The “Never Again” nation is no more…
Israel can no longer claim invincibility…
A few days after the atrocious attack in Israel, I received a message from a friend likening the attack to the pograms that were once commonplace in czarist Russia. Pograms were unpredictable attacks by Russian soldiers who swooped down on Jewish villages, raping and killing indiscriminately.
Of course the comparison is not literal. It’s the feeling of a pogram — the sense of a savage, unexpected, murderous attack that’s programmed into the genes of Jewish people all over the world. Just as black people recall the barbarous evils of slavery or Native Americans recall the treachery and massacres — it’s a piece of generational trauma that lies deep in our bones.
The recent Hamas attack in Israel, however, was very different from a pogram. The slaughter was carefully planned and executed. The destruction that’s ensued — the bombing of Gaza, and misery of its inhabitants was anticipated and is part of its plan.
Years ago when Israel departed from Gaza, the Israelis left behind functioning factories and flourishing greenhouses. The idea was that these could be successfully maintained by the local population. But that’s not what happened.
Recently I read the about the number of schools, clinics, infra-structure, etc. that could be constructed with the money that goes into building a single Hamas underground tunnel. Yet Hamas never wanted Gaza to be anything but the impoverished, dysfunctional, chaotic entity that it’s become. Just listen now to the cries of Gaza residents for help — they call on the UN, they call on the US, but they never call on Hamas to relieve them of their misery. They know Hamas is too busy firing rockets on Israel to heed their calls.
Israel was created as a fortress. Its Jewish civilians were never again to experience the horror of a brutal assault. But a week ago, they did. They hid in closets; they hid in bushes; they hid under corpses; most had no weapons or any means of defense. Many died — grandmothers, teens, children and infants.
It’s possible to claim that the attack was justified, that Israel has behaved for decades with arrogance, hubris and callousness in regard to Palestinian demands for justice and equality. Indeed, there were innumerable opportunities for Israel to respond with generosity and understanding rather than with prejudice and indifference. The demolition of housing, the number of imprisoned Palestinians, the unchecked construction of settlements, the unfair distribution of water and other resources has created a wall of enmity.
But even if Israelis had behaved far better than they ever have, I believe, the goal of Hamas would be the same — to destroy the country. Today Hamas fighters are air-pumping their fists in victory as they enjoy the safety of underground tunnels, well-equipped with water and food, while the ordinary Gazan population scramble for their lives. The desperation of Gazan children, old people, the sick and wounded is the coinage Hamas uses to gain favor in world opinion. Their goal was never to create a viable functioning safe territory.
So is there be any hope for the future? Even the tiniest hope?
Well, where I live in the American Southwest, we’re familiar with the Pueblo Revolt — in 1680, the beleaguered Native tribes revolted against the Spanish colonists and priests, killing several hundred, and taking over their stockade (now called the Palace of the Governors). The revolt thrived for ten years and then the Spaniards returned to power. It was ultimately successful, however, in tempering Spanish control of the Pueblos. They ceased meddling in Pueblo affairs and allowed the Natives, for the most part, to maintain their languages, culture, ritual and dances.
I believe this recent catastrophe in Israel has destroyed its belief that the military can create an impenetrable fortress. I don’t think any level of military response, at this point, will bring that illusion back. So, possibly, psychically, the result of this horror could be a somewhat altered attitude towards the Palestinians — not necessarily any greater love or understanding — but, simply, the acceptance that, in the long term, militarism can never be a true solution. Another different solution is essential. How that could happen is far beyond my vision. And it won’t come about vis a vis Hamas who will always remain dedicated to the total destruction of Israel.
But for those poor young people whose belief in the safety of their country is now shattered, perhaps, they will be able to discover and pursue another path that lies beyond the parameters of tanks and guns and missiles and bombs and border walls.
At present we can only pray for that to happen. ###
