Michele Engelberg. Johannesburg
He lambasted the SAZF and affiliates for not allowing adequate space for “Zionist Jews who advocate for peace by ending the occupation”. I was at Limmud 2016 and politely spoke to Rosenstrauch about this view.
Our people have been victimised and slaughtered in so many ways over so many millennia. We are afraid. We want to take precautionary measures so that we are not threatened with annihilation… again. There is a survival instinct in all people and, perhaps, especially in our people. As much as I personally don’t want an occupation, I don’t see another way at present.
The occupation cultivates negative feelings on both sides, both for the Palestinians waiting at checkpoints, etc and for the Israelis who supervise these points because of the threat they might pose to Israeli society.
Israel left Gaza. The world watched with bated breath to see how the Palestinians there would cope… and it became a disaster. Infrastructure was destroyed, terror reigned, cement and other supplies were used to build tunnels to infiltrate Israel and rockets were launched from Gaza into Israel as part of a daily reality for many Israelis.
Israel naturally retaliated, as anyone under attack would do, and so more infrastructure was destroyed. And the world judges Israel.
Obviously, Israel doesn’t want a repeat of this terrible scenario, especially since the West Bank is even larger than Gaza.
I asked Rosenstrauch to explain if Israel did leave the West Bank (an area obtained through a war of self-defence), how can Israel ensure another disastrous scenario (like in Gaza) does not repeat itself? Especially when there is no recognition of Israel as a Jewish state to begin with from the other side?
My understanding of his position is that Israel withdrew too quickly from Gaza and did not leave gradually enough to have helped the Palestinians with infrastructure and other logistical matters. The powers that were left there were not sufficiently equipped to take over. This view places the failure of Gaza at Israel’s feet – yet again.
And I replied that perhaps he is right, but there is no precedent for that; there is only a precedent for Israel leaving Gaza and then disaster abounds. There is no precedent for Israel leaving slowly.
I explained to him that I really believe we are on the same team, namely that of a strong and Jewish Israel. We may just disagree as to how to progress.
nat cheiman
Nov 10, 2016 at 2:54 pm
‘Withdraw too quickly? What does that mean in real terms? Help the Palestinians? But [some of them -ED] are killing Israelis.
\nIf Israel stayed and helped, the innuendo is that the Palestinians would not kill Israelis.
\nThat notion is absurd.
\nJudea and Samarea must be Israeli’
Matan
Nov 15, 2016 at 7:20 am
‘Dear Michelle.
I remember you very well from Limmud Joburg – and I was very touched by you approaching me and facing these hard issues. It is not for granted, that you are worried by those immoral issues.
Yet, for now you believe that occupation is our \”least worse solution\”.
This is comforting, in a way, because it means you deal with this issue and raise hard questions.
Michelle, I hope to write a letter in response for next week’s JR.
For now, I’ll just say that your point about Gaza’s disengagement is one often used: \”look what happened there\”. As long as you \”run away\”, not negotiating, maintaining occupation and annexing more land to Settlements-Israel, still demanding they recognize you, while not recognizing them – could there be a different scenario?
I don’t think so.
As for the other points, hope to publish a letter for the community to read, as you and your questions deserve to have.
Warm Regards.’