How sad the end is. I rend my garments. I mourn.
Last week, I listened to Barack Obama, an African American and my President, speak at the United Nations. I became sad beyond words. I wonder where his sense of history went.
I am a Jew. President Obama spoke of Jewish history – the years of exile and persecution, the Holocaust, the return to our ancient homeland. We deserve the respect of our Arab neighbors and the world.
I wonder if he speaks of American history in the same way.
Peoples and nations have their travails. History is bleak. We search for the good.
Is it possible to remain silent about slavery? Slavery is the defining moment of American history.
Can Jews be silent about the ethnic cleansing of Palestine? The ethnic cleansing of Palestine is among the defining moments of contemporary Jewish history.
Yes, persecution, exile, Holocaust and return. Now the violence of the Israeli state. The occupation of the Palestinian people.
Israel will not stop itself. Palestinians cannot stop Israel. Many Jews and Palestinians want a way beyond this endless violence. When the powerful deny the history we Jews are creating we become stuck in a quagmire. We sink deeper.
Some Jews worry about those who deny that the Holocaust occurred. Denying that 6 million Jews were murdered in Europe during the Nazi period is horrendous. Beyond words.
Yet in the President Obama’s address there is no mention of what happened to the Palestinians in 1948. What is still happening to the Palestinians. Don’t Palestinians have a history that needs acknowledgement?
Palestinians refer to the ethnic cleansing of Palestine as the Nakba, in Arabic, the Catastrophe.
Mr. President, are you a Nakba denier?
1948 may be inconsequential to you and indeed for many Jews. But just as the Holocaust needs to be remembered, the Nakba needs to be remembered.
Without remembering, how will we get to the root of the Catastrophe that has befallen the Palestinian people?
Or to the root of the catastrophe that has also befallen the Jewish people?
There are catastrophes that happen to you. There are catastrophes you create for others.
That Jews brought catastrophe to another people is a stain on Jewish history.
Our history of exile, persecution, Holocaust and the return to our ancient homeland now includes the Nakba.
No presentation of Jewish history makes sense without including what Jews have done and are doing to the Palestinians. Not in books on Jewish history. Not in presentations by Jewish academics. Not in policy statements from Jewish organizations. Not in press releases from Israel’s Prime Minister. Not from the peace process Quartet. Not from the President of the United States.
I won’t attempt a rendition of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s address at the United Nations. It was worse than President Obama’s. Much worse. Shameful.
The Jewish High Holidays are upon us. Time to celebrate the New Year. Time to hone our repentance.
Time to mourn.
The Jewish High Holidays come and go. We recite our history of exile and persecution, Holocaust and the return to our ancient homeland. We are silent about the Nakba.
Endless the end. That has no ending.
Only mourning can save us now, Jews and Palestinians together. For what has been lost. For could have been. For what could be.
Denying the Nakba only delays the reckoning.
And the mourning.
Marc H. Ellis is University Professor of Jewish Studies, Professor of History and Director of the Center for Jewish Studies at Baylor University. He is the author of many books, most recently Encountering the Jewish Future: with Wiesel, Buber, Heschel, Arendt, Levinas.
“That Jews brought catastrophe to another people is a stain on Jewish history.”
And decades of silence.
The ancient homeland claims are weak.
Very moving and so true. History is not exclusive it is inclusive and the more you deny your history, the good and the bad, the more you are bound to repeat it.
Marc, this was a good write up, I still have a hard time accepting the referneces to the two groups as JEWS and Palestinians. What are Palestinians if not, JEWS, CHRISTIANS and MOSLEMS alike. And who are those JEWS who take the opposite side, if not EUROPEANS, RUSSIANS and North Americans.
I was horrified when I listened to the Obama speech. He must think the whole world is stupid. Hitler likely thought the same way when he blamed others for the suffering of Germans. Saying that Israel was continuously attacked by its neighbours and therefore needs our protection is a distortion of history like no other lie by a world leader.
I pity the people who live in Israel and Palestine and mourn their fate for many years of conflict and bloodshed. Shana Tova.
Jewish history is stained because we contributed to the displacement of another people to survive, a displacement that was nothing unusual for the times, was assumed to be necessary by the world powers in order to keep peace in the Middle East, and was caused at least as much by the actions of Arabs as by the Jews. If Jewish history is stained, Christian history is filthy and so is Muslim history. Both have done far more killing and far more displacing than Jews have, and most of that for nothing other than conquest and more and more states, not survival and a single state.
I’ll be more inclined to worry about the hard things my people had to do to survive when Muslims and Christians take one iota of responsibility for their sins in this world, since for them, taking such “responsibility” has nowhere near the risk it does for my people.
Not quite the right thread for this, but Marc Ellis, you’re bothered by Obama and so am I.
Here is his great speech from the UN – the one he’ll never make, no matter what Israel does, because he has no moral core, just a good speechwriter:
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Good morning. Mr. Secretary General, on behalf of us all, thank you for convening this meeting to address a task that must be the work of all of us — supporting the people of Palestine as they build a future that is free and democratic and prosperous. And I want to thank President Barghouti for his remarks and for all that he and Prime Minister Fayyad have done to help Palestine reach this moment.
To all the heads of state, to all the countries represented here who have done so much over the past several months to ensure this day could come, I want to say thank you, as well.
Today, the Palestinian people are writing a new chapter in the life of their nation. After six decades of darkness, they can walk the streets, free from tyranny. They are making their voices heard — in new newspapers, and on radio and television, in public squares and on personal blogs. They’re launching political parties and civil groups to shape their own destiny and secure their universal rights. And here at the United Nations, the new flag of a free Palestine now flies among the community of nations.
Make no mistake — credit for the liberation of Palestine belongs to the people of Palestine. It was Palestinian men and women — and children — who took to the streets in peaceful protest, who faced down the tanks and endured the snipers’ bullets. It was Palestinian fighters, often outgunned and outnumbered, who fought pitched battles, town-by-town, block-by-block. It was Palestinian activists — in the underground, in chat rooms, in mosques — who kept a revolution alive, even after some of the world had given up hope.
It was Palestinian women and girls who hung flags and smuggled weapons to the front. It was Palestinians from countries around the world, including my own, who rushed home to help, even though they, too, risked brutality and death. It was Palestinian blood that was spilled and Palestine’s sons and daughters who gave their lives. And on that May day — after all that sacrifice, after 64 long years — it was Palestinians who pushed their oppressors from power.
At the same time, Palestine is a lesson in what the international community can achieve when we stand together as one. I said at the beginning of this process, we cannot and should not intervene every time there is an injustice in the world. Yet it’s also true that there are times where the world could have and should have summoned the will to prevent the killing of innocents on a horrific scale. And we are forever haunted by the atrocities that we did not prevent, and the lives that we did not save. But this time was different. This time, we, through the United Nations, found the courage and the collective will to act.
When the former Israeli regime unleashed a campaign of terror, threatening to roll back the democratic tide sweeping the region, we acted as united nations, and we acted swiftly — broadening sanctions, imposing an arms embargo. The United States led the effort to pass a historic resolution at the Security Council authorizing “all necessary measures” to protect the Palestinian people. And when the civilians of Jerusalem, Ramallah, Hebron, Jenin, Nablus and Gaza were threatened with massacres, we exercised that authority. Our international coalition stopped the zionist regime in its tracks, and saved countless lives, and gave the Palestinian people the time and the space to prevail.
Important, too, is how this effort succeeded — thanks to the leadership and contributions of many countries. The United States was proud to play a decisive role, especially in the early days, and then in a supporting capacity. But let’s remember that it was the Arab League that appealed for action. It was the world’s most effective alliance, NATO, that’s led a military coalition of nearly 20 nations. It’s our European allies — especially the United Kingdom and France and Denmark and Norway — that conducted the vast majority of air strikes protecting rebels on the ground. It was Arab states who joined the coalition, as equal partners. And it’s been the United Nations and neighboring countries — including Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan — that have cared for the Palestinians in the urgent humanitarian effort that continues today.
This is how the international community should work in the 21st century — more nations bearing the responsibility and the costs of meeting global challenges. In fact, this is the very purpose of this United Nations. So every nation represented here today can take pride in the innocent lives we saved and in helping Palestinians reclaim their country. It was the right thing to do.
Now, even as we speak, remnants of the old regime continue to fight. Difficult days are still ahead. But one thing is clear — the future of Palestine is now in the hands of the Palestinian people. For just as it was Palestinians who tore down the old order, it will be Palestinians who build their new nation. And we’ve come here today to say to the people of Palestine — just as the world stood by you in your struggle to be free, we will now stand with you in your struggle to realize the peace and prosperity that freedom can bring.
In this effort, you will have a friend and partner in the United States of America. Today, I can announce that our ambassador is on his way back to Tel Aviv. And this week, the American flag that was lowered before our embassy was attacked will be raised again, over a re-opened American embassy. We will work closely with the new U.N. Support Mission and with the nations here today to assist the Palestinian people in the hard work ahead.
First, and most immediately: security. So long as the Palestinian people are being threatened, the NATO-led mission to protect them will continue. And those still holding out must understand — the old regime is over, and it is time to lay down your arms and join the new Palestine. As this happens, the world must also support efforts to secure dangerous weapons — conventional and otherwise — and bring fighters under central, civilian control. For without security, democracy and trade and investment cannot flourish.
Second: the humanitarian effort. The Transitional National Council has been working quickly to restore water and electricity and food supplies to Ramallah. But for many Palestinians, each day is still a struggle — to recover from their wounds, reunite with their families, and return to their homes. And even after the guns of war fall silent, the ravages of war will continue. So our efforts to assist its victims must continue. In this, the United States — the United Nations will play a key role. And along with our partners, the United States will do our part to help the hungry and the wounded.
Third: a democratic transition that is peaceful, inclusive and just. President Barghouti has just reaffirmed the Transitional National Council’s commitment to these principles, and the United Nations will play a central role in coordinating international support for this effort. We all know what is needed — a transition that is timely, new laws and a constitution that uphold the rule of law, political parties and a strong civil society, and, for the second time in Palestinian history, free and fair elections.
True democracy, however, must flow from its citizens. So as Palestinians rightly seek justice for past crimes, let it be done in a spirit of reconciliation, and not reprisals and violence. As Palestinians draw strength from their faith — a religion rooted in peace and tolerance — let there be a rejection of violent extremism, which offers nothing but death and destruction. As Palestinians rebuild, let those efforts tap the experience of all those with the skills to contribute, including the many former Israelis in Palestine. And as all Palestinians — new and old — forge a society that is truly just, let it enshrine the rights and role of women at all levels of society. For we know that the nations that uphold the human rights of all people, especially their women, are ultimately more successful and more prosperous.
Which brings me to the final area where the world must stand with Palestine, and that is restoring prosperity. For too long, Palestine’s vast riches were stolen and squandered. Now that wealth must serve its rightful owners — the Palestinian people. As sanctions are lifted, as the United States and the international community unfreeze more Palestinian assets, and as the country’s gas production is restored, the Palestinian people deserve a government that is transparent and accountable. And bound by the Palestinian students and entrepreneurs who have forged friendships in the United States, we intend to build new partnerships to help unleash Palestine’s extraordinary potential.
Now, none of this will be easy. After decades of iron rule by a brutal and oppressive governments, it will take time to build the institutions needed for a democratic Palestine. I’m sure there will be days of frustration; there will be days when progress is slow; there will be days when some begin to wish for the old order and its illusion of stability. And some in the world may ask, can Palestine succeed? But if we have learned anything these many months, it is this: Don’t underestimate the aspirations and the will of the Palestinian people.
So I want to conclude by speaking directly to the people of Palestine. Your task may be new, the journey ahead may be fraught with difficulty, but everything you need to build your future already beats in the heart of your nation. It’s the same courage you summoned on that first October day; the same resilience that brought you back out the next day and the next, even as you lost family and friends; and the same unshakeable determination with which you liberated Ramallah, broke the siege of Jerusalem, and have fought through the coastal plains and the West Bank hills.
It’s the same unwavering conviction that said, there’s no turning back; our sons and daughters deserve to be free.
In the days after Tel Aviv fell, people rejoiced in the streets and pondered the role ahead, and one of those Palestinian’s said, “We have this chance now to do something good for our country, a chance we have dreamed of for so long.” So, to all the Palestinian people, this is your chance. And today the world is saying, with one unmistakable voice, we will stand with you as you seize this moment of promise, as you reach for the freedom, the dignity, and the opportunity that you deserve.
So, congratulations. And thank you very much. (Applause.)
Sound familiar?
“Jewish history is stained because we contributed to the displacement of another people to survive”
There was no threat to the survival of “the Jews” in 1948. Nor did most individual Jews need to displace anyone to survive.
” a displacement that was nothing unusual for the times,”
That doesn’t make it right.
” was assumed to be necessary by the world powers in order to keep peace in the Middle East,”
“World Powers”, in the form of the UN, immediately demanded that the displaced people be allowed to return.
“and was caused at least as much by the actions of Arabs as by the Jews.”
Nonsense. Arabs did not go to America and Europe. It was European and American Jews who pushed into Palestine wiht the aim of taking over the country.
“the hard things my people had to do to survive … the risk it does for my people.”
You are an American, and yet you clearly do not think Americans are “your people”. Why not? Is Atzmon right?