#58 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Monday June 14)
Good morning!
The news from Israel is complex (as it always is). Sure, the latest round of violence has passed. And yes, the page has been turned on Netanyahu’s 12 year reign. Query, how long this cobbled-together mix-up of a unity government can survive. But I don’t think these domestic political issues are the biggest facing Israel. Today, I want to share some ramblings about the current situation.
THE WAR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
Several weeks ago, the headline for the lead story in The New York Times was “The Everyday Misery of Life Under Israeli Occupation.” The story was devastating in its detail and the description of the dehumanizing of life in an occupied territory with multiple checkpoints.
The lead story on the CNN website was “’Why did they do this to me?’; 4-year-old injured in Gaza Airstrike.”
The violence carried out against the Gazans was brutal, without a doubt. Yet the coverage hardly seemed fair. The media gave faces and names to those Gazans killed and harmed. No similar courtesy was extended to the innocent civilians in Israel caught in the cross-fire.
Regardless of the facts, Israel is losing the public relations battle. These stories make Israel look terrible and it seems part of a concerted effort to pander to the narrative that Israel is a state with a primary objective of oppressing an innocent minority. Compare and contrast the Israeli reaction to its minority Arab residents (with Arabic being one of the nation’s official languages) and the reaction of Arab governments toward their minority Jewish populations (most of which were forced to relocate—often to Israel).
One can argue that Israel is so security conscious that it is trading its liberal values for security. And there are grounds for such concern. Regardless of how great a security risk some residents of the West Bank and Gaza pose, one must question the actions of the State vis-à-vis people who are living under their control. I say this as a Zionist, committed to a Jewish state in Israel. This is not only a humanitarian issue but one that works against Israel’s values and narrative. And it comes at a diplomatic cost that could result in economic cost, political isolation and existential risk. My question is how far is the Israeli government willing to go with expansions of settlements and restrictions on the free movement of Palestinians, at the risk of Israel’s reputation around the globe?
PERSPECTIVE IS DEPENDENT UPON THE CHOSEN TIME PERIOD
Part of the problem seems a product of memory—or the lack thereof. The characterization by many on the left that Israel is an “apartheid state” ignores the facts and the Palestinians’ complicity in the continuing conflict. We are all the product of our histories and those histories are related to events that overlap with the timelines that are our lives. To Jewish Israelis the 1948 date of independence is the seminal event of their history; to the Palestinians, the 1948 date was the tragedy that begat the current situation.
Within the context of American views, perspectives are less attached to identity than to age. Each generation has a basic narrative of the situation. To a baby boomer, the “original sin” of the conflict is the 1967 war, with “plucky Jews” in the desert fighting a battle of survival. This image was cruelly enhanced by airplane hijackings, the 1972 Munich murders, and the 1973 Yom Kippur war.
To many in the Millennial generation, the “original sin” is the Israeli occupation. They were born into a world with Israel occupying the Palestinian territories, with no end in sight. They don’t see that the relentless attacks on Israel emanating from much of the Arab world throughout its history—they seem uninterested either in peeking in the rear-view mirror, to see where we have come from, nor to hold the Palestinians to any level of agency.
The mantra of Arab governments, Hamas and others for generations has been that the Jews should be driven out of the Middle East as interlopers descended from Europe. Never mind that Jews have been living in the land for thousands of years, or that Jews emigrated in large numbers in the 19th century (long before the predations of the Nazis). Never mind that the current Jewish population of Israel is less than 50% European. Do people appreciate that the statement “from the desert to the sea” imagines a Palestinian state that is not limited to the 1967 borders, but extending through the entirety of the State of Israel?
Rhetoric matters. And history matters. To reduce the conflict to a singular notion of “oppressed” versus “oppressor” is to ignore history, rhetoric and fact. Of course Israel should be held accountable for its actions. But it is equally true that the Palestinians have agency for their actions. The treatment of the Palestinians in the West Bank is unacceptable, but it’s no “apartheid” and the situation cannot be reduced to a bumper sticker. The Palestinian people and their representatives (unelected for years) have agency for their own actions.
But back to my original point—I fear we are long past history and long past trying to determine who is right and who is wrong—either in the most recent conflict or across the span of history. There is essential truth to each narrative and there is responsibility that rests with both peoples. What is most troubling, and may well prevent progress, is that today the Israeli government—and the State of Israel—is losing the battle for the hearts and minds of the current generation, a generation that will take the reins of leadership that will govern the treatment of Israel and its funding by the United States for some time to come. In so doing, it may find itself more isolated and defensive.
A WINDOW FOR ACTION?
There is a new Israeli government, comprised of parties who have never had to share—much less wield—power. To me the question is whether this Israeli government defies the odds and is willing to be bold enough to take a series of measured risks in the interest of peace and to bolster its own international standing. I don’t give the Palestinians a pass for their corrupt, violent leadership—or for the mendacity of Hamas. But by the same token, I’m troubled by Israel’s handling of the occupation of the West Bank. Someone needs to act first and do so boldly. It may not be time to discuss a “two state solution” or other possible longer-term solutions. But how about baby steps? How about unilateral implementation of some aspects of the peace plan that was so close to adoption in 2008?
Can checkpoints be more humane? Can there be a “global entry” program for those who cross the checkpoints regularly for their jobs? Can there be an easing of settlement-building, greater Palestinian autonomy, and an acknowledgement that a contiguous Palestinian state must ultimately arise? And as the question of the occupied territory continues to burden Israeli government, society and psyche, I ask myself a question, to wit, is “Is Israel a Jewish state? Or is it simply a state run by Jews?” A Jewish state would address these issues creatively, sensitively, and at the same time, protective of its heritage, safety, and sacred right to exist.
I was brought up as witness to an idealistic enclave of democracy and the highest moral standards. Israel is a Jewish state, which should espouse Jewish ideals. This unique perspective should inform decisions going forward and, perhaps, pave a way to a more just situation on both sides.
LOSING THE PR WAR
The latest conflict with Gaza brought about a disturbing level of violence from Israeli Arabs in support of the Gazans. In the end, Israel proved it dominance, destroyed tunnels and crippled Hamas. The cost was approbation on the world stage and in American colleges. I’m not suggesting that foreign policy be governed by what other people think. However, what other people think matters. Of course, Israel had to act against the barrage of missiles from Gaza. But perhaps that response could have been more measured. Perhaps not; perhaps it was all necessary. But that still leaves the question of whether the PR fallout justified the extent of the operation.
More on this in coming days.
Best, Glenn