11 overly simplistic thoughts from a non-expert

The human heart is a credential

1. I am not anti-Palestinian. I am anti-Hamas.

2. I am for Palestinian liberation.

3. I am for Israelis not living in fear of what happened on October 7 happening next in their homes, a fear that is not unfounded and not theoretical, but empirical and very, very real.

4. My understanding is that Hamas works for Iran. I don't believe Hamas cares about Palestinians dying. This breaks my heart. I am angry and bewildered that more people are not addressing this.

5. I believe the Palestinian people have a right to self-determination. I want this.

6. I believe Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish state.

7. I think this is called a two-state solution?

8. Millions of Israelis want nothing to do with oppression of any kind and have been actively protesting and doing peace work, this year intensely, and for many decades.

9. I am not an expert. Light years from it. I was a Russian Studies major in college, not a Middle Eastern Studies major. I have been to Israel once. I studied Hebrew for a year. I haven't read a ton of books about this. There is a lifetime of history I don't know or fully understand. I know this keeps many of us from speaking out at all and believe me, I hesitate, and often. I don't think one has to be an expert to want peace. I don't think one has to be an expert to want the world to condemn the slaughter of Jews. I don't think one has to be an expert to want the hostages to come home. I don't think one has to be an expert to see that Gaza is a nightmare and this cannot continue. A human heart is plenty of a credential.

10. Could Jews and Palestinians share one country? I am all for that, too, were such a thing possible. Is such a thing possible? I think it could be, but not with terrorists at the helm and not with Israelis being demonized worldwide and also not if zealous religious settlers are running the show and certainly not with Netanyahu in the picture.

11. What will bring peace? I wish I knew. But I do believe that Hamas is being empowered by the way things are going. I wish we could unite against that.

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