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21 Jul, 2015

Chicago’s Rebel Rabbi Standing with Palestinians: “We Must Stand with the Oppressed”

By standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people, I believe I am fulfilling one of the central spiritual directives of my religious tradition – namely that we must stand with the oppressed and call out the oppressor. It’s really that simple. Now of course, I’m not so naïve as to deny the enormous complexities that are raised when Jews stand in solidarity with Palestinians. I know full well that in the eyes of many in my community, standing in solidarity with Palestinians is a profoundly transgressive act. Since so many frame this issue as a binary conflict between “us and them,” to stand in solidarity with Palestinians must mean that I am choosing not to stand with my own people.

I reject this binary meme in no uncertain terms. I believe to my core that standing with the Palestinians is one of the most Jewish things I can do. In the end, my solidarity is not with Palestinians alone but with all who have suffered from prejudice, oppression and structural racism. Needless to say, this has historically included Jews as well. So in the end, I view solidarity as an act that defies “zero sum attitudes.” It is ultimately an act of love that will ensure a future of dignity and security for all.

Read the rest: Chicago’s Rebel Rabbi Standing with Palestinians: “We Must Stand with the Oppressed and Call Out the Oppressor” | Global Research – Centre for Research on Globalization