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• Wednesday, January 7, 2009 11:18 PM

  Publicola

  I actually read that column oh, so long ago. Just after I returned from Palestine. To me it was indicative of a certain kind of racism, perfectly acceptable, which claims that Israel has the right to be an exclusive Jewish state, not a government of its people. This leaves the Palestinians of Jerusalem and the Palestinian citizens of Israel in a completely unchanged and unwinnable situation. Maintaining Israel's Jewish exclusivity is not an option in the first place. Its absurd to think that a democratic republic can go on expelling people born indisputably within its borders (Jerusalem) and areas that are now de-facto part of Israel and not reach a crisis point, or many, down the line.

  And if you think that Friedman's hand-wringing over the possibility that Israelis might have to share power in a state with Palestinians, rather than relegate them to a series of cantons without real autonomy is going to convince me, you've really got another thing coming. Israel has ruled over West Bank and Gaza Palestinians for thirty years without giving them the "one man, one vote". For the past sixteen its sought to permanently avoid the fruit of that rule--a one day civil rights movement akin to that of South Africa--by caging them in a series of bantustans. Friedman's concern is that the wall and increased settlement building will draw attention to this, not that Palestinians receive their right to control their destiny.

  I know Friedman very well, and I'm getting to know you just as well. Palestinians will forever be to you a second class of person; one you care very deeply about I'm sure. That caring side, leads you to be unperturbed by idealogues who call for their slaughter, and for their continuing marginalization, as long as it is for their betterment. Perhaps one day, you and Friedman will be able to make Palestinians realize just how much you've done for us.

  I would prefer it if you hated Palestinians, but recognized our right to have the same kind of agency that Israelis have. The right to live in a democracy, in the same land of historical Palestine where our ancestors were born. The chance Palestinians might have had if not for nearly a hundred years of racist policies, that denigrated Palestinian culture, and sought to erase its presence, so that Europeans might clean their conscience by giving European Jews a state.

  The trope is so ingrained within your perception of the conflict, you simply have no idea how you sound to a Palestinian.

  —omooex Read omooex's other letters
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