Mohammad writes from Vancouver:
In light of the recent carnage and genocide by Israel's Zionist regime in Gaza, it is easy to allow yourself to get disillusioned with things and let cynicism takeover. This may be useful for a while, but nothing good can essentially come out of this strategy either for you personally or for the communities involved here in the west or there in Palestine.
First thing to remember is that you are not alone. Millions of people around the world are suffering from the same stress, disappointments and anxieties. Thanks to the internet and the media, all those who really wanted to know how this war was conducted got a good chance (for the first time) to read about it and watch it for themselves. This in itself is amazing. The collective pain of witnessing ethnic cleansing and genocide will transcend its isolated manifestation in you and me and other people and in itself will work its way towards a positive end.
Second thing, we should not allow the actions of Israel to create resentment towards the Jewish community in any sense of the term. First of all, a great number of Jews, greater than ever, particularly younger ones, opposed this war just like you and me and did what they could to stop it. Among those Jews who were silent about Gaza, a great majority are in the middle of a transformation and are slowly moving to the peace and justice camps. Those Jews who still blindly support Israel should only be encouraged and challenged to abandon their position without resentment and hate.
Your dislike should only be saved for those who actively pursue evil, like Israeli politicians and their international counterparts. We can and also should go after all powerful and active friends of Israel in government, media and other institutions in our social setting regardless of their religion and political affiliation. These people should be named and shamed for what they are: Bigots and fear mongers. These qualities are not particular to Jews and it is reprehensible to allow your pain and sadness to translate into race baiting and hate.
Third thing, cynicism is the enemy of progress. Israel gets away with what it does because we, the people in favor of peace and justice for Palestine, don't know how to strategize, organize, fundraise and work on a focused objective. We cannot blame our own disorganization and confusion on others. If anything, we need to closely study the successful ways in which the friends of Israel influence the public opinion throughout the world. I am not saying every tactic of groups like Hillel or the Zionist Organization of America and AIPAC has to be copied. But at least in the level of sustained commitment and strategy we can learn a lot from these groups.
Fourth thing, upping the verbal attacks on Israel can only help alleviate our pain to a point. We need to stay away as much as possible from sentimentality, sensationalism and moralizing influences. These are boring tactics that really won't help our cause and only
waste our energy that can otherwise be used elsewhere. For now, the war is over. Why not spend the time educating ourselves more about the different aspects of the conflict. Israel's Zionist regime and its war machine are immoral things. but analytical talk, introspective discourse and comparative studies are much more effective in causing change than shaming Israel and its friends for another millionth time.
Fifth thing, Upping the ante and radicalizing our demands from USA and Israel does not necessarily achieve good if not done wisely and realistically. We are still light years behind the day when we can effectively ask for a regime change in Tel Aviv in the manner of the anti Apartheid movement in South Africa. For now, the best strategy would be to keep engaged with the Jewish community at large in pressing the plight of the Palestinians at the same time that we push for a full investigation of Israel's crimes in Gaza. These tasks have to be accomplished under the umbrella of pushing for divestment, boycott and sanctions and not generating resentment and hate towards israeli people or those in the diaspora who support Israel.
the more we sound rational, respectful and smart, the more we will be able to effectively help Palestinians from wherever we are.
"Second thing, we should not allow the actions of Israel to create resentment towards the Jewish community in any sense of the term"
This is rather tricky. The jewish community is pervasively bigoted and chauvinist on this question, both the overwhelming number of individuals and all the mainstream organisations, including many of ones that think they are more dedicated to 'peace and justice' than the rest. Of course, there are many exceptions. But it is the jewish community writ large that is a real problem here, not a few organisations or political leaders. That's not unlike other civil rights problems etc, where it was often e.g. the Southern White community very broadly that stood for segregation, and it was right to resent it.
Mohammad,
It is a very insightful and helpfull text. Thank you.
While I agree with you on all the issues above, I am gripped by the sense of urgency, that the calm tone of your post does not possess.
I am convinced that the way society moves from disdain towards its minorities or its neighbours to the actual policies of genocide is a gradual progress that can be quantified and studied.
It is not unlike the degeneration of the relationship into the domestic violence and abuse, which tends to get worse if unchecked.
Israel has already crossed the line where it is acceptable for its voters to kill and starve Arabs. This is not an outlier as Lebanon 2006 was followed by Gaza 2008.
We are now in the territory where it is not a question of IF and WHEN to kill Arabs. It is a question of HOW MANY.
There are now hundreds of discussions taking place in the Israeli homes where the question of HOW is being discussed.
I do not see this as any different then the discussions taking place in Ottoman Empire in 1914 about "Armenian Question"or Rwana in 1993 about "Tutsi Problem" or Russia in 1918 about "Don Cossacks Question".
There is a well defined psychological phenomenon of denial in the population that is responsible for genocide that does not allow it to see the mass murder, acknowledge mass murder and act against mass murder leading straight to the negation of mass murder having take place.
I believe that Israel is in total denial of its own precarious position as a society very close to the point of starting a genocide.
"Fourth thing, upping the verbal attacks on Israel can only help alleviate our pain to a point. We need to stay away as much as possible from sentimentality, sensationalism and moralizing influences. These are boring tactics that really won't help our cause and only
waste our energy that can otherwise be used elsewhere. For now, the war is over. Why not spend the time educating ourselves more about the different aspects of the conflict. Israel's Zionist regime and its war machine are immoral things. but analytical talk, introspective discourse and comparative studies are much more effective in causing change than shaming Israel and its friends for another millionth time."
Tough to call Israel genocidal and then claim that you want to not insult.
Also, I note the utter absence of any inquiry into the actions and judgement of Hamas, and their participation in the process of INITIATING war. (Even if someone did the "first" act, Hamas indicated that it preferred war to the restoration of the cease-fire.)
There is someone else who used the word ”genocide”.
I’m thinking of Rachel Corrie.
In her letters from Rafah she actually called the Israeli policy towards Gaza a form of genocide.
She admitted that most people in the U.S. would dismiss the claim as hyperbole.
It wasn’t Poland 1942 and it wasn’t Rwanda 1994. This is a different creature.
When we think of genocide we usually sees visions of mass graves and gas chambers. This wasn’t there in Gaza.
Never the less she described it as “… a somewhat gradual – often hidden, but nevertheless massive – removal and destruction of the ability of a particular group of people to survive. This is what I am seeing here.”
This was written in 2003. The whole process of coldly calculated destruction has actually accelerated since then. It is a process that allows the Israelis to believe that their hands are still clean.
Great comments.. does anyone recommend an effective/efficient organization that I can donate money to for relief/AID?
We are committed to mobilizing to stop these brutal attacks and we urgently need your help. This is an emergency situation which needs resources so that the IAC can do everything possible to oppose this terrible invasion and demonstrate solidarity with the people of Gaza in major cities across the U.S.