The Blogs: Some advice for supporters of the Palestinian cause

As an Orthodox Jew and unapologetic supporter of Israel, I vociferously part company with the growing legions of outspoken supporters of the Palestinians and the Palestinian cause, who too often seem too eager to harm Israel rather than to give succor to the Arabs in Gaza and the West Bank.

In a US climate of increasing extremism and demonization, I worry about tenor of the activities, covered on a daily basis in the media, which often cross the line into outright anti-Semitism and threaten to morph into out-of-control violence. Which has already happened. In this country, and in other – mostly Western – lands where escalating activism in the name of the people in Gaza takes on a frightening tone.

Although these actions deeply concern me, I prefer not to condemn all the pro-Palestinian (since October 7 pro-Hamas) activities as expressions of deep-set anti-Jewish feelings, but of sincere, liberal-motivated, well-intentioned but under-informed sympathy for people they consider the underdogs in the ongoing Israel/Palestinian, IDF/Gaza conflict.

I’d rather not automatically condemn the reasoning of men and women whose strident actions and slogans I largely find repugnant. Seeking the best in human nature, I’d prefer not to ascribe wanton hatred to their hateful acts. But it’s hard not to conflate what these people claim to be for (safety for the Arabs in territory where Israel is responsible for security) and what they are against (Israel; in other words, a Jewish state).

Since support for the Palestinians does not perforce translate into anti-Semitic feelings (though a recent survey reported on by reddit.com lists that as the second-most common motivation for Westerners’ pro-Palestinian activism, trailing only “radical theology (left or right)” and ahead of “hatred of Israel”), I have some questions for the supporters:

Do you truly have the best interests of the Palestinians at heart – images of starving and injured children in Gaza surely tug at the heartstrings of any sensitive soul – or are you using their situation as a cudgel with which to beat the Jewish people (i.e., the government and army of Israel)? Does Palestinian suffering top your list of social action priorities, or are you selectively employing the post-October 7 matzav in Gaza to attack the Jewish community? Do you want a just peace to be reached between the Israelis and Palestinians? Do you believe that the Palestinians share any of the blame for the ongoing impasse, or do you lay all the blame on the Israeli side? Do you want to play a role in building peace, or only in tearing down Israel? Do you want to support the Palestinian Arabs and the Palestinian cause, and demonstrate that you are concerned for their welfare, and for their ability to establish an independent state – and not show animus for the Jewish people?

If your intentions are sincere, here are some things you can do:

You can remember that the fighting in Gaza today began in autumn 2023. On October 7. When Hamas invaded the Israeli territory near Gaza.
You can educate yourself about the well-documented Jewish historical and biblical claims on the territory between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.
You can reach out to educated members of your local Jewish community – a synagogue rabbi or scholar at a university’s Judaic studies department – and establish a dialogue.
You can avoid using such expressions as “From the river to the sea,” whose geographical significance and details you probably don’t understand.
You can demonstrate on behalf of the Palestinians without threatening – or committing – violence against people who hold another position.
You can eschew such simplistic terms as “colonialist” or “genocide” or “apartheid” that make a sophisticated discussion of the Israeli position impossible.
You can understand why supporters of Israel object to the en masse release from prison in Israeli custody of all Palestinians, many of whom have Jews’ blood on their hands.
You can express some sympathy for the Israeli residents (including non-Jews, among them some Muslims) who were killed and tortured and taken hostage on October 7, and for their loved ones.
You can stop treating the word “Zionist” as a curse word.
You can stop treating the word “occupation” as a justification for any crimes, notably murder, which Hamas and other Palestinians commit.
You can tell the truth about Hamas.
You can accept that spraying graffiti on a synagogue or restaurant wall is not as effective a rhetorical method as engaging someone in debate.
You can condemn specific Israeli policies without calling for the dismantling of Israel.
You can protest the violence committed by Israelis against Palestinians on the West Bank if you also criticize the geometrically-more-deadly violence committed by Hamas against Israelis on October 7.
You can cite freedom of speech in defense of your anti-Israel language if you also honor the free speech rights of your opponents and recognize that preservation of life (and property) outweighs the protection of the First Amendment.
You can express your displeasure over the human rights violations that Palestinians have suffered (at the hands of Jews) if you also express displeasure over the human rights violations that Palestinians have suffered in Gaza (at the hands of Hamas) and on the West Bank (at the hands of the Palestinian Authority) and in Syria (at the hands of the previous Syrian government), in other words, at the hands of fellow Arabs (i.e., non-Jews).
You can mourn the lives lost in Gaza since October 8 if you also mourn the lives lost on October 7.
You can investigate if your outspoken efforts here actually work for the benefit of the people of Gaza.
You can check (there is no end of websites and media outlets) if the acts of Hamas are helping the lives of the people of Gaza.
You can recognize that the Middle East conflict is not simplistically black-and-white.
You can show some understanding for the supporters of Israel whose first priority is the condition – and deliverance – of the people still being held as hostages by Hamas.
You can express skepticism about the actions of Hamas being depicted as legitimate behavior of people who consider themselves authentic representatives of a “religion of peace.”
You can bear in mind that the residents of Gaza probably don’t know about or care about your marches in Manhattan, Houston, Dearborn …
You can take Hamas claims of casualty numbers and of other putative IDF “atrocities” with an enormous grain of salt.
You can appreciate that Israel is a democracy, while Hamas and the Palestinian Authority are not.
You can honestly admit that most Palestinians, if they had a free choice, would not choose to live in a country controlled by Hamas.
You can recognize that the freedom of assembly and protest that allows you to demonstrate on behalf of Hamas would not be permitted in a country controlled by Hamas.
You can also appreciate that Israel has the right to defend itself.
You can urge Hamas to drop its unreasonable demands, reach an accommodation with Israel, and release the hostages.
You can reject the option of targeting the homes of politicians or other prominent individuals with whose positions you disagree.
You can stop covering your face with a keffiyeh at pro-Palestinian rallies if you are not afraid of being publicly identified.
You can ask the imam of your local mosque to study the Koranic verses and hadiths that praise the Jewish people and the Jewish claims on the Promised Land.
You can offer to create a protective cordon of hands-holding men and women around threatened sites like synagogues and Jewish community centers; that will demonstrate that you harbor no ill will towards Jewish people.
You can not be surprised if Jews, and other friends of the Jewish community and of Israel, are very uncomfortable with your brand of uncompromising activism.
You can acknowledge that Hamas is using your naivete and idealism to further its goals in its battle against Israel.
You can acquiesce to the assertion that the only people entitled to demand an immediate ceasefire are the family members of Hamas’ hostages in Gaza.
You can offer to accompany Jewish students on campus who feel unsafe in their university’s present hostile atmosphere.
You can ask yourself if you would want to be treated the way you are treating the people you have identified as your political opponents.
You can post pictures of Gaza residents affected by the current war there instead of defacing or ripping down posters of people being held hostage by Hamas.
You can study what your own faith group, or political philosophy, teaches about peacefully expressing your opinion.
You can let speakers with whom you disagree speak, without shouting them down or preventing their access to a microphone.
You can show respect to the police officers, who protecting the rights of Jews and other supporters of Israel, are just doing their job.
You can learn how people like Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Ghandi were able to accomplish their goals.
You can talk, instead of shouting.
You can listen.
You can write a letter-to-the-editor of your publication-of-choice and express your opinion.
You can write your member of Congress. Or the White House. Or State Department. Or corporations you fault for dealing with Israel.
You can immediately condemn and exclude fellow travelers who engage in clear acts of anti-Semitism.
You can read a variety of online and printed publications – including those based in Israel – to get a balanced picture of what is taking place in Israel, Gaza and the Palestinian Authority.
You can consider the position of Arab nations that have made peace with Israel, or are likely to do so, and have withheld their moral and logistical support from Hamas and from the wider Palestinian cause.
You can contribute to such recipients as Action Aid, Anera, Doctors without Borders, the Egyptian Food Bank, the International Rescue Committee, or the International Red Cross, organizations whose emphasis are providing aid to the needy and not bashing Israel.
You can refrain from vandalizing Jewish sites in this country.
You can collect such needed supplies as non-perishable halal food items, blankets, articles of clothing and medical equipment for the residents of Gaza. Organizations that will accept your gathered items include the Zakat Foundation of America, Episcopal Relief & Development, Clothe Gaza’s Children and Medical Aid foe Palestinians.
You can volunteer your time in Gaza, or in the nearby areas, to the people with whom you claim to sympathize. ESL teachers are always in demand. Also, people who can work with children. Such NGO groups as Save the Children, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, and Medical Aid for Palestinians will gladly accept your services. And the UN has volunteer openings in East Jerusalem and Beirut.
Whatever you do, you can do it peacefully, with respect for people who do not share your opinion, or for those, neutral in the Israeli-Gaza schism, who are affected or inconvenienced by your actions.

You can shoot people at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington.