[We emphasize: there is no contradiction between staunchly
opposing the Israeli subjugation and occupation of Palestinians and
unequivocally condemning brutal acts of violence against innocent
civilians. ]
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STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF ISRAEL-BASED PROGRESSIVES AND PEACE ACTIVISTS
REGARDING DEBATES OVER RECENT EVENTS IN OUR REGION  
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Undersigned Israel-Based Progressives and Peace Activists
October 16, 2023
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_ We emphasize: there is no contradiction between staunchly opposing
the Israeli subjugation and occupation of Palestinians and
unequivocally condemning brutal acts of violence against innocent
civilians. _

Dwellings lie in ruins in the Gazan city of Rafah on Friday as a
result of the Israeli military's response to attacks from Hamas this
past weekend. , Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu dpa / AP

 

We, Israel-based academics, thought leaders and progressive activists
committed to peace, equality, justice, and human rights, are deeply
pained and shocked by the recent events in our region.

WE ARE ALSO DEEPLY CONCERNED BY THE INADEQUATE RESPONSE FROM CERTAIN
AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN PROGRESSIVES REGARDING THE TARGETING OF ISRAELI
CIVILIANS BY HAMAS, A RESPONSE WHICH REFLECTS A DISTURBING TREND IN
THE GLOBAL LEFT'S POLITICAL CULTURE.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched an unprecedented attack that
included mass murder of innocent civilians
in their homes, indiscriminate violence towards women, the elderly,
and children, and mass kidnappings of
Israeli citizens. Entire families were wiped out in this carnage,
whole communities were reduced to ashes,
bodies were maimed, infants were massacred. It is impossible to
overstate the damage caused by these events, both on a personal and a
collective level. The traumatizing events of that Saturday in October
will leave a lasting mark on our hearts and memories.

As expected, in response to Hamas's actions, the State of Israel
launched a massive military operation in Gaza.We still cannot estimate
the death toll of these attacks, but it is likely to be higher than
anything we have
witnessed heretofore. This cycle of aggression severely undermines our
long-standing struggle against
oppression and violence and in pursuit of full rights and equality for
all residents of Israel-Palestine. At
this moment, more than ever, we need support and solidarity from the
global left, in the form of an
unequivocal call against indiscriminate violence towards civilians on
both sides.

Many of our peers worldwide have expressed strong opposition to
Hamas's attack and have offered
unambiguous support for its victims. Prominent voices in the Arab
world, too, have made it clear that there is
no justification for sadistic murder of innocent people. However, to
our dismay, some elements within the
global left, individuals who were, until now, our political partners,
have reacted with indifference to
these horrific events and sometimes even justified Hamas's actions.
Some have refused to condemn the
violence, claiming that outsiders have no right to judge the actions
of the oppressed. Others have downplayed
the suffering and trauma, arguing that Israeli society brought this
tragedy upon itself. Yet others have shielded
themselves from the moral shock through historical comparisons and
rationalization. And there are even those
– no small number – for whom the darkest day in our society’s
history was a cause for celebration.

This array of responses surprised us. WE NEVER IMAGINED THAT
INDIVIDUALS ON THE LEFT, ADVOCATES OF EQUALITY, FREEDOM, JUSTICE, AND
WELFARE, WOULD REVEAL SUCH EXTREME MORAL INSENSITIVITY AND POLITICAL
RECKLESSNESS. Let us be clear: Hamas is a theocratic and repressive
organization that vehemently opposes the attempt to promote peace and
equality in the Middle East. Its core commitments are fundamentally
inconsistent with progressive principles, and thus the inclination of
certain leftists to react affirmatively to its actions is utterly
absurd. Moreover, there is no justification for shooting civilians in
their homes; no rationalization for the
murder of children in front of their parents; no reasoning for the
persecution and execution of partygoers.
Legitimizing or excusing these actions amounts to a betrayal of the
fundamental principles of left-wing politics.

We emphasize: there is no contradiction between staunchly opposing the
Israeli subjugation and
occupation of Palestinians and unequivocally condemning brutal acts of
violence against innocent
civilians. In fact, every consistent leftist must hold both positions
simultaneously.

The seventh of October is a dark day in the history of
Israel-Palestine and the lives of the peoples of thisregion.
Those who refuse to condemn Hamas's actions do immense damage to the
prospects of peace becoming a
viable, relevant political option. They weaken the left’s ability to
present a positive social and political horizon,
turning it into an extreme, narrow, and alienating political force. We
call on our peers on the left to return to
a politics based on humanistic and universal principles, to take a
clear stance against human rights abuse of any form, and to assist us
in the struggle to break the cycle of violence and destruction.

Prof. Aviad Kleinberg, President of the Ruppin Academic Center
,קליינברג אביעד' פרופ
Avirama Golan, author and journalist ,גולן אבירמה
Ibtisam Mara'ana, Former MK, Labor Party ,מראענה אבתיסאם
Adam Raz, Historian, Human rights activist ,רז אדם
Prof. Eva Illouz, Directrice d’études EHESS Paris, Membre of
Institute for Israeli Thought ,אילוז אווה' פרופ

Dr. Ofek Birnholtz, Bar Ilan University ,בירנהולץ אופק
ר"ד
Ortal Ben Dayan, Social Activist ,דיין בן אורטל
Ori Ben Dov, Social Activist ,דב בן אורי
Uri Weltmann, National Field Organizer - Standing Together
,וולטמן אורי
Ori Kol, Social Entrepreneur ,קול אורי
Dr. Orit Sônia Waisman, David Yellin Academic College of Education,
Jerusalem ,ויסמן סוניה אורית ר"ד
Eilon Tohar, Social Activist ,טוהר אילון
Iris Leal, Author ,לעאל איריס
Alon-Lee Green, National Co-Director of Standing Together ,גרין
לי -אלון
Dr. Eli Cook, Head of the General History Department, Haifa University
,קוק אלי ר"ד
Dr. Almog Kasher, Bar Ilan University ,כשר אלמוג ר"ד
Prof. Orna Ben-Naftali, the College of Management Law Faculty and the
Van Leer ,נפתלי -בן ארנה' פרופ
Jerusalem Institute
Josh Drill, Social Activist ,דריל וש'ג
Ghadir Hani, peace activist, Standing Together ,האני גדיר
Prof. Gila Stopler, Faculty of Law, College of Law and Business
,סטופלר גילה' פרופ
Prof. Galia Sabar, Tel Aviv University. Former President of Ruppin
College ,צבר גליה פרופ׳
Dr. Dov Khenin, Former MK, Hadash, Tel Aviv University ,חנין דב
ר"ד
David Grossman, author ,גרוסמן דויד
Dorit Hadar Persky, M.A teacher for special education, David Yellin
Academic College of ,פרסקי הדר דורית
Education, Jerusalem
Prof. Danny Gutwein, Haifa University ,גוטוויין דני'
פרופ
Prof. Dani Filc, MD PhD, Standing Together ,פילק דני פרופ׳
Dr. Hagar Gal, David Yellin Academic College of Education, Jerusalem
,גל הדר ר"ד
Vered Livne, former Director General of The Association for Civil
Rights in Israel (ACRI) and ,ליבנה ורד
leadership member of Standing Together
Taleb el-Sana, Former MK, Arab Democratic Party, Head of High
Committee for Arab Citizens ,סאנע-א טלב
of the Negev
Yoav Hareven, leadership member of Standing Together ,הראבן
יואב
Prof. Yoav Goldberg, Bar-Ilan University ,גולדברג יואב'
פרופ
Prof. Jonathan Rubin, Bar Ilan University ,רובין יונתן'
פרופ
Yossi Sucary, Author ,סוכרי יוסי
Dr. Yofi Tirosh, Tel Aviv University ,תירוש יופי ר"ד
Prof. Yael Hashiloni-Dolev, Ben-Gurion University, Sociology and
Anthropology ,דולב -השילוני יעל' פרופ
Department
Dr. Yael Sternhell, Tel Aviv University, שטרנהל יעל ר"ד
Dr. Yiftah Goldman, David Yellin Academic College of Education,
Jerusalem ,גולדמן יפתח ד״ר
Dr. Carmel Shalev, Faculty of Law, Tel Aviv University ,שלו
כרמל ר"ד
Dr. Lisa Kainan, David Yellin Academic College of Education, Jerusalem
,קינן ליסה ר"ד
Prof. Meir Yaish, Haifa University, יעיש מאיר' פרופ
Mossi Raz, former MK, Meretz ,רז מוסי
Dr. Meital Pinto, Zefat Academic College, Ono Academic College
,פינטו מיטל ר"ד

Meital Peleg Mizrachi, Postdoctoral fellow at Yale University,
environmental justice ,מזרחי פלג מיטל
researcher
Mickey Gitzin, New Israel Fund, Executive Director in Israel
,גיצין מיקי
Dr. Miri Lavi Neeman, Arava Institute for Environmental Studies
,נאמן לביא מירי ר"ד
Nadav Bigelman, Social Activist, member of Standing Together
,ביגלמן נדב
Prof. Noam Zohar, Bar Ilan Univesity ,זהר נעם' פרופ
Niv Meyerson, Social and environmental justice activist
,מאירסון ניב
Sally Abed, Member of national leadership, Standing Together ,עבד
סאלי
Dr. Adi Makmal, Engineering Faculty, Bar-Ilan Uni. Israel ,מכמל
עדי ר"ד
Odeh Bisharat, Writer ,באשארת עודה
Prof. Eran Dorfman, Literature Department, Tel Aviv University
,דורפמן עירן' פרופ
Prof. Amit Schejter, department of communication studies, Ben-Gurion
University, chairman ,שכטר עמית' פרופ
of ACRI
Dr. Anat Herbst-Debby, The Gender Studies program, Bar-Ilan University
,דבי-הרבסט ענת ר"ד
Dr. Ofri Ilany, Van Leer Institute, historian and journalist
,אילני עפרי ר"ד
Eran Nissan, Mehazkim, CEO ,ניסן ערן
Tzlil Rubinshtein, Social Activist ,רובינשטיין צליל
Ran Heilbrunn, Writer ,היילברון רן
Dr. Ronit Donyets Kedar, College of Law and Business
,קידר-דוניץ רונית ר"ד
Prof. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, Bar-Ilan University Faculty fo Law
,קדרי-הלפרין רות' פרופ
Dr. Raphael Zagury-Orly, Institut Catholique de Paris ,אורלי-
זגורי רפאל ר"ד
Dr. Shlomit Aharoni Lir, Bar Ilan University ,ליר אהרוני
שלומית ר"ד
Prof. Sharon Armon-Lotem, Bar-Ilan University ,לוטם- ערמון
שרון' פרופ
Tom Yagil, Social and Environmental Justice Activist ,יגיל תום
Dr. Tamar Ascher Shai, David Yellin Academic College of Education,
Jerusalem ,שי אשר תמר ר"ד

* Israeli academic and activist statement; October 16
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