To: All for a just peace
Attn: Israeli and Palestinian Leaders,
First, you are Jews and you are Arabs. These words are not justdescriptive. They are emblematic of the deepest, bravest heritage ofdevotion to compassion, justice, caring, sharing and introspection It isthese qualities that have promoted your survival, not merely fighting.Hitler and the tenets of nazism fought and perished, as they always will.
Asher Ben Yechiel, The Ethical Will, 13th century, said ” …misuse notthy power against anyone; who can tell whether thou wilt not someday bepowerless thyself. “
Second, you are brave and you do what you believe is right. There arethose who will refute this, but disagreement does not invalidate itstruth.
Among you are persons and groups advocating for peace such as GushShalom. Al Haq, Peace Now, and whom you apparently want to silence byvarious means, e.g. vilification and a campaign of demonizing.propaganda.Especially now, this campaign is targeting Gush Shalom.
This organization, and the others, needs to be cherished for they aretrying to save us from ourselves. Of course you know this, you are toosmart, and at heart too good as human beings not to know this.
I am but one, unproven modern man; listen to the voices of those whom werevere:
Eleazar Ben Judah Of Worms, Harokeach 13th Century said ” …cherish notoo fixed good opinion of thyself, but lend thine ear to remonstrance andreproof. ” And ” …make peace whenever thou canst among people, lead themgently into the good path. ” Which, of course, means that we must takecharge to make the first steps to peace, not to wait for the other guy(who is waiting for us to do so, meanwhile we are blowing up children,mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters of both sides). We are justfeeling rage and frustration and we rail against those who do not join usin our whipped up passions.
Eleazar ben Judah Of Worms said ” …Surrender not thyself a slave tohate…keep peace both within the city and without, for it goes well withall those who are counsellors of peace. “
Moses Maimonides said ” Disdain reservations and subterfuges, evasions andsharp practices. ” And ” Defile not your souls by quarrelsomeness andpetulance. I have seen white become black…great cities laid inruins…the honourable held lightly and despised, all on account ofquarrelsomeness. Glory in forbearance, for in that is true strength andvictory. “
You know that Gush Shalom are not traitors, they but want our soldiers,as they do what they are called upon to do, to refrain from acting ontheir own anger, fear and frustration, and keep within the law; the lawof the land, the law of humanity and God. ” Kurdie Bear, ” of Jenindemolition infamy, and the killing of Amjad Abdel Hadi Jebour are primeexamples of acting on just such painful emotions. Gush Shalom wishes theIsraeli Court to step in and put a stop to the brutality. If OfficialIsrael remains deaf to calls for control in the name of humanity, thenthe next resort is to the International Court.
Is this betrayal? Do we call the parents of children, who are rampagingand killing one another, traitors by calling in the police to helprestore sanity, when the parents can’t do it alone? Or do the parentslove their children enough to want them to live, and to live in peace?
The mistake Gush Shalom makes, what almost all make, socialized as we allare in a combative and distrustful society, is to use an adversarialtone. To get another’s attention and best thinking, we must validate thatwhich is good in the other (all have good in them, since it is inherent),point out what is wrong and offer good things to improve the matter;above all to listen to one another.
(International offices, where are you? U.S., EU, Quartet, Russia, UN,WHERE ARE YOU? To hell with political niceties and rhetoric, children,mothers, fathers, societies are dying in front of your eyes. Shall thisbe a repeat of the ’30s and 40s? Bring in the peacekeeping forces now,large enough to keep both sides from the insanity of mutual destruction,and the real danger of further escalating world wide inflammation).
Why do we lose control over our blind emotional urges? Brutal conflict,need for approval from authorities and peers, demonization, play on ourrepressed angers, fears, and often low self-esteem (almost all of us growup with such pain due to the authoritarian control of – even loving -parents, and society). Those of us who are put in the front lines to facethe ” enemy. ” are acutely subject to these pressures. They puncture theshield of decency and all our rage erupts to blast out upon those whom weface: soldier, militant or innocent civilian. Our blind pain can’t tellthe difference. This insanity happens in all societies among all ethicgroups.
Hillel said (Sayings Of The Fathers, Ch. II – 7) ” Because thou drownestothers, they have drowned thee; and, at the last, they that drowned theeshall themselves be drowned. “
Who knows this better than Jews and Arabs who have been thus treated forcenturies? Who knows better than Jews and Arabs to not fall into thepitiful roles of victim and oppressors to one another, but to rise abovethe fray and model those qualities of confidence, compassion, sharing andrespect for each other, and everyone? In doing this the world restrainsits hate and comes to love you; will come to help defend you against thereal terrorists and the slaves of hatred.
Ben Azzai said (Sic, Ch.IV-2) ” Run to do even a slight precept, and fleefrom transgression; for one good deed draws another good deed in itstrain, and one sin, another sin. “
R. Eliezer, the son of Jacob, said (Sic, Ch, IV – 13) ” He who does onegood deed has gotten himself one advocate; and he who commits onetransgression has gotten himself one accuser. Repentance and deeds ofcharity are as a shield against punishment. “
Treasure Gush Shalom, and the others, though you disagree with them.Discourse not destruction!You all are and can be what the revered sagessay you can be.
Who is saying do not defend yourself? No-one, of course not. Merely donot defile yourselves with brutality, nor set up a shroud to hide it.
Ben Zoma said (Sayings Of The Fathers, Ch.IV-1) ” Who is mighty? He whosubdues his passions: as it is said. He who is slow to anger is betterthan the mighty, and he that ruleth over his spirit than he that taketh acity. “
Jack Doner
Psychotherapist
Personal and Cultural Relations