Loading ...Rise of Antisemitism Must not End the Dialogue with Palestinians
By: Ghassan Rubeiz / Arab America Contributing Writer
While American Arabs are enraged by Israel’s territorial hegemony, the American Jewish community is confronted with daily, terrifying reminders of a rising tide of antisemitism. On both sides of the Arab-Israeli divide, only a few acknowledge their own contributions to the conflict. Self-criticism is needed to revive honest and meaningful dialogue.
Hamas’ acts of terror on October 7th against Israeli civilians in border towns, carried out in the name of political liberation, did a great disservice to the Palestinian cause and made the conflict worse. History has shown that non-state acts of terror could provoke reflexive and uninhibited state terror —- regrettably, terror of a larger magnitude that informally licenses collective punishment.
The brutality, miscalculation and chaos of October 7th cannot be justified, even as a response to illegal occupation of Palestinian territories, annexation of the West Bank, ethnic cleansing, starvation, or mass killings in Gaza. No amount of Palestinian agony should exempt Hamas from responsibility for the retaliatory murder of Israeli civilians. Hamas has repeatedly started wars that nobody has won. Civilians have paid the heaviest price, the two sides have grown further apart, the oppressor has become more unrealistic in defense of hegemony, and leaders have become less in touch with their people.
Just as intermittent Palestinian acts of terror have hurt their cause and delayed their liberation, Israel’s state terror has exposed Israel’s citizens and their state to an uncertain, risky future. Now that Gaza is destroyed and its people have been brutalized, starved, and humiliated, Israel is bound to face the moral and political consequences of its actions in Gaza and the West Bank. No matter how savage Hamas’ October 7 terror was, Israel’s disproportionate and indiscriminate retaliation against the entire population of Gaza must never be condoned or forgotten.
How long before Netanyahu and his backers in the US are forced to acknowledge and come to grips with the moral and humanitarian implications of their reckless, narcissistic policies? Many groups in the American Jewish community have pointed to the connection between Israel’s hegemony and the rising anger, especially in the Arab and Muslim world. It is uplifting to observe that among the most articulate critics of Israel’s policy are individuals and organized groups within the American Jewish community.
These courageous critics are neither anti-Israel nor even necessarily anti-Zionist. They simply care about the future security of Israel, the image of the world Jewish community, and global peace. Israeli society has by now effectively halted any productive discussion about coexistence with the Palestinians. If any progress can still be made, it will likely need to happen here in the United States, where we still have a pluralistic society, albeit one under great duress. Against all odds, progressive Jewish congregations and groups like Jewish Voice for Peace are working tirelessly to keep lines of dialogue open and to combat tribalism within their own community.
It’s time for progressive Arab Americans, in turn, to ask ourselves: What can we do to support our brave Jewish counterparts? How can Jewish and Arab Americans work together to support the cause of justice-based peace, and ultimately to contribute to the healing of both America and the Middle East?
Ghassan Rubeiz is the former Middle East Secretary of the World Council of Churches. Earlier, he taught psychology and social work in his country of birth, Lebanon, and later in the United States, where he currently lives. He has contributed to political commentary for the past twenty years and delivered occasional public talks on peace, justice, and interfaith subjects. You can reach him at rubeizg@gmail.com
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Arab America. The reproduction of this article is permissible with proper credit to Arab America and the author.
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