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[Non-Violent] Resistance Is Fertile

Around 2,000 Palestinians and Israeli protestors demonstrated Friday adjacent to the separation fence as it runs through the town of Abu Dis, calling for non-violent opposition to end the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Full story here.

Israeli officials tend to categorize any palestinian violent resistance as terrrorism, while claiming that Israel has a moral monopoly over the use of violence in order to defend itself. Considering the fact that Israel consistently used excessive violence in order to dispress the recent anti-fence demonstrations and many other non-violent protests, it is obvious that such kind of resistance poses a far greater threat to the moral legitimacy of Israel’s policies than violent resistance.

A while back, the 5 Israeli youth refuseniks who are now sitting in jail for almost two years, initiated a letter calling the Palestinians to choose non-violent methods to fight the occupation. As far as I remember the letter was published in some of the major Palestinian and Arab newspapers around the world and was endorsed by the refusal movement. Israel’s media response was much colder. I was sent as a representative to speak on Erev Hadash, a daily news show; sadly, the cynical responses of the news anchor Dan Margalit and MK Zvulun Orlev (who happened to be on air) wasn’t surprising at all. While the former belongs to the mainstream right-of-center and the latter to the extreme right, both men know and agree that Palestinian non-violent resistance is the last thing Israel wants.

43 thoughts on “[Non-Violent] Resistance Is Fertile

  1. what do u think? they are aimed to kill.
    anyhow vevel, since you support use of violence pretty often against palestinians as first resort (unless i am gettign u confused with someone else), it would be unbelievably hypocritical and chutzpidic for you to demand non-violent resistance from palestinians.

  2. “I don’t equate attacks with self-defense.”
    good so that rules out almost all of the IDF’s activities in the territories. glad we settled that one.
    “And I never said anything about non-violence. That’s your fantasy.”
    maybe you dont read hebrew, sorry. “lehakdim trufa lamaka” is a hebrew expression meaning – hmm its hard to translate. i guess it means i give u a respond before you give the argument – kind of like preventive medicince 🙂

  3. That’s not what I was saying.
    Your post emphasizes the rare non-violent protest of “peaceniks” and emphasizes the violence of the IDF.
    There was 150,000 people lining up against the withdrawal and the wall, itself is a non-violent form of terrorist prevention.
    You have a one-sided, warped view of who uses non-violent tactics.

  4. the jewish left speaks again — is it a genetic defect, a cultural malfunction — or if i may paraphrase job, why lord, why???????????????

  5. “the jewish left speaks again — is it a genetic defect, a cultural malfunction — or if i may paraphrase job, why lord, why???????????????”
    avi green once again doesnt have anything interesting to say. if u have anything to contribute, please do. if my posts frustrate you so much, why do u return to the website so oftenly? perhaps another case of a self-hating jew? 🙂

  6. Gotta love how anyone criticizing Israeli policy and actions is a self-hating Jew. Now that’s incisive commentary.
    It’s pretty clear why right-wing Israelis and Jews don’t want Palestinian non-violence – that would deprive them of their own excuse for using extreme violence.

  7. velvel,
    “Asaf, I wouldn’t be throwing around the phrase, “self-hating Jew.””
    that was a JOKE directed toward someone else who actually DOES throw around that term way too much. u dont seem to read my posts to clearly, do you? even your initial reponse didnt answer the main arguments i raised.

  8. “both men know and agree that Palestinian non-violent resistance is the last thing Israel wants.”
    Because they know, and all the rest of us know that if there is non-violent protest by the arabs that it’s probably just a shield for a crouching rocket launcher, or a media ploy. They dont give 2 shits about peace with us Jews. They have clearly stated on many occations that any peace is temporary, and they WILL capture all the land. From Haifa to Jordan and the Golan to Eilat.
    You refusniks are very dangerous. How’s youre friend Vanunu?

  9. “why do u return to the website so oftenly?”
    I know I return for the same reason I listen to NPR and CNN…..I need to know what the enemy is thinking.

  10. the palestinian hippies will non-violently resist. why aren’t jewish hippies non-violently resisting the palestinian storm troopers? we can write poems telling them to stop bombing our babies out of their carriages. This reminds me of the exchange Ghandi and Buber had in the late 30s. Ghandi says “Let the Jews of Europe practice non-violent resistance against the Nazis” Why? “Because Palestine belongs to the Arabs”
    The Palestinians should practice nonviolence against the Jews? WHy? Because Jordan belongs to the Jordanians?
    If one uses any sort of logic, Ghandi’s kin would never advocate Palestinian replacement in anywhere but the State of Israel.
    Another bastard thinking the Palestinians are another helpless postcolonial mess. Maybe I’m the only bastard who thinks the Jewish state is another helpless postcolonial mess.

  11. Mike– thanks for your insightful commentary. Both extremes on this site are vocal, irritating, and are largely incapable of contributing anything worthwhile to the progress of Israeli society. I’m a self-styled moderate, though I’ve found that both rightists and leftists consider me the opposite extreme (I think that proves my point).
    Asaf, the fact that you morally equate IDF actions seeking to prevent those who would kill and maim Israeli civilians from doing so with the killing and maiming itself is assinine. I’m continually dumbfounded by your inability to propose a constructive, pragmatic and practical solution– you rant and rave about “Israeli violence” and pretend that there is no threat from Palestinian society. But there is a threat, and as long as it exists, Israel’s number one priority (as is that of any state) is to secure its citizens– and no form of protest, violent or nonviolent, can be allowed to compromise that duty. The Palestinians will be able to achieve their goals when they rid themselves of a corrupt leadership, when they stop educating their children to glorify hate and death, and when they recognize, as I have, that both Jews and Palestinians have a right to self determination in their own land.
    Righties, your comments are equally distracting. To assume that the Palestinians are monolithic– all of them hoping to destroy Israel, all of them seeking to cover for militants is at best racist, and at worst offers no chance for hope and progress. That’s not what I believe Israel should be about– I think it’s all about the hope. Worse yet, referring to ultra-leftist, Israel-bashing Jews (who are admittedly annoying beyond compare) as “the enemy,” is an incredibly dangerous step– that’s the kind of rhetoric that inspires the Yigal Amirs of this world. Don’t forget that we’re all in this together, and we need to maintain open mindedness if we’re going to progress.

  12. “I’m continually dumbfounded by your inability to propose a constructive, pragmatic and practical solution– you rant and rave about “Israeli violence” and pretend that there is no threat from Palestinian society. But there is a threat, and as long as it exists, Israel’s number one priority (as is that of any state) is to secure its citizens– and no form of protest, violent or nonviolent, can be allowed to compromise that duty.”
    I have constantly said what is to be done. sadly the israeli government doesnt like the idea of retreating to the green line, dismantling the wall, all this in negotiation with palestinian leaders. Lets see what practical you have to offer:
    “The Palestinians will be able to achieve their goals when they rid themselves of a corrupt leadership, when they stop educating their children to glorify hate and death, and when they recognize, as I have, that both Jews and Palestinians have a right to self determination in their own land.”
    Interesting. I guess you cannot have a practical solution because your only solution is for the palestinians to change. it seems that my approach is much more practical.

  13. “I have constantly said what is to be done. sadly the israeli government doesnt like the idea of retreating to the green line, dismantling the wall, all this in negotiation with palestinian leaders.”
    Asaf, your so tired it makes me giggle. Go you, homeboy.

  14. eli,
    the radical left has been chanting the same lines for decades. boring, “tired”, but sadly most insightful.
    if things wont be changing in the next few years the binational state will become the only possible situation. does that make me less tired? or did i completey misunderstand your poetic/code-like post?

  15. The BBC has coverage of this as well.
    “The peaceful resistance he talks about is better than what we have here,” Mohammed Saber told Reuters news agency.
    “It won’t work, armed resistance is more important,” said Mahmoud Sulieman.

    So, does that mean that half want peace, and the other half will end up in pieces? Continued…
    He [Ghandi] is set to meet Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qurei and visit the Israeli memorial to the holocaust, Yad Veshem.
    I wonder how long they’ll have to wait to pass through the security checkpoints?
    Now then, all of those who are so anti-Israel imperialism, you should go join the fun protests in Greece for those against Colin Powell.
    Mr Constantinou, who works for a trade union newspaper, added: “We are not anti-American, we are anti-American imperialism.”
    Gee, that sounds slightly familiar around here. Gor bless us and keep us safe against the other Americans/Israelis who have different views than us.
    Also, I encourage you to go for Pizza in the Gaza Strip. Make sure you wear your t-shirt that says “Fuck The Jews” so you don’t get killed. Too extreme for you? Well, it is non-violent.
    Go in peace.

  16. Oh, and Ronen, let’s not forget the PLO’s mission statement:
    To Drive the Jews into the sea.
    Asaf, see above. It may provide some insight into your view that the Israelis need to change.

  17. nah, you understood it. and the whole binational thing, that’s cool, as long as your down with all of your comrades being quite happy seeing the Jews get what they deserve.

  18. Asaf: Yes, you’re right, I do think there is an intense need for change in Palestinian society. There is a culture of hate, death and violence being propogated, and it scares me– it scares me to see 10 years olds with rifles claiming that they want to be shahids, it scares me to hear 3 year olds being taught that Jews are dogs. I’m not scared for Israel, mind you, I’m scared for those kids who are being emotionally abused by their own society.
    Your “practical solution” just isn’t. How can you not see that there is no “Palestinian leadership” with which to negotiate? I’ll remind you– we spent 7 years trying, and it didn’t work so well, because Arafat and his cronies are fundamentally corrupt. As soon as a new leadership with peaceful values comes to the table in the spirit of compromise (yes they need to compromise too) I will be all for a resumption of negotiations.
    And when the security barrier (which really isn’t a wall throughout— that’s just rhetoric and you know it) has been proven to save Israeli lives, it doesn’t seem “practical” to tear it down and retreat. That would be an invitation for further attacks from extremists (who, despite your best efforts to convince yourself otherwise) are bent on hurting Jews. Yes, some settlements need to go now because they are a threat to Israeli security, but I don’t think Ma’aleh Adumim and Efrat should just be destroyed based on the hope that if we dismantle the lives of their thousands of residents, maybe the Palestinian extremists will stop wanting to hurt Jews. We can talk about that only when a peaceful, legitimate, democratic Palestinian leadership arises with a true desire to improve the lives of its own people and take responsibility for security within its borders.

  19. “I’m scared for those kids who are being emotionally abused by their own society.”
    you would be much more convincing if you were also scared about the condition these kids are living in the ghetto of gaza and the conditions of airial attacks, capricious invasions, and the fact that so many live in poverty and danger of being hurt by IDF soldiers. it would be much more convincing because then not nly would you be more consistent but also be scared of something u can change.
    “Your “practical solution” just isn’t. How can you not see that there is no “Palestinian leadership” with which to negotiate? I’ll remind you– we spent 7 years trying, and it didn’t work so well, because Arafat and his cronies are fundamentally corrupt. As soon as a new leadership with peaceful values comes to the table in the spirit of compromise (yes they need to compromise too) I will be all for a resumption of negotiations.”
    you mean those 7 years when the settlement project was at its peak and military invasion never ceased? obviously you have a different narrative than mine for what happened in those 7 years.
    “And when the security barrier (which really isn’t a wall throughout— that’s just rhetoric and you know it) has been proven to save Israeli lives, it doesn’t seem “practical” to tear it down and retreat. That would be an invitation for further attacks from extremists (who, despite your best efforts to convince yourself otherwise) are bent on hurting Jews.”
    fucking amazing. so now that the wall is built we cant tair it down because its a sign of weakness? i guess better ask forgiveness that permission. nothing wrong with a fence built on israeli land or on border.
    “We can talk about that only when a peaceful, legitimate, democratic Palestinian leadership arises with a true desire to improve the lives of its own people and take responsibility for security within its borders.”
    i am sure empowering the hamas, like the IDF did in the last 4 years, will really promote your vision. hamas was never so popular as it is now, thanks to Israel. based on your claim, israel will keep on controlling other people’s lives until a “democratic” leadership will arise. obviously thats up to Israel to decide when that happens. but isnt THAT inherently undemocratic?

  20. I absolutely am frustrated by the living conditions of Gazans and their children. I’m even more frustrated that they harbor Hamas terrorists, thus bringing on aerial strikes. I hate the notion that Israel is occupying/raiding/whatevering for some perverted sense of “fun”– that’s blatantly untrue– these are measures Israel has to take to secure its own citizens.
    Likewise, a Palestinian leadership committed to peace would do more for poverty in Gaza than anything else. They would be able to establish their own nation, their own economy– trade, business, innovation… maybe one day a future Palestine can be major leader in science, the arts, research and do a great deal to improve the lives of their people. But not till they reign in the extremists hijacking their hope and opportunity, and can negotiate with Israel in good faith and with legitamacy.
    Those seven years were imperfect on both sides, yes, but there were steps taken in the right direction. Those were all undermined by Arafat and his support of terrorism (yes, Arafat, not the IDF… that’s not a particularly defensible argument Asaf). Anyway, you know I don’t care for hilltop youth, but expanding the settlements does not justify blowing up busses.
    It would not be a sign of weakness to remove the security barrier (it’s STILL not a wall throughout). It would be a sign of stupidity, though, because that thing is saving lives. As soon as we can be secure without the barrier, I have confidence that it will be removed.

  21. Asaf–
    If you were prime minister of Israel, how would you prioritize this list?
    (you would have to, of course)
    Israeli prosperity, Palestinian prosperity, security for Israelis, security for Palestinians, Israeli inconvenience, Palestinian inconvenience, Israeli human rights, Palestinian human rights

  22. i think there is a certain kind of leftist mentality the revels in playing the enlighted observer, morally superior to the common herd. adam shapiro displays this, as does araf. theres no point in having a discussion with this type, they are not open to rational thought. im reminded of stories of the true communists under stalin who when convicted of crimes against the state they KNEW they did not commit, nevertheless went willingly to the firing squad because to fight would mean having to admit that communism might be wrong. true believers know that israel is always wrong; araf could watch his mother and father be raped by and mutiliated by palestinian terrorists and still justify the palestinian actions by pointing to the moral shortcomings of israel. look at it this way, by taking araf into america, he is diluted amongst 300million; had he remained in israel, he actually might have been able to do some damage to the state that most of us love. happy sabath, all

  23. “Israeli prosperity, Palestinian prosperity, security for Israelis, security for Palestinians, Israeli inconvenience, Palestinian inconvenience, Israeli human rights, Palestinian human rights”
    you are assuming the israeli-palestinian conflict is sum zero game. i dont. please answer me this:
    whats more important to you: ashkenazi prosperity or sepharadic prosperity, black people prosperity or white people prosperity? german prospertiy or french prosperity?

  24. the analogy doesn’t seem to fit. Ashkenazim and Sephardim are part of one sovreign nation. You also have overlooked the fact that many Jews share a mixed heritage, like myself. The question of the importance of Black and White property is something that further mystifies me. What is Black and White property. Racial Justice aside, there is no clear, legal proof of white and black property in America. For that, go to the Maghreb, where Arabs still deal with their legacy of enslaving Black Africans and failing to integrate them into Maghrebi society on any level. German/French? What?

  25. not at all, thats why i want the arabs, as well as the jews, to think self-critically, argue amongst themselves, undermine and root out their xenophobias, prejudices, injustices, dishonesties. I also would like them to forgive not only their enemies, but themselves.

  26. but its not about what i want, for you asaf, its about ending the occupation, taking down the wall, and “negotiate” with the palestinians, or the binational state would emerge from our faults.This would never happen. many jewish people (both from israel and the diaspora) would revolt with forces of major violence.

  27. Asaf– you completely passed the buck. In my opinion, it’s not a zero-sum game at all, but if you were prime minister, you would need to allocate resources based on your priorities. I’m asking you what your priorities are, and I think I deserve a straight answer.

  28. “you mean those 7 years when the settlement project was at its peak and military invasion never ceased? ”
    Miltary invasion never ceased? Asaf, I was in one of the units which were moved as part of Oslo II, and I spent about a year outside Nablus. The IDF didn’t go into the A areas during Oslo, and operations outside those areas were generally when the Palestinians were trying to pull a fast one; one case in particular I remember was when a mevukash (“wanted man”) was going to Nablus. The IDF wanted to catch him, but the whole point of the operation was to catch him before he entered “A” territory, cause we couldn’t go there. The PA, rather than handing him over (as they were required to do by the treaty) instead gave him an escort, in the hope that the IDF wouldn’t try to intercept him and risk a fight with the PA police. This reluctance to enter “A” territory continued into the beginning of the current violence, when a Magav trooper was left to bleed to death outside Joseph’s Tomb because the IDF brass depended on the PA to extract him rather than doing it ourselves.
    As for “wall on the border” – answer me this. Drawing the border on the Green Line means cutting Jerusalem in half (most of the population and territory the wall “annexes” is the cvicinity of Jerusalem). Besides the disruption to the city life, do we leave the inhabitants of the Jewish Quarter to their fates?

  29. “[Non-Violent] Resistance Is Fertile”
    “To assume that the Palestinians are monolithic– all of them hoping to destroy Israel, all of them seeking to cover for militants is at best racist…”
    “…i want the arabs, as well as the jews, to think self-critically, argue amongst themselves, undermine and root out their xenophobias…”
    “Anyway, you know I don’t care for hilltop youth, but expanding the settlements does not justify blowing up busses.”
    I loathe violence. The suicide bombongs are pointless and hopeless. But after 50 odd years of systematic disposesion and dismemberment of their society (the word “after” being a bit of morbid humour as it is ongoing) what is the average Palestinian to do? Where can he find an honest negotiating partner? Which Israeli doesn’t enjoy his livelihood, his soverenty at some Palestinian’s expense?
    Every hilltop, every settlement seems like a nail in the coffin of peace.

  30. From craigslist: http://www.craigslist.org/sfc/rnr/40708067.html
    Date: 2004-08-27, 2:23PM PDT
    My grandfather, Mohammed, travelled on foot from his home in Iraq in the early part of the last century looking for work.
    Jews had come to British-controlled Palestine in the thousands, joining the Jews that had always been here, buying up land from absentee Turkish Muslim owners, and they needed many workers to help them build the land. He married, raised a large family, worked hard, and lived quietly.
    I live in Haifa in Israel. In 1948 when Israel declared its independence, Arab armies from surrounding Arab states attacked with the intention of destroying the new state. I was about 15 years old and remember well the radio broadcasts from Arab states telling us to leave our homes and move eastward ‘temporarily’ while the advancing Arab armies wiped out the Jews.
    They told us we would then return in triumph to our homes and would have the joy of taking over all the Jewish assets-their homes, farms, shops, cars, and bank accounts.
    My father, Ibrahim, was a very wise man, a learned man, and a man of peace. We had good relationships with our neighbors, Christian, Jew, and Muslim.
    He gathered the entire family and explained why he did not believe it Wise to flee, that he did not believe the Jews would mistreat us. We stayed put.
    We are still here.
    Today I still live in my father’s old stone house with my wife and the youngest of our eight children. My older children and my many Grandchildren all live nearby. We have never been mistreated, and we are much better off than those Arabs who fled and who ended up in miserable refugee camps being supported by the UN and charities.
    I want you to know what my life is like as an Arab citizen of Israel. I was educated in Israeli schools and universities. I became a pharmacist and worked in a large pharmacy in Haifa. I was paid the same salary, and received the same benefits as Jewish colleagues. Now I’m retired. I receive two pensions; one based on the investment plan to which my company belonged and I contributed. The other comes from the Israeli government National Insurance plan.
    I have eight children. Every month I received child allowance paid from the government until each became 18. I know of no other country where this happens, certainly not any Arab nation.
    Our entire family is covered by the National Health Plan which provides good medical care. All my children were born in hospital, my wife received excellent ante and postnatal care. All medical and surgical is covered from the first Shekel from birth to death, and when we die even the cost of burial is covered!
    My children went to school with Jewish children, they were members of the same sports clubs and the community center, and they all received University educations, some with state scholarships.
    I pray in a Mosque, which was built on land donated by the Jewish National Fund. I am a citizen, I have a passport, can travel anywhere, anytime. I vote in local and national elections, and we have a number of Arab members in Parliament.
    I have a very good life, and so has my family. I feel for those forced to live under Arafat, for they are being used and abused badly. I long for the day that Arafat is no more, that a real peace treaty can be negotiated with Israel, so that the Palestinian Arabs can have a better life also.
    I long for the day I can travel to visit cousins in Ramallah without being called a collaborator and executed. I thank Allah my grandfather came here.
    I thank Allah my father didn’t leave in 1948. I thank Allah my children were raised here, in the only free country in the Middle East.
    We are very lucky Arabs.

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