From the Midwest, a call for peace in the Middle East: Let history teach a lesson

It’s difficult to write a column about life in the Midwest and the larger world when in the span of one day it felt like evil overtook the human race. Again.

After speaking with my Jewish husband and kids, I tried to put into words how the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and its response affected us. But true to Jewish tradition, our family of four and our many relatives have dozens of opinions, each one of which is believed to be well-founded, researched and correct.

The story of Israel and its struggles with its supposedly shared homeland is beyond the grasp of a 60-something mom whose experience with Jewishness is marrying a Jew and raising two Jewish-identifying children. (Plus, I have a word limit.)

Our grown children have relatives in Israel and a naturalized American grandmother. Eva survived Nazi cruelties and her surviving family’s forced relocation.

In the summer of 2015 we traveled to Israel to participate in a global educational convening of teachers. We discussed Grandma Eva’s story of surviving the war via an illustrated book written by one of our daughters. We looked forward to meeting relatives of Eva’s uncles, who emigrated to Palestine in the 1920s.

The first day we were on the street, the sound of air raid sirens screamed from all directions. We had absolutely no idea what was happening. Locals directed us into the nearest building where we made our way to the shelter in back. We were shaken up, but everyone else seemed calm. After a few minutes, a bunch of phones beeped an “all clear” and we went back out.

The confidence in the rocket defense system called the Iron Dome was absolutely trusted by the people who lived there. It might have seemed rude so I didn’t say it at the time, but I really wanted to go home. Good for you, I thought, but this sucks.

I was afraid.

From that day until we left, we traveled around the countryside, visiting relatives and friends of my mother-in-law. I was navigating and got us lost once. I immediately began to fear death caused by my own stupidity. I really wanted to go home.

After the Hamas attack, which didn’t engage the Iron Dome, I grieve for both sides. In classic American plain speak, I want it to stop. I want Israel to deny itself the grim satisfaction of retaliation, and I want Palestinians to overcome and help to eliminate Hamas, return to the table with Israelis on equal footing, and negotiate its homeland.

Yes, my totally ignorant opinion is that both Israel and Palestine should exist as separate states, side by side. That takes work and means sacrificing power.

European Americans committed genocides and ethnic cleansing of indigenous peoples on this continent. They also kidnapped and enslaved African people to enrich themselves and promote white supremacy. We can’t forget that.

Similarly, oppressive practices in Israel are wrong and will eventually have to be dealt with. We can’t rewrite history, but the struggles in Israel, Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem and other places where inequality is sanctioned can be addressed now, while the iron is hot, so to speak.

Israel has the support of the larger world but is situated among Arab countries that are not accepting Palestinian refugees from Gaza at present, believing the oppressed will bring poverty, anger and violence with them, spreading the troubles and allowing Israel to outgrow its britches.

Far be it from me to suggest how other families, Jewish or not, deal with this topic. Our daughters feel that genocide is happening in their name in Gaza; their grandmother is heartbroken for both sides, but hopes Israel can find a way to live and let live, resulting in safe homelands for Palestine and Israel.

All I can say is if your family still celebrates the late-November holiday of roast turkey, try to practice compassionate listening, and maybe discuss how we can each address ending this and other wars.

Contact Ellen at murphysister04@gmail.com