Acts of terror perpetrated by Jews. Jewish terrorism, in short. Uprooting of olive trees, torching of houses of worship, spraying graffiti on houses of worship. The latter is something that people tend to downplay, but in the eyes of believers, graffiti that curses the prophet Muhammad or Jesus is as bad as arson. There’s terrorism that also exacts a price in human life, such as the Dawabsheh family [three of whose members died in the firebombing of their home, in the West Bank village of Duma, in 2015] or the youngster Mohammed Abu Khdeir [the Palestinian teen who was kidnapped and murdered in Jerusalem in 2014], and many more victims. For example, the Palestinian family that was traveling in a taxi at which Molotov cocktails were thrown, near Beit Ayin [a West Bank settlement, in 2012] – a whole family that was simply set ablaze. [...]
We coordinate with the people at the site, be it a rabbi or the head of a monastery or an imam. We inform people about the incident on the social networks so that they will come to the site. For example, 400 people showed up after the monastery at Latrun was torched [in 2012]. It’s very important to be there. It not only prevents acts of revenge, it also demonstrates humanity and solidarity. [...]
Great shame. Grief. A desire to atone. By the way, we continue to visit the Abu Khdeir family. Last Hanukkah we went there with 20 students. We ate holiday doughnuts from Jerusalem together and oranges from Jericho in the memorial room for Mohammed. Our motto is that it makes no difference what the political solution ends up being, Jews and Arabs in the State of Israel are going to live here together, whether there will be one parliament or four parliaments. This is a reality we all need to internalize, Jews and Arabs, and the faster that happens, the fewer victims there will be. [...]
As a religiously observant Jew who was raised in the religious-Zionist movement, whose family has lived in Jerusalem for eight generations, I am not willing to accept these people who have gone out in the dark of night, wearing kippot, and who in the name of Judaism decided to enter a mosque or assassinate a prime minister. They are turning Judaism, of which I am an integral part, into something different and frightening. Judaism is not a murderous religion, and I am anxious for my country, which is at risk of being taken over by zealous, benighted people. I am talking about the extreme right, not the entire right wing. I am talking about the people who settle in Judea and Samaria, who believe that they are truly fulfilling a holy mission, that we are in a process of redemption in the Land of Israel, the Promised Land.
No comments:
Post a Comment