I am certain that, despite your best effort to think this through and present some food for thought, many will condemn you for defending Israel's hawkish actions that have led to much death and suffering. But to point out the historical context and mindset of Jews throughout history is not equivalent to supporting the death of innocents. And unless one is arguing according to the logical fallacy of inequivalence, speaking of the plight of Jews throughout history is not the same as ignoring the other (Palestinian) side of the story.
I was struck with your opening lines, specific to the point that you were writing to challenge your own words, your own writing (paraphrasing here). I have found that writing can be an exercise for self-evaluation and enquiry. If performed correctly it tends to allow the writer to parse out ideas and experiences, and in writing for others there is a benefit to one's own understanding and clarity.
What you are writing about is a difficult subject, because it involves strong emotions, especially when attached to strong beliefs, and therefore do not respond well to facts and historical precedent. This is why the topic of Israel-Palestinian conflict has yet to be solved. How can we ignore the sentiments of anyone who advocates wholesale genocide if they were to get their way (from the river to the sea)? And how can we ignore the feelings of people who understand what it is like to be on the receiving end of a genocidal attempt over and over again? Jewish history has proved that genocide is always lurking just around the corner.
Moving on... Addressing what you wrote concerning the civil rights movement: “Black people are no longer forced by armed representatives of the state to sit at the back of the bus.” Perhaps not exactly, but Black people, as evidenced by the experiences of personal friends who happen to be Black people, continue to suffer the pains of force by armed representatives of the state — illegal arrests, bullying, illegal searches and seizures, unfair treatment, racial profiling, and so on. I would suspect that Jews would be treated in a similar fashion in many circumstances if not for the lighter skin color of most (certainly not all) Jews.
Instead of going through every point of your article, it seems like this is the most poignant that is so difficult, if not impossible, for most people to grasp: “…Zionists wanted a Jewish state; it was to stop being pushed around by the Christian bigots of Europe and the Islamic bigots of the middle east. And, after the Holocaust, a Jewish state was widely recognized as a necessity for the survival of Judaism.”
The Arab world began an ongoing campaign of propaganda to demonize the word Zionist. They've so far been effective, as they have equated it with something that it is not. Zionism is about giving the wandering Jewish people security and a place in this world to call home. That's all there is to it, but it has been misused to represent expansionism, apartheid, racism, and genocidal intent. Worse, there is the outrageous claim that Zionism represents a plan for Jews to take over the world, or even control it. It's an old saw that continues to arouse enmity and fear.
Black people in America often say, and rightly so, that it’s not possible for anyone else to fully understand their plight. By the same token this is true of Jews across the world. There’s a tremendous amount of trauma and fear, and this is the kind of fear that lingers from real trauma, from the actualization of promises of genocide, ostracism, and devolution of status to second or third-class citizen. The threat is real and has been so for thousands of years, so when an opposing force promises your demise (from the river to the sea) you take it seriously and then stand in disbelief as supposedly intelligent student protestors are singing their song.
I like the suggestion at the end of your article, and it’s difficult to argue with: “Start by removing those with religious beliefs of any sort from any position of power.”
Religious ideas and zealots are immune to diplomacy, facts, and logic.
