“I have a question for the rabbi,” began one attendee during a Q&A session: “Why do Jews kill Muslim children?” Heart pounding, I stood up. I spoke of my pain at the loss of life among Gazan civilians, tragically including so many children. And then I took a deep breath. “I noticed the poster in the entranceway,” I began. I praised the group for raising money for humanitarian relief. But, I continued, “When you call for an end to the Zionist entity, I want you to know that you’re talking about my family and my friends and my people.” I spoke of my own commitments to Israel, of the significance of Israel to the Jewish people, and of my firm belief that a two-state solution will allow both peoples to live securely and peacefully. To my shock, the audience applauded. Afterwards, many of those present told me that they had never before thought about who might live in Israel. That they had never thought a two-state solution to be possible. That they had believed that Jews wanted only to kill Muslims. --- Muslims around the world are taught that Jews only want to kill Muslims. Jews around the world are taught that Islamic extremists are merely the Muslims *who publicly admit* they want to kill all the Jews. If youve ever been taught that another group of people is different from your own group, in ways that just so happen to make it a little psychologically easier to bear seeing them killed in your name, this story is for you. If youve ever been taught that the most violent members of a group of people represent the whole groups feelings, this story is for you. If youve been taught to live under a constant, low-level fear of sudden, incomprehensible death, this story is for you.
Posted on: Sun, 03 Aug 2014 17:35:40 +0000
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