He offered his audience no hope per se, but rather an analysis that divided up the Jewish population of Israel into right, center, and left: imperialists, compromisers, and nay-sayers. Those on the right, whom he called Constantinians, support the government; the moderates, termed Progressives, assert that the Jewish State went wrong, and the left wing refers to the Nakba as an "ethnic cleansing." Ellis calls them Jews of Conscience.
So there is civil war among Israelis as well as Palestinians, divided between moderates and extremists, with some brave souls from both sides joining hands and advocating peaceful co-existence: hinai ma tov u-ma-nayim, shevet achim gad yachad (Behold how good and pleasant it is for brethren [we are brethren] to dwell together in peace, Psalm 133 [loose translation]). The suffering they have experienced through family lost in the course of the myriad conflicts transcends ethnic background, a platonic version of Romeo and Juliet, ultimately untragic if these amazing people succeed in their efforts. "Romance" follows this tikkun, however, as love leads to tragedy in the Shakespeare play. These I would call the true People of Conscience.
Professor Ellis then introduced the notion of particularities versus universalities. Particularities dominate in the present struggle, and to achieve more universality, each side must address the other's particularities instead of making irrational demands. In other words, compromise is needed. According to the Jews of Conscience, the Palestinians must acknowledge the existence of Israel as a nation, and Israelis must stop building on Palestinians lands. They must confess their sins against the Palestinians to resume their climb toward justice, the pinnacle of our faith: It hath been told thee, o Man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of thee: Only to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God. (Micah 6:8)
The narrative of Jewish innocence is over, he told us. It exists only in the Hebrew imagination.
But where does justice fall when the central issue is territory, a primeval drive?
How is justice the issue when God (bhs) gave Canaan to His Chosen People, decimating the distant forebears of the Palestinians and their Arab brethren?
Where is justice when society reverts to blood guilt and slaughter as solutions? When one side is given Gaza and shoots rockets into Israel from its borders? When Israel retaliates by building a massive wall and rolling tanks into Gaza?
The professor justifiably does not see a solution in the near future.
When, in the midst of beautiful spring one side mourns while the other rejoices on either side of the Wailing Wall, when bloodshed results in war and its inverse, where contradictions are forced to share such a small piece of land at such close quarters, smaller than New Jersey, the fifth smallest state in our country, where is justice?
Buried like an artifact waiting for disinterment?
Buried like the treasure deep in the ocean, threatened by oil spills?
Each time an innocent person dies, anywhere in the world, justice is buried deeper or sinks farther down into the sea.
Every day Nakba occurs somewhere.
The professor revealed the disease and the medicine it needs, but ingredients are still missing, as is the cure. Those we have yet to discover and materialize. Something entirely new may be necessary, an upheaval, perhaps a massive catastrophe that totally dwarfs their crisis?
Sometime shortly after 9/11 I heard that on that day, in deepest grief over this country's Nakba, the Jews and Palestinians forgot their conflict and stood together offering to make peace as a condolence gift. I wish I could remember the source of that beautiful vision.
(c)
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