a reply

Let me start with a simple condemning: I condemn any cruelty, torture or death against any human being. That has always been my position. It is still the same. I also believe that people in their essence are good, but they can be led to do some horrible things, mostly out of fear, anger and their sense of justice. Does this excuse violent actions? No. Does it explain? I think so.

Would this explain colonialism? Nazism? White supremacy? I believe it does. Does it justify any of those? Absolutely not.

And in the same breath, let me ask you the same question: Do you condemn the crimes the Zionist militias have done, and the crimes Israel has committed, and still is? Because this is one of the issues. Asking others to condemn violent acts whenever Israelis are hurt, but not condemning the past and present wrongdoings of Israel. And this is exactly the point about empathy I meant earlier. I sympathise with your pain, and I would expect you to sympathise with mine.

What moves Israel since its establishment to this day is fear, anger and their sense of justice. All backed by the understanding that “If I’m more powerful, no one can touch me”. Which back-fires. Israel is teaching all actors around that the only viable language is the one of military power. This is also the attitude in the Israeli society within itself, a militant mentality.

Look at the Palestinian Authority – they don’t fight Israel; they even collaborate fully but can’t stop more and more settlements being built next to them. In Bil'in, people tried for many years peaceful protests, but it didn’t do them any good. But guess who got some political gains from Israel? Hamas and Hezbollah. Even if you go back a bit in time, Egypt didn’t get Sinai until they went to full war to regain it. Israel is basically saying to everyone around: either you have the power to force us, or we don’t care about your existence. When that’s the logic you’re adopting as a state, even if you destroy Hamas, you will get others, more extreme even. And within the Israeli society you will have more extreme politicians willing to go further with using military power, thinking that only by military power you win.

If the Israeli society wants to have less fear and more allies, it needs to prove to others that through peaceful means you can achieve some political victories.

It needs to understand that showing empathy -not for the ones who killed you, maybe that’s too far to ask- but for the pain of Palestinians. The 15 million of them are essential. In addition, aspiring for equality for all. Those would grant peace, and then it won’t be Palestinians Vs Israelis, but people who seek justice.