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WAR | ISRAEL | IRAN | PALESTINE
Justice, Not Peace
Israeli peace activists shelter while Gaza goes dark
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Nowadays, I introduce myself as “a justice activist, not a peace activist.” What’s the difference you may ask?
Meet XYZ, an American-Israeli activist. She has led several peace groups in the US. From the symbols next to her name in the tweet below, she clearly identifies as a Jewish peace activist. I protect her identity because it’s immaterial to my point. I actually like the person and respect her work, and to be fair, she has tweeted consistently about Gaza. I am mindful that she is likely regarded with mistrust and hostility by her society, especially at times like this. I share the tweet because I do find it illustrative of the inherent paradox of being a peace activist in Israel.
As a human being reading this tweet, I instantly feel empathy for her situation. I get to remember that Israel also has innocent civilians, perhaps peace activists themselves, who are now being bombed by Iran. Her plea for peace tugs at my heartstrings. I can see the fear in her eyes. I share her prayer.
Then I remember my brother in Ramallah, just 10 miles away, has no access to any bomb shelters…
