by Damien
…… about that. 
There are four things to know about me:
1. I am Pro-Palestine
2. I am Pro-Israel
3. I am Anti-Hamas/Hezbollah/Iran
4. I am Anti-Netanyahu/Haredi/Far-Right
Israel has a right to exist. However badly the British fucked up (then) Palestine, and however badly the
UN/League of Nations fucked up the implementation of the State of Israel, it has a right to exist and is
not going anywhere.
Palestinians deserve a State Nation of their own (the borders of which I have some issue with). They are
not going anywhere. It does not matter that they are the historical equivalent of being “bussed in” to
the region. They are there. Several generations of families have known nothing else but the region of
land occupied currently by what we now know as the modern State of Israel, and, the Palestinian Territories.
As a Jew, I am often asked by (slack-jawed yokels) I mean the average American I meet what my stance
on Israel is. And my response is “Which Israel? There are three Israels. Israel the nation. Israel the
people. Israel the government.” Which usually prompts a very satisfying look of confusion followed
quickly by several indecipherable verbal exclamations and a quick retreat.
As a Jew-by-Choice, I did not grow up being taught about the glory of Israel, and yes, the idea of Israel is
glorious. Given the multi-millennial persecution of the Jews, a safe homeland was inevitable, and
necessary. From the kidnapping by the Babylonian Empire, to the expulsion by the Roman Empire, the
Jews have only ever wanted a safe place to live, and live Jewishly. I have, therefore, the ability to look at
the conflict with both the horror we all share, but also some objectivity.
The Palestinians sadly have a bad wrap sheet. They were bussed in by the Romans when they expelled
the Jews. Hordes of neighboring Arab populations were moved in to physically replace and displace the
then Judean populations. (Please understand that I am paraphrasing history here, so as to not have a
5,000-word essay as my first BIE article). Then generation after generation of what became known as
Palestinians were born, lived, worked, raised families, and died in what they came to know as their land.
I am about to leap frog of many centuries here. Please bear with me. What we have now in 2024 are
two groups of people with historic claims to the land. Neither of which has always acted with the moral
high ground. Palestine has Hamas, suicide bombings, the PLO and their terrorist neighbors. Israel has
had the Hagenah, Netanyahu, Ariel (the butcher of Beirut) Sharon who ridiculously tried to reclaim the
Temple Mount, oh…and the Haredi – the Ultra-Orthodox who don’t bathe and believe that they and
they alone are true Jews.
And yet we have one nation – Israel – who relies on another – Palestine – for its labor force.
And yet another nation – Palestine – who relies on another – Israel – for economic opportunity.
The two are tied together in a way that neither can exist without the other. And the Arab financial
assistance to Palestine is both pitiful and often stolen by their internal terrorist gangs as is their foreign
aid.
What we have are two groups of people who are being held at gun point by their own extreme forces.
True peace will not be known until at least three current generations of Israelis and Palestinians die. And
this article barely makes the most infinitesimal scratch in the conflict – both now and historically.
So, when the conflict is being discussed, take care how you discuss it. The true victims are the
Palestinian people who are killed by Netanyahu and their own internal extremists, and, the Israeli
people are who killed by Hamas/Hezbollah and Haredi extremists. Remember…...a Haredi Jew shot
Rabin. Not a Palestinian.
And one final thing. I am a deeply observant Jew. A Jewish Professional. And an avowed pacifist. And I
have no clue how to fix the conflict aside from putting three generations on both sides up against the
Western Wall and pulling the trigger.
May Israel know security and prosperity.
May Palestine know freedom and prosperity.
Shalom to my Tribe, and, Salaam to my Cousins of Islam.
Damien
The Aussie Jew.
4 comments:
Great first BIE article. Your four things should be descriptive for all of us.
Thanks Shane.
Damien
Really well said. This is "issue" is too complicated and too complex to responsibly distill to a single stance or perspective.
Thanks for writing this, Damien, and thanks for sharing BIE to publish it, Scott.
Israeli, Palestine, and all of the Eastern Mediterranean are a hot mess of people, politics, culture, language, music and food that if they weren't fighting each other over real issue from a thousand years ago and perceived slights from last week, would be an incredibly interesting and diverse place.
Standing with the right of people to have a safe and secure place to live is not standing against the existence any of the people involved.
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