THE GREAT GAME
FOR MANY OR MOST “PRO-PALESTINIANS,” THIS IS ALL POSTURING FUN. FOR JEWS, IT IS DEATHLY SERIOUS.
In the 19th century, the British and Russian empires struggled for hegemony in central Asia, during a period known as the Great Game.
What fun, right? Send kids off to die for a king’s cause and call it all a game.
Something similar is happening now. And it is no more fun or funny.
Yet another Jewish friend recently opened up to me about how a non-Jewish friend chose to engage her in a conversation about Israel and Palestine. The friend opined freely about Israel, Gaza and whatever (then, I imagine, went on with his day). My friend responded respectfully and intelligently and then spiraled into a painful emotional realization of how alone she and most Jews are in the world right now.
We have choices. We can choose to engage or not engage. But, among friends, it is generally expected that we should be open to dialogue even on challenging topics.
For non-Jews, these conversations are mostly theoretical. (I will address in future the problematic issue of how Israel and Palestine have become a galvanizing issue for Muslims worldwide, which is not at all analogous to the Jewish experience here.) Maybe we are social justice or peace activists who have strong opinions about what is happening in Gaza. But there is an overwhelming refusal or lack of awareness about the deeply personal, emotional and vilifying effects this constant barrage of questions and opinions has on Jews.
In case you haven’t noticed, you can hardly watch a sports game, stand at a bus stop or scroll your friend’s baby pictures on Facebook without seeing false accusations that Jews are perpetrating a genocide, have blood-dripping fangs, enthusiastically murder children or are otherwise the embodiment of evil. It takes a toll on a Jewish person — I know this from hundreds of conversations.
For non-Jewish “activists,” there is precious little emotional investment. It’s an intellectual process. (I use the term “intellectual” very loosely.) Sometimes it is little more than virtue signaling. Never mind actual genocides taking place at flashpoints around the world, if you want to be au courant with the haute cause, you need to have an opinion on Palestine right now, whether or not that opinion is backed up by knowledge or facts.
Those of us who work in antiracism circles talk about emotional labor. That is, the often-exhausting work of members of minority communities educating others and explaining or justifying their experiences, often to individuals who are skeptical or resistant. In the case of Jews, it is often to individuals who come at them with the most incendiary, accusatory slanders. And then the inquisitors sit back (perhaps laughing inwardly) while Jews patiently explain how hurtful this situation is to them.
For many of the people who provoke Jews in this way, it’s all a game.
Of course, the trump card in this game is Palestinian suffering. Oh, you think it’s hard to be a Jew in Canada or France right now? Try being a Palestinian in Gaza!
Two problems with this approach …
First, the suffering of one people (half a world away, in this instance) does not negate the suffering of people right next door, no matter who they are or whether you agree with them.
Second, the people who claim to be “pro-Palestinian” are in effect operationalizing Palestinian suffering for their real agenda: Goading and provoking Jews.
This is part of a larger problem.
For many, possibly most, of the people engaged in the “pro-Palestinian” cause worldwide, neither Palestinians nor Israelis are actual people in these scenarios.
Part of the dehumanization that has happened toward both Palestinians and Israelis is a direct consequence of a tendency among antiracism activists (and others) to see people not as individuals but as groups — as avatars basically.
Look at the tragedy porn “pro-Palestinians” post on social media, as though photos of mangled bodies are going to have a substantive impact on coexistence or lead to lasting peace. These are actual human beings whose images are posted to score political points. Oh, I know, they self-righteously say “I won’t look away.” But they do. They look away from every other mangled body on earth and focus all their attention on the mangled bodies they can (wrongly) blame on Israel.
For many of these people, this is a game. It is a performance, a sort of proof of moral superiority or political correctness.
For Jews, it is perceived — whether you like it or not, whether you think it fair or otherwise — as a direct attack on their right to exist.
Israel is the embodiment of Jewish people’s national identity. Understanding Jewish history, they recognize that Israel’s existence and survival are inextricably linked to their own existence and survival.
When activists demonstrate that they don’t care whether Israel survives — or when they literally call for its destruction, which is what “From the river to the sea” means — many Jews hear that as affirmation that activists don’t care whether Jews survive.
Do you think that is a fair assessment?
Here’s a secret …
It doesn’t matter whether you think it’s a fair assessment.
That’s the point.
Israel exists so that activists who don’t care whether Jews live or die do not have the power to make those choices.
Because this may be a game for you.
For Jews, it is something far, far more serious.
A personal note …
I started this Substack because I thought my perspective as a progressive, gay, non-Jewish, Zionist Canadian offered something different to the dialogue about antisemitism, anti-Zionism, Palestinians and peace. It actually never crossed my mind that people might give me money for it. When people started generously subscribing and donating, I threw myself into this project more, partly because I am a writer by trade and I am still building my RSPs for some distant retirement. Based on online advice (!) I started making my Saturday posts for “Paid Subscribers Only.” But, I modestly acknowledge, each one is too delicious to paywall. So I am going to assume that, if you like my stuff and want more of it, you’ll give if you can. If not, please share. (Please share regardless!) No more paywalls. But there may be other incentives I could offer. Not sure what. Got any ideas? Do folks want to get together for online discussions or see me compile some of these posts as a book? Let me know. Meanwhile, enjoy! (If that is the right word for these sometimes dark musings.)
I have stopped posting anything on my Facebook or engaging with others who post pro-Pal lies because I have so many Jewish Facebook friends, many of them former colleagues or former children that I taught in school. I can no longer bear to let them see the vitriol that some of my non-Jewish friends feel it’s appropriate to write. The worst offenders don’t actually know any Jewish people.
I deactivated my Facebook account recently because I couldn’t take it anymore — people I know, the ones with whom I’ve had aligned views now look like brainwashed morons to me when I see what they post.
The same people who have said not a word about egregious and persistent Jewish civil rights violations or the hostages, will die on the hill of Mahmoud Khalil. I have left the activist circles where they can’t see the grotesqueness in using Holocaust references on signs that say “First they came from Mahmoud Khalil.” Not saying that our Dear Leader has handled that situation in accordance with the law, but I hardly think that’s the guy the left should be making the face of the pro-democracy movement. But they have.
It is clear as day that the feelings of their Jewish compatriots are of no concern. So yeah, it sure feels like my friends care more about a Hamas lackey than they do about their fellow citizens and friends who are Jews.