Israel and the Disengagement: Peace v. Security
EDITED:
For the past several days, weeks, actually, many of my days and hours have been spent thinking about Israel and the disengagement plan. Being a voracious reader and subscriber to both the Jerusalem Report and The Jerusalem Post and listening to national Israel radio these past few days, my heart has been breaking piece by piece, each layer crumbling as I watch Jews slandering and fighting each other. Moreover, the pain from many of my friends in Israel, and from fellow bloggers seems to be unbearable, even at times so piercingly overwhelming, that I too, have been driven to tears.
A larger question, however, looms in my mind. Is the disengagement really so bad for the Jews?
Ultimately, will this plan result in making Israel more secure against terrorists and hate groups rather than result in a conscious effort to expel other Jews from their homes? Is the ultimate result peace or security, or both? When weighing and balancing the pros and cons, as my husband has concluded over these past few days, disengagement is not such a bad proposition afterall.
Let me preface what I am going to say with these words: not all Palestinians are terrorists, nor do they all hate the Jews. In fact, prior to the intifada, many Arabs living in the Gaza strip enjoyed productive and gainful employment in Israel. Since the intifada, much movement has affected these people as well. But here is my thinking. If the Palestinians truly want their own place, why not remove all the Jews from there and let them live freely and securely? This way, if there are further attacks or suicide bombs in Israel, the Jews can act accordingly and defend themselves without the risk of killing their own people. Is this not really an issue of security rather than peace? Both sides want to be secure, at least so it seems.
It pains me deeply to see one Jew have to expell another from his/her home. Surely these acts are difficult, if not heartwrenching for the soldiers as well. Is the larger goal one of security for Jews and Israel?
Being unable to sleep, I read this morning, on on blog, how a young woman is going to help other Jews relocate in their new homes where they have been forced to move. This to me, seems to be a truly constructive effort, and will result in dealing with the solution itself, rather than making the problem bigger.
I am under no delusion that if a suicide bomber comes to attack Israel that the world will come to its aid, understanding and assistance with the proviso that at least the Jews tried, and this is what happened. Jew hatred sadly exists, and I have yet to see any country come to the true aid of the Jews to prevent loss of lives for the past 2,000 years, the Holocaust being no exception.
But I can pray that there be no bloodshed.
Emotions run high, I am aware, and the deadline for evacuation has passed. In fact, it was reported late this afternoon that some Jews refuse to leave, and have called the Israeli soldiers Nazis. According to the Torah, mitzvah 317, it is forbidden to curse another Jew and to call another Jew a Nazi is both factually incorrect and sinful. The Nazis killed 6 million innocent Jews. These soldiers are not killers; they are following orders to evacuate, and although painful and difficult, it is not resulting in the loss of any innocent lives, thank God, so far.
There is a program here in the U.S. where adults can go and help out, live in the armn barracks and be of service to one's fellow Jews. I have often thought about doing it, and truthfully, now seems like the time when service and duty to help is needed more than ever to be of assistance to my people.
One blogger noted that the Jews are stronger than the land they sit on. We know this to be the case, especially when we look at the resilency and courage it took for many of our people to survive the horrors of the Holocaust. We are a people with great strength and will, and this must not be forgotton.
As I write this post, it is my prayer that there is no further bloodshed in Israel. That a peaceful transition can take place in an effort to bring about security.
For the past several days, weeks, actually, many of my days and hours have been spent thinking about Israel and the disengagement plan. Being a voracious reader and subscriber to both the Jerusalem Report and The Jerusalem Post and listening to national Israel radio these past few days, my heart has been breaking piece by piece, each layer crumbling as I watch Jews slandering and fighting each other. Moreover, the pain from many of my friends in Israel, and from fellow bloggers seems to be unbearable, even at times so piercingly overwhelming, that I too, have been driven to tears.
A larger question, however, looms in my mind. Is the disengagement really so bad for the Jews?
Ultimately, will this plan result in making Israel more secure against terrorists and hate groups rather than result in a conscious effort to expel other Jews from their homes? Is the ultimate result peace or security, or both? When weighing and balancing the pros and cons, as my husband has concluded over these past few days, disengagement is not such a bad proposition afterall.
Let me preface what I am going to say with these words: not all Palestinians are terrorists, nor do they all hate the Jews. In fact, prior to the intifada, many Arabs living in the Gaza strip enjoyed productive and gainful employment in Israel. Since the intifada, much movement has affected these people as well. But here is my thinking. If the Palestinians truly want their own place, why not remove all the Jews from there and let them live freely and securely? This way, if there are further attacks or suicide bombs in Israel, the Jews can act accordingly and defend themselves without the risk of killing their own people. Is this not really an issue of security rather than peace? Both sides want to be secure, at least so it seems.
It pains me deeply to see one Jew have to expell another from his/her home. Surely these acts are difficult, if not heartwrenching for the soldiers as well. Is the larger goal one of security for Jews and Israel?
Being unable to sleep, I read this morning, on on blog, how a young woman is going to help other Jews relocate in their new homes where they have been forced to move. This to me, seems to be a truly constructive effort, and will result in dealing with the solution itself, rather than making the problem bigger.
I am under no delusion that if a suicide bomber comes to attack Israel that the world will come to its aid, understanding and assistance with the proviso that at least the Jews tried, and this is what happened. Jew hatred sadly exists, and I have yet to see any country come to the true aid of the Jews to prevent loss of lives for the past 2,000 years, the Holocaust being no exception.
But I can pray that there be no bloodshed.
Emotions run high, I am aware, and the deadline for evacuation has passed. In fact, it was reported late this afternoon that some Jews refuse to leave, and have called the Israeli soldiers Nazis. According to the Torah, mitzvah 317, it is forbidden to curse another Jew and to call another Jew a Nazi is both factually incorrect and sinful. The Nazis killed 6 million innocent Jews. These soldiers are not killers; they are following orders to evacuate, and although painful and difficult, it is not resulting in the loss of any innocent lives, thank God, so far.
There is a program here in the U.S. where adults can go and help out, live in the armn barracks and be of service to one's fellow Jews. I have often thought about doing it, and truthfully, now seems like the time when service and duty to help is needed more than ever to be of assistance to my people.
One blogger noted that the Jews are stronger than the land they sit on. We know this to be the case, especially when we look at the resilency and courage it took for many of our people to survive the horrors of the Holocaust. We are a people with great strength and will, and this must not be forgotton.
As I write this post, it is my prayer that there is no further bloodshed in Israel. That a peaceful transition can take place in an effort to bring about security.
27 Comments:
Barb....I really hope no more bloodshed either....I saw it on the news tonite...about the deadline being passed....and I saw troops with tears in their eyes as they was doing their job...A very hard job...that I wouldn't want...And more and more tears of families that was leaving....My heart went out to them all....I only hope for peace.
Barbara, the process that I have seen you undertake in your struggle to understand why this is been done has been truly amazing. This was an amazing post. I will have to say that yes there has been some name calling, a tiny portion of violence, but, for the most part, it has been a heartwrenching display of love, kindness, and achdut. I feel for these soldiers. My heart aches for them. Even today, I was able to see my father-in-law on TV, hugging one of the settlers in the Yishuv he's in. They were in the process of clearing out the shul. He was hugging a man, and then helped an older man carry out the Sefer Torah. It was such a moving image. I don't really know what else to say.
-OC
NJ(Aaron)
It seems like the point of my post has somehow been lost.
I do not think that achieving peace is or has been the point of the disengagement, although it would be nice. The point is to give Jews the best of all possible means of security so that they can properly defend themselves against future terrorists like Hamas.
With all due respect, if the messiah were going to come, where was he during the Holocaust, or why is he not there now, to help our fellow Jews during this great time of need?
One more question: why do you capitalize messiah? Do you think it is someone equal to God?
Thank you, Aaron, for the explanation of the capitalizaiton of messiah. I guess it is like a proper name. I agree with you: Jews must find peace among themselves before there will be peace with those in the world. This has yet to happen when you see groups of Jews being hateful or being derragatory towards one another. A true sin.
But I still think you have missed my point of the post. You are focusing on the Palestinains not the Jews. I do not delude myself for one second thinking that these people want peace. But what I do hope is that as Jews, we can do what is best and make whatever choices are necessary to make us most secure in Israel. Having 9,000 people living in the middle of 1.3 million people who hate you puts that many Jews at risk of harm.
Security, not peace is the immediate issue at hand in my humble opinion.
I am in complete agreement that Jewish solidarity is a priority at this time. We must looks towards the solution and not the problem.
However, I wonder how it would feel if someone tried to tell me I had to leave my home and go elsewhere, particularly so that a known enemy can live on that land. This is definitely a heartbreaking situation. But when weighed and balanced, I think disengagement will ultimately be the best plan for Jews.
Hamas will never make peace. Consequently, they can demand whatever they want. It will go nowhere.
I hear you about Bush, jonniker.
Just one correction: there is no state in existence now called Palestine. The Palestine, pre-1948 was in fact occupied by Jews.
All I can say Barbara is my heart is breaking for all of Israel. My whole family all feel the same way.
God Bless you, your family, and friends.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
sorry to remove the above post
this is such a sensitive issue - i wanted to retreat and think more about a response before posting again
i'll just say one thing, though: i think it's sad when someone who expresses concerns about (even objection to) the state of israel is regarded as an anti-semite
Doug,
You are right: the Nazis killed 12 million, not just Jews, but gypseys, homosexuals, mentally ill persons and others who they cast as social misfits.
Since this was a post about Jews, although the Holocaust was not really the topic of discussion, I only included the 6 million.
Thank you for correcting me.
A generic comment is needed.
Jew hatred is real. Many people around the world, and in this country foster anti-semitism, and I would even go on the record as saying that there are some Jews who appear to be anti-semitic themselves. We are not over-reacting, and insulting Jews for being Jews is not something foreign to any of us.
Take a look at our history over the last 2000 years. With a few exceptions, we have been kicked out of every country where we have gone. When I was in Toledo, Spain 10 years ago, there was very little, if any evidence, of a Jewish presence, most of it having been destroyed after 1492. The same can be said for the Czech Republic where I traveled. During a trip to some small village, I remember seeing an outiline of what appeared to be a Star of David on the outside of a building. I ran inside, and it was converted to a fire station.
Are we sensitive? Yes. Do we have a right to be? Yes.
Human hatred is powerful, as we can see in racism as it exists in Africa, India, South America and across the board for that matter. People are often hated more for who they are rather than what they have to offer the world.
Please be sensitive to the needs of all persons.
Yes, I pray that there is no more bloodshed in Israel too!
Amen, Aral.
you might be interested to take a look at a report carried out in the UK into anti-Semitism about ten years ago (entitled 'a very light sleeper - the persistence and dangers of anti-Semitism')
it makes very clear distinctions between anti-Semitic racism, anti-Judaism and anti-Zionism
one of the key people involved in its publication is now the head of the (government-funded) commission for racial equality here in the UK
a 12 page summary is available online at:http://www.runnymedetrust.org/publications/currentPublications.html#aVeryLightSleeper
Doug,
Quite frankly, I do not think anyone on this blog has an answer, particularly one that you would want to hear.
This is a complicated issue, with emotions running high on all sides. Forcing people to say something that you might like, is not appropriate.
Urbin Chick,
Thank you for that article. It sounds very good.
Doug, my man, telling someone that this is the last time you are asking for a solution, does, with all due respect, sound a bit cohersive. Be that as it may,I will give you my opinion.
I do not rule out a two state solution. It seems to me, howerver, that the Palestians need to demonstrate that they want to live peacefully as with their Jewish neighbors. This has not been the case, as has been documented with the intifada from the past 4 years, as well as the manner in which children are educated from a young age to hate the Jews. Watch some of the documentaries. They are very revealing. Hamas will need to prove that they want peace. Both sides deserve to live peacefully. Israel has made a move handing over Gaza. Now, we will see what will happen.
Whether you agree with me or not, and I do not expect you to do so, is not really the point. Seeing innocent Jews fall victim to suicide bombers over the past 4 years has been heartbreaking and needless to many.
Please re-read my post over once more, before you respond, and you may find some of the answers to your questions. I cannot speak for anyone else, nor would it be appropriate for me to do so.
Hi Barbara!
I just stopped by to say hi. I'm back from my hiatus (sp?), and looking forward to reading your blog again on a daily basis. I'll be back soon!
Pawl,
I have not removed your post nor any posts in these comments.
Maybe you posted them on someone else's blog. I can assure you that is the case.
Anything removed would say, deleted by blog administrator.
Nothing of that sort is indicated here.
Meegan!!! Welcome back, sweetie.
pawl,
I notice that when someone says something that you do not like, it becomes a personal attack. Why is that so? Why are you not able to address the specific issues but feel the need to attack the person himself/herself?
This is not a good nor upstanding quality in my humble opinion.
pawl,
check the post under Bush and the disengagement. I think this is where you made the comment, if you did on my blog at all.
Please be more vigilent before making accusations about deletion.
I assure you, nothing has been deleted, and if it were, it would be duly noted.
Uh-oh, Barbara, you've got a classroom fight on your hands. Time to hand out graham crackers and milk to get the blood sugar back up, followed by 15 minutes of heads-on-desks. Maybe that will restore your students' capacity for vigorous yet respectful discourse.
WW you have an excellent point about handing out the graham crackers and cookies in an effort to restore some calm.
But some people enjoy fighting and becoming incited no matter what you have to say to them. They are addicted to the fight, and that is what thrills them.
As for your comment pawlr, Normal Jew was attempting to answer the questions with substance. In fact, if you look at his response, it deals with facts and addresses the issues specifically, even though he did take a pop shot at Doug.
Your answer, on the other hand, was that NJ is not normal, which seemed to be nothing BUT a personal attack, which is why my response was as it was.
Please check out my newest post, the attempt to hand out cookies and milk via the U.S. Constitution.
Actually, Doug, I think one of the reasons your posts and pawlrs rattled so many feathers here is because of the number of them. Between the both of you, there are 21 posts, which does seem to be over one third so far, and the comments are quite extensive, and sensitive for some of us. One of your posts is so long that it took more time than usual to download, which makes me wonder if you respect that this is my blog.
Just some thoughts.
"I have yet to see any country come to the true aid of the Jews"
You've got to be joking! The U.S. gives Israel a bunch of foreign aid and military support.
Lets be honest here.
1. The people being removed are being compensated with money. Who compensated the people that lived on that land before the occupation?
2. The occupation must end for there to be any peace. You can not just take land then expect everyone to be happy.
3. The pull back is not weakening Israel. They still have a powerful military, supplied with the latest hardware from the USA. As for land, it was not part of Israel before the war that started this whole problem.
The people knew they were moving into occupied land. They knew that other people probably lived there before they were displaced to make room for the settlements. But none of this bothered them.
After WWII, the Allied powers turned over occupied German land to the German people. The USA turned Japan back to the Japanese. We did not kick them off the land, then build homes for settlers.
And once again, this takes fuel AWAY from the terrorists. They can no longer point to Gaza and say that jewish agression is the problem.
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