If as you say, "the danger of the mainstream public discourse about Israel is that it loses sight of the humanity of Palestinians, which happens again and again and again" and "knowing that the release of hostages is among the most sacred principle in Judaism, and is meant to unite Jews across whatever divides we face", I am surprised that there is no mention of the 90 Palestinian hostages that were released on the same day. Shouldn't Jews and all people be celebrating equally the release of all hostages and not just the Jewish hostages?
I get the idea of celebrating any life that’s saved. My problem is that these three have become the only lives who are celebrated both in Israel, in mainstream American Jewry and in the mainstream media. It’s almost obscene to see their joy when most haven’t acknowledged the slaughter Zionism has perpetrated. To get to reconciliation, you have to speak truth first.
I was with you until you talked about Jews being more precious in the sight of God than anyone else. Any time you believe you are "more special" than others -- especially in the sight of the one universe we all share -- it's dangerously easy to dehumanize and brutalize others. I know that lots of groups do it. That doesn't make it right.
We are all humans. No one is "more equal" than anyone else.
I'm glad I'm a secular Jew and won't have to feel any prophet's pressure, as a Leftist, to celebrate the release of three Israelis who, as far as any public record would show, were aligned with the Israeli State. It would just stick in my craw, especially when I see how little attention is paid to the 90 Palestinian hostages that were released the following morning. If you look at the Al Jazeera website, which listed each released Palestinian hostage by name and age, you will see how many are 18 and under, and how virtually all of them were never charged for any crime. There was a 12-yo who likely was arrested and jailed for throwing a rock. In fact, those who were charged in this group were political prisoners.
Did you notice how ravaged the released Palestinians looked? And how well-fed and healthy the three released Israelis looked? So healthy that the hospital examined them and released them immediately because they were in good physical shape. One of the three Israeli women released (or two, I can't remember) had been taken from the music festival taking place virtually on top of that open-air prison called Gaza. I'm sorry, but at their age, I had political ethics that would not have allowed me to attend that festival.
I agree with all you have written (I am myself an atheist of very mixed background), including the last sentence (which already came to my mind, but which I never dared saying out loud). However, I was taught to respect the faith of others, in particular when this faith leads to humanist values and actions. I think Peter Beinart's brave and public fight for justice in Palestine is well-documented, and we should be more tolerant and respectful of his faith, especially since he usually does not put it forward.
I think I appreciate all you say. Expressing our Joy and celebrating the safety and freedom of humans- especially those closest and most like us - seems natural and right!
And yet, and at the same time mustn’t we be troubled by the ‘segregated’ way we ritually categorize and acknowledge people’s joys and sorrows? Does it not reinforce the heresy -especially when more of “them” are dying and being released - that not all humans are equally precious to God?
Thank you once again Peter. Last night and this morning I was sending a few messages to a number of Jewish friends and I found myself having a slightly difficult time relating joy in the release of the 3 - even though I felt extremely happy for them and their families. I do, but I felt that I was buying into propaganda. Also in view of the fact that we have no idea who was released from Israeli prisons, mostly woman and children (some just 14 yrs old), held in administrative detention, hostages in a way. Again, they're anonymous, while the 3 Israeli woman are now know all over the world. I am for sure happy for them and pray for the release of more as well as for an end to all the factors that have brought all this on. Your comments helped me internalize my joy for their release from Gaza.
Can Peter discuss the humanity of Nazis, as in the 20th C gentile German variety? As the grandson of a convicted minor Nazi "war"criminal(more accurately crimes against humanity/ against Czechoslovak citizens, so not technically a "war" criminal but with a 10 year sentence nonetheless for his occupation police "duties"), I find such seeking of humanity with perpetrators alienating.
If as you say, "the danger of the mainstream public discourse about Israel is that it loses sight of the humanity of Palestinians, which happens again and again and again" and "knowing that the release of hostages is among the most sacred principle in Judaism, and is meant to unite Jews across whatever divides we face", I am surprised that there is no mention of the 90 Palestinian hostages that were released on the same day. Shouldn't Jews and all people be celebrating equally the release of all hostages and not just the Jewish hostages?
I get the idea of celebrating any life that’s saved. My problem is that these three have become the only lives who are celebrated both in Israel, in mainstream American Jewry and in the mainstream media. It’s almost obscene to see their joy when most haven’t acknowledged the slaughter Zionism has perpetrated. To get to reconciliation, you have to speak truth first.
I was with you until you talked about Jews being more precious in the sight of God than anyone else. Any time you believe you are "more special" than others -- especially in the sight of the one universe we all share -- it's dangerously easy to dehumanize and brutalize others. I know that lots of groups do it. That doesn't make it right.
We are all humans. No one is "more equal" than anyone else.
I'm glad I'm a secular Jew and won't have to feel any prophet's pressure, as a Leftist, to celebrate the release of three Israelis who, as far as any public record would show, were aligned with the Israeli State. It would just stick in my craw, especially when I see how little attention is paid to the 90 Palestinian hostages that were released the following morning. If you look at the Al Jazeera website, which listed each released Palestinian hostage by name and age, you will see how many are 18 and under, and how virtually all of them were never charged for any crime. There was a 12-yo who likely was arrested and jailed for throwing a rock. In fact, those who were charged in this group were political prisoners.
Did you notice how ravaged the released Palestinians looked? And how well-fed and healthy the three released Israelis looked? So healthy that the hospital examined them and released them immediately because they were in good physical shape. One of the three Israeli women released (or two, I can't remember) had been taken from the music festival taking place virtually on top of that open-air prison called Gaza. I'm sorry, but at their age, I had political ethics that would not have allowed me to attend that festival.
I agree with all you have written (I am myself an atheist of very mixed background), including the last sentence (which already came to my mind, but which I never dared saying out loud). However, I was taught to respect the faith of others, in particular when this faith leads to humanist values and actions. I think Peter Beinart's brave and public fight for justice in Palestine is well-documented, and we should be more tolerant and respectful of his faith, especially since he usually does not put it forward.
I think I appreciate all you say. Expressing our Joy and celebrating the safety and freedom of humans- especially those closest and most like us - seems natural and right!
And yet, and at the same time mustn’t we be troubled by the ‘segregated’ way we ritually categorize and acknowledge people’s joys and sorrows? Does it not reinforce the heresy -especially when more of “them” are dying and being released - that not all humans are equally precious to God?
Thank you once again Peter. Last night and this morning I was sending a few messages to a number of Jewish friends and I found myself having a slightly difficult time relating joy in the release of the 3 - even though I felt extremely happy for them and their families. I do, but I felt that I was buying into propaganda. Also in view of the fact that we have no idea who was released from Israeli prisons, mostly woman and children (some just 14 yrs old), held in administrative detention, hostages in a way. Again, they're anonymous, while the 3 Israeli woman are now know all over the world. I am for sure happy for them and pray for the release of more as well as for an end to all the factors that have brought all this on. Your comments helped me internalize my joy for their release from Gaza.
Can Peter discuss the humanity of Nazis, as in the 20th C gentile German variety? As the grandson of a convicted minor Nazi "war"criminal(more accurately crimes against humanity/ against Czechoslovak citizens, so not technically a "war" criminal but with a 10 year sentence nonetheless for his occupation police "duties"), I find such seeking of humanity with perpetrators alienating.
יעשר כוחך Come to Saint Louis, a city named for a man who did to Jews what the Israelis are doing to Gazans.