The Arc of History
A bunch of resources about the war in Israel and Palestine
So much has been written about what’s happening in the Middle East right now. It’s hard to know what media to consume, how much of what I’m reading is true or helpful or relevant. A lot of what I’ve seen, whether news articles or social media posts, seems unproductive — to say the least. A lot of words and images are being thrown around without a whole lot of forethought.
I’m trying to be careful what I invest energy in. Truthfully, I’m trying to focus on consuming media that either (a) helps me understand how we got here, (b) helps me understand how other people are perceiving and feeling through the situation, or (c) helps me understand the details of the situations and the politics that underpin the decisions being made by various parties.
When I look at an image, or video, or text, I ask myself, “What is the goal of this?” If the goal is nuance and details, I read or listen. If the goal is outrage or proving someone wrong, I scroll on past.
I’ve been sharing some of these materials with you all on the last few newsletters, in place of the reading and listening recommendation segment. Now, I want to take it a step farther. There are some materials that take more space, and it’s important to me to lift those up and encourage you to give them a listen or a read.
Looking to History for Answers (and Questions)
One thing I’ve been doing consistently is listening to what historians have to say. We didn’t end up on October 7th out of nowhere, after all. Things have been complicated and multi-faceted for a long time. I think it’s crucial to first name the gaps in one’s knowledge, to come humbly to this situation and say, “I’d like to know more before I make any sweeping statements.”
My understanding of Middle East history has been shaped by the education I got in Israeli schools, and it’s fair to say it was lacking in nuance1. We had one unit of study on Islam in 7th grade and no follow-ups afterwards. I’ve done a lot of independent learning since then, something I will probably continue to do for the rest of my days. Organizations like Ir Amim, for instance, have been instrumental in my learning.
This conversation between Professor Hillel Cohen and podcaster Ariel Klatchkin was a revelation. It was so good that I spent the better part of three hours transcribing and translating it into English for more accessibility. In it, the two men speak about the philosophical differences between Palestinians and Israelis. There is no judgment here, no supremacy of opinion. There is only open curiosity and willingness to hear what other people are thinking. “The first step towards talking about agreements and peacemaking is for people to understand how others experience their reality,” says Professor Cohen, who has been studying the conflict and its history for decades, “My attempt [when writing my book] was to make a kind of introduction, to get to know the other side's story. You don't have to accept it, you don't have to adopt it, but at least see how they see it and understand something very basic — what motivates the Zionists and what motivates the Palestinians is not evil. But what motivates them is their sense of justice and freedom, their desire to reach a state of living as liberated people.”
Some highlights:
Professor Cohen introduces the conceptual framework of the Big Time (The Arc of History) and the Small Time (The Everyday Minutiae) and how the philosophical mismatch between these ideas is the basis of a lot of the conflict itself.
Some of the history of Hamas, a lot of which may surprise you
Some of the history of Jewish participation in the Arab nationalist movement of the early 20th century, a lot of which surprised me
So. Much. Compassion.
I’ve decided to release this transcript in four parts, because it is long. I’ve tried to organize it in an easily readable way, and have highlighted the bits I think are particularly potent. You can find the document here. Feel free to share it, and to let me know if you have questions.
Is this helpful? Would you like more of it?
People are Writing About Humanity
Amid the endless posts of vitriol and anger, I’ve been trying to keep track of posts that express humanity and compassion. One such post, raw and honest, was written by a friend of mine who I knew when I was still living in Tel Aviv.
Adi writes about the home-grown militias and weapon-bearing security patrols popping up in Jewish-Israeli towns that: “the truth is that I am terribly afraid that this will only lead to the death of more and more people like Yuval Castleman2 and will only deepen the feeling of fear and hatred of foreigners that is still bubbling in us in these difficult days.”
I translated the rest of what she wrote, which you can read here.
Also,
has been writing consistently and beautifully in defense of nuance and compassion. Her words are a balm. On October 12th, she wrote a lot of things are true, a list of contradictory statements that are true at the same time. “At the end of the day, everyone must be safe, free and allowed to flourish, because everyone is holy, created in the image of the divine,” she writes. I wholeheartedly agree, despite how naive I know this makes me sound. Then, today, she published this helpful history of Chanukkah, which goes into the nitty-gritty of the Maccabean revolt and the subsequent corruption of power. As a student of my own people’s history, I found this piece fascinating and very prescient.Some Mainstream Media Coverage is Actually Good
I find that mainstream media is only useful if you read a lot of contradictory pieces and layer them on top of each other until you find that sweet Venn-diagram spot where there might be a kernel of truth.
Full trigger warning for both of these pieces.
One piece I found important was this profile of the hostages who have been released from Hamas’ captivity, written up in the New York Times.It is an important read for two reasons. (1) It reminds us that there is sorrow and danger on all sides, and that what Hamas is doing is abhorrent, bad, and wrong, and (2) It reminds us that there are many people still in Gaza — both Palestinians and Israeli hostages — who are still experiencing violence hunger and fear.
The second piece I found interesting was this investigation by +972 magazine. These journalists spoke to Israeli intelligence officials about how they decide where and when to drop bombs on Gaza. It’s harrowing, but thorough, and I want to know more about what Israel is doing, not less. In this way, I can be more aware of how to imagine a different future and what steps I believe need to be taken to get there.
Some Music
When I was living in Tel Aviv, I had the incredible fortune to study music alongside Leat Sabbah, a sublime cellist and composer. Today, she released this beautiful melody for Jeremiah 29:11
There is so much more to share about what’s going on back home. This is, as our rabbis would say, k’zayit (a Talmudic unit of volume approximately equal to the size of an average Talmudic-Era olive), just enough to whet one’s appetite. I’ll share more then next time I have the strength.
In the meantime, sending you strength, light, and peace.
B’shalom,
Mikhal
To all who will say that Palestinian’s education is likewise one-sided, sure, but that doesn’t make it ok for ours to be one-sided.
Yuval Castleman was a civilian who stopped two armed terrorists at a checkpoint in Jerusalem, only to be shot to death by an IDF soldiers.