Jews didn't arrive in Israel in the 20th century; rather, Jews have been living in Palestine / Israel for more than two thousand years. The mass migration of Europeans and others into Palestine from the late 1800s through the creation of Israel in 1948 was driven by the idea that Jews can only truly be safe in a homeland governed by Jews. This idea was sadly proven during World War II, and many of those who migrated at that time were refugees and Holocaust survivors. They literally had no home, because they were Jewish. So the lucky ones that survived the Holocaust fled concentration and labor camps to spots all over the world, including Israel. Similarly, Jews have been exiled out of the Arab countries where they lived for centuries. They, too, were forced to flee, because they were Jewish, and many arrived in Israel. It is not true that one cannot criticize Israel or Israeli policy without threats of being called antisemitic. Perhaps you've missed the weekly and on-going protests over the last year in Israel against Israel's current far-right and deranged government. Many Jews, many Israelis, oppose this government, oppose the occupation, oppose what is now happening in Gaza. Hamas cannot be defeated militarily and collective punishment is cruel and counter-productive. Many Zionist Jews, myself included, pray and work for the day when justice-loving people can live in peace. Sadly, Hamas does not share this vision. They call for the destruction of Israel. They call for the annihilation of all Jewish people. They do not seek peace, but rather glorify violence and literally celebrate the murder of Jews. To end this conflict, the majority of Israelis and Palestinians must defeat the fundamentalists within and without, and agree to live in peace. There have been many times when that seemed tantalizingly close, only to see various peace deals fall apart. A two-state solution would at least get us closer to righting the wrongs of Palestinian displacement that occurred after WWII. Sadly we seem farther than that than ever, and that is what fuels my despondency today, along with knowing and seeing, again, that there are those who will dance on Jewish graves.
