The case of Israel is not complicated, it is the age old case of the strong taking from the weak. And if you think the strong will just give back what they took because it’s the right thing to do…well, you’re definitely smoking something. Israel will never voluntarily give any land back, unless they are compelled to do so. No, quite to the contrary, they will fight with all their capacity to keep every inch of what they took. And the odds will be in their favor, because not only did their stronger status enable them to take the land in the first place, it also gives them an edge to shape the discourse that works to justify their immoral aggression. BUT, amongst every such community, there are always those who rise up to speak for the weak, to speak for justice, often at considerable risk to themselves, and with a view that sees beyond their immediate self interests.
The Jewish community in general, and the Israeli community in particular, is no exception. These beacons of justice are what gives me hope for the future of Palestine. They are immune to the accusations of antisemitism, and have the intellectual and literary prowess to forcefully make the case. Just read the writings of Gideon Levy, an award winning Israeli journalist, or Ilan Pappe, an Israeli Historian, who wrote a book titled “The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine”! Here in the US, you have Norman Finkelstein, an academic possessing an immense capacity to astutely research, document, and substantiate each point. You have the Jewish Voice for Peace, a Jewish organization with over 400,000 members, dedicated entirely to the cause of Palestinian people. You have the Jewish US Senator Bernie Sanders. And there are many many more…for those looking for the truth, it’s there plain to see.
But there are others too, who are not Jewish, who brave the charges of anti-semitism to still speak on the matter. Foremost amongst them of course is former President Jimmy Carter, who was deeply involved in the peace process during his Presidency, and wrote later after his political career the book titled “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid”.
So if you want to side with the case of the strong aggressor, to buy what they’re selling, go ahead…you won’t be the first innocent victim caught up in the forces of the mainstream. I know that the vast majority of people want justice, want to be on the side of the weak…that if Americans knew the reality of the situation, they would not hesitate to help the Palestinians. America is all about, in spirit for sure, helping the underdog, the “David”, the weak. But by some masterful stratagem, somehow, the side with the jets, the tanks, the artillery, the drones, the satellites, the real rockets, the atomic bomb!…that side is perceived as the weak little poodle, and the Palestinians of Gaza who live in a concentration camp are the mighty evil oppressors. I tip my hat…but in the end the truth comes out. Which side will you be on?