EMail to Gush Shalom

The following is a response to Gush Shalom, an Israeli peace org. which sent me an email reporting on the April 18, 2006 suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, and especially an email which they received that read, “do you have a comment on this assholes.”

This is my reply:

You (Gush Shalom) are to be loved and cherished for your courage and humanity. I have some thoughts for the one(s) who sent that message of meanness and anger:

One cannot reason with rage, hate or fear. Well, how do we respond to the cry "what shall we do to those who kill our loved ones, and threaten our home, wring our hands and let them keep killing?" This is the cry on both sides of the line.

Of course not. Shall we kill back? Has this worked? Has this saved our loved ones, our children, our neighbors, our homes? Should we act in kind and thus consign the seal of suffering and death to more of our loved ones, our children and their children? Or do we stop and think?

But how do we think when we are consumed by the blinding force of rage, hate or fear?

There are a few things we can do to reduce the painful emotions that perpetuate mutual destruction:

One thing: Curse, rant and rave, pound on something that won't pound you back, sweat an ocean, and best done with someone who can listen to you; but do it alone if you must. This detoxifies the rage and fear and clears your mind to think more rationally.

Another thing; educate yourself about the history and real causes of the pain. How the big powers have historically played one side against another, how they used our leaders to perpetuate the hatred and animosity (for their gain), because rage and conflict always produces more power and wealth for the few. How many of our present leaders and teachers, and parents continue to perpetuate the messages of hate and "vengeance.” How we use the actions of the extremist few as reasons for further mutual killing and oppression. How this conditions use to collude with the violence and/or lie passive before it.

Another thing: let greater wisdom raise our awareness against the destruction and futility of conflict. One source of this for Jews, Arabs and friends of either side is the great teaching of the Talmudic Sages and scholars; a few examples:

Eleazar Ben Judah of Worms (13th century) said " Defile not thy souls by quarrelsomeness and petulance. I have seen the white become black, the low brought still lower, families driven into exile, princes deposed from their high places, great cities laid in ruins, assemblies dispersed, the pious humiliated, the honourable held lightly and despised, all on account of quarellsomeness. Glory in forebearance, for in that is true strength and victory."

He said: "Surrender not thyself a slave to hate, that ruin of all the heart's good resolves, that destroyer of the very savour of food, of sleep, of all reverence in our souls."

Asher Ben Yechiel (13th century), "Put no one to open shame, misuse not thy power against anyone; who can tell whether thou wilt not some day be powerless thyself?"

Eliezer Ben Issac (10th century) said "Dare not rejoice when thy enemy comes to ground, but give him food when he hungers. Be on thy guard lest thou give pain ever to the widow and the orphan, and beware lest thou ever set thyself up to be both witness and judge against another."

Hillel (1st century) said, "What is hateful to thee, do it not to thy fellow man." and "Be of the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving thy fellow creatures..."

Another thing: do the necessary thing to reach out and raise up to dignity and equality the masses of people who live in need of such urgent care, who live in such need because our policies keep them there, intentionally or unintentionally; reach out around leaders if we must. It is well known by now that such outreach and action brings people to the side of peace and justice, and respect for ourselves as well. We did this for Germany and Japan after WWII, did we not? After WWI, we further humiliated and robbed Germany and her allies, and this helped to breed Nazi Germany, and all the subsequent death and destruction, did it not?

Hillel said," If I am not for myself, who will be? If I am ONLY for myself, what am I? If not now, when"

Your friend, Jack

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