The Jewish people suffer because of the ignorant
They say ignorance is bliss. Not true for me. Not true for many of my fellow Jews. Ignorance is, in fact, terrifying.
The recent spate of so-called pro-Palestinian protests is quite the opposite of bliss. It is nothing short of misery, sadness and disgust. These “protests’’ exploit ignorance, fear and historically ubiquitous antisemitism.
Hamas is a terrorist group. It terrorizes people of all faiths, of all colors and of all ethnicities — including the people of Gaza. Hamas regularly uses its people — civilians — as human shields.
On Oct 7, Hamas attacked Israel, and viciously and savagely murdered civilians — unarmed men, women, children. It destroyed, burned, mutilated and desecrated Israeli people and their homes; it took civilian hostages.
As history has shown time and time again, Jews are often the first target of fanatic, intolerant, hateful, oppressive and violent political ideologies and regimes. I ask my friends — especially my “progressive” friends — to stop and please consider how you are being used. Take note of some facts.
◆ Israel is the only country in the Middle East that has been an uninterrupted democracy since its founding in 1948.
◆ The United Nations granted the Jews a state following the Holocaust, when 9 million people were slaughtered — 6 million of them Jews. Arabs also were granted a state at the time but chose to refuse it.
◆ Israel is not a “colonist state” as many misguided people parrot. It is a refugee state, decolonized from British rule.
◆ Israel’s LGBTQ+ citizens are afforded all manner of legal rights denied to many even in the Western world, including prohibitions on employment discrimination and civic recognition of marriage equality and adoption by same-sex couples. What would Hamas do to our queer brothers and sisters?
◆ “Apartheid” once was a policy of segregation and political, social and economic discrimination against the nonwhite majority in the Republic of South Africa. Apartheid does not exist in Israel. While Jews make up the majority of the population, citizens of different faiths, ethnicities, religions and colors vote, serve in Israel’s government, have access to education and employment.
◆ Per the U.S. State Department, although Israel has no constitution, a series of “basic laws” enumerate fundamental rights, which serve as the country’s constitutional foundation. The country is a “Jewish and democratic state” and references the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel, which protects freedom to practice or not practice religious beliefs, including freedom of conscience, faith, religion and worship, regardless of an individual’s religion. The law incorporates religious freedom provisions of international human rights covenants into the country’s body of domestic law, which applies to citizens and Palestinian residents.
◆ All citizens age 18 or older on election day are eligible to vote. Election day is a holiday to enable all to participate.
Recent photos of angry “protesters” on the University of New Mexico campus, at Jerry Seinfeld’s performance and elsewhere in New Mexico do not radiate bliss. But they do reveal ugly ignorance.
Hatred of Jews is not new. Inciting and motivating rudderless people with lies and hate-filled rhetoric also is not new. I cannot stand by as I see and experience the daily irrational hatred of me, my children and my people: Hamas is not a “liberation” movement. Hamas is a terrorist organization. Wake up. Hamas and the like will not stop at the destruction of Israel. Ignorance is not bliss.