The world I knew, the one I counted on, turned upside down in the aftermath of the genocidal attack on Jews who were residents or just visiting near the Israel-Gaza border on Saturday, 7 October.
My older sister, who lives in Israel, told me the next day that it was already circulating that the devastation was far greater than first reported. Over the ensuing days the numbers of known dead increased and the number of those taken hostage grew. The details of the atrocities were revealed. I imagined I was there on one of the Kibbutzim, huddling and hiding, trying to protect my loved ones in a “safe” room and waiting for a help that never came. I wept as I watched and listened to those who were the fortunate ones, the survivors.
As I absorbed what happened I knew the forgone conclusion—Israel would respond, and that meant war. In prior wars, the Israel Defense Forces needed to go after Hamas terrorists and their weapons inside and beneath the densely populated areas of Gaza. There would tragically be many Palestinian civilians dying. That number would grow as well, day by day, week by week.
I wondered how long it would take for the narrative to flip? How quickly the focus would shift from what Hamas intentionally perpetrated, the harrowing anguish they had caused and were still causing, to the unintentional and nevertheless devastating loss of life for civilians of Gaza. It would not matter if leaflets were dropped and phone calls were made to warn civilians to get out.
I was prepared for that sad, sobering inevitability. What I wasn’t prepared for was the many people, some of who I admire and previously saw as allies, disregarding the distinguishing motivations and intentions of Hamas and Israel. They went so far as to use the word genocide for what Israel was engaged in and incredulously avoiding the use of that word for Hamas which was, on 7 October, fulfilling its Charter of annihilating the Jewish people.
Dana Bash, host of State of the Union interviewed Bernie Sanders this week. Dana knows what genocide is—members of her family were murdered in Auschwitz. She showed Sanders a video posted by congresswoman Rashida Tliab which shows pro-Palestinian protestors with the bolded words: From the River to the Sea and ends with the statement: Joe Biden supported the genocide of the Palestinian people. Dana Bash asks Sanders, rhetorically, if he knows the definition of genocide. After providing the definition she asks him to weigh in on Tliab’s choice of words.
Bash: “Is that what Israel is doing right now?”
Sanders: “What’s going on right now is a horror show. We don’t have to quibble about words. Thousands of men, women and children are being killed. It’s got to end now.”
Bash: “I also know and you know that words matter. And I want to ask”—Sanders interrupts: “Look. Words matter. But what matters more is that you have a horrible humanitarian disaster that has to be dealt with right now. Call it whatever you want, it has to be dealt with right now.”
Words matter. Using the word “quibble” (which means arguing over matters that are trivial), is not “trivial.” It is critically important to distinguish between a genocidal mission and unintentional and unwanted loss of innocent life during a war. (I am avoiding using the term “collateral damage” because it is euphemistic for tragic loss of life). Genocide, by definition is intentional, it is deliberate. Calling attention to the horrors of war and how civilians suffer is morally commendable. Giving permission, as Sanders suggests, to “call it whatever you want” blurs a clear cut line between what is and what isn’t genocide. It hijacks its meaning and serves to manipulate emotions rather than communicate
Today, 9 November marks 85 years from the start of what would be the genocidal mission of the Nazis. It was the night of the broken glass. In the needed dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians who are still working toward mutual understanding and intent on peace, words matter. Let’s not quibble about that. While any loss of life is tragic, intention reveals what is in the human heart. That should be clear as Kristallnacht.
8 Comments
Michael Feldman · November 9, 2023 at 11:36 am
Your commentary was right on the mark David.
Bernie Sanders should be ashamed of himself.
I too have family living in Israel and know the anguish they are
suffering.
Words DO matter.
Thanks for sharing your wise views.
nicole · November 9, 2023 at 11:39 am
I agree with you. It is actually really interesting/alarming how deeply imbedded antisemitism is in society all over the world. People who are convinced that they are not but still believe the stereotypes and false information given out freely now. It makes my heart hurt so much, not just for us (the Jewish people) but for us (the human race). I pray for peace for all of us and the ability to lesson the loss of innocent lives without opening up a whole group of people to slaughter. We already can see that it will not stop in the middle east, it is reaching now far into our own homes. May Hashem protect you Davidji and all those at KE. Be well.
Elizabeth Wilde · November 9, 2023 at 12:14 pm
The phrase that jumped out at me most was “disregarding the distinguishing motivations and intentions of Hamas and Israel.” How to deal with the negative political ramifications and world opinion? Those can adversely affect the outcome of truth and justice, if propaganda and history are any indication.
It must be made clear that the foundations of Hamas and Israel’s actions come from entirely different values, and that needs to be said again and again.
Marla Jacobson · November 9, 2023 at 1:05 pm
David, this eloquent piece needs to be a letter to the editor of the New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, and anywhere else you can think of. Stunning piece of writing. Thank you.
Melanie Gruenwald · November 9, 2023 at 3:01 pm
David has posted it on Times of Israel- https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/clear-as-kristtalnacht/
Thanks for the positive feedback!
Jean Kunin · November 9, 2023 at 2:43 pm
Many seem viscerally satisfied these days when they declare, “They did it to themselves, or (when they admit any role at all), “They are the cause of us doing it to them.” Sometimes this dismissive blaming is all there is, end of story. Everyone believes their side is the real one.
Where are the ones who are willing to admit to and accept responsibility for their own actions and decisions? Who is taking responsibility for themself? Who understands and acknowledges their own part? Who is not just a victim? Who dares to see the perpetrator within themselves?
You did it fist.
You did it, not me.
You made me do it, I had no choice.
What you did is worse.
And,
We have the moral integrity.
Our actions are justified by history.
Our tragedy cuts deepest.
We are suffering more.
They meant to hurt us, we did not mean to hurt them.
I wish it would go without saying that this description does not apply to one side alone. Crazy making as it feels, we almost have mirror images. Maybe we should spend more time looking in the mirror.
Who is self-critical enough, self-understanding enough, to talk honestly about what they actually know first hand — themselves. Their own hearts and minds. Who is claiming innocence in this conflict, and who is truly innocent?
— on one side, or the other, or neither, or both (Jean Kunin)
Jean Kunin · November 9, 2023 at 5:25 pm
I wish I had made this clear in my previous message: I am not talking about Hamas. Hamas is unspeakably evil and in a category all of their own. They are or on the same moral footing, and that difference definitely needs to be emphasized, as others have said. I am talking about the people of Israel, the people of Gaza, and the demonstrators around the world who are on one side or the other.
Jean Kunin · November 9, 2023 at 5:27 pm
Correction: Hamas is NOT on the same moral footing