In Israel, “Moral Rebuilding Must Begin Now”

In the wake of developments in Gaza, Peter Beinart, a professor of journalism and political science at the City University of New York and an editor for Jewish Currents, wrote an article in the New York Times (Oct.15, 2023), “The Work of Moral Rebuilding Must Begin Now.”

He writes: “Hamas…has committed an unspeakable horror that may damage the Palestinian cause for decades to come. Yet when Palestinians resist their oppression in ethical ways—-by calling for boycotts, sanctions, and the application of international law—the U.S. and its allies work to ensure that those efforts fail, which convinces many Palestinians that ethical resistance doesn’t work, which empowers Hamas.”

In Beinart’s view, “The savagery Hamas committed…has made reversing this monstrous cycle much harder…It will require a shared commitment to ending Palestinian oppression in ways that respect the infinite value of every human life…It will require new forms of political community…built around a democratic vision powerful enough to transcend tribal divides…The effort may fail. It has failed before. The alternative is to descend, flags waving, into hell.”

Over the years, notes Beinart, “Israel, with America’s help…has repeatedly undermined Palestinians who sought to end Israel’s occupation through negotiations or nonviolent pressure…As part of the 1993 Oslo Accords, the PLO renounced violence and began working with Israel…because they thought it would deliver them a state…The 1996 election of Mr. Netanyahu and the failure of Israel and its American patron to stop settlement growth, however, curdled Palestinian sentiment…Like many others who care about the lives of both Palestinians and Jews, I have felt in recent days the greatest despair I have ever known…A Palestinian friend sent me a note of consolation. She ended it with the words ‘only together.’ Maybe that can be our motto.” *