October 7 convinced the majority in Israel that there really is no alternative to “living by our sword” forever, making absolutely sure that we will always be the victors.
What idiocy. If there’s one thing the history of this place can teach, it’s that every wall and every empire eventually falls. There is no such thing as always having the upper hand. This is the false conception that must be uprooted – the idea that we have no choice, that it is impossible to make peace with people like the ones we’re dealing with.
We think we “understand their mentality” when what we understand is our projections. Anyone observing from the outside can see how our perceptions of each other mirror each other perfectly, and how our actions strengthen them continuously.*
I am appalled that we are just fine with destruction on such a scale. It doesn’t matter what the reason is; there can be no justification. Not that I expected much different, but when I realized that in effect Israel entered Gaza not in order to return the hostages but instead of returning the hostages – even if not consciously on everyone’s part – I am left with nothing but heartbreak and rage. We acted on our misconceptions, and when those collapsed on our citizens, instead of admitting and paying the heavy price to rescue and rehabilitate, we went on a killing spree that claims more victims, piles up more costs that we will eventually have to pay, and raises the obstacles to choosing life even higher.
It’s not just that there is no way to ensure our continued existence through violence. It’s that even if there were, any alternative would be better.**
If it’s true that “living by the sword” is the only possibility here, it’s a shame that the Jewish state was ever established.
The State of Israel was founded to prevent the Holocaust; but the Holocaust cannot be prevented in retrospect.
If the best we can expect here is to suffer – but worse than that also to commit – massacre after massacre, it would have been better if the survivors in Europe had dispersed among the nations of the world, and we had left the Jews of the East in their magnificent communities instead of gathering them in ma’abarot. The Jewish people had and still have much more to contribute to the world than demonstrating how the persecuted can persecute as well.
True, Jewish history in the two thousand years preceding the state is full of times of persecution and anti-Semitism, but also of significant periods of glory. (Even today, there are innovations in Judaism abroad that are completely foreign to Israel with its zealous rabbinic monopoly.)
Since we have established a state, there was and still is the opportunity to build an exemplary society, where equality, prosperity, and respect are its guiding values. We could bring healing to a land that has probably known more violent death in all of human history than any other land in the world. This would truly be a great and worthy task. Instead, along with often inspiring internal solidarity, we built a fortress of suspicion, destruction and hatred, internally as well. Coincidentally or not, this is exactly what Israelis say about Gaza.
These are the most extreme words about Israel that I have ever put in writing. I am very sorry to write them. Heartbroken and furious.
*Yes, of course, there are also times when Israel acts wonderfully. We hold these up as examples and bury everything else. Including examples would have made this so long that I wouldn’t have written it at all. If you’re not aware of myriad examples that confirm what I’m saying, but only see the opposite, I invite you to look for them, because they’re out there. And if you see them but dismiss them all, you’ve missed something major in the art of understanding others.
**I’m not arguing against being strong and ready to stand up for ourselves. As a witch, I know how to curse, and recognize the importance of keeping clear boundaries. But when these become the sole modus operandi, life becomes an intolerable experience of repelling persecution, and we become intolerable, as well. As an animist, my aim will always be to maximize beneficial collaboration for all involved.