Act Now for Peace

Earlier this week Israel attacked a United Nations school in the center of Gaza, killing at least dozens of people, mostly civilians. The Israeli army says that a compound within the school grounds was being used by Hamas fighters to fire mortar rounds, while UN staff deny it. Some supporters of Israel argue that since the Israeli side is careful to only target Hamas militants, they are innocent of the charge that they have murdered civilians. Count me as a supporter of Israel (and Palestine) who argues the opposite: the decision to maintain the occupation, hold Gaza under siege, bomb and invade the most densely populated region on the planet, makes Israel guilty of choosing death instead of life.

In Hebrew you would say "u b'chartah b'hayyim" - "Behold I have placed before you today life and good, and death and evil... and you shall choose life, in order that you and your descendants may live." The choice to use your ability to wage war instead of to wage peace was not forced upon you by Hamas as a result of the rocket attacks. It was a choice made by successive Israeli governments that have rejected the Palestinian offer made years ago: to accept a Palestinian state on the lands conquered by Israel in 1967. Full stop.

If someone had told the Israelis back then, that someday the entire Arab world would be ready to accept normalization with Israel, sign peace accords, and open diplomatic and trade relations, they would have jumped for joy. Today Israel is a wealthy, powerful country with the strongest military in the Middle East. It's time to stop blaming others for your choices. End the occupation. Talk to your enemies.

When I was a soldier in the Israeli army, my basic training was held in the south of the country. One day we were learning to use our rifles, and the sergeant lined up my platoon and asked us to aim (not fire) our loaded rifles at the Bedouin encampment a short distance away from our hilltop. The sergeant walked behind us inspecting our stance. My rifle was pointed in a different direction from all the other soldiers in my unit. He asked me - why aren't you aiming where I asked?

I told him, loudly and nervously: Sir! We were taught never to aim our weapon at another human being unless we were going to shoot! He paused for a moment and said softly, okay then, where you are aiming is fine.

The instinct of remembering the value of human life is deeply ingrained in the Israeli way of thinking. The phrase "he who saves a life, it's as if he saved a whole world" is well established from a young age. But it does not find expression in the political or military arena. The treatment of the Palestinian people in general, and in Gaza over the past few years in particular, speaks volumes about how the Israeli leadership understands the world. And so, the world must raise its voice. Right now, in Israel, more than 30 peace organizations have been publicly demanding a ceasefire since last week. They need our urgent help.

While the political establishment in Israel is shocked by the bloodshed at the UN school, it isn't enough to bring them to their senses. Good people - that's you and me - need to lend our support. This week members of Congress are looking at resolutions in support of Israel alongside ways of pushing for a ceasefire. Which way will they go?

Please do as I do: call your Congress member and both of your Senators and tell them to support a ceasefire. Don't explain why you think this way, don't use emotional language, don't berate the poor staffers who answer your call or listen to your message. Just call. Use the number below.

Any Senator - (202) 224-3121

Any Representative - (202) 225-3121