In the comment section of a Haaretz piece on the arrest of a settler for a failed attack on a Palestinian village, there is a great exchange between a settler and a peace activist, Natallie Durson, who I believe is from LA. The settler shows some sensitivity to the rights of the people among whom he lives.
#8 Durson:
“So the settlers attacked the IDF to the point that the IDF had to
withdraw. The settlers are long on gall and short on brains. The IDF
will go out of its way to avoid a fight, as we have seen before, no
matter who the enemy is.”
#21 Meir from Gush Etzion:
“
Matalie, [sic]
I foam at the mouth, when i hear of the bad things some of my co-settlers have done/ or plan on doing.
Thank
G-d they are not numerous,
but they are too many for my liking..and
finally it seems that more action is being taken against them.
Then
there are those, who continue to work within the framework of the law,
but who are blind to the presence and rights of Palestinians, among
whom we live. There are many blind settlers..who at time open their
mouths with insensitive words..at time disgusting.
They also
make me MAD…but they also do some good..they help wake up many normal
settlers to the evils of our blindness and insensitivity.
Being
sensitive and humane does not necessarily legitimize our continued
existence as settlements in areas that might/should be become part of
the Palestinian state..BUT being sensitive is necessary to legitimize
ourselves as human beings and Jews.”
#23 Durson replies:
“
Thank
you for your response. As always, generalizing or catagorizing people
by groups inevitably does a disservice to some, possibly even a
majority within the group. I hope that this is understood and that you
don`t take offense from my comments. I am certain that in the future a
large number of settlers lives will become unsettled, the good along
with the bad. I wish you luck in that time to come.”
#41 Meir replies:
“Natalie, I appreciate your post #23. You can be sharp, and sometimes i do think you go overboard.
I
often think your perspective is a bit warped..or not broad enough..but
i see that you are coming from a place not as narrow as i previously
thought.
Now i see that i have good reason to continue reading
your posts…even if they cause me discomfort at time-sometimes because
they are a challenge..other times because they seem to me off base.”
(Thanks to Sky Redoubt for the headsup.)
