I Stand for Humanity

As an American Jew born and raised in the Philadelphia suburbs, I was and
continue to be taught that the ability to recognize and help those suffering from
humanitarian crises is a mitzvah, or, a good deed. I have watched American Jews
perform tikkun olamrepairing the world, by organizing events to raise funds,
awareness, and advocacy about worldwide humanitarian crises, making the world
a better place through their generosity. When it comes to the humanitarian plight
of Palestinians, however, the American-Jewish community refuses to
acknowledge the irrefutable existence of a man-made humanitarian crisis in the
occupied Palestinian territories (oPt). As an international affairs professional, it
disgusts me that when I speak with fellow American Jews about this situation,
their comments attempt to show that this humanitarian crisis is exaggerated by
the media, should be downplayed, or is somehow less important than the
Government of Israels national security concerns.

In public school and religious school, I learned about the Jewish historical
narrative of displacement, suffering, genocide, resilience, the formation of the
State of Israel in 1948, and the struggles with neighboring countries that exist
today. As a part of this narrative, Israelis do indeed continue to suffer death,
injury, and displacement from Hamas rocket fire, but they are not alone in their
suffering at the hands of another. Acknowledging that Palestinians have a
historical narrative of their own, which includes prolonged humanitarian
injustices, does not weaken, counter, or threaten the Jewish narrative. Man-made
actions have also resulted in the death, injury, and displacement of Palestinians
in the oPt. Illegal settlement building in the West Bank regularly destroys
Palestinian homes and damages local infrastructure. The economic blockade on
the Gaza Strip prevents economic growth and has pushed unemployment well
above 40 per cent, with nearly 80 per cent of the population living below the
poverty line. These are just some of the facts of the Palestinian humanitarian
crisis that remain unacknowledged by the American-Jewish community in fear of
being perceived as pro-Palestine or anti-Israel.

While working with a humanitarian organization providing relief to Palestinians,
I had the privilege of meeting several young middle school students from Gaza.
Despite their extensive personal losses as a result of ongoing conflict, they remain
committed to peace and to making the world a better place. We can all learn from
these students experiences. To me, Judaism calls upon Jews to uphold the
highest standards of humanity. Instead of living in a perpetual state of fear,
which breeds ignorance and hatred, educate yourselves by reading on-the-ground
analyses by credible humanitarian relief organizations that work with
Palestinians such as BTselem, Gisha, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights,
and Al-Haq.

Standing silent in the face of a humanitarian crisis is complicity. When you speak
out in recognition of this crisis you help bring the realities of the man-made
humanitarian situation facing the Palestinians to the public. Fear is the ultimate
obstacle to overcoming ignorance. By identifying as a humanitarian worker and
as a Jew, it is my duty to learn about the experiences of suffering people all over
the world. I have a duty to look beyond the political conflict and genuinely
acknowledge how this violence has shaped the lives of Israelis and Palestinians. I
am an American Jew who recognizes, understands, and empathizes with the
Palestinian humanitarian crisis. I pray that the rest of the American Jewish
community recognize their duty to uphold the highest standards of humanity and
speak out about this issue, as they do over humanitarian crises faced anywhere
else in the world.

Rebecca Harris