Introduction to a Pacifist Zionism & a Pacifist Jihad: Judaism and Islam as religions of peace

A DRAFT FOR PEACE

Peace is possible. Perhaps, one of the first steps toward understanding a conflict and those involved in it, is by identifying the people. Who are the Palestinians and the Israelis? The Palestinians are not the same as the Philistines of ancient times. The Israelis are neither the ancient Hebrews nor Israelites. They have not been in conflict for 3,000 years. However, both Israelis and Palestinians share, indirectly and in some cases directly, a cultural, linguistic, religious and ethnic heritage.

No all Palestinians are Muslims or Arabs. A large number, at times full neighborhoods and towns are Christians. Many others are descendants of Sephardic Jews who converted to Islam or Christianity during the Ottoman Empire or hundreds of years, if not thousands, before it. They are also of many ethnic origins. Many are Domari people (rroma nation/Gypsies), often ignored by the world and by both the Israelis and the Palestinian Authority. Samaritans (who are descendants of Joseph according to their stories and traditions) live in Nablus and villages near it. They and the Israeli Samaritans in Holon have been praying and working for ways to bring peace to these nations. There are also secular Palestinians, including agnostics. They are affiliated or identified with a large variety of political ideologies, including Socialists, Communists, Islamic “theocracy,” Democracy, etc. The great majority of Palestinians, forgive me for the redundancy, are peace loving and hard-working people, just as the Israelis.

No all Israelis are Jewish, just as not all Jews are Israelis. Israelis are also very diverse in ethnic, cultural, and religious and political affiliations. Social Democracy, Communism, and all types of other left and right-wing ideologies can be found among them. Among those who identify themselves as Jews there are Sephardim (Spanish), Mizrahim (Eastern Hebrews from Arabic and Persian speaking countries), Ashkenazi (mainly of Polish, Russian, and German countries), Ethiopians, and converts to Judaism from many nations around the world. While a great number of non-Israeli Jews, especially outside the State of Israel, feel or hold to some degree an emotional religious identification with the current State, not all Jews support the current approach of nationalistic Zionism, and much less to the way the current Prime Minister and his associates in the government have responded to the horrible crimes of Hamas. Many Israelis would have preferred another approach since the early days, after all soon or later they all had to seat and reach a peace agreement. I must say again that the great majority of Israelis, forgive me for the redundancy one more time, are peace loving and hard-working people, just as the Palestinians.

It is tragic how many innocent people have suffered the consequences of this conflict, especially during the last few years between Hamas and the Israeli military. Thousands of lives have been lost due to both the violence and terrorism of Hamas against Israelis and against the people of Gaza. Thousands of humans were killed by the response of soldiers to Hamas (sometimes it is forgotten that these are also humans). Killing so many people, human beings created in the image of the Almighty. Hamas has shown no respect and value of human life, especially that of Israelis and those who oppose them among the Palestinians. The current Israeli government has not shown respect and value of human life among the Palestinians. Some extremist, especially among the “Jews” settling in the West Bank, are calling for the genocide of all non-Jews in Gaza and eventually expelling all non-Jews from the Land of Israel, including Israeli citizens who are Christians, Druze, Baha’i, and people of any other faith. Jews of other traditions are not welcome by these extremists. They consider non-Orthodox, for example Reform, Conservative, and Reconstructionist to be non-Jews. Perhaps, it should be clarified that the “Messianic” Jews, including the Roman Catholic Israelis, are simply traditional Christians in the views of both Palestinians and Israelis, also by other Christians and Jews.

Peace is possible. After this horrible insane war, Israel, the Palestinian Authority, the European Union, and the Unites States of America must work together to rebuild Gaza. They should also give full autonomy and freedom to the West Bank or become one nation with justice for everyone. The State of Israel and the Palestinian Authority as one or independent as two states, must have a constitution that guaranty freedom and equal rights for every citizen regardless of religion, ethnicity, political affiliation or anything else. There have been people with two capitals; therefore, why can’t two nations share one capital, Jerusalem? Jerusalem can be the capital of both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel. Perhaps, they both should consider two different names, since Palestine neither Israel describes accurately the two nations of modern times. Regardless of the ethnic heritage we may share. The use and misuse of those names for political reasons have caused so much misunderstanding and conflicts.

Peace is possible. All it needs is people who believe, people caring, people with hope, and people who see each other as human beings. We need a Pacifist Zionism and a Pacifist Jihad. Two nations fighting for the same cause without violence: the cause of love, peace and justice in the ancient land of Canaan. Yes, I know it sounds like a cliché and an utopian ideal, but it is what we desperately need.

We also need the fundamentalist evangelical to stop confusing Palestinians with the ancient Philistines, and Israel with the ancient Israelites. Regardless that many among the Jewish people have a far distance connection with ethnic ancient Israel while others are Jews by conversion. There are also evangelical Christians among the Palestinians who have been ignored by the Evangelical Christians in times of need and injustice. We need Palestinians, Israelis, Jews, Muslims, Christians, and everyone to seek peace.

The region we call today Israel and Palestine has been colonized repeatedly by the Canaanites, Ancient Israel and Judah, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, and later by the Ottoman Empire, the British, and now two nations fighting to impose their colonizing power: the State of Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Isn’t time to stop this vicious cycle of colonialism, wars, violence, hatred, and intolerance? Those nations felt from power due to their arrogance and violence: don’t let history repeat itself.

Peace is possible: stop teaching hatred and violence to your children. Let us teach the way of peace. The State of Israel and the region of the Palestinian Authority can be the peaceful home of people from so many nations and creeds living on it; again, as two states with mutual respect and honor with one capital, Jerusalem, or as one nation.

Although faith and religion are very important, John Lennon’s song “Imagine” still has an invitation to reflect. Sadly, too often religious intolerance or extremist fundamentalism, which touch the borders of the irrational, has contributed to these and so many other conflicts.