Please, Prove Me Wrong

For once, I had thought we would see a mutual condemnation. For once, I thought I would see the morality of people standing strong against bigotry and hatred.

In the past week, I watched those claiming to represent my people, Jews, and Israelis, brutally stab LGBTQA* activists, and firebomb a Palestinian home, tragically claiming the life of a baby. Regardless of who committed these hate crimes, regardless of who committed these acts of terror, I watched my people, and people across the spectrum, forcefully condemn the attacks. In unison, we called for action, not condemnation, for punishment but not retribution. Together we shouted, “this is the worst kind of terrorism, we must condemn it forcefully and with the proper response”.

If anything positive could come from these deaths, at least I could relish in the fact that my community joined in the call deploring acts of terror.

And then today, I heard in horror, that again, a Jewish neighborhood has been firebombed by presumably an Arab terrorist in response to the attack which killed a Palestinian infant. And I recall stabbings by Palestinians against Israeli soldiers and civilians; I recall bombings, shootings, and acts of terror on both sides. And all I can think is, where is the condemnation? Where is the response? Do we even care? Instead of condemnation, I see celebration, candy passed out in streets, and streets named for terrorists.

When we ignore the murder of Arab children by Arabs, or of Jewish children by Palestinians, do we effectively render their lives meaningless? Do we only feel it necessary to give meaning to the lives claimed by Jewish terrorism? What message does that send?

When we see acts of terror, why do we not stand in unison, why do we not act as one? If it were about human rights for Palestinians, wouldn’t we have seen condemnation of some kind for the massacre at Yarmouk or other Palestinian refugees claimed by ISIS? If it were about human rights, would we not see condemnation for every attack in Syria, or for the Iranian regime’s brutal treatment of its homosexual community? Do we even care?

For once, I thought it wasn’t only about the Jews, for once, I thought people were beginning to see the light. Perhaps I am mistaken now, perhaps I was right at first. Please, prove me wrong.