From the Ground: The Real Israel-Palestine

Final Summary: "Too Great A Burden To Bear"

I landed in Israel thinking about the words of Rodney King.

“Why can’t we all just get along?” King asked, months after he was brutally beaten by four members of the Los Angeles Police Department.

In a modern world supposedly characterized by extraordinary levels of humanity and compromise, why are the Jews and Palestinians still engaged in a bitter battle over a sliver of land the size of America’s 45th largest state?

Why has a solution proved elusive for more than 60 years?

During my three weeks in Israel, I sought the answer.

I learned that the conflict is an amazingly complicated puzzle, with an amazingly simple solution.

It’s complicated because religious matters have clouded the view of all involved.

Religious Jews believe God granted them the land of Israel. They pray in the direction of Jerusalem—the future site of the building of the Third Temple, which will bring the world to complete perfection. Muslims view the same city as the point where Prophet Muhammad ascended through the seven levels of heaven and received important knowledge from God.

Neither side will compromise.

It’s complicated because history has lent at least moderate support to both sides’ claim of being “more native.”

Jews point to archaeological proof that shows they inhabited the land first. They say that they are simply reclaiming their homeland. Palestinians argue that these ancient land claims are irrelevant. After all, if you own a home and then abandon it, you can’t return 2,000 years later and force the new residents out of the home.

Neither side will compromise.

Most of all, it’s complicated because after 60 years of conflict, both sides have become blinded and enslaved to the fear that runs through their rhetoric.

“They hate us,” one Jew told us early in the trip. They don’t want peace, another said. “They kill Jews. That’s just what they do,” we were warned.

“They think we’re inferior,” a Palestinian reported. They intimidate and oppress simply because they can, another said. “They wish all Palestinians were dead,” we were told.

In the end, both sides sound the same. They’re both wrong.

It’s the same rhetoric that caused the two sides to separate into different cities and build walls to divide themselves (In Israel, there are Jewish cities and Arab cities and Christian cities; there are no cities that are just cities).

Sweeping and extreme generalizations have bred isolation. Isolation has bred ignorance. And ignorance has bred fear, continuing a truly vicious cycle.

So the answer is simple.

It has always dangled under the surface, glaring but unthinkable, like the exam answer dismissed because it’s deemed “too obvious.” It lies in the words of French pastor André Trocmé, a non-Jew who risked his own life to save 5,000 Jews during the Holocaust.

Asked why he put himself in so much risk for the Jews, Trocmé said, “I don’t know what a Jew is; we only know what humans are.”

After spending long days and nights with each of them, I can tell you that both sides of this conflict are human. They both have families, they both hope for peace, they both get hungry and thirsty and sick.

Following Trocmé is the only way out of the conflict. There is only one legitimate solution.

Forget the ridiculous stereotypes. Break down the wall. Denounce the cycle. Recognize the other side as human. Refuse to fear.

I’m not saying it will be easy. No, opening yourself up to the other side is inherently a risk. It will be hard; harder than arguing, harder than killing, harder than blowing yourself up in hopes of sending a message.

But what other choice is there for a group of people who have lived in fear for decades; who have seen their lives consumed by detestation and distress; who have been fighting for 60 years and see no end in sight.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said it best.

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

As for those of us far removed from the reality on the ground, our mission is to help them lift the burden.

It’s not the mission of Jews or Palestinians; of Americans or Europeans; of bloggers or readers.

It’s the mission of all of us that have a voice: To find a way to tear through the complexity to convince these battered combatants to lay down their weapons and embrace the other side.

Final Summary: The Holocaust Of Today

“I support Israel—period. I identify with Israel—period. I never attack, never criticize Israel.” - Elie Wiesel

Aside from learning about the realities on the ground in a way that was impossible from far away, one of my biggest hopes for our trip was to figure out how otherwise rational people could blindly support the actions of a state without unconditonally.

Two Taglit experiences helped me answer that question: our visits to Yad Vashem (Israel’s holocaust memorial and museum) and Har Hersel (Israel’s national cemetery for fallen soldiers and political leaders). Perhaps symbolic of how closely they are linked in the Israeli consciousness, the two occupy the same property in central Jerusalem. It may be impossible to understand the Jewish State and its contemporary struggles without understanding the holocaust.  In fact, until recently Yad Vashem was a “required” stop for all visiting foreign leaders (now it is only strongly encouraged).

The Holocaust remains the lens through which Zionists view their world and this exerts a strong influence on Israeli attitudes and policy. This was reflected in the way our Birthright leaders and guests explained Israel’s armed conflicts since 1948, describing each in the same way: ‘They hated us because we’re Jewish, they tried to eliminate us; but we persevered, destroying them and ensuring our survival (for the time being).’

Zionists are convinced that the State of Israel is the only thing preventing another holocaust against the Jewish people. We were repeatedly told that the reason Jews were so vulnerable in the 1930’s was that they were split up, not having their own country or making up a majority in any single country.

In the words of Benjamin Netanyahu, who may very well become Israel’s next prime minister (again), “No one yet knows what awaits the Jews in the twenty-first century, but we must make every effort to ensure that it is better than what befell them in the twentieth, the century of the Holocaust.” But what is the effect of this effort on Israel’s neighbors?

Walking through Yad Vashem, I couldn’t help but notice parallels to today’s realities: the effort to create a ‘racial state,’ the dehumanization occurring on both side, the occupation and subsequent isolation of territory, even the notion of ‘transfer.’ In March, Israel’s Deputy Defence Minister even threatened a “holocaust” against Gaza if the Qassams kept coming.

This is a comparison that is not lost on the Palestinians. While in Abu Dis, a Palestinian neighborhood of east Jerusalem, we we noticed that following graffiti message sprayed on the wall: “from Warsaw ghetto to Abu Dis ghetto.”

The Nazi holocaust is a tragedy that cannot be discounted, but can we use it (consciously or not) to justify the systematic oppression of another people? Shouldn’t the Jews, who know too well the terrible toll of such conditions, lead the struggle against racism and oppression around the world?

Elie Wiesel, the famous Auschwitz–survivor, said of his experiences: “I swore never to be silent whenever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”

It’s clear then who he sees as the victims and who the tormentors. In analyzing the Zionist rationale, its important to understand the inability (or unwillingness) of many to see themselves in any role other than the victims. This drives them to support policies which destroy the lives of others and end up bringing more violence and less security.

One State Or Two States?

Brian: One-state solution, probably achieved through a temporary two-state solution

David: The only just and lasting solution is a single democratic state with equal rights for all

Martin Luther King Jr. Day And Our Final Summaries

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It’s a great day for all of us (not just because my middle name is “Martin” in his honor). Here’s to hoping that his dream will someday come true.

It’s fitting that today is today because tonight, after days of build up, we will publish our final summaries about our trip to Israel. They will mention MLK Jr. and touch on themes that would doubtlessly be important to him.

Expect those in a few hours.

Statement from the Israeli branch of Physicians for Human Rights

“

As medical professionals responsible for the health and safety of all people, Jews and Arabs, we cannot remain silent in the face of the horrors occurring before our eyes:

On Friday, 16th of January, we will set out together, members, volunteers, and supporters of Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, to accompany a convoy of food and medical supplies for the residents of the Gaza Strip.

Together, Arabs and Jews, we will express solidarity with the residents of Gaza and the south of Israel, and call:

· Stop the killing of innocent people
· Stop attacking medical teams
· Stop withholding medical treatment from the wounded
· Stop shooting at aid convoys

“

The group will hold a rally near the border and then proceed to the border crossing to attempt to bring in much-needed relief supplies.

My "Favorite" Part of Israel

Since I’ve gotten this question 100 times since returning to Northwestern, I thought I’d answer it here in a public forum:

Yad Vashem, the Israeli Holocaust museum.

It was there, during an extremely emotional day that left me near tears at several times, that I finally began to understand the importance that the state of Israel to Jews, who just a few years before the state’s establishment saw the world stand by as a political party tried to exterminate them.

It was also there that I first saw the striking irony of Israel today— that these targeted peoples are now themselves taking up the enormous task of trying to expel an entire race.

Finally, it was at this museum where I saw a quotation that I will never forget (more on this in a later post).

- Brian

Post-Birthright Analysis: Sexism

By Alex Finkel
For Living the Dream

Now that I’m back in the U.S. and I tell people I went to Israel over winter break, I always get the same question: “So, are you like more Jewish now?” or something like that.

I mean, that was one of the reasons I decided to go to Israel in the first place- to feel more connected to this religion I had halfheartedly observed the past 19 or so years of my life. I had always gone to temple especially for the high holidays, but it was mostly because I felt obligated to, not because I actually cared about what was said in services. So I went to Israel looking for answers and hoping to find some connection to my heritage.

What I found was something very different than what I expected.

It’s two weeks later, and now, odd as it may seem, I feel even more disconnected from my religion. And that’s primarily because of the rampant sexism I witnessed.

For one thing, going to Israel on a Birthright trip is a very different experience for men and women. And although I knew there existed some sort of sexism in Orthodox Judaism (the basis and root of the religion), I never experienced it as I had always attended Reform services.

But on the trip, it was impossible to avoid.

The first Shabbat service separated men and women. According to our tour guide Moshe, the barrier between both genders allowed each to individually focus on prayer and be free from distractions.

But what I saw (or heard really since women were not really able to contribute or participate) was a service that consisted of guys singing some prayers at the top of their lungs and dancing around in circles.

Women sat on the other side. We were supposed to be silent. We didn’t dance. And what I remember most is just about every girl’s uncomfortable expression and body position as if they were counting the minutes until it was over (I know I was).

And when it was over, all I wanted to do was scream, “Hey! Why can’t I do what you guys are doing?” I had never been told I couldn’t do something because I was a woman.

But Shabbat at the Western Wall was even worse. The wall is separated between men and women and the men’s side is twice if not three times as large as the women’s side.

But Birthright chose not to conduct the women’s service at the wall. This was because of the new “Modesty Police” who roamed the women’s side stopping women from dancing and singing. You know, because that wasn’t our place.

Instead we were escorted to the back lot of an archaeological museum and encouraged to dance and sing like the men were doing at the Wall… in this darkly lit area where few people could see us so we wouldn’t offend anyone with our actions.

Truth is, I didn’t want to dance- it just felt wrong to put on this fake smile like I actually enjoyed being oppressed. And so I didn’t. And neither did a lot of the other girls in our group. And the Birthright female group leader got angry and said to us, “This is only going to be what you make of it.”

She’s right. The experience was what I made of it. But sometimes (especially growing up in a country like America that prides itself on the importance of equality), it was just too hard to ignore.

Do I regret going? Of course not. It was certainly eye-opening and even a little bit sad, but I think its made me really appreciate that I live in a place where I really can do whatever I want even though I’m a woman.

I’ll still probably go to services on high holidays as it’s become this tradition that is one of the few constants in my life. But I’m going to stop looking for any connection I might have with my religion. Maybe there just isn’t one there.

And I think I’m okay with that.

Israel And Facebook Statuses

After Israel’s invasion of Gaza, someone decided to create a Facebook application which tracks Hamas rockets being fired into Israel. The idea is, anybody in favor of the invasion can go to a link and get this rocket tracker installed as their status until they disable it.

Naturally, someone else created an application in response which tracks Palestinian casualties.

I have friends who have “donated their status” to both sides. But looking at their statuses today, the disparity is almost laughable:

Jake LaRaus is QassamCount: In the past 36 hours, 33 Hamas rockets hit Israel. 1 hit near a kindergarten in Ashdod city.

Nahla Ahmed is: “In 16 days: 888 Palestinians killed in Gaza (284 children and 100 women) and 4080 injured”