As tragic events in Jerusalem play out, Biden’s stance, and what he is willing to do about the situation remain unclear. America has done little to keep the Netanyahu government from eroding Israeli democracy. It is understandable that Biden might reach the point of just not wanting to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A solution to this problem has evaded generations of American and world leaders. But America has a unique relationship with Jews all over the world. There is a moral imperative. For one, the terrible loss of life; but also it is wrong for a place with so much significance to so many to not be a place of peace. The seat of the three Abrahamic faiths should not be a place of violence and bloodshed, but a place where all can worship.
There is room for condemnation on both sides. What is needed is clearer heads and a willingness to do what is needed to end the conflict, rather than constant back and forth blame laying. It is never permissible, under any circumstance, to target innocent civilians with rocket attacks. However, Israel has a powerful but small minority controlling the fate of their nation and the direction of the peace process. Of course, Ultra-Orthodox Jews have a real and very deep connection to a sacred land. However, the global community cannot automatically place their attachment to this land above that of their neighbors. The issue at stake is how to remove from the process a group of people who are unwilling or incapable of reaching peace. If the Ultra-Orthodox were to be forced to back down, the power of Hamas might become very much diminished, bringing a solution to a seemingly impossible conflict.
This is where the US and the world community can and should step in. Biden faces a terrible problem, but also has a tremendous opportunity. It is an excellent moment to turn to the Ultra-Orthodox, who are provocative and responsible for the human rights violations of Palestians, and make it clear that if they are unwilling to change the way they approach the conflict, they cannot remain part of the process. They cannot be allowed to be part of an administration. And they cannot be allowed to gain political advantage by empowering people with religious beliefs so radical they cannot accept a world where everyone has equal rights.
For instance, the legal arguments being used to evict Palestinians from their homes are not only discriminatory, they are senseless, and go against everything Torah stands for. There is an imperative in Judaism for respecting the right of people to remain in their homes. Jews can maintain a connection to the land that does not disregard the shared humanity of their Palestinian neighbors.
There is no place in any faith for simply disregarding the faith of another. There is no just cause to cater to one small minority who cannot put peace above a connection to a land sacred to many.
Progressive Without Apology 