(ThyBlackMan.com) I have concluded that the most important emotion in our world is not love; it is empathy. Growing up in church, I frequently heard that love is a verb rather than a noun, which is to say that actions must accompany attestation. If we actually love someone, we will reflect as much in demonstrable ways. Yet, love does not necessarily require us to identify deeply with another person’s humanity. Neither does it prevent us from harming those who we say we love. In short, love can be too abstract.
Empathy is different. Genuine empathy cannot exist without a visceral human connection; we literally see ourselves in other people. Empathy is compassion magnified. It is a bulwark against the will to harm another human being. This is why young soldiers around the world are psychologically programmed to suppress their intrinsic empathetic response to human suffering. Otherwise, they would not be as effective in conducting war.
This brings me to what we’re witnessing today with Israel. Hamas’ attack on Israeli civilians was a direct result of a lack of empathy – an inability or unwillingness to view their victims as fellow children of God. The descriptions of some of Hamas’ actions are beyond belief. Terrorism is cowardice, especially when civilians are intentionally targeted. Human beings, no matter where they hail from, have a right to protect themselves and their families. Thus, Israel is justified in launching a swift, harsh, and thorough response – though it should stay within the bounds of international norms and moral limits. But military retaliation is impotent to solve this ongoing conflict. (More on that later.)
Most Americans lack understanding of the modern history of Israel/Palestine. By “modern”, I mean the past 100 years or so. The British Empire issued its Balfour Declaration in 1917, which spoke to its support of the creation of an independent Jewish state. This action was later endorsed by the League of Nations (the precursor to the United Nations). Later, the United States came on board.
Israel officially became the Jewish state in 1948. World War II had demonstrated how important it was for the Jewish people to have a homeland that would keep them safe from antisemitism. As a Christian, the establishment of Israel comports with my religious views. Unfortunately, not enough thought – much less action – has ever been given to the fate of the Palestinians who were already living there. This failure, along with a variety of human rights abuses by Israel against Palestinians, ultimately led to the formation of groups such as Hamas.
Understandably, much of today’s media attention is focused Hamas’ brutality. However, western media in particular tends to ignore the conditions under which the Palestinians have long existed, which include appalling poverty, political disenfranchisement, and military attacks. Some of this is motivated by racism. For example, Israel’s current government is extremely right-wing and includes openly racist officials. (Its defense minister recently referred to Palestinians as “human animals”.)
Nothing good ever results from viewing other people as subhuman. We can, and should, condemn the willful extinguishing of life, no matter who is responsible. But the fact is that not all Palestinians are terrorists. Indeed, only a small percentage of them are. Most Palestinians, like most people everywhere, are simply trying to go about their lives. Similarly, not all Israelis engage in the minimizing of Palestinian humanity. Most simply want to raise their families and be free to pursue their interests. But war has intervened.
Can Israel actually succeed in achieving its stated goal of completely destroying Hamas? It doesn’t matter. Even if they do, another group would eventually take its place if the political and socioeconomic conditions of Palestinians remain the same. The most effective way to stop attacks from groups like Hamas is to ensure that Palestinians have a legitimate stake in their future. Today they don’t. (I should hasten to add that the overwhelming majority of Palestinian efforts to secure equal rights have been peaceful, which is something that I wish the media would highlight.)
In the well-justified zeal to garner peace agreements between Israel and many of its neighbors (as reflected in, for example, the Abraham Accords), the world forgot that the fate of the Palestinians will always be at the heart of conflict in the Middle East. “Two states” – one Jewish and one Palestinian – is not a solution; it is the solution. To allay Israel’s concerns, a Palestinian state could be created without a military. In exchange, Israel, the United Nations, and America would sign security guarantees on behalf of Palestine.
Unfortunately, internal strife in the Israeli government makes this scenario unlikely at this point. Further, there is no unified Palestinian government, so it’s not clear what entity would have the legitimacy to sign such an agreement. And around we go. I pray that the men who run this part of the world will come to realize that it is within their power to stop the carousel.
Written by Larry Smith
