There is a person writing this Substack. It’s me. I live in Israel. And because of the horrific acts that have been committed on this sacred ground, I break my usual writing.
I truly believe in virtue. I try my best to be virtuous. The fuck, this whole Substack is me trying to make sure I live life better.
I’m no activist. But I strive for concrete peace as well as I can. I do my best to learn and speak Arabic, as a sign of the respect my Palestinian neighbors deserve. I go out of my way to be kinder, knowing that there are others that will go out of their way to be crueler. I offer water and coffee to Arabs who work in my city when they pass by my house, rushing down with my son, so he too can learn respect and care.
We come down, me and my seven-year-old son, with his sidelocks and big kippah, and offer the cold water for men working on a hot summer day. (They decline because they want Turkish coffee. I knock on the neighbors door to get some, because we’re all out.) I give rides to help Hetam (said worker) bring dirt to finish the job. And I don’t regret it at all.
This is not me saying what a great person I am. This is me saying that my attitude towards Palestinians is one of a desire to see all living in peace together. I’m not against a Palestinian state. I would love for Palestinians to have a state and be proud of it, just as I am of Israel. And I’m only a wishy-washy patriot. So I guess that means I wouldn’t mind them being even more nationalistic than I am. Go for it. Why not? I want you to live well, I truly do.
The events yesterday don’t change me on this topic. But they do make me realize that my desire is impossible to realize with some. As long as a group like Hamas, that gleefully kills all that are around, there cannot be peace.
I wish I was more eloquent with words, and I could paint you the scene of what life is like. We are a small country. We Jews are a family. When the Twin Towers were hit, Americans in Colorado were disturbed. Here we are all in one state, smaller than New Jersey.
My sister is visiting her neighbor to console them of their 19 year old son who was killed yesterday. How many deaths of this closeness will I suffer until the end of this war? I desperately hope against all odds the answer will be none.
People are frail. Large groups of people will always have wicked amongst them. When I hear of an Israeli committing violence against a Palestinian, it (to my wife’s great frustration) infuriates me more than when a Palestinian commits the same violence to my people. I feel responsible for what my people do, and if they sin I ask myself how I am a part of that so I can repent.
I don’t expect everyone to feel like me. Most people are more upset by the injustices committed against them than the ones they commit. I’m certainly like that on a personal level, even if I strive to be more like Socrates. But there is a difference between that and glorifying in disgusting acts of violence and hate.
My house and table rumble as I write. Iron Dome is stopping rockets aimed at Israel, at civilians and military indiscriminately. Just to kill.
Since Saturday, my eyes are constantly moist, thinking of the brutally murdered, and the survivors whose lives have forever turned into a dark nightmare. These are my family. They are my people. I love and fight them all the time.
My family has been attacked by Hamas. They rejoice in the pain of women and children, elders and young alike. I wouldn’t suggest it, but you can look and see images that prove that they are proud of their atrocities. They do not say things like “It is a necessary sacrifice”. They dance around the corpses of my people.
We will fight. I don’t know if we can eradicate this monster, but I pray we do. And I sincerely hope that there will be none killed who are innocent. I do not envy the men and women who must weigh the lives of the children of the enemy against their own.
I ask of you one thing, if you’ve read up to here. Please, do something small in the world of social media to show support of my people now. To show your disgust with the terrorists that would kill me, my wife and my children without thinking twice. That would do worse than kill us if given the chance.
I’m not asking you to be a Zionist. You don’t have to believe in the Jews right to have a state. You might even want all of us to leave this land. You can be a vehement anti-zionist.
But please, I beg of you, be human.
I am also Israeli. I'm liveing near an Arab settlement - Abu Ghosh. I buy from them frequently, and enjoy their service. But the enemy, Hamas, out of a desire to destroy us, did not hesitate today to drop missiles on them as well, on the residents of Abu Gush.
Please support Israel.
Praying for the peace of Jerusalem. The evil is not the general population of Palestinians, but the hatred of Iranian-funded groups whose god is violence. My heart is heavy for MoT and People of the Book.