Opinions of Peter Belmont
Speaking Truth to Power
| Israel, we know an artisan by his works. |
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by Peter A. Belmont / 2012-04-08
Abraham Foxman has indicated at ADL.org his strong objections that students from Friends Seminary, a New York City private school, visited what he called “the Israel/West Bank region” without spending sufficient time in Israel. But because of the intensely personal nature of the home visits in the West Bank, which will expose the group only to a Palestinian perspective, these visits should be balanced by similar experiences with Israelis within Israel.The burden of his outpouring is that the students will not have learned the important things they should know about Israel and Israelis. I respond here: Dear Prof. Foxman, We know an artisan by his works. Thanks indeed for telling us that something important has happened in Israel. Today is (Western) Easter and I am happy to agree with you that something important has happened: out of its ashes in Europe, Israel has indeed risen in Palestine. A people for too long powerless and scattered — and having no societal instincts or habits for restraint arising from responsibility rather than from fear — has come together to teach and re-teach itself endless distrust, endless hatred, and to “give itself permission” to seize what it considers its ancient home from the Palestinian people, to displace most of them, and to treat its neighbors and victims, endlessly, without the softening power of the ancient Jewish admonition not to do unto others as you would not have them do unto you. Jews in Europe were frightened and timid. Israelis in Palestine say they are frightened, but are surely not timid, and seem to have little in common with the Jews of old. You want all visitors to Israel/Palestine to spend time learning about Israeli lives. No need to worry. Everyone can see it by visiting the OPTs. We know an artisan by his works. As you should know, for in your many years of teaching Holocaust, how many times have you looked closely into the lives and histories of the perpetrators of it? For you, the perpetrators of the Holocaust were sufficiently known by those who knew only their works. Go yourself to the OPTs. Learn what Israel is. We know an artisan by his works. |
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