As a teenager, I constantly read books about the Holocaust and Israel. My heroes were Jewish heroes.
To the editor:
As a teenager, I constantly read books about the Holocaust and Israel. My heroes were Jewish heroes. They nourished my notions of idealism and courage in the face of raw power. I dreamed of joining a kibbutz. During the Six Day War, I stayed glued to the TV and prayed for Israel’s survival. I was like most other thoughtful Americans, I think: amazed at Israel’s political, agricultural and cultural miracles, and proud to consider myself a friend and ally.
In the five decades since then I have reluctantly lost much of my respect for Israel. I acknowledge that it has dangerous neighbors. Even so, it too often demonstrates the cavalier contempt that bullies have for their victims. Periodically, (in the words of one of their less-admirable leaders) they must “mow the grass.” Their most recent lawnmowing involved the destruction of entire neighborhoods, schools, homes, families and children in Gaza. The nation I once celebrated for its rebirth from oppression has become an oppressor.
This week, I added my name to a faculty letter, whose tone and some of argument I disagree with in at least two ways. First, I believe that Ms. Marzec’s message took indefensibly clumsy and offensive form. Rabbi Leshaw was right to remind Ms. Marzec that the local community, including the local Jewish community, is sympathetic to making a better world, but where cooperation was available, Ms. Marzec chose to deliver a rhetorical slap. Second, I think President McDavis’ call for civility was right so far as it went.
Nonetheless, I signed the letter to support Ms. Marzec as a student leader. She is not merely padding her resume as many student leaders do. She’s trying to lead students into thinking seriously about issues of justice — a high aspiration for a student leader and an obligatory responsibility for a university. Her clumsiness has added to the difficulties inherent in the discussion. But, dammit, she tried. President McDavis has not called on the university to recognize Israel’s oppression of the Palestinian people and to find ways to challenge Israel to cease their inhumane actions. No other high administrator has. No official faculty leader has done that. Nor have I. Only the student leader — clumsily, offensively, with so much youthful self-righteousness you might assume she was just 20-year-old. Ms. Marzec was right. The status quo is intolerable. We need to find a better way.
Steve Hays is an Associate Professor of Classics and World Religions at Ohio University.
