IHRA, Israel Criticism & Antisemitism

This post is for those who wish to understand why criticism of Israel is not antisemitism, but delegitimization of Israel as a concept is.  Sadly, the extremist who are pro-Israel and Anti-Israel have dominated the furor over the need to have a legal definition of Antisemitism.  This is a quick summary of the issues, and why the IHRA definition of antisemitism really does matter.

Five reasons why some definition of Antisemitism is necessary:

1. Antisemitism is the basis of legal crimes of bias and hate.  Therefore it requires at the very least a working definition for local, state and national entities to refer to when assessing the motivations of bias crimes.
2. Antisemitism is a moral failing, deeply ingrained in many cultures, which requires a clear definition for those who are willing to undergo self-reflection of such matters in their own hearts and minds.
3. Antisemitism has motivated real crimes of humanity, up to and including the attempted genocide of the Jewish People, which remains a goal for extremists today.  Identifying it all along the spectrum  is a necessary part of educating the current and future generations.
4. Antisemitism is a hatred of both the Jewish Religion and the Jewish People, denying both any legitimate right to existence or validity.  This is not how other biases work, and requires explanation.
5. Free speech includes freedom of hate speech.  Yet hate speech must be defined and understood.

Why "Israel" must be accounted for in the definition, as in the IHRA definition:

1. Zionism is the religious and national aspiration of the Jewish People to live in their ancestral homeland.  Zionism - the hope for return and divine redemption - is a core component of the Jewish religion ever since the destruction of the Temple of Solomon in 586 BCE.  Denying the legitimate religious nature of this aspiration pits people who are anti-Israel in direct conflict with an essential component of the Jewish Religion.  The point of contact requires definition and clarity.
2. Many equate The State of Israel with the "Jewish State."  As such, many conflate and confuse the words "Israelis" and "Jews" especially when embroiled in amplified arguments and actions.  Attacking "Jews" when one means "Israelis" is a religious hate crime.  Attacking "Israelis" when one means "Jews" is also a religious hate crime.  The large number of such incidents cry out for consensus on this topic, which can only be achieved by a common definition.

Why "Criticism of Israel" must be explicitly permitted by any legitimate definition of Antisemitism.

1. Sadly, there are many who claim that any criticism of Israel is Antisemitism.  This is absolutely false, and tremendously unhelpful.  A definition that includes Israel can help to clarify that.
2. All opponents of the IHRA definition of Antisemitism have claimed that it curtails free speech.  This is also false.  Defining something to be racist, misogynistic, homophobic, islamophobic or antisemitic does NOT curtail someone's legitimate free speech use of those terms.  
3. Opponents of Israel are not all antisemitic, but many of them are.  No one likes to be called a bigot, so the opponents of the IHRA want to stop the definition as a whole.  This is unacceptable, because the Antisemitic content within the sprectrum of AntiIsrael voices are protected when there is no definition to call them out.  A clear definition will help everyone to see who is engaged in legitimate criticism of Israel, and who is engaged in Antisemitism.
4. "Criticism of Israel" is a constant political voice both inside and outside of the State of Israel.  That is what a democracy does. All supporters of Israel welcome all political discourse, and are also prepared to debate contrary points of view.  The IHRA definition explicitly makes this point clear.  The opponents of this definition are simply lying or deliberately obtuse to this fact.

So when do Antisemitism and AntiIsrael speech become the same thing?

First lets look at an example.  If one were to deny the Roman Catholic Church the legitimate aspiration to have Vatican City as a nation state for Catholics, one would be exhibiting anti-Catholic hate and bias.  If one were to violently act on that by attacking the Vatican City, killing its inhabitants and claiming that Italy is being freed as a result, one would be exhibiting anti-Catholic bias.  If one were to spray paint anti-Vatican slogans on Churches, Statues or private homes and businesses in America, that would also be exhibiting anti-Catholic bias.  You get the point.

Since Zionism is an essential component of the Jewish religion, Anti-Zionism is both a political point of view and a denigration of a Jewish religious teaching.  Anti-Zionism, the delegitimization of the very belief in a Jewish homeland is a form of AntiSemitism.  

In Summary

Denying the legitimacy of the Jewish aspiration for nationhood in Israel is a clear form of Antisemitism.  Denying the form of government which that takes is NOT Antisemitism.  Criticizing the policies and actions of the State of Israel is NOT ordinarily Antisemitism, unless it is wrapped up in the general denial of the very concept of Israel as a homeland for the Jewish people.  That would deny an essential teaching of the Jewish Religion, and the legitimacy of the Jewish People to live as a people, and would be clear Antisemitism to any objective observer.

A Personal Statement.

I am personally and politically horrified by the current Government Coalition's extreme methods in prosecuting the war in Gaza.  Hamas, Hezbollah, and their sponsors and supporters are Antisemitic terrorists, murderers and evil.  A war to kill them is just, but this war has not always been just.  And at this point, I have been calling for its end for many months (June 2025).  I am also horrified by the current Israeli governments domestic agenda, its anti-Palestinean Peace Process agenda, its continued settlement and annexation agenda, its anti-Jewish Pluralism agenda and more.  See?  My criticism of the policies of the actions of the State of Israel is deep and ongoing.  Yet I am a zionism, a liberal who believes in democracy, and a supporter of a two state solution with a State of Palestine living in peace with a State of Israel.

The war must end. The hostages and soldiers must come home.

The war must end.  The hostages and soldiers must come home.

The time has long passed when any military strategy in Gaza would be likely to achieve the war's original just purposes:  the elimination of Hamas and the freeing of the hostages.  

The best tool to get the hostages, proven by the Trump administration's recent involvement in the release of Edan Alexander, is diplomacy.  As I wrote on October 9, 2023, ultimately it will be the purview of the diplomats to end the war.  That time is now.  No significant military target remains in Gaza.  It is time to end the war, return the hostages, and get out of the Gaza Strip.

There are signs that the willing may be able to build a relatively peaceful future for the region.  Lebanon is cracking down on Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad.  Syria has fallen, and is seeking stability.  The Palestinian Authority this week called for Hamas to completely disarm, and to turn over the Gaza Strip to a coalition of Arab States and the PA.  And Trump has begun travel to the region, with hundreds of billions of dollars of defense contracts to dangle, reinvigorating interest in expanding the Abraham Accords.

The truth is that all the regional signs point to this being the right moment to cease hostilities, return all the hostages, leave the Gaza Strip and build a new future.

It is grotesque that Prime Minister Netanyahu has instead announced this week that his new goal is not only to continue the war, but to surge thousands of new troops into the Gaza Strip with the purpose of permanently occupying the territory.  This is wrong on every level.  As an ultimate goal, permanent occupation means permanent war.  As a democratic nation, permanent occupation means permanent denial of human rights.  Mr. Netanyahu's coalition is hell-bent on entrenching the Israel military in the worst possible position, and forever.  It is inexcusable, and bad for everyone.

No.  This war must end.  Multiple sources amidst all of the negotiating partners for the last month have agreed that the negotiation points have come down to simply this:  ALL the hostages will be returned, IF Israel commits to leave Gaza.  

There is no moral or ethical choice other than to accept those terms, get them all home, and assemble the multinational team to rule and rebuild Gaza.  That is how the original goals will be achieved:  Bring them home, and remove Hamas from control of the region.

Can anyone really believe that permanent occupation is better?  If they do, they are simply wrong.

The Palestinian Authority: Gaza's Best Hope

All the hostages must be released and returned or no progress is possible... but even if that happens today, and please may it, how do we get to that "day after" and what will it look like?  

Yes, the War must end.  Not just the fighting.  Not just the violence.  

The war itself must end.  

The only existing organization that has committed itself to both the existence of Israel and the Independence of the Palestinian people is the Palestinian Authority.  It is time for them to rule in Gaza, with the full faith and support of the International Community, Israel and the Palestinian People.

Some wars end with the seeds of the next war already in place.  The treaty of Versailles is an example, leading ultimately to a rise in German nationalism and aggression against the Allied powers, and the Second World War.  

Some wars end to create peace, by laying the groundwork to move beyond past grievances. There are two options.  They can be balanced compromises, like the Treaty of Portsmouth, which formally ended the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905. Or they can be the result of unconditional surrender, like the Allied victories over Germany and Japan in WWII.  

Past attempts at armistice - long term cease fires - have not worked.  The 1948 "Green Line" around the West Bank and what many refer to as "Israel Proper" is an example of an armistice line.  Israel's goal in the War of Independence, named the Nakba by the Palestinian cause, was to assert control over a defensible territory, that could be further developed and united into a coherent nation state.  The Palestinian cause was to prevent that exact goal entirely, with the hope of a Palestinian nation state instead.  With the end of fighting, and the drawing of the Green Line, the seeds of war were not removed. Military threats and conflicts continued in 1956, 1967, and 1972. After losing state sponsors for overt warfare in the 70's, the Palestinian cause transformed their tactics into assymetrical warfare through acts of terror and civil unrest (two different categories), including intifada in the 80's and 90's.  After 1967, Israel re-drew the potential border to reflect its latest victories.  

In 1993, the Oslo Accords laid the foundation for actual peace.  The PLO became the Palestinian Authority, which in turn acknowledged Israel's ongoing right to exist, disavowed armed struggle ("resistance" in the current Hamas lexicon), and committed to peaceful negotiations to resolve issues such as the right of return and the status of Jerusalem.  Israel acknowledged the Palestinian Authority as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian People, committed to a series of withdrawals and negotiations aimed at creating a Palestinian State and permanently ending occupation.  The 1967 line was agreed upon to be the basis of future negotiations.  There is an excellent reason why Rabin, Peres and Arafat shared the Nobel Peace Prize.

Which will it be for Gaza? Will it be an armistice/cease fire line as a prelude to ongoing violence, terrorism, and war? Or will the groundwork that rejects the underlying seeds of the conflict be established?

Make no mistake:  There are many empowered voices in the current conflict in Israel and Hamas that are opposed to actual peace.  

It is clear that there are strong voices in the current Israeli governing coalition, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, who disavow any desire or willingness to permit a Palestinian State, or to make peace.  They are pursuing the unconditional surrender option.  By denying the essential motivation of the Palestinian people, they validate Hamas' claims and they ensure only future war, occupation, and suppression of human rights.  

On the other hand, Hamas has never chosen peace with Israel, even in theory. Hamas declared war on Israel from the beginning of their existence, and on October 7, 2023 they acted on that declaration in a brutal and shockingly effective attack.  They continue to justify that attack, as do their supporters, with phrases like "by any means necessary."  They continue to be in a state of war with Israel.  They have also had a cycle of civil war and detente with the Palestinian Authority, condemning them for their past attempts at a permanent peace with Israel.  

Hamas will never be a voice for peace.  Even a complete withdrawal of the Israeli forces, a return of all the hostages and a cessation of violence by Hamas can not be considered peace without Hamas doing what the Palestinian Authority has done: disavow violence and recognize Israel's ongoing right to exist.  If Hamas will not do that (and they certainly won't), then the only model for a future peace would be their termination as an active organization.  They stand in the way.

The Palestinian Authority has Earned the Right to Rule.  The truth is that - unlike Hezbollah, Iran and the Houthis - The Palestinian Authority has sat out the current war between Israel and Hamas.  That is why this is not a war between Israel and "the Palestinians."  By sitting out this war, the Palestinian Authority has proven that their Oslo disavowal of violence, terrorism, and armed struggle are not only real, but reliable.  And they should be amply rewarded.  Only the Palestinian Authority has the legitimacy and personal stake in the game to be on the ground without being an outside occupier.  

American-based protest movements that focus on being "anti-Israel" without any concern for the real difference between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority are either naive or deliberately in sync with Hamas.  Hamas will never allow peace because its goal is not Palestinian Liberation, but the destruction of Israel en toto, and the establishment of an Islamicist State in its place.   If the problem is framed as Israel's existence, the only solution ("by any means necessary") would be the violent elimination of Israel - slaughter and expulsion of millions of Jews.  Those who march "against Israel" are not marching for peace, no matter how idealistic some participants may feel.

If there is to be any hope for peace, Hamas must not continue as a functioning organization.  The termination of Hamas' active organization can be done in one of three ways: 

1. Hamas could surrender unconditionally.   Highly Unlikely, and Israel is left to govern Gaza.
2. Hamas' could agree to disavow their own charter and raison d'etre:  Highly Unlikely, and Hamas is left to govern Gaza.
3. An international accord could empower the Palestinian Authority to lead the rebuilding of Gaza,  and to take over its governance, while disarming and disbanding Hamas as an institution in Gaza and the West Bank (Yehudah v'Shomron).  This may also be unlikely, but it is more likely, and preferable.

Without one of these three outcomes, there is no option for Israel other than permanent military control of the entire region.  Without the elimination of Hamas, military security is the only tool to protect Israeli citizens.  And that would lead to ongoing injustice and future violence.  The Israeli Military is not the solution.  Armies do not make peace.  Diplomats do.

Like it or not, Israeli or Palestinian, Jew Muslim or Christian, Democrat or Republican, we are left with only one reasonable conclusion with any hope for actual peace:

Yes, the War must end.  Not just the fighting.  Not just the violence.  The war itself must end.  And the only existing organization available that has committed itself to both the existence of Israel and the Independence of the Palestinian people is the Palestinian Authority.  It is time for them to rule in Gaza, with the full faith and support of the International Community, Israel and the Palestinian People.

"Mic drop"

Palestine Matters because Israel Matters, and Vice Versa.

Palestine Matters. Israel Matters.  

We live in a world of extremes, where people fear that any perceived support for "their side" fatally weakens necessary support for "our side."  

This conflict-oriented mentality has exacerbated American domestic politics and the ongoing conflict between the ideological ideas of Israel and Palestine.  It has cost thousands of lives.  I believe that this separation into warring camps is an essential problem in our society, in our country and between Israel and her neighbors.  I believe that Peace will only be possible when intolerance has become intolerable.

Intolerance is the unwillingness to accept or respect ideas, behaviors, or beliefs that differ from one’s own.   In a social context, it is the unwillingness to accept people, behaviors, or identities that differ from one’s own. When one refuses to live in proximity with people who are different, whether in a neighborhood or a country, that person is intolerant.  When one views this as a conflict between "us" and "foreigners", they are xenophobic.  The essence of democracy is that peoples who differ can live in peace and proximity.

Pro-Israel intolerance is manifested by a negation of the legitimate connection to the lands in and around the modern State of Israel by the Palestinian residents of those lands before 1948 and since.  Examples include statements like, "there is no such thing as the Palestinian people," or "there never was a Palestine," whose implication is to say that the resident Palestinian population in 1948 had no rights to self-determination or historical rights to sovereignty in the region.  The intolerant Pro-Israel person argues, that since they had no identity, or rights, then their rights can not have been taken or oppressed. In its most extreme form, this is used to justify all manners of forcible capture of land, relocation of populations, permanent occupation and denial of full human rights to Palestinians those areas under Israeli military control.

Pro-Palestinian intolerance is manifested by a negation of the legitimate connection of the Jewish people to the lands in and around the modern State of Israel, before 1948 (and since). It therefore negates their aspirations to expand their historic settlement in those areas by means of establishment of a modern state and then immigration to that state.  Examples include statements like, "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," or "Israelis are colonizers." The implication is to say that the resident Jewish population over time, and in 1948, had no rights to self-determination or sovereignty in the region, and that the State of Israel's later immigration laws are invalid.  By labelling them land-thieves and colonizers, the intolerant Pro-Palestinian voices justify (directly or indirectly) even the most extreme violence against Israeli civilians and towns as a necessary defense of their own homes against invaders.  In the most extreme form, that results in Hamas and its supporters on October 7, 2023 and since.

Both forms of intolerance lead to war.  By positioning the conflict as one of pure national sovereign rights on one side, and simultaneously negating those same rights by the other side, the only "just" solution for each side is inevitably use of force.  That is to say, in the face of opposition to one's own view of justice and legitimacy, forceful imposition of one's will against the opposition is the inevitable outcome.  Claims to pure and absolute sovereign rights are, by definition, intolerant and  ultimately violent.

"Two States" is not a "compromise," it is a necessity.  There is no solution to the Israeli and Palestinian conflict without embracing the ideas of Palestine and Israel.  While the intolerant views on both sides view this as a loss of their maximum freedoms, it is clear that their assessment of the real people involved is simply false and self-serving.  There are Israelis.  There are Palestinians.  These are not facts that can be eliminated with a debating point.  There will always be Israelis and Palestinians in this region.  

There only are Four Terrible Alternatives.  A "one state" solution, by either side, would result only in genocide, forced expulsions, permanent occupation, or permanent denial of equal rights.  Each is a crime against humanity.  The two-state solution, with an Israel and a Palestine beside each other offering mutual recognition, and guaranteeing sovereignty, self-determination and human rights, is the only solution. This is not a compromise except for those who want to "have it all."  There is no "all" to have.

There must be a Palestine.  There must be an Israel.  Both are legitimate as an historic legacy of the land and its peoples.  Both are legitimate as a demographic reality well before 1948.  Both are legitimate as a political necessity today.  Every life lost in this conflict is a sacrifice on the altar of something.  Pray that it be something other than inevitable violence and more war.  

There are many to blame.  Who do you blame, in order to justify your own intolerance?  Whose intolerance must never be repeated? The  Arab riots in the 1920's? The gross manipulation and political promises by mandatory Britain? The lack of genuine regional partnerships during the early waves of Aliyah? The Arab leaders' refusal to empower domestic Palestinian leaders in the early decades of Israel's existence?  Arab agression? The early Israel military expansions in 1948 and 1967?  The forcible relocation of Palestinians? The focus on pan-Arab movements to destroy Israel? The denial of legitimate Jewish population existing in Israel over centuries? The Islamicists?  The revolutionaries?  The settlers? The left? The right?  The Arabs?  The Israelis?  The Jews? The Muslims?  Europe? America? If you are blaming, you are part of the problem.  There is plenty of blame to spread around.  Until there is peace, no one has gotten it right yet.  Nobody is perfect and pure.

Models for Peace.  There are three great peace agreements that hold in the region today.  First, the Camp David Accords (1978) returned the Sinai to Egypt, offered complete mutual recognition of Israel and Egypt and asserted that Palestinian sovereignty in the West Bank and Gaza must be achieved.  Second, the Israel-Jordan peace treaty (1994) offered complete mutual recognition, warm cooperation as nations, and supported the Oslo Peace process which explicitly worked towards a two-state solution and resolution of the Palestinian refugee problem.  Third, the Abraham Accords (2020) between Israel and UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, which set no preconditions tied to Palestine or the Palestinians, instead breaking the historic pan-Arab policy of prioritizing Palestinian sovereignty over all other concerns.  By rejecting the intolerant form of Pro-Palestinian arguments against Israel's legitimacy, each of these agreements explicitly demonstrated that peace can be achieved through bi-lateral recognition.  If one wishes for peace between Israelis and Palestinians, it can not be based in any narrative of injustice.  It must work from an assumption of mutual recognition.  Every successful peace agreement has this in common.

Palestine Must Stand on Its Own.  The age of mutual delegitimization must come to an end.  Peace must come between Israel and any nation that wishes peace.  Saudi Arabia.  Syria.  Lebanon.  Oman.  Palestine must exist in order for Israel to make peace with Palestinians.  Palestinians can not rely on foreign advocacy or foreign legitimacy.  It must be an expression of the Palestinian people, while asserting that Israel will continue to exist.  That was the move of Oslo, which placed the Palestinian Authority in charge of much of the West Bank (Yehudah/Shomron).  And that  is what has kept the West Bank out of the current conflict.  Hezbollah in the north, Houtis in the Gulf of Aqaba, Iran and Hamas all joined in the military attacks on Israel since October 7th.  The PA has sat it out, waiting for the war to end, in hope of being the diplomatic solution "after Gaza" on the path to their much hoped for Palestinian State.  That has to count for something.  It is the only current hope for an eventual partner for a genuine peace like the others. There are those who believe that is not possible.  I have never heard them suggest a better solution.  No one who delegitimizes Israel can be (or would want to be) a part of that peace, just as no one who delegitimizes Palestine can be (or would want to be) on the Israeli side of that peace.  

The only argue against this is an argument against peace.  There are many who are willing to fall back on narratives that result only in the use of force. Many of those voices are powerful leaders in Israel.  Others are powerful leaders in the Palestinian protest movements.  They offer nothing but conflict or bloodshed for the foreseeable future.

The final outcome, the hope for the next generation, must be peace.   Sovereign rights, authentic legacy, legitimate aspirations to rule one's own affairs in a nation of our own.  On these topics Palestinians and Israelis must either admit each other's dreams or condemn the next generation to endless war.

Palestine matters because Israel matters.  Israel matters because Palestine matters. 

Interfaith Mission Day Three - Shared Origins

 Interfaith Mission Day Three - Shared Jewish -Christian Origins in the North:

Today we explored our common origins in the land of Israel.  A very early start found us soon after sunrise at the Jordan river, site of both the baptism of Jesus and the crossing of Joshua into the land.

Unitarian Minister Robin Tanner, and I each took a moment to contemplate the country of Jordan, living in Peace with Israel, just 30 feet across the river...

As a group, we reflected on the waters of purity in traditional and ancient Judaism, and how the discovery of mikva'ot rather than mere cisterns often pin pointed ancient Jewish habitation in the Land of Israel.  We discussed the role of living waters in celebration of a woman's fertility, in response to death, and in the ancient system of sacrificial purity.  In the context of affirming life, and reestablishing our place in community, we explored each of our minister and priest's own relationship with baptism and the river.  Ceremonies and beliefs were shared regarding dedication to God, receipt of the spirit, admission to the sacred community and more.  Participants had an opportunity to enter the river, and - a wonderful moment - to great Jordanian caretakers of the same site a mere 30 feet away from us across the river.  It was a place of peace and tranquility in a torn moment of time.

Bill and Suzanne Ludlum of the Morristown Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints.

                                        Rabbi Abby Treu, and Hindu leader Fal Pandya, share a moment.

From the Jordan we headed North, just past Tiberius, to the Mt. of the Beatitudes.  

                  

                            Father Phil Latronico in a moment of silent prayer.

 

On the Mount of the Beatitudes my friend and colleague Father Peter Wehrle of the Roman Catholic church Our Lady of the Lake in Verona lead us in a study of the sermon on the mount, with its call for human value, modesty, faithfulness and more.  

He also taught us about its passage regarding divorce, which I was able to place in the context of a debate between Hillel and Shammai in the Mishnah.  It was a live topic in the time of the late second temple, and the mixed Jewish and non-Jewish crowd surely would have been interested in - and challenged by - the young teacher's take on the debate.

We moved on to Capernaum, where a magnificent Bynzantine era synagogue stood atop a second temple era synagogue's foundation.  This is a site I have visited with my own congregation, and we sat under the trees and explored the New Testament stories of Jesus entereing the synagogue here and teaching from Isaiah .  What did it mean that the people (Jews) were "astounded"? Why did some, evidently, grow angry?  Why would some follow him and others turn away?

                     Dr Atkins leading us in study

We explored the context of reading from the prophets in synagogue, understood the possible "normalcy" of Jesus's behavior as a Jewish man, and the potential reasons why what he did may of be out of the ordinary.  We asked if he was a positive provocateur, an innocent, or anything else.  We asked each other what it means to be a positive provocateur, and especially if we are in another's house of worship or not.  

Stunningly, this synagogue also stands face to face with an ancient Church, tied directly to the life of Jesus and his apostle Peter's family.  For centuries - even difficult centuries - these two houses lived in peace and proximity to each other.  It was only the invasion of the Persian empire - an outside force - that destroyed them both.

                                    

Rabbi Daniel Cohen is the Senior Rabbi of Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel (TSTI) in South Orange, New Jersey.

For lunch we met with leaders of the Druze community and learned of their place in Israeli society, including their army service and loyalty to the state. 

 

Mofed Marei, an Israeli Druze leader, and former member of the Kenesset 

We explored education, and their feelings about the "Jewish nation state law" that was raised by the coalition government.  They question what it says about their place and their loyalty, and suggested respectful revisions to those political positions.  

Finally we moved on to Tel Aviv, where we went to Hostage Square, and then met with Eli David, the older brother of Evyatar David who remains a hostage in Gaza to this day.  

     

 Rabbi Robert Tobin, Chair of Interfaith Relations

Eli David, brother of hostage Evyatar David, with Rabbi Tobin

Evyatar's posters have been on our synagogue's front lawn, so his face is known to most of us.  We learned about his love of music and people, and the family's experience of learning immediately that he was taken alive to Gaza.  He is not on the list for release during phase 1 of the current hostage "deal" and we all pray for his immediate and safe return, with all 82 of the remaining hostages.  The fact that Evyatar's brother, seemingly randomly, was the one to speak with us felt like so much more than a coincidence.

We celebrated the return, today, of Agam Berger, Arbel Yehud, Gadi Moses, Watchara Sriaoun, Pongsak Thaenna, Sathian Suwannakham, Surasak Rumnao and Bannawat Saethao.  482 days in unjust captivity.  and 82 more to come home.

At our closing dinner, we expressed our tremendous gratitude to the Jewish Federation of GMW, whose support and vision made this trip possible.  Our ability as clergy leaders to experience our past and our present together, unvarnished and real, is of immeasurable benefit to each of us, our ministries, our communities and the land of Israel.  

I come home with friends and allies, across a dozen denominations, who understand and empathize with our situation, and who will speak and act in favor of the right and the good in the current conflict.  They each shared at our dinner what they saw, learned or felt that they fell their own congregation must hear from them.  I look forward to seeing the fruits of their labors in the days ahead.

I write this last post from the departure hall of Ben Gurion airport, and I am once again awed at the miracle of our people's resurrection in history to landed sovereignty and independence.  It is a journey once again soaked in the blood of the innocent - and the guilty.  But the life of an Israeli child, learning the values of our people in the land of our people, is infinitely wonderful today despite the troubles.  We see a thriving and blossoming pluralistic and democratic society that has emerged with the support of not just the Jewish people but many many Christian and other allies and supporters.  We see a land struggling to shake off hatred and bias, from without and from within, but whose foundations are firm.  But most of all we see a land where our faith lives, and God reaches out for our future.

I return enlivened and gratified that our love and support of Israel has grown through this interfaith mission, and that our voices are being heard.

None of this would have been possible without to complete support, sponsorship and advocacy of the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest, who funded, designed and led this remarkable experience.

Please consider supporting the Jewish Federation here.  GMW Donations

As I told my colleagues when we left the city this morning....  Next year in Jerusalem.

 

Father Peter Wehrle and Bishop Raymond Wyatt, ready for their next adventure!

Gratefully Submitted by,

Rabbi Robert L Tobin

Rosh Chodesh Tevet, 5785

January, 2025

Interfaith Mission, Day Two: In the killing zones

Interfaith Mission, Day Two:  In the killing zones of the October 7th Hamas Terror Attack from Gaza.

"What Have You Done for Them Today?"

Today was a difficult day.  An early rise, followed by quick davening and an Israeli breakfast saw us headed down south to grapple with the reality of October 7th.  Today is day 481 for those held in captivity, and day 481 since the horror of Hamas' brutal attack. 

We arrived in Ofakim, over 16 miles from Gaza.  

A team of 13 terrorists in two vehicles had entered the city that day and immediately killed four people on the street.  They then laid out dozens of weapons, including pistols, rifles, rpgs, and a should launcher anti-aircraft missile on the ground.  They quickly armed themselves and entered a civilian residential neighborhood, splitting up to hunt people down.  With missile alarms sounding, people in older homes were forced outside to enter communal shelters on the street.  Many were killed right then.  Once the terrorists began shooting, police and civilians began resisting, and in Ofakim there were battles on a larger scale than elsewhere in the early stages of the day.  Terrorists entered homes, to kill as many as they could.  As we walked the neighborhood, we read the signs and saw the pictures of loved ones killed here... killed over there... killed around the corner.  The memorials are simple, and devastating.

After the attacks were defeated in Ofakim, it became clear that 53 of their residents had been murdered, including a van full of elderly women headed out for a vacation spa day at the Red Sea.  Unlike the small kibbutzim closer the Gaza, Ofakim chose not to evacuate in the days following, and all those who experienced it remain in their homes and their neighborhoods.  

We visited a resiliency center, where the trauma - so widespread - can be supported.  Counselors, discussion groups, activities, games... whatever people need.  The center was opened with the aid of the government, the Jewish Agency, and the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest.  It will be needed, with others like it, for years  to come.

From Ofakim, we travelled to Kibbutz Nir Oz. 

We met with Liat Atzili for more than an hour as she walked us through her bullet ridden, burned out village.  Liat's husband Aviv went out as part of the kibbutz's early response team, and was killed.  Today his body is held hostage in Gaza.  Two of her three children were home, and survived the attack. Liat was taken hostage to Khan Younis for 53 days, and released in a prisoner deal in November 2023.  

Liat is a teacher of the holocaust at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem and history in her area high school.  She invited us into her home, and I was overcome by a sense of intrusion.  She chided me - "why? this is my house and I am inviting you in.  You are not intruding."  She talked of wanting us back when they had rebuilt, and she could offer us tea and cookies.

I wandered the burned buildings.  Children's school backpacks (pink and grey) hung on a hook outside a door, where they have remained for over a year. Laundry hanging to dry. Children's scooters, play kitchen and doll houses in the small yards. On every broken door, a picture of the missing and the murdered hung, with flags - yellow for the hostages and black for the dead.  We placed orange balloons at the home of the Bibis family.

One out of ever four residents of Nir Oz was either murdered or stolen hostage on October 7, 2023.  Their mailboxes indicate who they are:  Red is a captive, black a murder victim, and blue has been freed from captivity in a hostage deal.

  

The "safe room" doors have no locks, being designed against shrapnel, not invasions.

Meanwhile, missing, murdered, and relocated faces are plastered on their abandoned homes.

We continued to the Nova Festival site, 

...where a mass murder of 364 young people, and 15 police officers was perpetrated by the "Iz al Din al Qassam Brigades" Hamas terrorists.  The memorial has pictures of the killed in the dance stage area, and family memorials throughout the park, telling the story of these most peace loving people, and who they were.  At the "small bar" where almost 3 dozen victims hid, an explanation of their death is posted by their families.  They had tried to flee to the road, but were turned back by the police who said there was fighting down the road and they should go back.  By the time the terrorists had overcome the police on the road, they were sitting ducks.  Hundreds of killers just hunted them all down.  364 murders, one by one as they fled, hid, and tried to just survive.

I located a tree I planted here last year on another mission....

It is devastating to see literally hundreds of young, joyful Israelis in this picture - all murdered by Hamas.

We gathered as Rabbi Abby Treu of Congregation Oheb Shalom in South Orange, NJ, chanted the el malei rachamim prayer for their souls, and to remember them.  I was overcome not only by what humans can do to each other, but by what they want to do to each other.

While down south we also visited an amazing place of hope and light:  The Hagar Arab-Jewish Elementary school in Beer Sheva.  Supported by public funds and the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest, the Hagar school has a fully mixed Arab and Jewish faculty and student body, teaching and working in both languages while learning about each other's communities.  The experiment works beautifully, and the children graduate back into their own high schools with a better base line understanding of the shared society that is truly Israel.

 

 

Emotionally exhausted, we returned to Jerusalem and heard from Arab Israeli journalist Khaled Abu Toameh, who spoke of not just Arab Israelis but Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.  Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning Israeli Arab journalist, lecturer, and documentary filmmaker specializing in Palestinian affairs. A Senior Distinguished Fellow at the Gatestone Institute, he has also worked as a senior producer for NBC in the Middle East and has reported on events in the West Bank and Gaza for several media outlets.  

Publications by Khaled Abu Toameh

He reminded us that too often people forget that the Israeli democracy includes 20% Arab citizens who are full members of Israeli society.  They do not seek a separation from Israel.  Israel is their country.  Yet tensions are high, and the far right demonization of Arabs is making it worse.  But that can be addressed, he assured us.  And he was absolutely clear as an Arab in Israel:  Hamas must not be left in charge of Gaza, and always has wanted only the destruction of Israel and the imposition of an Islamist state in its place.  That is what "From the River to the Sea" has always meant, and that is what it means today.

After such a long, and emotional day, we returned to the hotel.  Tomorrow we go north and the Interfaith Clergy will explore our origins in the land, and the beginning of Jesus' ministry in Capernaum.  More on that tomorrow.

Laila Tov.

None of this would have been possible without to complete support, sponsorship and advocacy of the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest, who funded, designed and led this remarkable experience.

Please consider supporting the Jewish Federation here.  GMW Donations

Gratefully Submitted by,

Rabbi Robert L Tobin

Rosh Chodesh Tevet, 5785

January, 2025