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I have a secret to tell my progressive friends in Seattle. I am a Zionist. I believe in the right of Israel to continue existing as a nation-state.
I am also anti-military occupation of Palestinians in the West Bank, against the siege on Gaza, against the unrecognized citizenship of Palestinians living in east Jerusalem, against discrimination toward Palestinian citizens of Israel, and I am for a cease-fire, return of the hostages, reparations and a diplomatic solution that includes meaningful Palestinian sovereignty. Jewish people, including those outside of Israel, need to be a part of advocating for the right side of justice in this violent, protracted and tragic ethnic and political conflict. And it is not only anti-Zionist Jews who have something to contribute to Palestinian liberation, though they have become the moral darlings of the left and the only celebrated Jewish voices.
The binary framing of the conflict today promotes the idea that to be a pro-Palestine advocate on the progressive left one must adopt specific norms — refute Jewish claims of complexity, avoid engaging with those who ask for dialogue, prioritize Palestinian national self-determination over Israel’s or a two-state solution, and accept Palestinian violence against civilians as justified resistance. It makes sense to me that Palestinians and Israelis living in the conflict would develop what The New York Times called a lethal psychological chasm, but I expect something different from those of us with the luxury of peace and safety, the privilege to intellectualize from our computer screens, and the freedom to march on the streets. Those of us further from the trauma should be better able to engage with people who disagree, and make more efforts to build coalitions across shared values.
Early in November there was an effort in Seattle to gather Jewish and Muslim community members together in a Washington Solidarity Statement. The statement called for a cease-fire, return of the Israeli hostages, an end to the Israeli military occupation, and an end to Islamophobia and antisemitism. While 2,500 signatures were gathered (including my own), only a small handful of progressive Zionist Jews signed the statement. I heard varied reasons for why others did not sign a statement that they generally agreed with. It came down to a lack of trust that the people who authored the statement believe in Israel’s right to exist. What a missed opportunity to build a bigger cease-fire coalition, and to call for safety and dignity for everyone.
Los Angeles-based Rabbi Sharon Brous has been a spiritual and moral guide for me during these impossible months. On Nov. 11 she gave a sermon reminding us that there is a third way beyond the dichotomy — “To fight to see humanity, even when our own humanity has been denied, and insist on a complexity in a world of simplistic certainties, and fluidity in a time of binaries.” She calls on us to find an island between the dichotomous “sides” of this conflict.
On the ground, Israeli and Palestinian peace activists from grassroots organizations such as Standing Together are able to forge this path despite the imminent threats to their lives posed by the conflict. Their solidarity work is not the kind of “kumbaya” approach that puts an idealized version of peace on a pedestal. It is a demonstration of what it looks like to struggle to hold multiple truths.
I have been searching high and low for my island. But, honestly, it has been difficult to find. This gut-wrenching round of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has animated the strangest of bedfellows — Jewish Democrats with antisemitic white nationalist-leaning Republicans, and Western progressives and intellectuals with violent political Islamist groups. This bizarre dystopian world in which we live misses the opportunity for meaningful solidarity of groups with shared values — in this case, the allyship of pro-Palestinian activists with progressive Zionist Jews. How can we all find each other again in this mess? I am sure if we can, we will be more productive in our work toward peace and justice from our little corner of the world.
Editor’s note: The Seattle Times occasionally closes comments on stories. If you would like to share your thoughts or experiences in relation to this op-ed, please submit a Letter to the Editor of no more than 200 words to be considered for publication in our Opinion section. Send to: letters@seattletimes.com
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