One of the things that startles me most when discussing (ok, trying to discuss) the Israeli-Palestinian question is how quickly otherwise rational individuals become ideological partisans. Almost immediately, an otherwise humanistic and kind individual will begin rationalizing Israeli bombardment while on the other side, the same will happen vis-a-vis Hamas rockets. Destruction, desolation, and defilement are crimes that must be condemned—and condemned the loudest when ‘our side’ is doing them. Enter, Rabbi Wolpe of Sinai Temple. Here is what he says about the rationalizing-justifying-pseudo-theorizing about violence and crimes against entire populaces: “Please, please don’t say ‘but.’ The words after ‘but’ invalidate everything that comes before – “He’s a nice person, but he does steal from the company.” You see? “But” is a meaning duster, sweeping all that precedes it. So everyone who has written condemning the murder of Muhammad Abu Khdeir, and then goes on to say “but of course” Palestinian society does not condemn their own murders, or Israel is raising up in anguish, or anything else, is missing the point. The point is to be ashamed and to grieve, not to use this murder to prove we are nonetheless better, or they are nonetheless guiltier. When we beat our chests on Yom Kippur, we do not say before God, “But the man in the seat next to me is far worse.” That is not contrition; it is self-justification disguised as repentance. At a time of national self soul-searching it is too facile and false to use a Jewish crime as a stick to beat our enemies. Jews did this. Blind hatred did this. We should look inside, and be ashamed.
Posted on: Thu, 10 Jul 2014 16:02:47 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015