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Jeffrey Kass

End Liberal Racism Against Palestinians

Image: Shutterstock/Touqa Essam - A group of Palestinian children
Image: Shutterstock/Touqa Essam - A group of Palestinian children

It’s been sad but not surprising to listen to the chorus of white liberals across America and Europe take to the TV waves and social media to justify Hamas’ October 7 massacre of 1,400 Israeli civilians, to go along with their kidnapping, rape and live streaming of their brutality.

This is Israel’s fault.

“Israel brought this on.”

“This is the natural result of Israel’s policies.”

These justifications, in case you’re wondering, started on October 8 before Israel had even finished counting the dead bodies. Before they knew how many babies to put in body bags.

But what exactly are these terror justifiers really saying?

Let’s translate.

In some self-described progressives’ world, Palestinians are an uncontrollable group of sub-humans with no personal choice in their actions. Animals, who if caged, will rip you from limb to limb. They can’t help but murder your babies. Or shoot your concertgoers. They must rape. And kidnap toddlers and octogenarians.

Hamas can’t be denounced because it’s understandable, according to their  defenders.

This, my friends, is pure racism against Palestinians. The opposite of progressive.

No matter your view of the complex conflict between the Jews and their ancestral connection to Israel, and the Palestinians who lost their homes when many Jews returned in the early to mid 1900s, or the reasons for Palestinians not having full freedoms, it’s not fait accompli that people automatically just turn into terrorists.

Most Palestinians don’t murder. Most Palestinians don’t slaughter. Or rape or kidnap. Most have families, go to work, and care about the same things we all care about. And most aren’t blowing themselves up because they feel injustice. Facts.

As a Jew, I’ve visited Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jericho and other Palestinian cities several times over the past 30 years. The people there are overwhelmingly warm, hospitable, smart and creative. I’ve eaten dinner in their homes. I’ve danced in their nightclubs.

Anyone who thinks that Hamas gets a free pass because they had no choice but to turn to slaughter and rape have a twisted view of the world.

Of course, it’d be intellectually dishonest to think that the conflict has zero impact on Palestinians or Israelis. That it doesn’t make people angry or sad. That it doesn’t harden or desensitize people to violence. Or that the conflict hasn’t contributed to unsustainable discord between Jews and Palestinians. Things, so we’re clear, have to change.

But to somehow suggest that the Hamas terrorists who slaughtered babies and raped women couldn’t help themselves is super-duper racist against Palestinians.

Palestinians aren’t animals. They aren’t sub-humans. They aren’t zombies.

Palestinians are precious human beings like the rest of us.

About the Author
Jeffrey Kass is an award-winning American author, lawyer, speaker and thought leader on race, ethnicity and society. His writing was nominated for the prestigious Pushcart Prize literary award, and he was named a top 50 writer on Medium on the issues of race , education and diversity. His newest book, "Black Batwoman v. White Jesus," is a collection of essays dealing with race and ethnicity.
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