Two Jewish “progressive” organizations NIFC and JSpace send the wrong message

As of today, Israel has just about levelled all of Gaza City and northern Gaza.  Thousands of Palestinians have been killed in this attack.  We just read that Yousef Dawas, a 17-year-old aspiring psychology student and his whole family have been annihilated by Israel bombings.  Dawa was a leading spokesperson for We are Not Numbers (WANN)—a Palestinian youth organization created in Gaza in 2015. Through webinars and spirited discussions We are Not Numbers tries to put a human face on what those in the west consider Palestinian “terrorists”. Young women and young men who speak incredibly good English are trying to show, through writing and art what life for them is like in Gaza. They refuse to be silenced.

I personally participated in a webinar with two WANN youth in December 2019 and I learned that youth have concerns that we must hear and act upon.

As Indian author and journalist Arundhati Roy writes,

“There’s really no such thing as the ‘voiceless.’ There are only the deliberately silenced, or the preferably unheard.” 

Poor and oppressed  people are seldom heard– they also don’t usually have cars.   So the nearly one million residents of Gaza City and in northern Gaza may be hitching rides or walking south.  Central Gaza towns including Deir al-Balah and al-Zahra have also been hit by Israeli air strikes. More than 1300 Palestinians are buried under the rubble in Gaza.  The fact is,  Israel is continuing with their deadly missile attacks and killings even in the south of Gaza.  It turns out the south of Gaza is little safer than the north.  Khan Younis, has been flattened by Israeli drone strikes.   Yet there is a hope that there will still  be a way to stop the civilians’ death march south.  And as a Jew I don’t say death march lightly.

In Canada, two“progressive” Jewish organizations, including the New Israel Fund of Canada (NIFC) and JSpace seem to be immune from demanding serious action.   How can they support peace in the region but not openly favour the Palestinian struggle?  The NIFC wants us to know that 1,000 plus Jews died and thousands more suffered injuries on Oct. 7.  It’s what the NIFC doesn’t say that counts — NIFC doesn’t mention Gaza or the Palestinians. They are laser-focused on how to help Israelis– as if they are the only ones who count.  The NIFC’s present call is for the return of the 100 plus  (mainly Jewish) hostages held by Hamas.

But if the hostages are returned (and I hope they are, sooner rather than later), Hamas and the Palestinians have absolutely no leverage.  The Palestinians in Gaza are on the verge of starvation; more flood into the south every day.  Israel refuses to allow all but a trickle of food, water, and medicine into Gaza.  The Israeli government will not allow emergency aid deliveries into Gaza unless it first sees proof that deliveries are not diverted to  or used by Hamas.

On the Gaza side, Hamas has already freed two hostages – a mother and daughter.

But surely the first thing sympathetic Jews have to do is demand an unconditional ceasefire. Then truckloads of water, food, medicine, fuel, tents and more  have to be sent to the millions who will now be refugees for a second time. The first time was having to flee Palestine in 1948 and now they are on the point of being driven out once again. JSpace says that if the Palestinians are pushed into Sinai (Egypt) at some point they must be allowed to return to their homes in Gaza. 

I think we’ve all seen that with the power Israel has among the wealthy western nations such as the UK, the US, France, Germany and Canada — we suspect there will be no chance for the Palestinians to go home.  Right-wing Israelis have been advocating for years the expulsion (they call it ‘transfer’) of Palestinians to other countries. This “war” may be their opportunity.

If you want to support Palestinian human rights, and call for a ceasefire, see Independent Jewish Voices Canada’s statement here.

Image at the Top: Cartoon by Hamzeh Hajjah (hamzeh.hajjaj@alghad.jo)