Thousands Chant in Tel Aviv “Jews and Arabs Refuse to be Enemies” as Israel and Gaza Are Shelled
by: David Harris-Gershon on August 22nd, 2011 | 9 Comments »
A protester holds a sign reading "In Solidarity with the South (Israel) & Gaza."
On Saturday evening, with rockets falling upon southern Israel and bombs falling on Gaza – with the innocent dying on both sides – approximately 10,000 social justice protesters convened in Tel Aviv for a silent march. The gathering, which intended to both recognize the violence occurring and to remind government officials that social justice reforms cannot be jettisoned with the security situation intensifying, was mostly silent at first, with thousands carrying signs and torches while marching to the sea.
However, not long into the march, an Arab-Jewish group (Hadash) began chanting, “Jews and Arabs refuse to be enemies.” The chant was picked up by a large contingent, but it was also met with heated rhetoric, particularly from a group Ami Kaufman in 972 Magazine described as “right-wing racists.” The situation was tense, particularly in the shadow of the tragedy that occurred that afternoon, in which a rocket fired from Gaza hit a home in Beer Sheva, killing one Israeli citizen and injuring many more.
Then, something amazing happened. The procession settled upon the beach and began listening to a series of speakers. When an Arab speaker from a border town near Gaza rose to address the crowd, a contingent from the right-wing group began to continuously heckle him. Finally, in an effort to shout this group down, the entire crowd – thousands – turned and began chanting, “Jews and Arabs refuse to be enemies.”
Protest organizers Tweet about the moment in which thousands chant for peace.
It was a powerful moment, a moment of hope that flickered as they chanted, their torches dancing in the breeze coming off the Mediterranean. A moment of hope amidst so many reasons for despair as the violence in Israel and Gaza escalates.
I guess they didn’t get the word in gaza. Imagine that.
I am so grateful and so hopeful to read this. May there be a time of spring also for Palestine and Israel. If only it could be one country with all trying to live peacefully. It can happen. Arabs and Israelis can live peacefully. Jews and Arabs have lived peacefully for more than a thousand years. Now Arabs and Israeli Jews can live peacefully. Shalom – Salaam
I feel chills running down my spine…
“Jews and Arabs refuse to be enemies.”
THAT is the wisdom of the people singing in the streets.
And because it is inspired by the Wisdom of G_d, it is immeasurably stronger than the madness of our governments and extremist groups and WILL PREVAIL in the end.
SHALOM – SALAAM
This is good to hear. I have been driving across country from Espanola, NM to Cedar Rapids, IA. We turned on the radio in western NE, trying to stay awake, but all we could find was Glenn Beck broadcasting the beginning of the end of the world from Israel. He claimed that the protesters were being controlled by SEIU and Al Jazeera. He did not explain why SEIU would want to fund peace or housing protests in Israel, however. I had to shut him off. He pisses me off to the point that I want to jump out of the moving car.
Lauren, As a Colorado resident, I can picture the path you trod. There is nothing to listen to but right-wing talk. There would be something else if the majority of the people in rural Amerika refused to listen to it. I’m SO tired of those on the left (Michael Moore, Jim Hightower, et al) who refuse to criticize working class people who CHOOSE to be willfully ignorant. As a geography graduate, I say the political divide is not West vs. East nor North vs South, but urban vs. rural. There are counties in this state where 80% of the people vote Republican. Those on the left who don’t listen to right-wing talk have no clue why this country is so dysfunctional.
Create your own little peace on earth by refusing to be an enemy.
Jim,
You criticize “working class people who CHOOSE to be wilfully ignorant”.
1 – We are ALL basically ignorant and none of us is wilfully so. He who finally recognizes the depth of his ignorance – like Socrates, who used to say “I know only one thing, that I know nothing” – is finally beginning to experience glimmers of true knowledge… In the meantime, how many among us can claim to be enlightened citizens, capable of functioning in a democracy? Look how many of us were completely taken in by Obama’s persona… Only a tiny minority of progressives had the insight to see through his mask and rightly predicted that he would betray his constituents.
2 – The tragedy of ignorance is that it deprives us of the ability to CHOOSE intelligently and therefore I must disagree with your phraseology. I personally believe in the democratic ideal, but I also believe that most so-called democracies are deeply dysfunctional pseudodemocracies because the game is rigged by the backroom boys, who pick as candidates ACTORS, clever manipulators like Ronald Reagan, George W, Bush or Barack Obama, masters of deception who are blinded by ambition and could not care less about the betterment of the country. (Tony Blair studied acting, by the way, and what a brilliant performance he gave in the role of Prime minister!)
3 – MANY working class and rural Americans are far more intelligent than we give them credit for… But many, many more have been brainwashed for generations by the government, by mainstream media, by Hollywood, by their Church, etc. and so they are not “wilfully ignorant” at all, as they sincerely believe that they’ve GOT all the answers. In other words, they are the polar opposite of Socrates: they know only one thing, that they know everything… Blessed are the doubters and the questioners, for they are our only chance!
I’m picking up on the passion and strength of emotions in everything here, including all of the comments, for and against what we see and hear happening.
Specifically I agree most with what Louis has said, especially his understanding of the right wing mentality, especially of the more rural people who have many fewer encounters and acquaintances with people of very different opinions and views (e.g. liberals etc).
For those of us who seek true knowledge and strive to keep open minds, I hope we can find space in our hurting hearts to understand the depth of the fears and insecurities that fuel most opinions based in dogma, conformity, super-nationalism and prejudice.
Isolation breeds all sorts of judgments, fears and ‘ignorance’; yet, engaging with the people we disagree with can be so utterly painful to most of us, that we so often slip into judgments and more separations.
The greatest challenge of all, as I see it, is to keep seeking connection with those we disgree with, and do so with empathy and compassion. It seems to raise our own fear and isolation issues, some of which are part of our own unresolved deeper personal issues.
That puts us all in one boat with the greatest challenge all humans share: to find ways to live in harmony and joy with our families, neighbors and fellow citizens.
In the spirit of Non violent visions, can we discuss and find ways to help one another connect compassionately with those very people we speak of as rural or right wing, super Republican party supporters.
What ‘actors’ like Reagan, Bush and co. offer that we don’t, is a sense – (real or not, acted or spontaeous) – of connection, compassion and understanding of the fears of their followers. Whether and how much it is true, sincere or genuine, matters less than the fact that it somehow speaks to those fears and needs of their followers.
Can we find ways and emotional strength to understand and convey socially what we actually all have in common: fears, insecurities, longings for peace, quiet, safety…….and deepest needs for STEADY, LOVING RELATIONSHIPS…..?! (We’d be saving ourselves so much despair……. with that..)
As someone who is a leftists and finds the wilful blindness and polarizing rhetoric against right wingers and our first decent President since the senior Bush just insipid and actually mor e harmful than anything the right wing actually does, i invite folks ehre to take a look at david Mamet’s new book exposing liberals and the counterdestructive path so many take when attempting to make a patented solution fit a problem on either side.
Then on to this wonderful sharing, from David, about finding common ground in Israel during an event at which emotions have run high…and suddenly respect for human dignity ON BOTH SIDES begins to win the day.
how lovely and how powerful