Israel’s actions in Gaza strip should be condemned and stopped. But, any condemnations against Israeli attack’s to Gaza Strip and any demands for International body to act against Israel should be framed in a non-religious and non-racial framework. In other words, I want to see the world stops invoking anti-semitism.
Yet, as the events in Gaza are unfolded; more and more Palestinian are wounded, I am in the brink of my cause. In the dissapointment toward Israel and the United Nations, I am trying to find the reason why anti-semitism should never be exercised, even in the today-look like situation. I almost lost cause. But, seeing pictures of wounded Palestinians in TV this evening, I finally find the reason why anti-semitism, even in the current Israeli attack, should still no longer be entertained.
Two Miseries
First of all, anti-semitism has created so much miseries. At least two are now visible. The first misery is the extermination of Jews and their dispersion from their homeland in Europe. Hundred thousand of Jews had to give up their life simply because they carry their identity as Jews.
But, it should also be remembered that it is exactly the same anti-semitism (the one entertained in Europe), that created unnecessary and actually avoidable second misery in Palestine. As European Jews were dissilusioned with their situation in Europe, the Zionist Movement saw that the previously promised land might given them hope and security. While I do not agree with the use of biblical justification for their choice of Palestine, the zionists (in the name of Jewish people), of course, have rights to choose places that they think will provide safety and security for them. Unfortunately, they ignored the fact that in Palestine, there have been other communities live there for hundred years. And like Jews who have rights to choose land in order for them live peacefully, Palestinians have also rights to defend their homeland so they can live peacefully.
The course at that time, I guess, laid on the hand of the Great Britain and other big powers who were dividing the cake of Ottoman’s defeat in 1916. Had they, at the end of First World War, resorted to other means in dealing with Jewish people’s misery, rather than only stuck to the solution of making Palestine home for dispersed Europen Jews, miseries that we are now seeing in Palestine would never happen. The Great Britain and big powers should have asked Europe that was actually the perpetrator of anti-semitism to be held responsible for the miseries that they caused to the Jews. Say, the Great Britain and the others would have pressured Poland, Germany or other European countries to provide land for Jewish people to build their own state, if these countries did not want Jews to live in their territory. But the super powers chose, instead, Palestine as a solution.
Unfortunately, as we have heard and seen for decades, the choice proven to be disastrous. Anti-semitism has brought another avoidable misery.
Inability of Living in Coexisentence with the Others
The second reason why anti-semitism should never be exercised is because the practical implication of anti-semitism’s spirit is detrimental for the future of peace in this world. Anti-semitism rejects the idea that human being has equal dignity and rights. It also rejects diversity as the basic fact of human being life. In anti-semitism, this spirit carries practical implication which is the inability to live peacefully in coexistance with people having different identities. Such spirit is not only exercised by the old-Europe, but also possibly by current Europe, the Muslim world, and even the very victim of anti-semitism it self.
The state of Israel, as the formal representation of Jewish people who were the victim of anti-semitism, has been showing the inability to live in coexistence with poeple of different races. Since 1948, without the consent of the inhabitants of the Mandatory Palestine, Israel had been granted almost half of Palestine territory. Yet, as the time goes on, the whole world see Israel keeps expanding that territory almost to the extent that the other indigenous communties living in that area have no more spaces to live. The expansion, to me, shows how Israel does not want the other communities to live in the same area with the people of Israel. It shows how Israel can not live in coexistence with other people in the area. In other words, Israel has embraced the spirit of anti-semitism that it rejects in the first place.
While the people and the government of Palestine have rights to defend their homeland, they might also embrace the spirit of anti-semitism if they want to wipe out Israeli Jews from today’s Palestine.
***
In its original meaning, antisemitism is against Jewish people. But, at the end of this article, I want to point that the spirit of anti-semitism can be exercised by any actors and can endanger of any race, ethnic or religious groups. Those who can not live in coexistence with other people having different ethnic and religion are essentially embracing the spirit of anti-semitism. Those who were refused their rights to live in an area simply because they have different identities with the majority or other groups are the victims of the spirit of anti-semitism. For the peaceful future of this world, lets get rid of the spirit of anti-semitism and embrace the beauty of living in coexistence with those who are different with us.
Buya Masoed Abidin
janúar 10, 2009 klukkan 6:58 pm |
PEACE for Israel and Gaza, please !!!!
janúar 11, 2009 klukkan 2:23 am |
Yes, please we are praying together, PEACE for Israel and Gaza, please…..!!!!!