Israel and Palestine

Many of us are deeply stirred by the conflict in the middle East. The question of what to think and what to do have been weighing heavily on my mind day and night.  I’ve tried multiple times to write a thought piece about the war, from a Buddhist perspective and from my personal perspective as a Jewish person, but each time I write something I receive new information and what I wrote the day before becomes obsolete. So please take what I am sharing today as just my opinion, an opinion that can change as I stay open to better understanding. I read and watch the news and have been in meetings online listening to different perspectives on the situation. The two meetings that stand out for me are the Zen Peacemakers gathering where we heard from Palestinian and an Israeli peacemakers and an online workshop led by a Palestinian woman and an Israeli woman.

There are many factions involved in this extremely complex situation. They can be broken down into 4 main elements; Hamas, the Palestinians, Netanyahu and his gang and the Israelis who want peace with their neighbors. Hamas has a mandate to destroy the Jewish state and Netanyahu has a mandate to rule by the sword. These two intractable parties are unwilling to budge, will not negotiate and are set on fighting to the death. Caught between these two hostile forces are Israelis who want peace and a safe place to live and raise their children and Palestinians who also want peace and a safe place to live and raise their children. Hearts are broken on all sides, both sides are suffering due to the aggressions of the people in positions of power.

People often think that Buddhists are non-violent and even vegetarian. Both are untrue. There are Buddhists of many ilks, it’s a fluid situation. But one thing all sects of Buddhism agree on is that the Buddha taught that we all contain 3 poisons and 3 antidotes within our psyche. The 3 poisons are greed, hatred and delusion and the 3 antidotes are generosity, love and wisdom. You and I contain all 6, even if we prefer to just identify with the antidotes. It’s important to stay aware of the whole mandala within ourselves, to not delude ourselves lest the poisons arise unconsciously. Zen is not a sentimental practice. It bears witness to the whole picture and does not attempt to create false utopias.

We all have fears and we all become vulnerable to our lesser angels when we’re in a state of fear. When fear clouds our reasoning we are more available to manipulation. That is why it is so important to be aware of our fear and keep our minds open, especially when fear is aroused. For some in the alt right Fox news group, fear is manipulated by activation of anger. Anger is an energizing emotion so creates a false sense of power. For others, progressives, compassion can be used to manipulate people into action.  Compassion, which literally means “with feeling”, enables us to feel another person’s suffering. If that is coupled with love it can lead to skillful action but when it is paired with fear it can lead to lashing out, quickly turning compassion into anger. This is happening with many progressives today. Sincere concern for the plight of the Palestinians starts as compassion but quickly morphs into anger. When this happens, instead of offering a vision of peace, we pour gasoline on a burning building. The original impulse was well meaning but it ends up doing more harm than good. You can tell when compassion has turned toxic when you feel a sense of righteousness about your point of view, when you are no longer curious about other perspectives or willing to listen and take in new information. The most telling sign of a toxic turn is when there is blame of one side or another without considering that there is dark and light in both sides.

Many people around the world feel sincere compassion for the Palestinians and want to do something to help. The problem is that compassion has turned into anger at the Israelis. Just like the Fox news gang feeds a certain narrative, we are being fed a steady stream of horror stories and pictures that further stir our anger. Some have taken to the streets shouting “from the river to the sea” not aware that this is a Hamas call to exterminate the Israelis. These activists feel a sense of righteousness just as the anti-abortion activists feel a sense of righteousness, and they are just as ignorant of the consequences of their words and the sentiments they are expressing. Anti-semitism is on the rise, Jews once again do not feel safe in their communities. This is not peace activism.

I sit with a group that is led by an Israeli woman and a Palestinian woman. We reflect on the writings of Etty Hillesum. Etty Hillesum was a Jewish woman who was killed in the Holocaust.  Like Anne Frank she managed to stay human in the most inhumane situation.

She is a beautiful role model for humanity in the face of the current atrocities. She wrote:

“I know that those who hate have good reason to do so. But why should we always have to choose the cheapest and easiest way? It has been brought home forcibly to me here how every atom of hatred added to the world makes it an even more inhospitable place. And I also believe, childishly perhaps but stubbornly, that the earth will become more habitable again only through love.”

A Palestinian peace activist told us, “Fear has become the cancer of this land.” If you have any Palestinian or Israeli friends or neighbors please send them as much love and support as you possibly can-and listen to them with an open heart free of judgement. They are deeply traumatized and need our unconditional love and support. If you have friends who are pro Hamas or pro Netanyahu and their gangs ask them to think deeper, past their calls for genocide. If you find yourself taking sides, open your mind to new perspectives. Acknowledge your fear and anger, and when it is found move carefully. Grieve. We are all wounded. Be a balm for the wounds of the world. Rather than wishing and fighting for world peace, find peace within yourself. Your love is sorely needed, especially now.

Don’t let the dark forces drive the narrative,