"... an American calculator can short-circuit ..."

Feminist journalist Jill Filipovic has written a long, complex essay about responses in the the US to the Gaza war, on campuses and beyond, in Jewish and Palestinian communities. I think she bravely unpacks many confusions that arise from different histories and cultures. 

Although much of this is about campus wars over decolonization and Jew-hating that are distant for many Americans, lots of us would do well to read it all and engage thoughtfully. I personally particularly resonated with this:

Understanding hierarchies of oppression and how some groups and individuals enjoy unearned benefits is absolutely crucial to being a decent person in the world. But not all oppressions code onto the American Black / white or Judeo-Christian / not-Christian binary.

I suspect that one reason the concerns of many progressive Jews and many progressive people who support Israel’s existence aren’t being taken as seriously as complaints from other oppressed groups is that, according to the American progressive algebra, Jews are white and privileged while Muslims and Arabs are an oppressed minority.

These facts don’t quite map on to reality (a lot of Jews are not white) nor to the reality outside of the US (Jews are a tiny global minority, and are an oppressed minority in a great many nations; Jews have experienced among the most extreme outcomes of ethnic and religious hatred and continue to live with that fear and trauma; and Jews have been oppressed out of existence in many, many countries, including many of Israel’s neighbors).

In Israel, Israelis are majority-Jewish and have much, much more power than Palestinians, and the actual math of this conflict includes roughly 1,400 dead Israeli civilians, most of them Jews and innocent civilians, and more than 12,700 dead Palestinians, most of them Muslims and innocent civilians.

But a simplified math of computing oppression using an American calculator can short-circuit the ability to fully understand a dispute or disparity, whether we’re talking about an interpersonal dispute between two individuals, or a disparity between two large and complex groups.

 • • •

If looking for hope in this season of thankfulness, I will continue to point to the work and stances of Standing Together:

... a grassroots movement mobilizing Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel in pursuit of peace, equality, and social and climate justice ...

 

Standing Together leaders Alon-Lee Green and Sally Abed recently toured the US, trying to explain:

Our message was clear - this isn’t a zero-sum game, and people don’t need to choose whether they are #freepalestine or #standwithIsrael, they need to stand with innocent people on both sides who want to live in peace and safety.  We emphasized that the people in this land - both Palestinians and Israelis - are real people, all of whom have nowhere else to go. We must demand a better future for everyone in this land. We know that Jewish Israelis’ safety is dependent on Palestinian freedom, and the end of the decades-long Israeli military control over millions of Palestinians. We must start thinking about the work that needs to be done the day after this horrific war, and how we can prepare for it. ...

Let's hope they can make their vision real. Nothing else seems to point to a better future for all in that miserable, sacred land.