Stand up . . . speak out

It’s always a bit of a risk to write a column such as this in response to current events in Israel. It’s entirely possible that in the two weeks between the writing and the publication of the column, events could change dramatically. But be that as it may, the crises precipitated by the flotilla that attempted to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza, highlights serious issues that are neither time bound nor temporary.

The persistent double standard by which Israel is judged, along with the lack of nuance that exists when discussing the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is deeply troubling. The existence of a double standard in regard to Israel is neither new nor surprising. One only has to compare the outrage of the world at Israel’s response to those who sought to break the blockade with the international response to North Korea’s sinking of a South Korean warship and the death of 46 people. The difference is all the more stark when we honestly admit that – if faced with similar circumstances – most countries would not hesitate for a second to institute such a blockade. Moreover, the conversation about the ‘humanitarian crisis’ in Gaza is disingenuous. Without a doubt, the economic reality in Gaza is harsh. But Israel itself provides daily shipments of humanitarian aide, and does not prevent others from sending legitimate humanitarian supplies to Gaza. If one looks up the leading humanitarian crises in the world, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Somalia all come to the top of the list – but one would hardly know that if one compared the outrage of the world to those crises, to the outrage expressed over Gaza. Moreover, humanitarian aide was hardly the main agenda of the flotilla. That the organizers of the flotilla are opposed to the existence of the State of Israel – a number of them have been widely quoted making this statement – cannot be forgotten.

None of this is to say that Israel’s decisions in the territories are always right, or that everything about the blockade makes sense. (One only has to read Israeli newspapers to know that Israeli citizens themselves raise these questions). And it goes without saying that we mourn the nine lives that were lost. But the illogical, unfair and simplistic way in which incidents such as the flotilla are perceived by our friends and neighbors and by the world at large is deeply troubling.

Watching in safety from the other side of the world, what are we to do? While we needn’t always agree with Israel, we must always remember it is not our lives at risk. This sober reality ought to serve as a caution when we are inclined to judge Israel’s actions along with the knowledge that our enemies are always waiting to magnify and benefit from any criticism of Israel. We know better than to accept the simplified view so often portrayed in the news. It is up to us to use our community resources to educate ourselves, to read the Israeli press on line, to seek knowledge and clarity – and then to speak out and educate others. It’s our obligation to help educate our friends, our workmates, our neighbors – to help others understand the complex reality that Israel faces and the real agenda of her enemies.

It is easy to be silent – either because we feel inadequate to answer the questions put to us, or because we don’t want to start an argument. But Israel needs us to stand up and speak out. And ultimately, we benefit from such action. We live in a time and place when our rights to live freely as Jews cannot be taken for granted. Whether successful or not, we strengthen our community when we stand up at the school board and present the case for recognition of diversity. We strengthen our community when we speak out against teachers leading the class in prayer. And we strengthen our community when we stand up and speak out for Israel. For only through knowledge of who we are and a willingness to proudly speak out and share that knowledge will we be able to pass on the beauty of our tradition l’dor vador – from generation to generation.

Rabbinically Speaking is published as a public service by the Jewish Press in cooperation with the Tampa Rabbinical Association which assigns the column on a rotating basis.