Na’amod’s anti-Palestinian racism campaign
JVL Introduction
Na’amod – anti-occupation Jews “gathering to fill the moral void left by our communal leadership” – has launched an ambitious campaign to oppose anti-Palestinian racism within the Jewish community.
The testimonies it reproduces make painful reading. We all know friends or family who have made similar remarks or shared similar assumptions.
Many still do…
Anti-Palestinian racism campaign
In recent years many of our leaders and organisations in the British Jewish Community have committed to anti-racism via public statements, commissioning reports and much more.
Sadly, despite this, anti-Palestinian racism is often seen and left unchallenged within our community. This form of racism, with its associated mistruths and stereotypes, clouds our community’s conversation on the occupation and prevents us from uniting in a truly anti-occupation and anti-racist stance.
Our campaign shares the experiences of British Jews who have witnessed anti-Palestinian racism taking place within our community. We have a communal responsibility to challenge this racism – a key step in mobilising our community against the injustices of the occupation.
Many of the testimonies describe trips to Israel and the Occupied Territories. It is important that we acknowledge our privilege in being able to travel freely to Israel and the Occupied Territories when many Palestinians cannot, despite historical, cultural or familial connections to the land. The anti-Palestinian racism described in the stories plays an important role in upholding support for discriminatory laws and practices, including restrictions on Palestinians’ freedom of movement. Only by challenging anti-Palestinian racism in our community can we fight the racism of the occupation.
Testimonies
We understand that many of the testimonies are not easy to read. But we hope that as well as pain and discomfort, the stories will provide incentive for us to come together as a community and stand against this hatred.
[These links will all take you to the testimonies on the Na’amod website.]
Artwork reads, in clockwise direction, ‘Challenge Anti Palestinian Racism’.
I’ve just read all of the testimonies and feel sad that those making them were brought up to believe that Jewish love and tolerance was for everyone except Palestinians. I also feel surprised and relieved that they’ve worked out that what they were told growing up simply wasn’t true.
Those of us who grew up in secular socialist households never had this problem directly, though we’ve all had the same arguments with various relatives at one time or another.
Going forward, we need to work together with organisations like Na’amod to present a different picture of Judaism to the outside world – though I do wonder if they understand that we’re Jewish as well and have our own traditions?
I read these testimonies yesterday and think they are wonderfully helpful. This is real consciousness-raising, where people share personal experiences to move towards action. I consider myself too old and too irreligious to be a member of Na’amod but I am proud to send them donations. And it was great to see a testimony from one older person — one of the many Miriams we know.
I’ve read seven of these testimonies – interesting observations, but more in the nature of micro-agressions than the kind of outrageous abuses recorded by Palestinians when confronted with Israeli police or IDF. I’ve been to Israel once, some years ago, and spent most of the fortnight with other tourists or with Israelis, so issues like Palestinian rights or how Palestinians were treated simply didn’t arise. I suspect that this is still true today of most tourist visits. To know what is really going on you would probably have to spend months in the country and socialise with Palestinians as well as Israelis. It’s possible, in fact, that many Israelis are insulated from the truth about their own society, which helps to explain how they can be so indignant when it comes under attack.
In response to Kuhnberg, I went to Israel/Palestine a few years ago as part of a political study tour and it was extremely well put together. The tours happen every year – if circumstances permit – and are arranged via ICAHD (the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions).
You’ll have a far better understanding of the detail of the oppression of the Palestinians after only 10 days – promise!