BY NICK MARTIN
White Rock

Rabbi Shlachter,

Your discussion about art in the tunnel was a finely disguised method of bringing up the politics of the war in Gaza. This truly had nothing to do with the art in the tunnel and was yet another way to hide behind anti-Semitism as a justification for Israel to do whatever they want. Why is is that any time someone mentions stopping the atrocities that are happening with the ethnic cleansing in Gaza, it is labeled as “anti-Semitic?” Why is it is so hard to recognize the thousands of civilians being murdered and forced from their homes? Is loving humanity anti-Semitic? People can ask for Israel to stop killing people without it being “Jew hatred.” 

I don’t have a pony in this race. I’m not Jewish, I’m not Palestinian, I’m not even religious, but I am a human who is able to recognize when wrongs are being committed, and have been committed. Asking for a cease-fire, or the freedom of a group of people is not anti-Semitic. Israel does not have unlimited freedom to murder who they chose by hiding behind the shield of anti-Semitism. If any other country in the world were conducting themselves this way, Israel would speak out against it (Israel condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine [https://www.axios.com/2022/02/24/russia-ukraine-invasion-israel-response-condemn]). Rabbi, if you can’t see the truth of these horrors, then I am concerned for your congregation. 

For the readers, here is a pretty good synopsis of the history of Gaza and the formation of Israel. I would rather rely on third-party resources, rather than a reading list written by those with allegiance to Israel. The history of the formation of Israel, and the displacement of the people who lived in the region is a depressing tale of multiple atrocities. People on both sides of this conflict have been wronged, and modernists revision of history (much like the revisionist history of the United States’ past with slavery) cannot be allowed. It’s time we recognize what has happened, and find a solution that works for everyone. Something this isn’t unending conflict until one group is wiped out.

Below is copied directly from Vox, A timeline of Israel and Palestine’s complicated history, by Nicole Narea (https://www.vox.com/world-politics/23921529/israel-palestine-timeline-gaza-hamas-war-conflict)