Walk Humbly
There is internal and external damage caused by Anti-Semitism and Anti-Zionist language. While there must be room to criticize Israel, we are naïve if we fail to see that Anti-Zionism all too often becomes Anti-Semitic. By the same token, we cannot allow the virulent attacks against us and Israel to blind us or prevent us from naming and noticing ethical failures in our own community.
For example, this January, when the mayor of Palo Alto, a Jewish man and member of Beth Am was sworn in, he was referred as a “vile Zionist” amid other unquestionably antisemitic vitriol. Calling him a “vile Zionist” was simply a smokescreen to refer to his Judaism. When Irish rock musicians at a major event start chanting “Death, death to the IDF,” something beyond criticism of Israel is happening that is bigoted, hateful and anti-Semitic.
All that vitriol and hatred makes it hard for us to be self-critical and to remember our compassion for others. When we hear about hateful behavior by Jewish Israeli settlers on the West Bank, we should have the courage to call out our concern and expand our empathy to Palestinians.
For example, two Palestinians on the West Bank named Saif al-din Musalat and Muhammed AlShalhabi were allegedly killed by Israeli settlers late last week. The details are not entirely clear. Palestinians were throwing rocks at Israeli settlers, causing some light damage, at which point settlers began their own attack. According to the IDF, the ensuing “violent confrontation... included vandalism of Palestinian property, arson, physical clashes and rock hurling.” Palestinian sources claim the two men were left bleeding on the ground for hours and that Israelis blocked an ambulance from the scene. This is horrible behavior that should be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law.
As another example. Taybeh, an historically Christian Palestinian town in the West Bank, has been criticizing Settler encroachment on their land. They claim that settlers are taking over their agricultural fields and even set a fire near an historic Church. This has reverberated in the Chrisitan world and provided unfortunate evidence of Israeli misbehavior to progressive Churches already inclined against Israel. It is wrong, and an example of rising bigotry against Palestinians translating into illegal vigilante acts.
I want us to stand against antisemitism in all of its forms, including when it is masked as anti-Zionism. By the same token, I want us to be strong enough to name and stand against bigotry in our own people. We need to heed Micah’s call “to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly before God.” Compassion retreats in the presence of fear; yet it is one of our most effective tools to bring forth a lasting peace filled with respect and love for all.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi David Booth
