I’ve traveled all over the world, to countries buckling under the weight of dictatorships, barely breathing beneath military juntas. The only place I’ve ever had a loaded gun pointed at me was in Israel.
Thank you for sharing Simon. I appreciate the way you share your direct experiences, your perspectives and for standing in your truth by actually putting it out there for others to receive, or not.
It takes courage to be honest about how you just are not willing to “take a side,” whatever that means…and yet still honor your truth that you don’t agree with the occupation, especially being Jewish, and also name the psychological trauma roots of the whole thing. Which when I look at it, makes painfully obvious and utterly devastating sense.
And this is humanity.
Fighting…for peace.
Thanks for reaching out to us all in your beautiful and brave way.
Thanks brother Theo. I appreciate your generosity of heart and receiving this in the spirit in which it was written: as a prayer for peace and shared humanity.
Simon, I love this essay so, so much. And so deeply resonate. I too have been heartbroken about this issue for over 20 years, but the last few months have absolutely gutted me and left me overwhelmed with outrage exhaustion. I'm so outraged about this situation that I feel like I've run out of outrage. I really relate to how you described it, just letting it wash over you in your meditative awareness like a grief tsunami. Anyway, just sending you a big hug. Thank You.
That's exactly it, Sitka. I've run out of outrage. And once there, the only thing left to do is sit with the grief and sadness. I find that the rage-addict culture of activism to just be a way of either avoiding or metabolizing this grief. Where it gets dangerous is when people believe that their form of grief is morally superior to another's.
Feeling this perspective deeply, Simon. Compared to the tragedies and travesties unfolding on the world stage, folks' blacklistings and holier-than-thou posturings may be small potatoes, but those behaviors hurt, and they further division when there could be an opportunity to connect through shared grief. Thanks for your vulnerability and honesty here in grappling with answerless questions.
Thanks Jonathan. I only wish everyone could be as generous with their compassion as you. The only reasonable thing to do is connect through shared grief. For many people, I suspect their rage is so great that anything other than their own talking points tips them over the edge.
I don’t understand— paragraph after paragraph about the horrors visited upon the Palestinian people by an Israeli occupation, but you can’t take a stand?
My guy, I understand the words. I don’t understand how you personally can devote so much time to thinking about the situation without stating the obvious conclusion. For progressive jews, the concept is simple: “Never Again” is for everyone. We have no hope for safety or liberation if we displace and subjugate another people. That idea has been central to progressive jewish thought for longer than israel has been a state. If you’re a zionist, say so and align yourself with the fascist regime. If you aren’t, then you can be agitating for a ceasefire in whatever way you are capable, which includes Instagram posts, by the way. The people of Gaza have specifically asked us to be posting online about their ongoing genocide. They are asking us to agitate for a ceasefire. I’m telling you again, it is simple. At this point, either you want an entire civilization to be erased, or you don’t.
And once you choose, make your choice known with clear language.
When you were in israel, were you witnessing the reality of the occupation, or were you collecting thrilling stories, like a tourist?
I understand it can be hard to unlearn ideologies that have been instilled in us as children, but that’s the nature of the work of being alive and being in a global community. It takes reflection and action. And then we earn the right to be in awe and to grieve.
I respect this outpouring of feeling and perspective. Weeping along with you because, as you say, it is ‘the only reasonable thing to do’.
Thanks for reading John!
Thank you for sharing Simon. I appreciate the way you share your direct experiences, your perspectives and for standing in your truth by actually putting it out there for others to receive, or not.
It takes courage to be honest about how you just are not willing to “take a side,” whatever that means…and yet still honor your truth that you don’t agree with the occupation, especially being Jewish, and also name the psychological trauma roots of the whole thing. Which when I look at it, makes painfully obvious and utterly devastating sense.
And this is humanity.
Fighting…for peace.
Thanks for reaching out to us all in your beautiful and brave way.
💛
Thanks brother Theo. I appreciate your generosity of heart and receiving this in the spirit in which it was written: as a prayer for peace and shared humanity.
you guys know each other?!
Oh we for sure do! 🫶🏻
Simon, I love this essay so, so much. And so deeply resonate. I too have been heartbroken about this issue for over 20 years, but the last few months have absolutely gutted me and left me overwhelmed with outrage exhaustion. I'm so outraged about this situation that I feel like I've run out of outrage. I really relate to how you described it, just letting it wash over you in your meditative awareness like a grief tsunami. Anyway, just sending you a big hug. Thank You.
That's exactly it, Sitka. I've run out of outrage. And once there, the only thing left to do is sit with the grief and sadness. I find that the rage-addict culture of activism to just be a way of either avoiding or metabolizing this grief. Where it gets dangerous is when people believe that their form of grief is morally superior to another's.
Deep sigh. Thank you for writing this x
Thank you for reading, Adam. Very glad it struck a chord. That deep sigh is needed by all.
Feeling this perspective deeply, Simon. Compared to the tragedies and travesties unfolding on the world stage, folks' blacklistings and holier-than-thou posturings may be small potatoes, but those behaviors hurt, and they further division when there could be an opportunity to connect through shared grief. Thanks for your vulnerability and honesty here in grappling with answerless questions.
Thanks Jonathan. I only wish everyone could be as generous with their compassion as you. The only reasonable thing to do is connect through shared grief. For many people, I suspect their rage is so great that anything other than their own talking points tips them over the edge.
Last sentence landed so resoundingly. Thanks for your transparency. Much love.
Glad it resonated, Maura
Proud of you brother. May peace prevail:::
Thanks Gregory. May peace prevail indeed.
THANK YOU! You powerfully shared and beautifully articulated so much that has been percolating inside of me.
Thanks for reading
"Plainly unethical" is a therapist proposing sex to their client.
Genocide occupies a different tier on the scale of human accountability.
Someone once told me that anyone can be a monk on a mountain, meditating on the pain of the world.
I would challenge you to hold your pose on a Gazan sidewalk.
I don’t understand— paragraph after paragraph about the horrors visited upon the Palestinian people by an Israeli occupation, but you can’t take a stand?
Sorry it doesn't make sense to you. Maybe read it again.
My guy, I understand the words. I don’t understand how you personally can devote so much time to thinking about the situation without stating the obvious conclusion. For progressive jews, the concept is simple: “Never Again” is for everyone. We have no hope for safety or liberation if we displace and subjugate another people. That idea has been central to progressive jewish thought for longer than israel has been a state. If you’re a zionist, say so and align yourself with the fascist regime. If you aren’t, then you can be agitating for a ceasefire in whatever way you are capable, which includes Instagram posts, by the way. The people of Gaza have specifically asked us to be posting online about their ongoing genocide. They are asking us to agitate for a ceasefire. I’m telling you again, it is simple. At this point, either you want an entire civilization to be erased, or you don’t.
And once you choose, make your choice known with clear language.
When you were in israel, were you witnessing the reality of the occupation, or were you collecting thrilling stories, like a tourist?
I understand it can be hard to unlearn ideologies that have been instilled in us as children, but that’s the nature of the work of being alive and being in a global community. It takes reflection and action. And then we earn the right to be in awe and to grieve.