From #Starhawk's Yom Kippur blog:
In Jewish tradition, we’re in the midst of the Ten Days of Awe, the time between Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, when we reflect on the year that’s past, on our mistakes and shortcomings, and repent. ... So it seems appropriate at this time to reexamine our relationship with the land of Israel, and to come to terms with the destruction the Netanyahu regime has inflicted on Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon.
A narrative cannot simply be abandoned. It needs to be replaced by another story, a better story. How about this: “We were kicked around, we were persecuted for two thousand years. We were almost exterminated. And then, out of our pain and trauma, we turned ourselves into persecutors. Because of that we understand the full complexities of what it means to be a human being. We finally understand what the prophets were telling us, that our goodness is not guaranteed. It is something we must actively choose: to do good or to do harm. Now we have caused a harm so deep, we don’t know if the Palestinians can ever forgive us. But if we turn from the path of conquest and control, and instead choose respect and cooperation, maybe together we could turn this tortured ground into a land of refuge for all who have been targeted, a place where we can live together in peace.”
