The Movement for Black Lives, and Israel/Palestine
At a Jewish liberation workshop in my Region, I led a topic group on the part of the Movement for Black Lives platform that addresses Israel/Palestine.
There were six of us in the group, all white Ashkenazi Jews. First I gave some information about the Movement for Black Lives platform and its language on Israel/Palestine. I focused on the accusation that the Palestinians are being targeted with genocide and had people do a mini-session on the word “genocide” and everything it brought up.
Next I said that this section of the platform and our reactions to it involve the hooking of anti-Semitism and racism. It’s confusing to look at these two oppressions together, so I said that we would look at each one separately.
First I talked about anti-Semitism. I said that when an almost entirely Gentile organization condemns Jews for acting as oppressors but does not acknowledge the existence of anti-Jewish oppression, it is anti-Semitism. Then everyone had a mini-session. I asked them to discharge from the perspective that this part of the platform is anti-Semitic.
Next I said that our reactions to this part of the platform are no doubt affected by our racism. The feeling that “we know better” or “they are wrong” is racism. We need to discharge on feeling like lecturing the Black Lives Matter movement or telling them what they should do or say. We also need to discharge on the viciousness of the oppression directed at Palestinians. I briefly talked about the legal definition of genocide, which is more complicated than most of us realize. Then people spent their next mini-session on racism.
Lastly, I said that this is an important time for us as RCers to share our thinking and attention widely. I asked the question, “If you were going to share your perspective on this part of the platform with those around you, what would you say?” We did a short “think and listen” in which we shared our thoughts.
I was happy with what I was able to accomplish in a short time, with little time to prepare.
Berkeley, California, USA
Reprinted from the RC e-mail discussion list for leaders of Jews
(Present Time 192, July 2018)