I have been struggling with how to respond to a Dec. 12 opinion piece by Richard Witty titled, “I enthusiastically support Zionism.” I hesitated because I didn’t want to offend anyone. Yet, I am continually offended by ongoing killing — in the U.S., and around the world — fueled by fear and greed. I believe in the dream of MLK Jr. I enthusiastically support humanity. Treating our neighbors with love and respect. Honoring and celebrating diverse cultures. Therefore, I believe that Jews should feel safe wherever they live. The same security must extend to law-abiding Somalis, Chicanos, Chinese Americans, Ukrainians, Palestinians — yes, all of us. 

I long for a return to a world governed by laws. Where people are treated with dignity, and if warranted, arrested — with civility — for their crimes, not their skin color or their religious practices. Forget the propaganda — wars are waged by the wealthy, for control of resources. We hear tallies of the dead, but no one has revealed the riches pouring into the weapons manufacturers and their stockholders. Does morality sanction outrageous profits for billionaires over human lives?

I struggle to find the integrity in creating safety for Jews by annihilating the Palestinians who have lived there for centuries. Israel has built massive concrete walls, enormous barbed wire fences, and checkpoints to limit access to food, electricity, water, health care, and employment for their Palestinian neighbors, all while encroaching on more Palestinian homes. Israel is actively recruiting new settlers to occupy the West Bank. Borders established in 1967 have long been ignored, and now, survivors of extensive bombings are being shot for crossing an elusive “yellow line.”

The U.S. government has reverted to a pre-World War II colonial mentality. Our leader has dismantled US A.I.D., claiming that providing global public health services and alleviating poverty are not in the U.S. interests. Imperialists are ignoring principles established by the United Nations — respecting sovereignty, abiding by the decisions of the International Criminal Court and the Court of Justice, and the International Panel on Climate Change. While much of the world is developing solar energy and electric vehicle infrastructure, the actions of the U.S. government are focused on oil — the common thread with Venezuela and the Middle East.

Last Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the annual $3.3 billion in “security assistance” to Israel, which continues the practice going back to the Clinton and Bush administrations. In addition, the U.S. provides $500 million yearly in missile defense funding. Over the past two years, according to the American Jewish Committee website article entitled “What every American Should Know about US Aid to Israel,” the U.S. has additionally supplied $14 billion in weapons. Our tax dollars have enabled the utter destruction of Gaza and the ongoing demolition of the West Bank. The article continues to explain that this aid “directly supports over 20,000 jobs in the U.S. and indirectly supports thousands of other jobs. Over 1,000 companies in the U.S. have signed contracts worth billions of dollars to further America’s commitment to help Israel defend against ascending threats.”

The killing and devastation in Gaza continue, despite a so-called “ceasefire.” Israel is still blocking humanitarian aid, and thousands are dying from hunger and cold. Israel has banned access to Gaza by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) https://www.unrwausa.org/hands-off-unrwa. Actions of this Israeli government have gone far beyond defense.

Hatred will never drive out hate. We sang Martin Luther King’s words in church this morning, followed by several verses of “We Shall Overcome.” I continue to read from different news outlets, and like many, I am horrified. I felt the plea in Mr. Witty’s column to acknowledge the historic pain felt by Jews. Knowing of torture is a deep burden. Blacks in the U.S. also carry generational trauma and feel the brunt of ongoing harassment in random traffic stops, for example.  Can we both honor our pain and have compassion for the lives of the tens of thousands of slaughtered and homeless Palestinians? 

With all the technological wonders available to us, it is physically possible for humans to live peacefully on our fragile planet. There are better ways to treat the hard-working people who grow our food. There are better ways to heat our homes and power cars to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. There are other profitable industries besides weapons manufacturing. There must be another way for Israeli Jews to feel safe.

Laurie Boosahda is a resident of South Deerfield, buoyed by songs of peace and by those who are standing up for liberty and justice for all.