Letters back and forth on "There is no 'Jewish' state"
by Rabbi Arthur Waskow
Dear companions — it means those who share bread and moral sustenance together —
I invited responses to my essay called “There is no Jewish state.” I got about a dozen responses, all but two thankful. I decided to share those two with you, without the names of the authors. They are below, first the responses, then my answers.
Shalom,
Arthur
From: R.W.
Subject: Re: There is no “Jewish” state
To: Rabbi Arthur Waskow <office@theshalomcenter.org>
I have always respected your writings. I do feel that you’ve bend over backwards to apologize and drawing moral equivalence of Israel and Hamas. It’s not fair Israel does not torture, mutilate and stick sharp objects up women’s vaginas you go too far.
Dear R.W.,
Thanks for your note. We totally agree on one important aspect of the bloodshed we are facing: The attacks of Oct. 7 were atrocious and despicable. Our only disagreement — and of course it is a major one, and I respect our disagreement — is about the facts and the feelings you and I have about the bombings and artillery strikes by the IDF from Oct. 8 till today and beyond.
I was taught to be both an historian and a rabbi. As each and as both. I try to turn the newspaper reports about Israel & Gaza into pictures in my own mind. There are about 31,000 dead in Gaza, of whom at least half were women and children. Many of those people were killed in their own houses, when their homes were bombed by Israeli warplanes under the orders of Netanyahu.
Many of them lay in the rubble of their own homes, screaming in great pain for help but there was no help because their neighbors were also dead or screaming in pain under the rubble. I would not be surprised if the bodies of some of those women were pierced by steel bars from the wreckage of their own homes, and I am sure that as some of them died from their own loss of blood the only sounds they could hear were the cries and moans of their own dying children.
In my mind and soul, what was done to thousands of them under orders from the Netanyahu government was as much an atrocity as what was done to Israelis by the Military wing of Hamas. The absence in the Netanyahu government of the traditional Jewish compassion was what stirred me to say “There is no Jewish state” — meaning “State” as in the military, etc., etc. I am still, over and over, haunted by these images as well as by the images of Oct. 7.
I welcome you to join with me and Senator Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish official in US history, to call for a deep change in the Israeli govt and in a real peace.
Shalom,
Arthur
From: Rabbi ----- -----
Subject: Re: There is no “Jewish” state
To: Rabbi Arthur Waskow <office@theshalomcenter.org>
Dear Arthur,
I really care about you, Arthur but some of what you say here (and in other places) is both extremely naive and dangerously distorted view of the State of Israel. Very sad to read this. You have great influence and writings like these are unhinged from the reality of your average Israeli, and more importantly, unhinged from the reality of Jews today. And most importantly, it is not 'true'.
This email is a public defamatory statement against the Jewish State and by extension, those who serve it. I know your heart is pure but your intentions matter little when the product of your idealism is real harm to real Jews.
In deep sadness and alarm,
Rabbi ----- -----
Dear Rabbi ----- -----,
It would be a great help to me and more important to help me bring wisdom instead of folly into the world if you would specify those parts of my letter where you believe my comments were simply wrong, incorrect. I am glad to rethink, and in order to do that I would need specifics.Many thanks and shalom,
Arthur
I wrote the letter above more that a week ago. I have received no response. During that week, Sen. Schumer — the most powerful Jewish official in US History — has urged Israelis to dispense with Mr. Netanyahu as Prime Minister. I would guess that none of the present coalition will do what the country desperately needs — a change of what I call the “State" (military, “intelligence,” budget-makers) who are now made up of Jews but devoid of Jewish ethics, compassion, etc. My own view is that real Judaism requires real concern for real Palestinians as well as real Jews.
With blessings of shalom,
— AW