as I had done all my life, I participated in a rally against racism – as recently a very serious racist event had happened here.  

A group of about 80 young Jewish men from this neighborhood had assaulted two young Arabs from an adjacent Arab neighborhood of Jerusalem as well.  Something that made this vicious assault even worse was the fact that these 80 Jewish adolescents had precisely chosen Holocaust Remembrance Day to commit their crime.  

This has been publicized widely and many people know and commented about it.  

Yesterday a young woman, resident of Pisgat Zeev like me, had initiated a rally at exactly the same spot where the two young men had been assaulted – in front of the mall of Pisgat Zeev. 

I don’t know about the details how the rally came to be. I just got a message about it the evening before, and it seems that many other people were informed in the same way, very recently. This might be the reason why only very few people came to show their opposition to racism and violence. Several peace-groups and movements had associated and called for the rally.  

I’m not part of any of them – I’m not the type of person to “fit” into a frame – but I support and follow actively many of these peace-movements and organizations.  

Going to a demonstration against such a disgusting act like it was to assault two innocent young men for the sole reason that they are Arab was nothing but a natural act for me.  

Not so long ago, while my parents were still young, groups like the SA used to beat up Jews in exactly the same way – many SA men assaulting a few Jews for the sole reason that they were Jews.  

In my opinion, that’s what Holocaust Remembrance Day is all about – to remember what has been done to us and not to let things like that happen again. 

Yes – that’s what I thought. As I could hear and see, this was NOT the opinion of my neighbors, my fellow residents of Pisgat Zeev. 

We, the few demonstrators were parked in a sort of cage by the police to separate us from the rest of the population. I could easily see that this was a very wise decision – the barrier prevented us from being assaulted by the good people of Pisgat Zeev. Violence stayed on a verbal level.  

While we were there to protest against something as basic as racism – all of the bystanders and passer-bys shouted insults and curses at us. We were told loudly how the Arabs frequently assaulted girls from Pisgat Zeev.  

I’ve been living here for 12 years. My daughter is a beautiful, blonde, blue-eyed young lady of 15. She and her friends go to school right across the mall of Pisgat Zeev – meaning that she’s around there daily – sometimes even in the evening, although (“unfortunately”) she’s a very good girl and doesn’t hang around in the streets at night.  

Nevertheless, she’s been out together with her friends many times. Not even once she complained to me about any aggression, anything or anyone bothering her.  

I myself shop often in the mall. While I always see Arab women around, mothers with children and babies, sometimes couples – all coming from the surrounding neighborhoods of Beit Hanina, Shu’afat, Anata and Ras El Khamis, I never even once witnessed any incident between Arabs and Jews. 

One should also note that these neighborhoods are entirely part of the municipality of Jerusalem! These neighborhoods existed long before Pisgat Zeev was even built. This means that every single inhabitant of Pisgat Zeev chose to come to live in the midst of all these Arab neighborhoods. This reminds me of all the talk about a “unified Jerusalem”. 

Truth is that the good people of Pisgat Zeev don’t want “Arabs” to access “their neighborhood”. They don’t want them to buy in the mall, they don’t want Arab youth to hang around the mall, like the Jewish youth do – not only from Pisgat Zeev, but also from places like Neve Yaakov [Jewish neighborhood North of Pisgat Zeev, close already to Ramallah] – which is much further away than Beit Hanina for example. 

So I was standing there in the “cage”, hearing all the bystanders describing what horrors the “Arabs” committed in and around the mall very frequently, while I never ever witnessed any single incident of that kind.  

But I was told that I must be blind, that I don’t live here, that I’m lying, that my daughter must be lying to me. People were describing furiously how horrible the Arabs behaved with the Jewish girls. Nobody admitted that maybe sometimes Jewish boys might bother Jewish girls as well. 

In short: although I’ve never heard or seen anything bad happening at the mall, yesterday I’ve heard that the Arabs behave like animals. True, I don’t see everything, and as I don’t hang around in the streets on Erev Shabbat [Friday night], neither does my daughter, I must have been missing something very essential of the Jewish life in Pisgat Zeev. 

But not only that they Arabs behave like animals – they ARE animals!!

Trying to stay calm I asked many people who shouted at us like mad if they knew what the Germans had said about us? - I was told repeatedly that I should leave that aside, that there was no connection between the two matters.  

Whenever I asked someone if Holocaust Remembrance Day means anything to him, the (repeated) reply was: “Ta’asvi et se” (leave that aside) “that has nothing to do with this”. One man even told me that the entire Holocaust didn’t concern him – he was Yemenite, that there were pogroms in Yemen as well, and his family wasn’t involved in the Holocaust.  

Seeing a kippa [skullcap] on his head and as this man was considerably more open to reason than all the others around, I asked him if he remembered what we say about the “Bad Child” at Pessah – that in excluding himself from the People of Israel, he would have been left behind if he had been there…  I told this man that he should consider that and think that if he had been in Germany at the time, he might have been sent to Auschwitz as well. He didn’t seem to consider this option very seriously… Anyway, he had to go, and wished me “good bye”. 

When I asked people why they all chose to come to live among so many Arab neighborhoods, they didn’t answer.

Sometimes I tried it differently – I asked them about the “unified Jerusalem”, and if they wanted a unified Jerusalem as well. Although I asked this question to many people, nobody answered – only one told me to “leave politics out of this” and that he didn’t “deal with big politics”. 

A good, God-fearing Jew with a black kippa [sign of being very religous] told me that not only the Arabs were animals, but that I was an animal too. I asked him to repeat that – he repeated it! - I didn’t leave him and asked: “I am an animal?” – “Yes – you are an animal, just like them”. 

But worst of all was a “conversation” I had with a woman of my age, not visibly religious, pushing a pram with apparently her grandchild. She shouted with all her might that she didn’t want Arabs to come here and bother her, that this was “HER country”, pointing at herself. I couldn’t help but tell her that she was wrong, that this was “MY country, not hers”! - She was a bit disconcerted by my reply and we fought verbally a few minutes about “whose country” it was – hers or mine – and then she cut the conversation short in telling me that I should be sent to Germany.  

While I clearly understood what she meant, I couldn’t believe it and asked her for precisions: “Do you mean to Auschwitz?” – Her reply was: “Yes, they should send you to Auschwitz”! - I still didn’t really believe it, and I wanted to give her time to hear by herself what she was saying, and asked again: “Are you saying that YOU want to send ME to Auschwitz?” – She replied clearly: “Yes, you should be sent to Auschwitz!” … then she left, busy with her grandchild. 

After this – being called an animal by another Jew and virtually sent to Auschwitz by a good Jewish grandma from my neighborhood, I retreated a little, I needed a rest.  

I had known without much discussion what was the atmosphere of the neighborhood I had been living in for the last 12 years. I had heard people of Pisgat Zeev many times speaking of Arabs as animals — actually a very wide-spread way of speaking of Arabs – not only in my charming neighborhood.  

As I don’t own a car I use public transport all the time – in Jerusalem and all over the country, I can’t say how many times I have actually heard that. Often I had talked back – without much result.

Racists are racists, wherever they come from, and already in my childhood I had learnt that no human argument could change the mind of a profoundly convinced racist.  I have always, privately and for myself, considered racism as a “heart disease” – leading to a “stonification” of the heart.  

You can tell me that I was a dreamer, but I wouldn’t have imagined that the Jewish People could fall so low. What we constantly remind others, to “never forget”, we don’t even consider that it could apply to us as well. 

When the rally was over and people from outside the neighborhood had left – (together with the woman who had apparently called for that rally, I was the only inhabitant of Pisgat Zeev who had come to tell people that racism was unacceptable to us) I went over to one of the policemen who had supervised the whole event and told him that there was something that really disturbed me: Back in Germany, racism and racist slogans like these were outlawed, and if someone would say such things like “you are an animal” and “they should send you to Auschwitz” in public, police actually would arrest him – but here, in the Jewish State, people were free to say such things! - He was very nice and seeing that I was upset, he told me that in his eyes I wasn’t an animal. I appreciate his gesture, and naturally I don’t think of myself as an animal – but for me the damage was done. 

Is THIS what the Jewish People have become?  

First they came for the Jews Arabs
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew an Arab.
Then they came for the Communists leftists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist leftist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me. 

Pastor Niemoeller, Germany 1946

[Transformed by Eva]

You think I’m kidding?

Well, I’ll tell you about a trip I made today to see some settlements and outposts in the Occupied Territories organized by the Peace Now’s Settlement Watch Team and guided by Hagit Ofran, its Director.

For a detailed interview with Hagit Ofran click here

(Below this post you’ll find a number of links to web-sites and documents that can give you more information about the settlements and the Occupied Territories.)

The trip started at 11am in Jerusalem’s Liberty Bell Garden. We were a bus full of people of all ages, not all of us members of Peace Now.

We were bound to meet a second bus that came from Tel Aviv at a parking lot just before Hizme Checkpoint.

There we were also joined by a police car that should accompany us on our trip. One cannot make such a trip into a military zone without clearance from the police and the army. And in our case, we were potential “trouble makers”, so the police was supposed to keep us from “provocations towards settlers”, although Peace Now had made sure that the busses were in no way decorated by fliers and banners – and Hagit had told us to stay calm in all situations. We could see that the policeman wasn’t pleased at all by his duty – he seemed rather annoyed, concerned and unhappy about what he had to do.

In advance I must say that nothing of what happened on the trip really surprised me – I’d seen all of it before on TV and heard many witness accounts about the different things we saw and heard. But I had never experienced it live and by myself… - except for the one thing that I didn’t know until now: that as a non-violent non-settler I have far less rights than a violent resident of an illegal outpost – or any settler at all.

After a few negotiations with the policeman and the policewoman charged to accompany us – mainly to tell them which way exactly we were about to travel, we started out: the police car in front, the 2 busses following.

We were heading for the settlement of Beit El, passing by an (illegal) outpost called Meron which should be evacuated in 3 weeks. Hagit explained to us the long and complicated court case about this outpost, which the State of Israel must evacuate by decision of the High Court of Israel. It should have been evacuated at least a year ago (if not more) but each time the Ministry of Security came back to the court asking for a small delay of just 3 month for some reason, then another 2 month for another reason, 6 month here, and 4 month there… In short: last delay of evacuation is July 31^st 2008.

We could see very clearly that the outpost was sitting there quietly and there was absolutely no sign of anyone preparing move, dismantle installation or the like. We all wondered how they would manage to move it all in the next 3 weeks.

Migron outpost - areal view

On the way, when nothing particular was to be explained, Hagit told us about the basic status of the Occupied Territory and its inhabitants.

The whole of the West Bank is Military Zone and under Military Law. The settlers though are treated according to laws valuable for the State of Israel – which is not the case for Palestinians. The same act committed by a settler or a Palestinian is treated and judged VERY differently – for instance throwing of stones – to which I’ll come back later.

We arrived at Beit El.

We didn’t intend to enter the settlement, which obviously would have led to violence, just stop in front of the usual yellow iron gate and hear Hagit telling us about the history of this settlement and its outposts.

Beit El - old picture

Arriving at the settlement we saw that we were expected and awaited by a “welcome committee” of youngsters (adolescent girls and boys) from the settlement. The “crème de la crème” of Jewish youth, as we immediately saw and heard when we left our busses. Before we got out of our busses, Hagit had to choose a safe and neutral place to speak to us, in accordance with the policeman who at that time was already seriously concerned and unhappy.

As soon as we came out of the bus, the wonderfully religious “welcome committee” greeted us immediately with insults, telling us that we should be sent back to Germany, that we were traitors, that we had forgotten our bulldozer (meaning clearly that they considered us as creatures of the same kind as terrorists), that they were the core of the Jewish People, the only ones who secured the existence of the State of Israel, and many other things that I don’t remember now. They also shouted and whistled as loud as they could as to make it difficult for us to hear what Hagit was saying over a loudspeaker. We didn’t approach them – but they approached us, menacingly.

At that time our unhappy policeman wasn’t alone any more. Out of nowhere 3 different kinds of police forces had appeared and where trying to stop the God-fearing youngsters to approach and beat us.

I only recognized one kind of uniform – the grey uniform of a special “Arab unit”. There were others in an entirely blue uniform, which indicates (for me) that they were normal policemen, but probably more trained for “action”. And the third type of policemen – at the beginning only ONE, later more, wasn’t in uniform and had a normal looking car, and took pictures of us. My guess is that he was from the Shabak (Internal Israeli Security Service). Don’t tell me that I’m probably “imagining” things. They’re known for such things and its normal (not only here in this country, by the way) to photograph and register demonstrators – although we weren’t “demonstrators” in any way…

After Hagit had finished her speech and after new discussions with our policeman, we went back into the busses, still under shouting and insults. We traveled off – now in a much bigger convoy - to see an “illegal outpost”.

The question of what is legal or rather what is less illegal than something else is very tricky concerning the Occupied Territories. Please don’t “get me” on that! I’m using here general Israeli “speech” – were we differentiate so to say into State authorized settlements, settlements like Ofra that are big and important now, but grew without any formal authorization. The State acknowledged them implicitly, but not formally. The State built roads, water supplies and all other needed infrastructure, but didn’t formally authorize the settlement. It couldn’t really do that, in fact, as Ofra for example is entirely built on privately owned Palestinians land. And “illegal” outposts are places where there isn’t really a settlement, where there are only a few houses (minimum one!) and which are attempts to create completely new settlements, especially after the government has agreed several times not to do that any more (but still does, in fact).

Ofra -old picture

Ofra - colored areal view: red = private Palestinian land 93.2 %; green = Jewish land 2.9.%; State land = 4 %
So now we were on the way to an illegal outpost where 12 or 13 families live. Now not only guided by our police car, but followed by another police car with more policemen, the Shabak car and 4 or 5 cars of settlers from Beit El who seemingly hadn’t insulted us enough.

We wanted to drive through the outpost to see how it looks like. For this illegal settlement of 12 or 13 families the State has built 2 roads – one to access it from one side and one exit it on the other side. A great privilege compared to the Palestinian village we visited just afterwards, where the main access road (a dirt road, by the way) that would link them from a distance of one kilometer to the main road is totally blocked and instead, they have to drive 24 km each way to reach the same spot.

But when we arrived at the access road to the outpost, two police cars blocked the road – obliging us to pass our way and not to approach the tiny settlement.

At this point I began to wonder seriously who is making “law” there. Who is allowed to do what?

Not only we were driving on a road reserved for Jews only and forbidden for Palestinians, but even as Jews and Israeli citizens we were not allowed to continue on a Jewish road — most probably because the police was afraid the settlers would throw stones on us (what they did later, anyway).

That means for me that these people are allowed to be violent, and in order to protect us, we mustn’t approach them… Frankly, in other circumstances I would have expected that people who throw stones at others would be arrested - especially if already so many policemen were around…

But no: WE were the ones who couldn’t go the way we wanted; WE seemed to be the troublemakers…

Unable to continue our program (which would have consisted in driving through a State tolerated settlement), we continued straight away to a meeting with two representatives of the nearby Arab village of Kariut (close to the huge and very well developed settlements of Eli and Shiloh).

We needed to stop our busses on road no 60 (famous for its variations of status – sometimes reserved for Jews only, right now – as I could see – open to Palestinian cars as well, but as Hagit explained, only Palestinian cars with special permit to drive on that road..). We had to negotiate with the police again to be allowed to cross the road and walk five minutes on the sun-exposed dirt road to the spot where the road was blocked by big mountains of earth and stones – the meeting spot with the two Palestinians from the village of Kariut.

The settlers also got out of their cars and intended to follow us. By now we were joined by soldiers as well! Everyone (except of us) seemed to be very unhappy that we insisted to meet the two Palestinians. We wanted to hear what they could tell us about their living conditions in midst of the settlements. We walked ahead, while the police allowed us to cross the road, and behind us, the settlers were stopped from following us by a rather heavy line of policemen and soldiers. One of the settlers had his little girl (a toddler) with him, without sun protection and without water supplies for her. To insult us seemed to be more important for him than to care for his little daughter – all in all they (and we) were out in the high noon sun, unprotected (except for what we had brought ourselves) for at least half an hour.

We finally met the two men from the village. To see them approach I had to climb onto the mountains of earth. They approached by car, and then got out of the car, climbed over the mountain to speak to us. While we were speaking with them we saw a Palestinian family come home from some shopping, climb over the mountain and walk off the one kilometer that was left to reach the village. On our questions, the men explained to us that the village of 2700 inhabitants had NO RUNNING WATER at all, and the only water source available to them was a single water pipe we could see reach out just behind the mountain blocking the road. One kilometer away from the village. They had to come to this point with tanks to get water to drink, cook and clean!! – There had been a natural source a little closer to the village before, but the settler constructions destroyed it. The Israeli Water Authority refuses to invest there and build normal water supplies for them; while the much bigger settlements of Eli and Shiloh which were close by had running water in every house (even the 12-13 families in the illegal outpost have regular water supplies).

They explained furthermore the hardship of driving 24 kilometers more than necessary in order to go to work (most of them work in Ramallah). 70 % of the village’s agricultural land was partly fenced off and used by the surrounding settlements, and they were not allowed to go there any more. Even the little spot of land around us – between the main road the road-block and the two surrounding hills were kept off-limits to the farmers owning the land.

Sometimes, we were told, settlers would come to their village at night, beat people up and vandalize property. We didn’t ask if they complained about this – because we already knew that this wouldn’t make any sense: they were under Military Law, and would have to complain to the Military Authorities…

Many families have already left the village to go to live in Ramallah or Nablus or abroad at all. This is obviously the aim of the treatment they receive from the State of Israel, its Military Forces and the settlers living there.

Time was running short, we were all hot and thirsty – so we departed and entered the busses again – to drive home to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, where we had come from. Preceded by a police car, then the two busses, a military jeep, another police car, 2 Shabak cars and still some settler cars following us.

After about five minutes of driving we suddenly heard an impact on the bus. (At least) one of the settlers had preceded us, awaited our passing by and prepared to throw stones on our two busses. The two busses were touched by three impacts of stones and one of the stones had smashed a window, but thankfully at it’s edge, and the boarding metal prevented it from coming through the window and injuring the passengers of this bus.

View of one of the bus-windows; the stone has been stopped by the metal bar

We all stopped, examined the damage and discussed the incident. At least a dozen of us had clearly seen the terrorist and could identify him.

But now came the most amazing part of our journey…

I still can’t believe it, but this is what happened. Most of us were out of the busses, policemen and soldiers around us – and here they came and joined us again: the settlers who had followed us for about 2 hours already – and among them the terrorist who had thrown the stones!!! Quietly they stopped there cars beside our busses, got out and continued their insults, telling me, among other things that the army should shoot us all!!

The charming young man in the center of the picture suggested that the Army should shoot us all.

We asked the policemen to arrest the man. No reaction… “Yes, that will be done” was the reply I got when I inquired personally why they didn’t proceed to arrest the stone-thrower. “Don’t worry, we’ll do that later” I was told.

I admit that it’s hard for me now to continue my report of that trip.

We had to drive off, seeing that the man was NOT arrested!!

Even harder was to hear what Hagit told us afterwards. That if a Palestinian had thrown the stones he would be treated very differently. And she told us two events that were witnessed by close friends of hers. One was the attempted evacuation of a very tiny outpost inhabited by particularly violent God-fearing young men. When the police arrived at the outpost, they were greeted by stones. Theses stones can kill – anyone who has seen such incidents knows that (and I have experienced it myself). They aren’t very dangerous to soldiers with helmets, but for unarmed civilians and regular policemen in normal uniform, they can no doubt be fatal.

So 7 or 8 of these “God-fearing” men were arrested – for 24 hours before being judged, as it is the law in Israel. Then they were sentenced to stay away from the outpost for 7 days and to sign a declaration to never do that again.

When you know, like me, a Palestinians peace activist who was sentenced to 7 years in jail for throwing stones at helmet protected soldiers at age 17 or 18 – hearing something like this leaves you speechless…

Another story told to us by Hagit – just to keep the balance: A close friend of hers from Bn’ei Avraham has witnessed a settler in Hebron coming towards a Palestinian family the friend was talking to and shoot at them. After hearing the shots, the soldiers protecting the settlers of Hebron appeared. The man said that the son of the Palestinian family had thrown a stone at him and that he shot to defend himself. Hagit’s friend and other members of Bn’ei Abraham present there told that this was wrong, that no stones were thrown by anyone. Nevertheless, the soldiers who came only after the incident testified that the son had thrown stoned and thus he was arrested. Not for 24 hours before being presented to a judge – but for 3 days according to the Military Law applied to Palestinians. After three days – at that point Hagit was at the court to witness what happened – the boys arrest was extended for another eleven days. Besides that, the father was told to complain against the settler, but was arrested at his arrival at the military office. Reason: he might throw stones in the future. He too spent at least 2 weeks in a military jail in Hebron. I don’t know the end of that story; we arrived at Hizme at some point and had to speak of other things as well.

It was enough for me, anyway. I didn’t need to hear more – I had heard and seen enough for one day.

For the site of Peace Now (in English) click here

For the Settlements page of Peace Now click here

Breaking the Law in the West Bank – One Violation Leads to Another: Israeli Settlement Building on Private Palestinian Property - A Report of Peace Now’s Settlement Watch Team (in pdf) - click here

As I identify very much with the way of thinking the story talks about, I asked the woman who posted it, if I could re-post it and share it with you… This is one of the things that keep me going, the knowledge and the hope that drop by drop, small efforts DO matter.

A Tiny Drop of Water
Author: Bob Perks

A tiny drop of water washed away the land and buildings fell, floating away with other people’s dreams.

Roadways planned and formed by huge machines and men who sweat and hammer the world into shape, were pushed away with little effort.

People ran and cars clogged highways in an effort to stay ahead of the possible destruction that tiny drop of water could cause.

“Wait!” you say. “It was much more than a tiny drop of water. The streams overflowed and the rivers broke through their banks causing a wall of water to destroy those things.”

Yes, but it was made up of tiny drops of water. Raindrops which together wore a path right through my yard with little effort. One drop, then two then thousands, millions and all together they changed the world, our world.

Can’t you see the significance in that?

I want to change the world. I am tired, worn out from weeping at the sight of still another death not just on the field of battle laid out by warriors, but in the streets of every city, in the fields of the impoverished, desolate reaches of the world. They are dying in my country and yours by bullet, by starvation, disease, arrogance, stupidity and pride.

A tiny drop of water gave me hope.

I am but one drop in the sea of humanity, but like the rain I can join together with others and wash away the hatred and pain I anguish over. One drop, then two, then thousands, millions and all together we can change the world. our world.

I want to change my life. I am tired of being in debt. I am worn out from trying to keep pace with the world. I have tried my very best to get ahead and find myself falling behind each step of the way.

A tiny drop of water gave me hope.

It fell upon the hillside just behind my house. One single drop of water joined with others forming a stream.

Like trying one more time. Like doing one more thing. Like pushing one more inch to reach the goal, the dream I long to touch and make reality. All my little efforts make big changes.

The little stream that ran down my driveway, never having been there before, began as one single drop, until one drop after another, trying again and again, washed the soil away and moved the tiny pebble and eventually the rock.

I cannot push away the fear nor change my life overnight, but if I dedicate myself to one single effort each and every day, I will see the power of changing little things to make a big difference.

A tiny drop of water gave me hope.

I am just one drop in the sea of humanity. But I have the power to change my life and the sacred obligation to move the world in the right direction.

How?

One drop, then two, then thousands, millions and all together we change the world, our world.

A tiny drop of water gave me hope.

___________________________________________

This is exactly my philosophy. What I am doing here, on other sites and in ‘real life’ activism, comes from a very deep conviction: Peace is possible and we can achieve it. - When? I don’t know. I am who I am - just another human being, just another person living in this region, torn by ages of war. I know that I am no politician nor anyone influential, and what I can do is just add another drop here and there. But I am convinced that each drop will achieve something, and I am fortunate to have seen that my little drops have already made a few people change their minds. I hope that these few people will contribute to change the minds of another few people.

I also think that many of us have just this philosophy: we do the best we can - knowing that together we can be strong and create a new reality. I’m just adding my drops to a whole and much bigger stream. Hopefully, this stream will grow and grow and wash away tanks and guns and bombs and walls…

A single drop, a single act can be much more powerful than one would think in the first place.

And: whatever happens, whatever we’ll achieve (or not) - we have done “the right thing” - we stood up and raised our voices, and thus we create a testimony that among all this violence, among all this madness there are human beings who try to achieve peace by peaceful means…

May our voices be heard, may our drops create a stream!

“Palestinian judges ordered the execution of a man for collaborating with Israel in Hebron on Monday.”

Well, we’re (illegally) killing each other in this country every day. We’re in a war. We all oppose this sort of killing.

This man is accused for “collaborating” with “the ennemy” - treason, if you want. A Palestinian judge in Hebron decided that it is “legal” to kill this man. At the same time, fathers and brothers who kill their wifes or sisters for reasons of “honor” go free. Am I wrong? Are there any other death sentences pronounced in Palestinian courts?

What about “legal killing” and death sentence at all?

I’ve always opposed death sentences, anywhere. I cannot make an exception in this case. Making an exception is using double standards… Most of us, I guess, are opposed to death sentences in the US, and as far as I know all (or, if not, most) European countries have abolished it, Amnesty is fighting it. Can we stay silent in this case?

I think we cannot. I cannot make an “exception” to something I consider as an universal principle.

So: what are we going to do about this??

Waiting for your thoughts…
__________________________________________________
“The death penalty violates the right to life. It is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. It has no place in a modern criminal justice system.” - Amnesty International

I found it per accident a few month ago on YouTube and fell in love with it… I’ve been listening to it for weeks in a row and know by heart the lyrics – even in Arabic!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtP0IZ6yPRg

This song, a love song performed by an Israeli and a Palestinian has been broadcast simultaneously on Israel Army Radio and Voice of Palestine radio on Sunday, March 27, 2005.

The bilingual duet, entitled In My Heart, was sung in Hebrew and Arabic by Israeli David Broza and Palestinian Wisam Murad.

The two singers said they hoped the track would narrow the divisions between their communities.

Broza, who wrote the lyrics with Murad’s brother Said during sessions in Jerusalem that began two years ago, is well known in Israel for his folk and rock songs.

The Murads, Palestinians from Jerusalem, are known internationally as part of Sabreen, a group whose songs have explored the lives of Palestinians under Israeli occupation.

An Israel Army Radio announcer and the head of the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) spoke on both stations, talking of their hopes for a new era of peace - but also sparring briefly in English over the airwaves.

“Have you stopped, sir, incitement messages in your broadcasts?” Army Radio’s Razi Barkai asked PBC director Adwan Abu Ayash. - “We did not start it,” came the reply.

From the JPost (my comments below) -

Gazans celebrate Jerusalem’s terror attack:

Hamas on Friday claimed responsibility for Thursday’s terror attack in Merkaz Harav Yeshiva where eight students were murdered. “Hamas claims full responsibility for the operation in Jerusalem. The movement will release further details at a later stage,” the group’s message said.

The terrorist who killed eight students in a terror attack on Merkaz Harav Yeshiva Thursday night used to work as a driver at the institution, according to his family.

Defense officials said the attacker came from east Jerusalem, home to Palestinians who hold Israeli ID cards that allow them freedom of movement.

I’m Israeli, pro-Palestinian peace activist. I have many decent Muslim and Palestinian friends. I’m not the type of person to generalize and put everyone into the same pot…

Yet, today I want to say something about the extremely destructive image some Palestinians give to themselves and thereby to their whole people…

A few days ago, in Jerusalem, 8 young men (15 to 19 years old) were killed and others seriously wounded.

True, the Israeli Army killed many innocent Palestinians in the last days (and before) – and “revenge” was expected… But Israelis NEVER celebrated such things, as the same evening people did in the streets of Gaza - giving candies to children for the “happy event” that Jews have died at the hands of a Palestinian…

Similar celebrations happened before… Israelis may, in the worst case, be “happy” of an Israeli “victory”, but they never celebrate that people have died…

I’m very sad right now - because THIS makes the lives of my decent and “normal” friends in Gaza much harder even than violence itself…

In my view this is much more destructive to reaching something called “peace” than even the murders on both sides. Because it enters peoples mind and continuously give them the input “Arabs are beasts, Arabs are barbaric, Islam is a violent religion” and the like.

I often wondered why such news – like these celebrations – never seem to make it into international news… I thought about this for a few day days and then I understood. There is no need for that!

Look around you! Decent Muslims try to fight for the image of Islam AGAINST the image given by some fellow Muslim-extremist through the many terrorist acts, suicide bombings, 9/11 and the like. For the moment, they didn’t yet succeed, they didn’t succeed “clear up” this image… If now somewhere in Gaza people celebrate the murder of other human beings, it’s nothing but a drop in the already “self understood” image of “Muslims being inhuman”. It just confirms something generally understood by the “regular Westerner”, and doesn’t need any other emphasize…

Here in Israel it’s in fact the same. It’s mentioned once, very shortly, with no other commentary. People “understand” the message anyway. Palestinians are barbaric brutes. Palestinians don’t care about being human. Palestinians don’t have feelings like other humans.

Same with pictures of babies and kids disguised as suicide bombers. Whatever the message should be for other Palestinians and Arabs – to Israelis it says: Palestinians raise their kids to kill. They don’t love their kids like we do…

Don’t misunderstand me. I know that this is NOT true. – But not the mainstream Israeli who just watches the news and therefore never takes a look “behind the Wall”. What for? he’d say… I’ve already seen it – what else is there to see?!

I’ve been told the same evening by a friend from Gaza that people were happy that they succeeded to fool the tight Israeli security and this was considered as a victory… I could understand this, in a way, if … it was TRUE at least!

The killer was a young Palestinian with Israeli citizenship, living in East Jerusalem. The Yeshiva where the attack was taken out was NOT guarded – all he had to do was drive for ½ hour from his home, walk into the school and kill…

And this fact that that the killer was Arab/Palestinian with Israeli citizenship… This is a pure catastrophe for the Arab/Palestinian-Israeli community. Israelis never have treated them totally fairly and always suspected them to be “traitors within the state”. Israeli Arabs (as they are generally called) have for a long time worked hard to prove their loyalty, have suffered from this prejudice for a long time. But at least it was “only” a prejudice. Now, things have radically changed. From now on Israeli Arabs will have a much harder time to be trusted. Everyone could be a terrorist, now. Until now, “terrorists” were those who came from the West Bank or Gaza. Now, they can come from “within”.

Why, why, why are they doing this to themselves?!

Why did that guy do this to his community?!

Why?!

Murders at a Yeshiva in Jerusalem: by Rabbi Michael Lerner:

Tikkun and the Network of Spiritual Progressives unequivocally condemn the killings of students at Yeshivat Mercaz HaRav in Jerusalem today. Just as last week we prayed for a speedy recovery of Israelis and Palestinians wounded in the fighting in Gaza and the bombings of Sderot, so today we pray for a speedy recovery for those who were injured in this ghastly attack. The wounds of two thousand years of exile and the holocaust are inevitably restimulated by this kind of attack, and tragically the price will likely be paid by Palestinian civilians, who in turn will fight back and then the price will be paid by other Israelis. Thus the seemingly endless cycle of violence will continue.

We at Tikkun feel equally grieving for the people killed by vicious and immoral terrorists at the Yeshiva Mercaz HaRav (the ultra-nationalist religious center that developed the ideology which inspired religious Zionists to believe that they had a God-given right to settle and hold on to the territories without regard to the consequences for the Palestinian people already living there) as we do for the victims of Israeli terror (which in the past week killed 120 people, many of them children, many of them sitting in their homes when Israeli troops randomly fire-bombed and murdered them, as documented by the same international human rights organizations that today condemned the attack in Jerusalem by terrorists). We understand that these killings can only be understood in the context of the 60 year old struggle between these two communities, and that nothing short of a full peace accord that will require a new open-heartedness on both sides can possibly break this horrible cycle of violence. We have no sympathy for Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah or those in Israel who advocate violence as a solution or those in the military who announced that they were going to implement a Shoa on the Palestinian people in Gaza, or any of the extremists in the Palestinian world or the Israeli world who seek to disrupt and derail any movement toward peace.

We similarly mourn the people in Sderot and Ashkelon terrorized by bombs from Hamas, as we did for those people who die in the Gaza and West Bank areas because the check points prevent them from getting to the doctors they need, and the many children suffering from malnutrition because of Israel’s slow starvation of the country and cutting off of supplies. Of course there is no “moral equivalency” here, because as Talmud and other religious and spiritual traditions teach, every single life lost is a unique tragedy, and no life lost can be compared to or the loss justified in terms of the life lost of others.

From our standpoint, all violence, whether overt or built into the institutions of economic and political reality, is a sin and unacceptable, whether done by the powerful or the powerless. Violence is the wrong path. So this week in Beyt Tikkun synagogue we will say kaddish for the young men killed at the yeshivat ha rav, and for the people killed in Gaza by Israeli troops, Israelis killed in Sderot and Ashkelon, and for the million two hundred thousand Iraqis killed by the US occupation of Iraq and the 4000 American soldiers killed in that war. And all the victims of wars in Africa and Asia, all the victims of oppression and murder in China and Tibet, all the victims of oppression in Saudi Arabia and Iran and Lebanon and Syria and Egypt.

When will they ever learn? Violence doesn’t solve anything. It doesn’t create safety. The way to security is through a. recognizing “the other” as part of you, not an alien but as a fundamental part of “the unity of all being” created in the image of God and deserving just as much as we deserve, and entitled to live at the same standard of living and with the same political rights as we have and receiving the same compassion we would give to our friends; b. the Strategy of Generosity that we in the US have to initiate and the Global Marshall Plan that makes it concrete (see www.spiritualprogressives.org) ; and c. public acts of repentance and atonement that both sides need to take to acknowledge the cruelty and hurt that they have visited on the other side.

Till that happens the killings will go on, and the partisans on each side will always blame the other, and each will ignore the history that has led to the specific act of violence that they are focused on, and each will proclaim that any one who does not side exclusively with their side is a traitor and an evil person.

All this talk, though, doesn’t really reveal how much those of us in the Tikkun community are grieving for all the pain and suffering, how deeply sad and depressed it makes us, and how very much we wish we could ease the suffering on all sides of this struggle. May all of them be comforted along with all the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem and the whole world!

Rabbi Michael Lerner
Editor, Tikkun Magazine
Chair, the Network of Spiritual Progressives

P.S. If this message resonates with you, please A) send it to everyone you know and call your local media and ask them to have this “progressive middle path” perspective represented by speaking to us at Tikkun Magazine 510 644 1200 and b) help us by joining the Network of Spiritual Progressives.