Thinking Torah Blog

This past Sunday, many members of TBE joined me on a Zoom call with Rabbi Arik Ascherman from the West Bank, along with Palestinian villagers his organization, Torat Tzedek, has been defending. Rabbi Ascherman described the escalating situation, where a de facto policy is forcing Palestinians off their grazing lands and out of their villages, allowing extremist settlers to take over these areas. We heard firsthand from the Palestinians, who spoke of wearing their shoes at night, prepared, if needed, to quickly rise and protect their families and livestock. They recounted the harassment they endure, such as settlers walking through their villages and sitting outside their homes, smoking cigarettes to let the smoke drift inside. The proximity of the outposts was striking—just a 15 to 20-minute walk from the village.

Rabbi Ascherman then wanted to show us another outpost on the other side of a hill. We climbed into his old SUV and navigated the rocky, narrow road. As we approached the crest of the hill, another vehicle appeared, an SUV carrying a settler family, traveling between outposts and cutting through the Palestinian village. Rabbi Ascherman exited the car, handed me his phone, and instructed me to keep filming but to roll up the windows and lock the doors, as settlers are known to steal phones from his volunteers. I watched anxiously as he approached the SUV, questioning the family about their destination and intentions. He tried to block their path, but they used their four-wheel drive to bypass us, driving over the rocky terrain. We followed them to ensure they didn't harass the villagers. This confrontation, while tense, was mild compared to the violence often seen in such situations.

Earlier that day, along with 40 other rabbis, I listened to Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the mother of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a hostage held in Gaza. She shared the agony her family has endured since Hersh was kidnapped on October 7th. Rachel described her tireless efforts to bring her son home, emphasizing that the hostages are not just a faceless group but individuals with stories, families, and friends. She spoke of meetings with presidents and covert discussions in European basements with unnamed individuals, conducted without phones or teams present. Rachel's tears revealed the harsh lessons she's learned about the world's workings, driven by interests and power. Yet, she maintained her faith, stating, "Hope is mandatory."

The Israel-Palestine situation is complex and far from black and white. In some areas, Jews are terrorized, while in others, Palestinian villagers face threats. Rachel's hope drives her to continue fighting for her son's release. She mentioned that the book he was reading before Oct. 7th, "The Art of Happiness" by the Dalai Lama, remains open to the sixth chapter, waiting for his return. As liberal Jews in America, who care deeply about the future of our people in the Land of Israel, we too must be guided by hope. Hope that this war will come to an end and the hostages returned. So too, we must strive for a day when settler violence is unacceptable in Israel and Palestinian villagers no longer fear attacks from extremist Jews.

Please, call the White House (202) 456-1111. Urge them to bring the hostages home from Gaza and demand that the American government track the dollars funding illegal outposts in the West Bank, which contribute to ongoing settler violence and Palestinian displacement.