This is beautiful, Charlotte. Brave and important words here. We’ve got to interrupt binary thinking and create room for nuance and as you say, grace. Thank you for this - it allowed me to take a deep and necessary breath.
The best, clearest, and most oddly comforting thing I have read since the attack. As I read your words I can only think what an extraordinary human you are.
I am a 69 year old Jew. My father fought in WW2. I am in the generation that was safe (my parents were born in America), but grew up knowing that the holocaust had happened. Knew that two thirds of the Jews in Europe were incinerated and no one took us in. And Israel, the land of the Old Testament, was a battered refuge. Terror, hostages, airplanes and bombs. That was what the Palestinians delivered. Until Israel finally fought back.
This is ancient history, but it is necessary context to understand. I cannot stand what the state of Israel has become. Settler is a word of horror, the government is an abomination. I cannot be clearer. But what exactly is Israel to do? Colonialist is being tossed around, as though Jews in Jerusalem is a new concept.
Yes, the state of Israel is a western construct (so are Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, but they don’t count). But that anyone is questioning the right of Jews to live in the land of the Bible is a joke. We wrote the damned thing. Every part of my politics argues that the Palestinians are victims and Israel the massive aggressor. But then tell me, where exactly are Jews to go and not get killed?
What it comes down to is get killed or fight like hell not to. Somehow the world seems to hope for a third possibility, that Jews and Israel die more gracefully. Something about turning the other cheek that you guys wrote about.
I have never felt such anguish over something that isn’t happening to my family, but it is tearing me apart. I cannot council Israel to die, and so I must support her as she fights and then kick that despicable government and the entire settler movement back into the box of nightmares from which it escaped.
But please do not forget why Israel fights so hard and why she is armed to the teeth. This is Israel and we are Jews. What’s left of us anyway. I would rather fight than die, but I long for neighbors who will allow us the third choice of living as neighbors. We are mischpucha. That is likely spelled wrong, but it is Yiddish for family.
As the daughter of Holocaust survivors I cannot accept the horrors of the attack on 10/7/23 without reigniting the generational trauma that has been passed to me by my parents. I thank God that my parents and Grandmother are not here to see this.
Thank you for this. I have not commented anywhere because of this tension. I had Jewish best friends when I was young. I spent a college semester in Jerusalem in 1981. We studied the complexity of the situation and lived in the old city in the midst of it. We spent time in West Jerusalem and in the West Bank (before the walls and increased separation). I had to run interference with 18 yo Israeli soldiers with assault weapons when they hassled my Palestinian friends. I attended services in synagogues and visited Yad Vashem (and during winter break went to Buchenwald). Sadat was killed while I was there. I strongly support the right of Israel to exist and condemn antisemitism. I condemn the terrorism of Hamas—and they had to know that would result in increased suffering for the Palestinian people. I care deeply about both the Palestinian people and the Israeli people and feel overwhelming sadness that their leaders can’t find a way forward to peace.
Charlotte. Again, I wish that we could clone you. If only the world was full of humans with your kindness, deliberation, intelligence, and fierce commitment to bringing about a better world. I admire you endlessly. Thank you.♥️🙏🏻
Charlotte, once again you speak the words and sentiment my brain cannot form. Thank you for your strong and clear voice, especially when advocating for the innocent and vulnerable. This is tragically beautiful.
I know you write well, Charlotte, that's why I immediately subscribed after reading a very long and detailed post you did on Twitter a year ago, but with this statement, you have outdone yourself. It is so forcefully, fully and articulately stated for all of us who cannot in good conscience or with any sense of our own morality take one side over the other. Thank you so much.
This is one of the most beautifully written views on a situation that I simply cannot get my head around. I am first an American, second a Jew. I have the exact same feelings of not being able to share my thoughts, even though I am highly outspoken rights advocate as President of IL National Organization for Women. You have written what I feel. I thank you for that.
I am glad to see someone with a platform as large as yours articulating the very sentiments that I have espoused for some time. I may be shouting into the wilderness, but you have the opportunity to shout into the larger world. I only hope that your humanity, empathy, and clarity manage to awaken a few more minds. <3
I will be sharing this on my FB page with citation. Days ago a friend, a friend whose political leanings were mostly in step with mine, was incensed that his feed wasn't covered with Stand with Israel profiles. I didn't know how to respond. I was afraid to respond. Your words are everything I was feeling and thinking. Thank You.
We live in a time when honest statements, precise words without smokey, deflective phrases designed to throw us off any track of understanding of what the speaker actually believes, are as rare a black opals. During the past few decades, maybe even further back, we have been coerced, almost subliminally trained to find and blame a single aggressor. Media--and certainly the entertainment industry--give us good guys and bad guys and demand we choose sides. We forget that a confluence of events can present a Gordian knot of complexity. Thousands of years of complexity. Two sides CAN be wrong. And, at times, in part, justified. Your honesty in stating your beliefs is beyond commendable. It shows wisdom. That is also a rarity. Thank you.
Thank you so much. So much of your writing speaks to me and this one particularly speaks so well for me-- my own complex and conflicted feelings on these horrific events. I appreciate you.
This is beautiful, Charlotte. Brave and important words here. We’ve got to interrupt binary thinking and create room for nuance and as you say, grace. Thank you for this - it allowed me to take a deep and necessary breath.
The best, clearest, and most oddly comforting thing I have read since the attack. As I read your words I can only think what an extraordinary human you are.
I am a 69 year old Jew. My father fought in WW2. I am in the generation that was safe (my parents were born in America), but grew up knowing that the holocaust had happened. Knew that two thirds of the Jews in Europe were incinerated and no one took us in. And Israel, the land of the Old Testament, was a battered refuge. Terror, hostages, airplanes and bombs. That was what the Palestinians delivered. Until Israel finally fought back.
This is ancient history, but it is necessary context to understand. I cannot stand what the state of Israel has become. Settler is a word of horror, the government is an abomination. I cannot be clearer. But what exactly is Israel to do? Colonialist is being tossed around, as though Jews in Jerusalem is a new concept.
Yes, the state of Israel is a western construct (so are Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, but they don’t count). But that anyone is questioning the right of Jews to live in the land of the Bible is a joke. We wrote the damned thing. Every part of my politics argues that the Palestinians are victims and Israel the massive aggressor. But then tell me, where exactly are Jews to go and not get killed?
What it comes down to is get killed or fight like hell not to. Somehow the world seems to hope for a third possibility, that Jews and Israel die more gracefully. Something about turning the other cheek that you guys wrote about.
I have never felt such anguish over something that isn’t happening to my family, but it is tearing me apart. I cannot council Israel to die, and so I must support her as she fights and then kick that despicable government and the entire settler movement back into the box of nightmares from which it escaped.
But please do not forget why Israel fights so hard and why she is armed to the teeth. This is Israel and we are Jews. What’s left of us anyway. I would rather fight than die, but I long for neighbors who will allow us the third choice of living as neighbors. We are mischpucha. That is likely spelled wrong, but it is Yiddish for family.
As the daughter of Holocaust survivors I cannot accept the horrors of the attack on 10/7/23 without reigniting the generational trauma that has been passed to me by my parents. I thank God that my parents and Grandmother are not here to see this.
Thank you for this. I have not commented anywhere because of this tension. I had Jewish best friends when I was young. I spent a college semester in Jerusalem in 1981. We studied the complexity of the situation and lived in the old city in the midst of it. We spent time in West Jerusalem and in the West Bank (before the walls and increased separation). I had to run interference with 18 yo Israeli soldiers with assault weapons when they hassled my Palestinian friends. I attended services in synagogues and visited Yad Vashem (and during winter break went to Buchenwald). Sadat was killed while I was there. I strongly support the right of Israel to exist and condemn antisemitism. I condemn the terrorism of Hamas—and they had to know that would result in increased suffering for the Palestinian people. I care deeply about both the Palestinian people and the Israeli people and feel overwhelming sadness that their leaders can’t find a way forward to peace.
Charlotte. Again, I wish that we could clone you. If only the world was full of humans with your kindness, deliberation, intelligence, and fierce commitment to bringing about a better world. I admire you endlessly. Thank you.♥️🙏🏻
Charlotte, once again you speak the words and sentiment my brain cannot form. Thank you for your strong and clear voice, especially when advocating for the innocent and vulnerable. This is tragically beautiful.
I know you write well, Charlotte, that's why I immediately subscribed after reading a very long and detailed post you did on Twitter a year ago, but with this statement, you have outdone yourself. It is so forcefully, fully and articulately stated for all of us who cannot in good conscience or with any sense of our own morality take one side over the other. Thank you so much.
This is one of the most beautifully written views on a situation that I simply cannot get my head around. I am first an American, second a Jew. I have the exact same feelings of not being able to share my thoughts, even though I am highly outspoken rights advocate as President of IL National Organization for Women. You have written what I feel. I thank you for that.
Thanks Charlotte. Hang in there my friend. We're in this together and I'm grateful for your leadership.
I am glad to see someone with a platform as large as yours articulating the very sentiments that I have espoused for some time. I may be shouting into the wilderness, but you have the opportunity to shout into the larger world. I only hope that your humanity, empathy, and clarity manage to awaken a few more minds. <3
I will be sharing this on my FB page with citation. Days ago a friend, a friend whose political leanings were mostly in step with mine, was incensed that his feed wasn't covered with Stand with Israel profiles. I didn't know how to respond. I was afraid to respond. Your words are everything I was feeling and thinking. Thank You.
Thank you, Charlotte.
Brava, Charlotte. Thank you.
We live in a time when honest statements, precise words without smokey, deflective phrases designed to throw us off any track of understanding of what the speaker actually believes, are as rare a black opals. During the past few decades, maybe even further back, we have been coerced, almost subliminally trained to find and blame a single aggressor. Media--and certainly the entertainment industry--give us good guys and bad guys and demand we choose sides. We forget that a confluence of events can present a Gordian knot of complexity. Thousands of years of complexity. Two sides CAN be wrong. And, at times, in part, justified. Your honesty in stating your beliefs is beyond commendable. It shows wisdom. That is also a rarity. Thank you.
Thank you so much. So much of your writing speaks to me and this one particularly speaks so well for me-- my own complex and conflicted feelings on these horrific events. I appreciate you.
Thank you for your honesty, your clarity, your conviction and your ability to educate. I have not one ounce the courage you have in being so open.