A beautiful statement by Brit Tony Klug. And astonishing that it has a hopeful ending (read it) after this beginning:
justice, peace and truth from the distinguished rabbis that taught me at
the orthodox Jewish school – the Hasmonean – that I attended from the ages
of 5 to 18. Fast forward to today and, equipped with these same values,
what are we to make of an advanced, modern state – forget for the moment
its identity or declared motive – that is bombarding, from land, sea and
air, an impoverished, entrapped, defenceless people, causing widespread
death and destruction, not to mention generating new waves of hatred
around the world and renewed calls for revenge, isolation and boycott?
What has happened to the Jewish psyche since I was a youth that some Jews
today – although certainly not all – seem barely to bat an eyelid at this
carnage, if they aren`t actively supporting it? Is there no limit to what
they will tolerate being done in our name? – even if there is horrendous
provocation in the form of the indiscriminate rocketing of hundreds of
thousands of Israelis who live in daily fear of the missiles fired by
Hamas and other armed groups which, like Israel`s actions, has been widely
condemned by human rights groups as a war crime.
Many people from my generation, Jewish and non-Jewish, feel seriously let
down – betrayed even – by what Israel has slowly but steadily developed
into since its astounding military feat in 1967. I am, sadly, among them.
