Harry Targ
Jewish families assemble at dusk on December 7, to light the candles for the first of eight days of celebration of Chanukah. While elements of the Chanukah story remain relevant today this time the resistance against attacks from an armed enemy bent on destroying a people is reversed. While Jewish people were the targets on October 7, since then the victims of brutal violence are Palestinians. Unfortunately, the state of Israel (not the Jewish people) is the enemy.
The point of Chanukah is for families, young and old, to assemble, admire the candles, share presents and sweets, and enjoy the time that they can be together. But today’s Chanukah requires reflections on the murderous destruction of Palestinian families in Gaza and the West Bank.
Therefore, in the spirit of the eight nights of Chanukah
celebrants should reflect and act on the violence being perpetuated in Gaza and
around the Middle East.
First, continue to
demand, through words and actions, a complete ceasefire in Gaza. Even the
corporate media, usually beholden to Israeli lobbyists cannot bear to be
neutral in the face of the bombings and destruction (particularly the killing
of children) they have to report day after day.
Second, assess the
enormous role the United States is playing in fueling this violence: sending
arms, finding ways to avoid the transparency of such actions, and advocating
for increasing military aid to Israel beyond the yearly $3 billion.
Third, reflect on the
extent to which the United States economy is driven by military spending, a
permanent wat economy. Huge profits have been recorded for the five leading
defense contractors since the Ukraine war began (the Raytheon CEO in fact spoke
in celebratory tones in early 2022 about how the Ukraine war was good for its
business). The war on Gaza has been an extra benefit for the militarists.
Fourth, think about how the
wars in Ukraine and Gaza have rekindled the long historical narrative of
American exceptionalism. From Theodore Roosevelt’s praise of the special role
of the white race in building civilization to the Clinton/Obama/Biden claim
that the United States is “the indispensable nation,” the old ideology has been
dusted off to rationalize a new drive for global hegemony. This time the US faces
a changing world order in which the Global South is rising up angry and large
and powerful nations such as China are asserting their influence.
Fifth, mobilize against
a “new McCarthyism,” that is being spread across the land, particularly in
educational institutions, claiming that criticisms of Israeli policy are in
fact manifestations of antisemitism. In fact, thousands of self-described
Jewish activists have been hitting the streets and organizing lobbying
campaigns demanding a cease fire in Gaza and registering support for a free Palestine.
They see the historic role of the Jewish people as bound, as the Maccabees in
the Chanukah story, to resistance against repression.
Sixth, for those who
are appropriately concerned about the possible impacts the war on Gaza
supported by the United States might have on the 2024 elections it is clear that
opposing what is commonly called fascism at home requires opposing fascism
overseas. In this Chanukah season Jewish activists need to support politicians who
have been calling for a ceasefire, a reduction of military aid to Israel, and
the defense of the rights of Palestinian people. Liberals and progressives should
be aware of President Biden’s loss of support among the young, people of color,
and Muslims, and as well as peace activists generally.
Seventh, revisit “root
causes” of Middle East violence over the last 75 years. Unfortunately, the
horrific violence against the Jewish people for centuries and particularly the Holocaust
was followed by what Illan Pappe has called “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians resulting
from the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 and the 1967 war and Israeli
policies ever since. There are many issues to reflect upon and debate but it is
clear that the violence in the Middle East did not begin with the founding of
Hamas or their terrible violence on October 7, 2023.
Eighth, finally as we
celebrate with families while lighting the candles, peace activists should
revisit peace alternatives. A two-state solution is not enough; one secular
state is needed. Expropriating
Palestinian property and land must be addressed while protecting the rights of
Israeli citizens as well. The two peoples who have so much in common historically
and culturally must find a way to live together much like the diverse families
who assemble for the Chanukah season.
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Jewish Voice for Peace: An interview with Rabbi Brant Rosen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWgx2OMxZcE
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Interview with Harry Targ
