This column is about the Occupation, namely Israel’s control over the West Bank which is an area west of the Jordan River. It was controlled by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan between 1949 and 1967. Jordan declared war against Israel in June, 1967 and was defeated. Israel then took control of the West Bank.
Full disclosure: This column is written by a person who has a passionate love of Israel. Its Proclamation of Independence (1948) established the principles upon which the country was founded, including: “The State of Israel will promote the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; will be based on precepts of liberty, justice and peace taught by the Hebrew prophets; will uphold the full social and political equality of all its citizens without distinction of race, creed or sex…” . Within its own internationally recognized borders Israel has largely lived up to these principles.
I also love my Jewish religion which includes teachings against the oppression of others.
I have been to Israel five times, as a kibbutz worker, a university student and a simple tourist. Three of those times Israel was at war. Although not experiencing anything like what a typical Israeli family does , I have come under artillery shelling, a terrorist bomb went off in the university library building while I was studying in it. Our entire family was in Israel when suicide (really homicide) bombers blew up crowded buses and restaurants. About 1,000 Israeli civilians were murdered during that reign of terror.
Because of my love for Israel , my Jewish religion and my experiences this column is painful to write. However, as the prophet Isaiah said, “For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent…” .Tragically, the Occupation is destroying the moral foundation of the Jewish, democratic state Israelis sacrificed so much to build and defend.
I am not naive . Some Israeli military presence in the West Bank is necessary . Israel cannot allow the West Bank to become another Gaza, launching rocket attacks against Israel’s citizens. However, the abuses against Palestinians there are not necessary for Israel’s security.
Here is a short list of Israel’s abusive behavior during the Occupation: There are two sets of laws, one is for Israelis and the other is for Palestinians. Israel has been building Jewish settlements in the West Bank, often on land expropriated from Palestinians Arabs. The settlements’ Jewish population is now about 475,000. Water resources have been allocated by Israel vastly in favor of the Jewish settlements compared to the nearby Palestinian communities. Drawing from a list of unjustifiable reasons, Israel destroys Palestinian homes and other structures. Jewish settlers attack Palestinians and their property with impunity. Israel’s army and police offer Palestinians little protection. Palestinians are subjected to humiliating searches without any apparent provocation. Travel between Palestinian communities can be blocked at any time, for any reason or even no reason at all.
The United States works with governments throughout the world that do things far worse than the Occupation. That is geopolitical reality. That said, our government, out of concern for both Israel and the Palestinians, can help end the Occupation. This is what I suggest: 1. The US should continue supplying Israel with the weapons it needs to defend itself against those that countries that wish to destroy it. At present the annual cost of these weapons ,about $ 3.8 billion, is borne by American taxpayers. That financial support must be reduced or ended in the amount that Israel spends annually to fund the settlements and maintain an oppressive control over the West Bank’s Palestinian inhabitants . Americans should help Israel defend itself but not indirectly subsidize the Occupation. Also, if Israel is faced with bearing a greater financial cost for the Occupation it may become more sensitive to the legitimate rights of Palestinians.
2. President Biden is planning a trip to the Middle East in July. A major purpose is to encourage regional defense cooperation among Israel, Saudi Arabia and several Arab Persian Gulf states as a deterrent to a common threat from Iran. These are positive developments, especially as Iran comes ever closer to building an atomic bomb. The US recently upgraded its diplomatic office in Jerusalem for relations with the Palestinians and President Biden is including a meeting in the West Bank during his visit. These too are positive steps.
This trip is also an opportunity for President Biden to tell Israel that it must end the expansion of settlements and the destruction of Palestinian homes . These actions must be taken immediately and permanently. In addition, the US should make clear that it opposes annexation by Israel of any territory in the West Bank. Israel has ignored polite diplomatic communications in the past . President Biden must speak forcefully and publicly now.
It is important to note that I condemn the actions of those Palestinian leaders who have encouraged the murder of Israeli citizens and rejected land for peace proposals that certainly seemed reasonable to objective observers. I support the national rights of the Palestinian people to a viable, independent Palestinian state. Because of space limitations those topics could not be addressed in today’s column.
The great Rabbi Hillel taught us two thousand years ago , “ Do not do unto others what would be hateful if done to you. That is the Torah in its entirety. All the rest is commentary…”. If Israel does not live by this teaching, and the principles of its own Proclamation of Independence, all the rest is tragedy.