By Rabbi Dow Marmur
ASIRA AL-QIBLIYA, Palestinian Authority — I’ve heard many Jews who live inWest Banksettlements tell journalists that, despite the toxic politics, they’ve good relations with their Palestinian neighbors. But that’s not what I heard last Wednesday in Asira Al-Qibliya, a Palestinian town of some 2,500 people south of Nablus and close to the 900+ strong settlement of Yitzhar.
Together with a dozen or so Jerusalemites, my wife and I visited the town and heard a litany of complaints about settler violence directed against the Palestinians, often as retaliation for the attempts by the authorities to curb the zeal of the settlers, e.g. by trying to stop them from putting up more illegal outposts.
Unlike other Jewish settlements in the West Bank that employ local Arabs to build their homes and perform other tasks which may give the impression of good relations, the residents of Yitzhar pride themselves of employing Jews only. It’s, therefore, unlikely that any of them brag about good relations with Arabs. On the contrary: Yitzhar has been known for years for its violence towards its neighbours.
The house we visited told some of the story. It belongs to a couple that has five children, but though it has many rooms, the family only occupies a couple on the ground floor the door and windows of which have been especially fortified to prevent intrusion. Nevertheless, the locals told us that the house has been attacked many times. A hastily scrawled Magen David on an outer wall may have been a souvenir from a recent unwelcome visit. The family sees itself as being constantly in the line of fire.
We had travelled fromJerusalem to express solidarity with them and their Arab neighbours. But observing how few of us had come, the local spokesman lamented the decline of the peace movement inIsrael. It had once brought vigorous support to his people. Now it’s the settlers and their supporters who dominate, he insisted.
As it was Hanukkah, we came under the banner of or (light), not terror. It’s part of a special campaign during the Festival of Lights to tell Palestinians that they’ve friends and supporters in the State of Israel. We lit a flame and read a prayer for peace but didn’t raise our voices in song lest that would arouse the ire of the settlers of Yitzhar and they’d take it out on our hosts after we had gone. Most of us left depressed and concerned about the failure of the army to sufficiently protect our hosts.
It’s, of course, possible that the Palestinians exaggerated the dangers they’re facing, because when you feel helpless, overemphasizing victimhood may offer some solace. But there’s enough evidence that settler violence is, indeed, a growing problem not only in the town we visited but in many other places. It’s carried out under the pretext of a “price tag”: each time the settlements are under threat because of international pressure or whenIsrael’s government is trying to curb expansion, the local Palestinians are made to pay the price. It’s the settlers’ warped way of saying, “Don’t mess with us.”
The spokesman for our group tried to comfort our hosts by referring to the Jews’ long history as a hounded and persecuted minority of which Hanukkah is an apt reminder. His message was that, as we didn’t lose hope and in the end became free, so will the Palestinians. He urged fortitude in patience.
I wasn’t sure how they understood these words of comfort and encouragement. Sadly, they may choose to regard their suffering as the price tag for our achievements.
*
Rabbi Marmur is spiritual leader emeritus at Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto. He now divides his time between Canada and Israel. He may be contacted at dow.marmur@sdjewishworld.com