PERSPECTIVESSUMMER 2020 - CIVILRIGHTS APARTHEID STORIES - THE MAGAZINE OF PROMISED LAND MUSEUM
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CIVIL RIGHTS APARTHEID STORIES
PERSPECTIVES SUMMER 2020
#
THE MAGAZINE OF PROMISED LAND MUSEUM
PROMISED
LAND INSIDE
MUSEUM 4 Civil Rights
8 Currency
amidst a global pandemic, does our understanding of what it
10 Essay: Zionism and
means to be oppressed change? Now that the entire world has gotten
a taste of what being truly vulnerable feels like, will our response to
persecuted communities change?
Anti-Zionism Are
The Jewish Museum of the Palestinian Experience was founded
to help provide a more complete, more Jewish, understanding of Not Incompatible
the conflict in the Holy Land. The second issue of our magazine
discusses the ideas of liberation, oppression, and civil rights by
drawing a parallel with the global Coronavirus pandemic. 11 Credits
The museum focuses primarily on material from Jewish and Israeli
sources. Palestinian sources are valuable, too, particularly for
understanding Palestinian perspectives, and the Museum of the
Palestinian People can provide that perspective. Hopefully, a better
understanding will lead to what we all truly desire: peace, security,
and justice for all the people living in Israel/Palestine, for both
Jewish and non-Jewish families.
COVER IMAGE: Bethlehem children play near the Israeli security barrier.
THIS PAGE: A Palestinian activist confronts Israeli soldiers in a protest
1# against the encirclement of the West Bank town of Al-Walaja. #
CIVIL
RIGHTS
antisemitism has been called the oldest hatred in history. The Jewish
community has been familiar with ostracization, persecution, and blatant
bigotry for centuries. It is no wonder that Jews have been at the forefront
of civil rights movements across the world—from Rabbi Abraham
Joshua Heschel marching alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to defense
attorney Isie Maisels standing beside Nelson Mandela, championing the
South African anti-apartheid movement.
Jews have been committed to the cause of an egalitarian society—
one based on the virtues of peace, tolerance, and brotherhood. This does,
however, beg the question: are the Palestinians treated fairly? Do they
receive the same rights as other families in Israel?
Martin Luther King marches against racism with a group of Jewish activists.
4# PROMISED LAND MUSEUM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2020 #5CIVIL RIGHTS
the structures are built without permits. However, as West Bank, an illegal practice under international
Human Rights Watch notes, as with drinking water, humanitarian law.”
such permits are almost impossible for Palestinians to
obtain in areas under Israeli control. A 2014 Reuters Since the Six Day War in 1967, Israel has imprisoned
article brought this crime to light: 663 Palestinian more than 800,000 Arabs, most of them for political
structures have been demolished. Even the Red Cross crimes. This accounts for 40 percent of the male
has announced that it will stop delivering tents to population, or one-fifth of the total Palestinian
Palestinians who have been made homeless in the population. According to the Addameer Prisoner
Jordan border region of the Occupied West Bank. Support and Human Rights Association, 4,700
They cite Israeli obstruction and confiscation of aid as Palestinian political prisoners are being held in Israeli
reasons for doing so. prisons and detention centers as of April, 2020. Of
these, 185 are under the age of 16. Human rights
THE SEPARATION WALL violations in these prisons are plentiful.
PICTURED: Children participate in a protest against South Africa’s apartheid policies.
AND ISSUES OVER MOVEMENT
Also dubbed the “racial segregation” or “apartheid” Palestinian political prisoners in Israel are often
wall, the first section of the separation barrier was jailed without trial and face torture while being held.
It has been said that history doesn’t repeat itself, but The Center of Economic and Social Rights states, constructed in 1994. When complete, it will be over Around 1,200 complaints have been officially filed
it does rhyme. During the time when the apartheid “The Israeli confiscation of water resources is a 400 miles in length and 25 feet in height. To put it against internal security services for torture, but not
regime was still in place in South Africa, Archbishop defining feature of the Israeli occupation and a into perspective, the Berlin Wall was 96 miles long, a single agent has been prosecuted. In 2017, the
Desmond Tutu stated that if he were to change the major impediment to a just resolution of the Israel- and only 11.8 feet tall. Israeli High Court ruled in favor of security service
names, “a description of what is happening in the Palestine conflict.” Shin Bet, which used extreme forms of torture
Gaza Strip and the West Bank could describe events Other than illegally occupying Palestinian territory— in order to extract information from Palestinian
in South Africa.” At the 2014 General Assembly of In 1967, the Israeli authorities issued an order an act condemned by the International Court of detainee Assad Abu Ghosh.
Presbyterian Church USA, Tutu once again brought which disallowed Palestinians from constructing Justice—the wall serves another, equally draconian,
up the parallel. “I know firsthand that Israel has new water installations without first obtaining a purpose: it restricts the movement of people, and as
created an apartheid reality within its borders and permit from the Israeli army. These permits are a result significantly curbs their freedom.
through its occupation,” he said. impossible to come by. Since then, the problem of
water scarcity in Palestine has skyrocketed. Ground Over 700 roadblocks control Palestinian movement
The world began reconsidering the Israeli occupation water in Gaza has been over-pumped due to a rising within the West Bank. Of these, 140 are checkpoints
of Palestine in a new light after the first intifada broke refugee population and is now considered unfit for that limit and control the movement of goods and
CONCLUDING SUMMARY
out in December, 1987. Since then, reports of gross human consumption because it is mixing with salt workers. They have proved extremely detrimental
human rights abuses and infringement of the principles water from the Mediterranean Sea. Gazans spend to Palestine’s economy. (A 2014 World Bank Report
Since the formal establishment of Israel in
of peace, justice, and equality have grown. The Jewish up to one-fourth of their household income on ascertains that poverty levels in Gaza stand at 39
1948, Palestinians have been persecuted and
community, well acquainted with being discriminated water supplied by Israel. percent and unemployment at 41 percent.)
oppressed to some degree or other. Tragically,
against, has championed egalitarianism in different
the strength of these oppressive forces seems
parts of the world throughout modern history. It PALESTINIAN HOMES HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
to grow by the day. Civil rights are one of the
therefore is not entirely surprising when large numbers IN ISRAEL/PALESTINE BY ISRAEL IN PALESTINE
key benchmarks of a just and free society,
of Jewish people speak out against the violation of the Palestinians with Israeli citizenship make up a third “World Report 2020” released by Human Rights
a society Israel and Palestine must move
most basic rights of innocent Palestinian people. of the population in Jerusalem but have access Watch notes that Israeli authorities have gained
towards. Actions of the Israeli authorities must
to only seven percent of urban land. Since 1967, global notoriety for “severe and discriminatory
be condemned on the world stage. Israel must
BLOCKING ACCESS TO WATER the Jerusalem Municipality has constructed over restriction on Palestinians’ human rights; restrict
be held accountable for the numerous crimes
Access to safe and clean drinking water is a 100,000 housing units in Jewish areas. In Palestinian the movement of people and goods into and out
against humanity it has committed.
fundamental right that has officially been recognized areas, the number is only 500. Israel also carries out of the Gaza Strip, and facilitate the transfer of
by the UN. In Israel/Palestine, Israel controls the water. Palestinian home demolitions on the grounds that Israeli citizens to settlements in the occupied
6# PROMISED LAND MUSEUM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2020 7C U R R E N CY
People in different groups often misjudge the motivations Factual Data and Figures
Using our heads more than our hearts
Anecdotes and Storytelling
Using our hearts more than our heads
Results
What lessons are learned?
of others. This phenomenon is seen in Israel/Palestine
In 2019, police officers killed 1,098 people On May 25, 2020, 46-year-old George It took the single story of
along with many other conflicts throughout the world. in the U.S. While the large majority of these Floyd—an unarmed black man—was George Floyd to motivate
victims were armed, blacks were 3 times more brutally murdered by white police officers. people to protest in the streets.
In this section, we illustrate this common cause of struggle likely to be killed than whites even though A video of the incident was released online
they were 1.3 times less likely to be armed.1 with Floyd saying, “I can’t breathe” while
via various current events. the arresting officer pressed his knee against
Floyd’s neck, almost as if he was enjoying it.
In 2019, 89 law enforcement officers (an We accept and understand that being a The impact of someone
average of 1.7 per week) were killed in the police officer means putting oneself in harm’s we know is far greater than
line of duty across the U.S.2 way as part of the job. But when 32-year- any statistic.
TOPIC
old officer Jordan Sheldon—sweet, kind
and great with people—was shot and killed
Civil Rights: Stories Matter More Than during a routine traffic stop in Mooresville,
Numbers, But Numbers Are People Too North Carolina, the community mourned
the loss of their hero.
one of the qualities that make us human is the Hundreds of thousand Palestinians were A 32-year-old unarmed Palestinian man An Israeli Prime Minister
impact stories have on us. We are wired to respond to stories and to made refugees and kept from their homes. named Eyad Hallaq was shot to death as he apologized for his killing,
find comfort in narrative arcs, interesting or familiar characters, and Israeli forces kill thousands of Palestinians. cowered next to a garbage bin on May 30, not for the hundreds of
a lesson or moral delivered in an interesting way. 34 Palestinians were killed and over 1,800 2020. His caregiver pleaded for his life as she thousand Palestinians made
injured with live ammunition by Israeli forces tried to explain to Israeli police officers that refugees or the thousands of
during one single protest in October, 2019.3 he had autism. Palestinians killed.
While stories stir emotions and garner empathy, numbers over a
certain size aren’t something that move us emotionally, even when
According to the Israeli Information Center Yocheved Shoshan, age 10, was killed, and The killing of an identifiable
those numbers represent people. For example, it’s the tragedy of
for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories her 15-year-old sister Miriam was severely victim can have much greater
George Floyd, an unarmed black man brutally killed by a white police (B’tselem), 59 Israeli civilians were killed by injured with 60 nails lodged in her body in impact on our thinking
officer’s knee while other officers looked on that motivates people Palestinians between January 2009 and the 2001 Sbarro restaurant suicide bombing than do statistics on larger
from different backgrounds to protest in unison, not statistics about April 2020.4 in Jerusalem. numbers of deaths.
how often incidents like this tend to happen.
People tend to respond to extreme narratives that are often outliers and REFERENCES
1 “Mapping Police Violence”. 2020.
not representative of what typically happens in a given situation. The https://www.mappingpoliceviolence.org/
salience of a story garners attention. The incident of an unarmed man’s
2 FBI National Press Office. “FBI Releases 2019 Statistics on Law Enforcement
horrific death and the knee of someone who should be protecting Officers Killed in the Line of Duty”. May 4, 2020.
Stories shape our world. Too often, people
the citizenry triggered widespread public outcries across the United https://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/fbi-releases-2019- on each side see their position based on the
statistics-on-law-enforcement-officers-killed-in-the-line-of-duty moving stories of individuals and see the
States and around the globe; the ongoing, day-to-day injustice that the
opposition as only a numbers.
protests hope to abolish did not light the spark. 3 “Israel and Palestine: Events of 2019”. 2019.
https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2020/country-chapters/israel/palestine
4 The Israeli Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories.
“Fatalities Since Operation Cast Lead”. 2020.
https://www.btselem.org/statistics/fatalities/after-cast-lead/by-date-of-event
8 PROMISED LAND MUSEUM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2020 9C LO S I N G T H O U G H T S
Zionism and Anti-Zionism Are Not Incompatible
Dr. Steven Feldman
A
recent Intelligence Squared debate took on in order to create a state that privileges Jews over
the question of whether anti-Zionism is other people. Jews have an intense aversion to
the new anti-Semitism. While the debaters discrimination and bigotry, and because of that many
(two Americans, an Israeli and a Palestinian) did not Jews are anti-Zionist when Zionism is understood
specifically define what was meant by Zionism or as mistreating non-Jewish Palestinian people. We
anti-Zionism, Intelligence Squared defined Zionism Jews pray “Next year in Jerusalem,” not, “Next
A B O U T T H I S P U B L I C AT I O N
as “the belief that the Jewish people have a right to year in Jerusalem by making and keeping peaceful
statehood in Israel.” non-Jewish Palestinian families refugees from their
homes.” Anti-Zionists believe that Zionists are racists This magazine has been developed by the
Growing up in an orthodox Jewish community, because it is racist to think that it is acceptable to Promised Land Museum a project of
Zionism seemed entirely reasonable to me. Many of make and keep peaceful families refugees from their The Coalition for Peace with Justice.
the people I grew up with homes in order to support a state run by a minority.
made Aliyah, they “went
We Jews pray “Next up” and moved to Israel. The objective observer sees that those who regard The Promised Land Museum was founded
My wife and I have a lot themselves as Zionists do not believe they have a to provide a Jewish Perspective on the Israel/
year in Jerusalem,” of family in Israel, Jews right to mistreat non-Jewish people. The objective Palestine conflict. This perspective is rooted
who made their way from observer also sees that anti-Zionists are in no way
in Jewish values, to treat our neighbor as
not, “Next year in Europe, the United States, anti-Semitic and that Jews want to live in Israel/
we would want to be treated.
and South Africa and Palestine in peace, that Palestinian families want to
Jerusalem by making who raised families there. live in Palestine/Israel in peace, and that there is no
Zionists believe Zionism conflict in achieving both these goals at the same The mission of the Coalition for Peace with Justice
and keeping peaceful refers to Jews returning time. Palestinian Jews, Christians and Muslims used (CPWJ) is to work for a just and sustainable peace
to the land of Israel. At to live together peacefully in the Holy Land and
in Israel-Palestine. We educate the public, advocate
non-Jewish Palestinian Passover, we Jews pray, certainly can again.
“Next year in Jerusalem.” for change based on equal rights, and directly
families refugees from Zionists believe that anti- Had Intelligence Squared defined anti-Zionism as support peace builders in Israel-Palestine.
Zionists are anti-Semitic “the belief that Jewish people do not have a right
their homes.” because Jews have had a to expel peaceful Palestinian families from their If you are interested in contributing to a future
constant presence in the homes and to make and keep them refugees in order
Holy Land and should to maintain Jewish hegemony in a land that had a
issue, visit us on social media or contact us via
have a right to go to Israel majority non-Jewish population,” it may have been email at info@promisedlandmuseum.org.
peacefully. Excluding clearer that anti-Zionism is not anti-Semitism but is
people from going to a reflection of walking the talk of Jewish values.
Israel/Palestine simply because they are Jewish would
be a racist, anti-Semitic view.
Dr. Steven Feldman is a
But people who are anti-Zionists are generally not U.S.-based dermatologist
at all concerned with peaceful people—Jewish or and Curator of the Jewish
otherwise—going to live in the Holy Land. Anti- Museum of the Palestinian
Zionists believe Zionism refers to Jews expelling Experience.
peaceful Palestinian families from their homes
10 PROMISED LAND MUSEUM MAGAZINE SUMMER 2020 11PromisedLandMuseum.org
@promisedlandmuseum
@LandMuseum
@Promised Land
For more information or to share this message of peace
with your community, contact the Coalition for Peace with Justice,
PO Box 2081, Chapel Hill, NC 27515
919-914-9881 / cpwj.contact@gmail.com
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