By Tsela Barr and Susan Nossal | guest column, Oct 2, 2024

As American Jews, the anniversary of Oct. 7, when 1,139 Israelis were killed by Hamas fighters and 250 hostages were taken, serves as a painful reminder of the ongoing cycle of violence that has gripped our world.

We mourn the lives lost and the suffering inflicted. At the same time, we must also confront the broader context of this conflict, one that includes 75 years of dispossession, ethnic cleansing and persecution of the Palestinian people by Israeli settlers and successive Israeli governments. It is time for us to reflect on our values and recognize the urgent need for an immediate cease-fire in both Gaza and Lebanon, and for the U.S. to stop arming Israel.

Central to our Jewish tradition are the principles of tikkun olam — repairing the world — and the ethical directive to “do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” These teachings compel us to advocate for justice, not just for our own community but for all who suffer under oppression. We must ask: How can we claim to uphold these values while remaining silent in the face of the systemic injustices faced by Palestinians?

The violence we witnessed on Oct. 7 and the retaliatory measures that followed are part of a tragic cycle. History teaches us that violence begets more violence, creating a perpetual state of suffering. Rather than seeking revenge, we must pursue understanding and healing.

The suffering of the Palestinian people cannot be overlooked. For 75 years, they have endured dispossession and displacement, living under conditions that many recognize as apartheid, including the Israeli human rights organization B’tselem. This ongoing reality is not merely a distant issue; it is one that implicates us directly.

Our government provides Israel with more than $38 million in military aid per day. Israel is the largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid since its founding in 1948, receiving about $310 billion (adjusted for inflation) in total economic and military assistance. The U.S. also provides diplomatic cover in the United Nations and the International Criminal Court by blocking any efforts to condemn Israel for human rights abuses or to call for a cease-fire.

Since October 2023 at least 41,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel in Gaza, and over 95,000 people have been injured. Seventy percent of those killed have been women and children. The people of Gaza are now facing mass starvation and disease. Thirty-four out of 36 Gazan hospitals and most of Gaza’s 560 schools have been damaged or destroyed by the Israeli military. The Israeli government has prevented medical supplies and clean water needed for health care.

The toll on children is well documented by Doctors without Borders in their report published on Sept. 20. As American taxpayers, we must confront the uncomfortable truth: Our money supports these atrocities.

It is our responsibility to challenge this complicity. To be truly committed to peace, we must denounce actions that perpetuate suffering and call for a future grounded in equality, justice and mutual respect.

In honoring the memory of those lost on Oct. 7 and those Palestinian and Israeli civilians who have been murdered before and since, we must shift the narrative towards one of healing and reconciliation. We must engage in dialogue that acknowledges the pain on both sides, while advocating for policies that promote justice and end the cycles of violence. Our response to tragedy must not be further violence, but a commitment to tikkun olam — to repairing a world fractured by injustice.

As we reflect on the events of Oct. 7, we must renew our commitment to the values that guide us as Jews and as Americans. We call upon everyone in our country to engage in honest conversations about the realities faced by Palestinians and to take a stand against the injustices that our tax dollars support. In doing so, we honor the Jewish and American values of freedom and dignity for all, and pave the way for a world where there is universal peace and justice.

Let us choose empathy over enmity, justice over oppression, peace over continued warfare, and together, work towards a world that reflects the true spirit of our values.

---

Tsela Barr and Susan Nossal are members of the Madison chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace.

Share your opinion on this topic by sending a letter to the editor to tctvoice@madison.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number. Your name and town will be published. The phone number is for verification purposes only. Please keep your letter to 250 words or less.