The thing that has constantly surprised and disheartened me about Israel in the 57 years since the Six Day War has been the rise of the Crazy American Fundamentalist Jews - the far right settlers who go there so they can fight with the Palestinians - and how they have managed to co-opt the Israeli government despite being a small minority of people who have obviously never learned anything about real Judaism, the same as their dumbass allies in the Fundamentalist Christian Right back home.
If hatred and violence are going to be defeated in the world, it will be done not by a coalition of a particular religious or political persuasion but by a coalition of decent people simply doing what they know in their hearts is right.
Thank you so much for sharing this. I learned about this group just last week in the Zoom course I'm taking with Pace Bene led by the author, Rivera Sun on nonviolent resistance to war. There are so many stories like this one that need to be told and they occur all over the world. We have to defeat the war-mongering right-wingers who thrive on hate, fear, division, greed, and religious zealotry. This is such an important story to get out there just now and one that I will share with as many people as possible. Thank you again.
TC, you are the man for sharing this heroic work of peacemaking, healing and grassroots community building. The "Crazy American Fundamentalist Jews - the far right settlers who go there so they can fight with the Palestinians," would brand you as an antisemite for amplifying the true message of Judaism, that's how crazy these reactionary fascists are. And that's how nuts the right wing fundamentalist christians here in America are, led by the man Noam Chomsky called the most dangerous criminal in the world today, Donny the Fascist Felon.
This just points to the fact that religious fundamentalism is a scourge, regardless of the faith. There was already trouble starting between the Haradim and the settlers vs. the more secular Jews in Israel on everything from bus seating and airplane seating (the Haradim have caused flights to be cancelled) to the increasingly hard-right turn of the Israeli government. But even before then, successive governments were choosing to turn a blind eye to settler activity in violation of accords; Jimmy Carter brought that up again and again in his books about the Israel peace process.
Seeing the secular Jews take charge gives me hope that doing the right thing will become mightier than doing the mighty thing. But I don't think we will even start seeing that on a widespread basis until. Bibi is out of power, one way or another.
This report demonstrates once again that despite a nation's best efforts good people can end up with a bad government. These Israelis know the way to neutralize the horrors of bad government is for every person to intervene and do the good he can whenever he can wherever he can, even when it's contrary to the dominant political winds of the control freaks. They found their congregation/community and moved onward and upward, thwarting right wing wickedness where they found it. Most Israelis understand that Israel exists in large measure due to the intervention of non-Jews who were their allies, aiders, and abettors in Europe in WWII, non-Jews who would not abide their persecution and efforts to exterminate them.
Bravo Humanitarian Guard. It is an obvious example of the obvious untruth of the concept in some quarters that "All Israelis are evil." My personal crusade has for a long time been battling the increasingly prevalent thought error of overgeneralization. As crusades go, it appears to be stuck on the docks of southern Italy, but I keep trying.
Of course, by far greater application of the error is now showing up as "all Palestinians are evil" or more specifically "all Palestinians are Hamas." This far into the war, probably more Palestinians are Hamas FIGHTERS, though they well may see themselves simply as The Resistance rather than a proponent of the Hamas Charter, much less a supporter of the 10/6 attack. So when the IDF goes on about how "40% of those killed are Hamas fighters" I tend to carry a particularly large grain of salt--how many are simply fighting as a response to the killing already of their own friends and family?
We see this overgeneralization everywhere. One idiot student says something pro-Hamas and suddenly all the protestors are pro-Hamas and antisemitic. Actually you can't really even claim without specific evidence that someone who shouts a pro-Hamas statement is actually antisemitic. There are multiple reasons for recognizing that Israel's treatment of Palestinians has been harsh without being antisemitic: what you are is anti-any government that treats minorities harshly and their religion/ethnic background really has nothing to do with why you dislike it. I myself think being pro-terrorist is a leap too far but I can understand, though not condone, those in this particular instance who feel differently.
And outside the Gaza context, the overgeneralization is simply part of how we reason nowadays. I don't think all Republicans are stupid, much less evil. I know some perfectly sane Republicans; I admit that where I live I don't encounter many MAGATS. But what we have to condemn is the policies and tactics of the party, not all members of the party itself.
The fascinating thing is that overgeneralization is one of the fundamental thought errors of depressed people. Anyone who has studied or experienced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy knows recognizing this is one of the essential keys to healing. I wonder if ultimately the only people who can refrain from this error are recovering depressives???
I agree absolutely! Too much of the anti-semitism "chant" that we hear from various places - much of it from the Right - in Israel and here - is just that overgeneralization.
Super information, TC - people coming together for a common cause - its an answer to so much of human's stupidity! Apparently the supposed Fourth Estate remains clueless.
Wow, this isn't mentioned in any of the major news outlets. I'm encouraged to know this type of activity is occurring, led by peace and justice-minded Israelis. May they dominate their country and bring this seemingly ceaseless war between Israelis and Palestinians to an end.
I just posted info about Combatants for Peace (https://cfpeace.org/), started in 2006 by veterans on both sides of the conflict. It has an American Friends group doing good work in the U.S.: https://www.afcfp.org/. In Israel-Palestine, there's also the Parents Circle–Families Forum of those, again both Palestinian and Israeli, who've lost loved ones to the conflict. Their English-language website is currently glitchy, but you can find the American Friends of the Parents Circle–Families Forum here: https://parentscirclefriends.org/.
Well, these people deserve our support and I’ll attempt to donate to a true humanitarian group. Pox on those who are doing so much damage to the Jewish people.
Thank you, Tom, and hooray for common decency and common sense. The "far right" group in Israel, like the "far right" group in the United States have about the same theory, destroy everything in sight - that leaves more for wonderful "us"
TC and others, are you aware of Combatants for Peace and/or the Parents Circle–Families Forum? If not, please look them up: https://cfpeace.org/ and https://parentscirclefriends.org/, respectively. (The latter is the website for the American Friends of the Parents Circle; the PCFF's English-language site is having a little glitch, which will probably be cleaned up soon.)
Combatants for Peace was founded in 2006 by fighters on both sides of the Israeli-Palestine conflict. Members of the Parents Circle–Families Forum have all lost a family member to the conflict. Both of them have American affiliates who are doing good work.
P.S. I don't think we should lay the blame for the settlements, or for the far-right Israeli government, entirely on "Crazy American Fundamentalist Jews." The powerful AIPAC (American Israel Political Action Committee) is currently trying to primary Democratic legislators who aren't 100% gung-ho for Israeli policies; all, or nearly all, of those legislators are of color.
If hatred and violence are going to be defeated in the world, it will be done not by a coalition of a particular religious or political persuasion but by a coalition of decent people simply doing what they know in their hearts is right.
Thank you so much for sharing this. I learned about this group just last week in the Zoom course I'm taking with Pace Bene led by the author, Rivera Sun on nonviolent resistance to war. There are so many stories like this one that need to be told and they occur all over the world. We have to defeat the war-mongering right-wingers who thrive on hate, fear, division, greed, and religious zealotry. This is such an important story to get out there just now and one that I will share with as many people as possible. Thank you again.
What the government and establishment resources will not do the people must.
This is the Jewish faith and values that I admire and respect so much.
TC, you are the man for sharing this heroic work of peacemaking, healing and grassroots community building. The "Crazy American Fundamentalist Jews - the far right settlers who go there so they can fight with the Palestinians," would brand you as an antisemite for amplifying the true message of Judaism, that's how crazy these reactionary fascists are. And that's how nuts the right wing fundamentalist christians here in America are, led by the man Noam Chomsky called the most dangerous criminal in the world today, Donny the Fascist Felon.
So very glad this effort was initiated. Wish it had been sooner.
Thank you, TC. I had not heard about it. The story needs to be spread.
❤️
Thank you, Tom for sharing about this group. Unsurprisingly, a their work has not been mentioned in American MEM.
This just points to the fact that religious fundamentalism is a scourge, regardless of the faith. There was already trouble starting between the Haradim and the settlers vs. the more secular Jews in Israel on everything from bus seating and airplane seating (the Haradim have caused flights to be cancelled) to the increasingly hard-right turn of the Israeli government. But even before then, successive governments were choosing to turn a blind eye to settler activity in violation of accords; Jimmy Carter brought that up again and again in his books about the Israel peace process.
Seeing the secular Jews take charge gives me hope that doing the right thing will become mightier than doing the mighty thing. But I don't think we will even start seeing that on a widespread basis until. Bibi is out of power, one way or another.
This report demonstrates once again that despite a nation's best efforts good people can end up with a bad government. These Israelis know the way to neutralize the horrors of bad government is for every person to intervene and do the good he can whenever he can wherever he can, even when it's contrary to the dominant political winds of the control freaks. They found their congregation/community and moved onward and upward, thwarting right wing wickedness where they found it. Most Israelis understand that Israel exists in large measure due to the intervention of non-Jews who were their allies, aiders, and abettors in Europe in WWII, non-Jews who would not abide their persecution and efforts to exterminate them.
Great story, and I'm always happy to hear about Israelis who are doing the right thing. Thanks TC!
Bravo Humanitarian Guard. It is an obvious example of the obvious untruth of the concept in some quarters that "All Israelis are evil." My personal crusade has for a long time been battling the increasingly prevalent thought error of overgeneralization. As crusades go, it appears to be stuck on the docks of southern Italy, but I keep trying.
Of course, by far greater application of the error is now showing up as "all Palestinians are evil" or more specifically "all Palestinians are Hamas." This far into the war, probably more Palestinians are Hamas FIGHTERS, though they well may see themselves simply as The Resistance rather than a proponent of the Hamas Charter, much less a supporter of the 10/6 attack. So when the IDF goes on about how "40% of those killed are Hamas fighters" I tend to carry a particularly large grain of salt--how many are simply fighting as a response to the killing already of their own friends and family?
We see this overgeneralization everywhere. One idiot student says something pro-Hamas and suddenly all the protestors are pro-Hamas and antisemitic. Actually you can't really even claim without specific evidence that someone who shouts a pro-Hamas statement is actually antisemitic. There are multiple reasons for recognizing that Israel's treatment of Palestinians has been harsh without being antisemitic: what you are is anti-any government that treats minorities harshly and their religion/ethnic background really has nothing to do with why you dislike it. I myself think being pro-terrorist is a leap too far but I can understand, though not condone, those in this particular instance who feel differently.
And outside the Gaza context, the overgeneralization is simply part of how we reason nowadays. I don't think all Republicans are stupid, much less evil. I know some perfectly sane Republicans; I admit that where I live I don't encounter many MAGATS. But what we have to condemn is the policies and tactics of the party, not all members of the party itself.
The fascinating thing is that overgeneralization is one of the fundamental thought errors of depressed people. Anyone who has studied or experienced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy knows recognizing this is one of the essential keys to healing. I wonder if ultimately the only people who can refrain from this error are recovering depressives???
I agree absolutely! Too much of the anti-semitism "chant" that we hear from various places - much of it from the Right - in Israel and here - is just that overgeneralization.
Super information, TC - people coming together for a common cause - its an answer to so much of human's stupidity! Apparently the supposed Fourth Estate remains clueless.
Wow, this isn't mentioned in any of the major news outlets. I'm encouraged to know this type of activity is occurring, led by peace and justice-minded Israelis. May they dominate their country and bring this seemingly ceaseless war between Israelis and Palestinians to an end.
I wonder wonder (don't) about why this isn't a part of "all the news that fits" at the nation's finest fishwrap.
I just posted info about Combatants for Peace (https://cfpeace.org/), started in 2006 by veterans on both sides of the conflict. It has an American Friends group doing good work in the U.S.: https://www.afcfp.org/. In Israel-Palestine, there's also the Parents Circle–Families Forum of those, again both Palestinian and Israeli, who've lost loved ones to the conflict. Their English-language website is currently glitchy, but you can find the American Friends of the Parents Circle–Families Forum here: https://parentscirclefriends.org/.
Well, these people deserve our support and I’ll attempt to donate to a true humanitarian group. Pox on those who are doing so much damage to the Jewish people.
Thank you, Tom, and hooray for common decency and common sense. The "far right" group in Israel, like the "far right" group in the United States have about the same theory, destroy everything in sight - that leaves more for wonderful "us"
Very glad to hear about this group and what they are doing to help counteract the actions of the settler groups bullies. Good for them!
TC and others, are you aware of Combatants for Peace and/or the Parents Circle–Families Forum? If not, please look them up: https://cfpeace.org/ and https://parentscirclefriends.org/, respectively. (The latter is the website for the American Friends of the Parents Circle; the PCFF's English-language site is having a little glitch, which will probably be cleaned up soon.)
Combatants for Peace was founded in 2006 by fighters on both sides of the Israeli-Palestine conflict. Members of the Parents Circle–Families Forum have all lost a family member to the conflict. Both of them have American affiliates who are doing good work.
P.S. I don't think we should lay the blame for the settlements, or for the far-right Israeli government, entirely on "Crazy American Fundamentalist Jews." The powerful AIPAC (American Israel Political Action Committee) is currently trying to primary Democratic legislators who aren't 100% gung-ho for Israeli policies; all, or nearly all, of those legislators are of color.