Trauma runs through the lives of Israelis and Palestinians like a branching nerve. It is imperative that an understanding of trauma’s impact and healing form the foundation of all that guides negotiations for peace.
2011
The Egyptian Movement for Democracy and Jewish Communal Ambivalence
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The momentous changes taking place now in the Middle East provide Israel with a new moment to leave behind its historical fear responses and instead lead the way in welcoming the leaders of these new Arab protest movements.
2011
Overcoming Despair as the Republicans Take Over: A Conversation with Noam Chomsky
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How are national initiatives built locally? Can we push Obama leftward in 2012? Chomsky calls for small steps toward confronting global capital.
26.2 Spring 2011
Tunisia, Egypt, and Israel
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U.S. policy in the Middle East keeps opting for stability over morality — and so ends up with neither.
2011
Fear and Consequences: Healing from Jewish Historical Trauma
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Centuries of persecution and genocide have left many Jews so fearful that we see ourselves always and forever as victims, which blinds us to our role in the current oppression of Palestinians. As anti-Occupation Jews, we honor the legacy of Jewish resistance when we consciously choose solidarity over fear.
2011
Tikkun Olam: The Art of Nonviolent Civil Resistance
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Faith in militarism is on the rise in the Jewish community, and yet, violence, as Hannah Arendt reminded her generation, always leads to more violence.
2011
The Ethical Challenge for Diaspora Jews
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Armed against all forms of criticism, the Israeli public is increasingly sequestered in its own psychological fortress. Two responses that dominated my discussions with Israelis were: It is just a chain reaction. You should only know what they have done to us; and Why are you here? Go home and tend to your own country’s problems.
2011
On Relinquishing and Receiving: A Christian Approach to Tikkun Olam
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It is an ancient realization, always relearned in resistant, recalcitrant ways, that we cannot receive what is new without relinquishing something of what is old. The anniversary of Tikkun is a time to notice that Tikkun, from the outset, has advocated receiving what is new for Israel and the Palestinians.
2011
Solidarity with Palestinian Activists
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Having long decried the violent means that some Palestinians have used to call attention to their plight, we in the American Jewish community cannot now turn our backs on a Palestinian movement that uses nonviolence to work for peace. We must do everything in our power to proclaim our solidarity with them.
2011
Pro-Palestinian and Pro-Israeli
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Living in the polarizing atmosphere of the Middle East, I feel the need to reassert the very basics — like affirming that Palestinians and Israelis are all human beings. I say this only somewhat facetiously, as dehumanizing, collective rhetoric justifies violations of many individuals’ basic rights.
2011
Tikkun Olam in East Jerusalem
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For the better part of a year, nearly every Friday afternoon, we have been coming to this ravine in the Palestinian half of Jerusalem. Standing with hundreds of Jews and Palestinians and foreign visitors, young and elderly, and intellectuals and working people, we take part in a protest movement that began spontaneously and refuses to die.
2011
On Narratives, Power, and Peace: A Note from a Palestinian Activist
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Here in Palestine, we unfortunately face a unique narrative that acquired tremendous power and resulted in a large population of refugees after World War II. The question many Jews are struggling with is how to separate this Zionist narrative from the rich and wonderful history of Jewish contributions to humanity.
2011
President Obama: Keep Faith
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The president’s Christian faith compels him to seek common ground with his political opponents in our shared desire to provide a secure and prosperous life for the nation, especially for those who are poor and vulnerable. It requires him to seek strength in our diversity, to explore solutions that bridge the partisan divide.