CBI Blogs

In my time at CBI, I don’t think I’ve ever completely articulated my feelings about Israel. I’ve skirted around the topic and offered somewhat parve statements regarding the history and challenges of Israel. I’ve attempted to meet our community where it is with this particular subject, all while keeping my opinions and beliefs somewhat on the sideline. But today, I feel the need to say loudly and proudly: I am a Zionist.

Now, some of you may be wondering what that means, or how I can say that with so much strife occurring overseas. It seems that there has been a lack of understanding in more recent years as to what it means to be a Zionist. Does it mean I care about Israel and only Israel? Does it mean that there should be a safe place for Jews to live and only Jews? Does it imply that I accept every single thing about Israel without any criticism or critique?

The answer to every one of those questions is NO. I care deeply about the state of Israel and the people who reside within the borders. ALL the people who reside there. I care about the Israelis and the Palestinians, the Jews and the non-Jews, the Arabs who are not of Palestinian descent, the people from all over the world who made Israel their home. I care deeply about all of their wellbeing, that they receive equal rights, more-than-adequate safety and security, plentiful food, shelter, and water. I care that each person lives without tyranny and oppression, and lives with the right to exist peacefully and freely.

I also have strong feelings about the Israeli government and how it functions within a broader community. I am critical of the systemic racism that exists for those living in and around Israel. I am deeply disappointed and challenged by the growing list of concerns for Israeli citizens. I despise the situation many impoverished Palestinians are forced to live with, in part because of the Israeli government.

But as critical as I am in regards to the Israeli government and their many failings throughout the past several years, much of today’s conflict is caused by Hamas. Hamas is a terrorist organization that aims to inflict pain on Jewish and Palestinian lives. They wreaked havoc on Israel nearly two weeks ago, but the suffering of the Palestinians under Hamas rule existed long before. I know there are many who disagree, who believe that Israel is to blame. And I also know that I don’t have all the answers, that there is a lot of information we will never know. But I do know that when Hamas killed innocent Jews, they celebrated. When Israel kills innocent Palestinians, they grieve as though they have lost their own.

Golda Meir said in her oral autobiography, ““When peace comes we will perhaps in time be able to forgive the Arabs for killing our sons, but it will be harder for us to forgive them for having forced us to kill their sons. Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us” (A Land of Our Own: An Oral Autobiography). We all have to work toward peace. We all have to be willing to get together, to have difficult conversations, to hear and attempt to understand “the other side.” We have to be willing to create peace. When that time comes, I can only hope that it arrives in time to save the lives of so many innocent people. When that time comes, and I pray it comes quickly, I hope our streets ring out with joy and celebration, laughter and cheers, tears of happiness, and an abundance of love.