Thank you, Mark. I see in myself a measure of what might be called Christian Zionism, but for me, rather than being biblically based, it comes from a later history: the Holocaust. While I deplore the violence perpetrated against Palestinians in the founding and development of the state of Israel, I also believe that Europe proved over and over through centuries that it was unsafe for Jews, culminating in the genocide of the Holocaust. I thought Jews needed a place where they could be safe. So I’ve long been a supporter of the UN plan for a Jewish state and a Palestinian state. However, I’m horrified by how the Jewish state has repeatedly violated the rights, property, and bodies of Palestinians — policies and actions that destroy safety for all in the region. I just saw Zone of Interest, which truly does a brilliant job of demonstrating “the banality of evil” in Nazi society, and it leads me to question all the ways large and small I participate in that deny dignity and personhood to others who offend me. That is where evil violence begins and is fostered. I’m still contemplating it all. Thanks for spurring me further dear friend.
I need to add that lately I’ve been wondering if the post-WWII victors had only pushed European—and ALL members of the global community—to accept, affirm and support Jewish people, to examine honestly and fully all of our biases, and most crucially to dedicate ourselves to block and eliminate those biases, would there have been a need to establish Israel at all?
Thank you, Mark. I see in myself a measure of what might be called Christian Zionism, but for me, rather than being biblically based, it comes from a later history: the Holocaust. While I deplore the violence perpetrated against Palestinians in the founding and development of the state of Israel, I also believe that Europe proved over and over through centuries that it was unsafe for Jews, culminating in the genocide of the Holocaust. I thought Jews needed a place where they could be safe. So I’ve long been a supporter of the UN plan for a Jewish state and a Palestinian state. However, I’m horrified by how the Jewish state has repeatedly violated the rights, property, and bodies of Palestinians — policies and actions that destroy safety for all in the region. I just saw Zone of Interest, which truly does a brilliant job of demonstrating “the banality of evil” in Nazi society, and it leads me to question all the ways large and small I participate in that deny dignity and personhood to others who offend me. That is where evil violence begins and is fostered. I’m still contemplating it all. Thanks for spurring me further dear friend.
I need to add that lately I’ve been wondering if the post-WWII victors had only pushed European—and ALL members of the global community—to accept, affirm and support Jewish people, to examine honestly and fully all of our biases, and most crucially to dedicate ourselves to block and eliminate those biases, would there have been a need to establish Israel at all?
Good Morning ☀️
This is really packed full!
This is where I like to go….
“We are trying to hold one another, while our knees are weak, chests are tight, our worlds on fire, burning and burning and burning and burning.
Love dancing with rage, rage dancing with love, becomes the greatest spiritual, moral, and political task in each generation.”
—Danté Stewart
(I read this last week! 😁)
And of course there’s:
When the power of Love overcomes the love of power,
the world will know peace.
- Jimi Hendrix
Peace ☮️