So Who are these Scary A-rabs?

PROLOGUE:

The title of this writing is deliberately racist and insulting!   (Presuming that you keep reading) my hope is that you, the reader, will understand the Irony of the Title, and some of both why I've titled this writing as I did, as well as the meaning of this writing.

We were having a relaxing time at a small outdoors bar on an island off of Washington State.   The bartender was friendly.  All was well until her fateful words.  The conversation cntered around a second hand store.   B potentially would have bought a pocket bag there.    The bartender said something like:  "They have nice stuff there.   Don't accept the price stated.  You can easily Jew Down the price".

B is a Black, Female, Queer Identified Jew.   The bartender probably never understood the impact of her words, nor that anyone could take offense with them.   We were impacted by perceived Anti-Semitism (even if unintended) as B said:  "Let's get the bill and leave right away".  

My writing which follows relates to the Palestinian People  - as well as some whose religion is Muslim, who may be from the Middle East, but not be Palestinian.

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March 3, 2019's evening was amazing, amazing!   Several Palestinian-American men came over to the (single) Jewish (Voice for Peace) Table.  They individually talked with me for a few minutes, thanking me for being there!   They didn't need to do this.  They respected me for being amongst the 300 or so devout Muslims - Palestinian-Americans at their annual dinner.  A link and a picture from my writing about this wonderful evening are below.

Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, American Muslims For Palestine and Respect   

- https://www.georgemarx.org/2019/03/dr-marc-lamont-hill-american-muslims.html

On November 9, 2023, I attended two Palestinian support rallies in San Francisco.  The student lead rally at The University of San Francisco was most meaningful!  The speeches and the leading of chants came from the top of some steps in front of a campus building.    A long paper banner was in front of us.   It contained  pictures and significant details about a lot of children and the names and similar details about many, many more children.   All had been murdered by the Israeli's since October 7th.

During the protest I spoke for quite a while with one young Palestinian-American student.  Afterwards, I came back, after unlocking my bicycle, and talked with two leaders of the Protest.

There might have been 150-200 people at the rally.   Perhaps five of them were over 30 years old.  The three students seemed happy to talk with me.  They all thanked me for being there.  I told them how important it was for me to be there, particularly as a white, Jewish man.  

I seek allyship. 

They seemed surprised and pleased that I, a Jewish man, cared about the Palestinian People.  They thanked me multiple times for my commitment to the Palestinian cause.   They were happy to briefly talk about themselves.  One of them spoke directly as to how her parents had raised her to distinguish clearly between Zionists/Zionism and Jews/Judaism.  Judaism was and is Not the Problem!

Their warmth and caring - was most evident!

Many of us who are white know Black People - as those nice folks we work with.   Few of us have close Black Friends. I'm speaking of friends who will openly tell us when we are "wrong" about something that might ruffle our feathers.   Few of us who are Jewish similarly are close friends with Palestinian-Americans or Americans who are Muslim.

I have had positive experiences with a variety of Palestinian-American and American Muslims both in Chicago and in the San Francisco Bay Area.   My experiences have been with both older and young people.   They have been both male and female (appearing).

I have recently attended 20 or more protests calling for a Ceasefire in Gaza and a just peace for Palestinians.    I have only been significantly bothered at a single protest that was hosted by several Muslim Groups.   The objectionable speaker was saying that as a Muslim it was important and justifiable to "give an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth".    He explicitly said it was okay for Jewish, Israeli children to be killed.

After this rally I talked with several other attendees.   All were bothered by his words.   Since then I have talked with two University of California Muslim students at their booths on the Berkeley Campus.   Both of them were very, very clear in responding to my questions.   The relevant Koran quote and their interpretation of it (separately) were both explicitly clear.   They said that in Combat (and only in combat) one is justified in attacking or counter-attacking fellow Combatants who have attacked one's side.   The killing of Civilians is Never Justifiable per both of these young men.   

One of their groups was "political" (he was Palestinian-American) and the other's was religious.   

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Increasing evidence is showing that the initial plans for the October 7th attack were probably for the killing of few, if any, non-combatants.   The intent seems to have been to seize Israeli soldiers.   They were to be held as hostages, seeking the release of the thousands (7-10 at least) of Palestinian political prisoners held by Israeli in military detention (often without trials).  

The Hamas attackers clearly expected more resistance from the Israeli Military than they got.   Some posit that there was a window of several hours where a lot of the attackers had little or no supervision.  During this period of time, many of the civilian killings took place such as the attack on the musical festival.

Hamas is in very unfamiliar territory now!   100% surrender seems an unlikely possibility.  Releasing more than nominal numbers of hostages seems unrealistic to expect.   Demanding that ALL Israeli Prisoners be released before a Ceasefire occurs would clearly be a 100 PERCENT SURRENDER.    In that case, as with past situations over the past 75+ years, the death and imprisonment of Palestinians - accused of being Hamas or supporters of Hamas - would be anticipated by Hamas.

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Iran is frequently cited as the most dangerous enemy of both Israel and the U.S.  Related to Iran:

Mohammad Reza Shah (محمدرضا شاه), was the last Shah (King) of the Imperial State of Iran from 1941 until his overthrow in the Iranian Revolution in 1979. ...

Mohammad Reza came to power during World War II after the Anglo-Soviet invasion which forced the abdication of his father, Reza Shah Pahlavi. During Mohammad Reza's reign, the British-owned oil industry was briefly nationalized by the democratically elected Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh with support from Iran's parliament, until an Army coup d'état supported by the UK and the US deposed Mosaddegh, allowing the government to centralize power under the Shah, and brought back foreign oil firms under the Consortium Agreement of 1954.^[5] 

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_Reza_Pahlavi)

Iranians and Persian-Americans - are horrified at the - battles to keep down Women who step outside of the strict limits put on their physical appearances in public.

Iran is Not an Arabic State, however its failure to go along with U.S. "leadership" makes it an outlier and it supports Hezbollah and perhaps Hamas.   Syria and Lebanon are tied in with Iran to varying degrees.

Syria and Hezbollah are clearly also feared by Israelis and Jews in general.   Commonly it is posited that:  "The Arab World" should be the home for the Palestinians.   Both Jordan and Egypt - allies commonly of the U.S. - have no desires for an influx of Palestinians.

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As a child in the late 1950's and the early 1960's, I learned of those "murderous Fedayeen" who invaded across the border from Jordan attacking Israeli's.   While in a sense this was true, this was a case of people forced away from their (former) villages and cities, trying to "come home".    

The persistent narrative of  "invading Arabs"  and warlike Palestinians persists into current times.    Often people say that they would welcome negotiations for Peace, but there is "no one who recognizes Israel to negotiate with".

Neither The Palestinian Authority, nor Hamas, can realistically negotiate for a lasting peace!   Hamas was most recently elected to lead the Palestinian People, however this was in 2006 -  17 years ago.   I heard Rashid Khalidi, the noted Palestinian-American scholar at Columbia University speak of the impossibility of Hamas or The Palestinian Authority seeking a just peace.  

Khalidi said that neither leadership of Palestinians want a peace treaty, because both know that in free and fair elections, neither would win and thus continue in power.   Israel also has had a tendency to use its security agencies such as the Mossad to assassinate prospective leaders.     A few Palestinians have also been murdered by other Palestinians because of their (perceived) collusion with the Israelis.   

Israel sought to force out as many Palestinians as possible in what is aptly entitled The Naqba - or "Catastrophe".   Writings of Ben Gurion and other Israeli notable leaders clearly show that the Primary Goal was "majority rule" of the ne Israeli State through actions such as these.   Prior to 1948, the Jews were not close to majority of the population in Palestine.

Many scholars have detailed the "police state"  and/or "apartheid state" that has existed since 1948 and continues today for Palestinians within Israel and in pre-October 7th Gaza and in the West Bank.

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The fears that exist of a mass killing of many, if not all, Israeli Jewish People is real, if misguided.   Not having worked through our trauma - and being stuck in our fears is important (as has been noted earlier on). 

The fears of Palestinians are sustained by the lack of regular, meaningful communication between Jewish Israeli Jews and Palestinians.   It is quite comparable to how white Americans living in the South knew Black Americans during the pre-modern Civil Rights era.   Clearly there are direct parallels between the fears of some white people today and Black People in the U.S.

"Terrorism" - in small part will persist - as long as Palestinians have no viable options for a lasting, just peace!  The fears and hatred of the Israeli Jewish People will continue among many of those who are not explicitly (already) working for a just peace.   

The United States has never been a valid, committed mediator towards a just peace, just as the British between 1918 - 1948 - were strongly favoring the Jews over the Palestinians.  Today - our support of what is going on - is Directly Supporting the Massacre of MANY thousands of Civilians-  most notably the Children!

This is not a "War"!   A war is not as one-sided as what is going on!

20 years or so from now - Oil - related to Saudi Arabia and some other Middle Eastern countries will be all, or nearly all, gone.   Israel then will have little or no strategic value for the U.S.   The time for Israel and the U.S. - to build a just peace is in the coming days, months and the next few years.   It is still possible!  It will require compromise!

It is AMAZING - that Palestinian-Americans and Palestinians in large part are not out for Revenge - wanting the killing of Israeli Jews!   It is similarly amazing that Black Americans aren't seeking the Destruction of large parts of "white America".   

The "Revenge Motive" - comes from OUR FEARS - OUR UNREALISTIC FEARS!  

We have a lot of work to do!   In the meantime, let's not ignore our complicity in the continuing Genocide!   If miraculously, a Ceasefire is successfully achieved, this will be at best - an Important First Step!

Caring - is shown clearly by many!   They are a lot of Palestinians, a lot of Jews, and a lot of others who care - while not necessarily being directly tied to the Palestinian, Israeli and Jewish non-Israelis!

Peace - Lasting Peace - Just Lasting Peace - is possible!  It will be Challenging to get there and hopefully we will start seriously moving on this path soon.