Growing up in the United Kingdom in an agnostic family that had Jewish and Christian members, I was free to have an opinion about the continual clashes between Israel and Palestine. It reminded me of Britain’s relationship with Northern Ireland. While I never endorsed violence or supporting the Irish Republican Army, I sympathized with the occupied rather than the occupier and recognized the occupied’s right to resist occupation.
Back then, even when my opinion differed from my friends’ and colleagues’, I felt secure that I would not lose work or friends or opportunities or sleep because I recognized that the state of Israel used unnecessary and criminal violence against the Palestinian people in order to further its Zionist ideals.
Today, as a white woman living in the United States, I do not feel free to express an opinion about the conflict without facing opposition or abuse. Only two days ago a woman who asked me to refer pregnant women to her acupuncturist business page, posted a Golda Meir quote online: “We can forgive the Arabs for killing our children. We cannot forgive them for forcing us to kill their children. We will only have peace with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us.” I had to do a double take. Who, exactly, was I supposed to refer to this woman? Was I meant to be racially selecting clientele for her, or did she honestly think a woman of color — any color — would find the insinuation that race dictates how much one loves one child an acceptable statement to make as a small-business owner specializing in birth and pregnancy?
I chose to confront this woman in a private online forum consisting of 40 women who all trained together as doulas. I asked her why she thought her racist personal views were acceptable and appropriate for a birth professional. I was summarily removed from the forum by three white women, who as far as I know see no conflict between this woman’s Zionist-derived racism and her personal career tending to pregnant women.
I was, of course, told that I was anti-Semitic for confronting her. I’m sure that, having grown up swallowing Zionist propaganda about the promised land, this woman is absolutely incapable of extricating her religion from any criticism of the extremely unfortunate and unpleasant ideologies that are used to justify Israeli violence.
Whenever I address Israeli violence publicly, I prepare for the loss of Jewish friends and for messages such as ‘You will never work in Hollywood again’ and ‘Now I know that you hate our people, I will not employ you.’ (Yes, these are actual quotes.)
My opinion about Israel and Zionism was forged over the years from conversations with Israeli and Palestinian friends, Muslims, Christians and Jews and from a fine blend of personal anecdote, fact and the study of history. I have no particular affiliation with either the Palestinians or the Israelis, Judaism or Islam. I espouse no religion and worship no god, nor do I have strong feelings against anyone else’s religion or god(s). I do, however, have an ongoing academic interest in postcolonial studies and a strong feeling about my role in history as a white-skinned woman of European descent. I believe it my responsibility as a privileged, educated, white, Welsh woman who has rarely felt oppression not only to oppose oppression but also to support oppressed people everywhere and recognize their right to resist occupation. The Palestinians are an oppressed people. Unlike the U.S.-funded Israelis, they are a people without an army, without a navy, without an air force, without free movement within, into and out of their own land. They are often denied access to basic requirements of well-being such as education, employment and medical attention because of their race and religion. While the United States channels roughly $3.1 billion of military aid to Israel every year, the Palestinians get little, though their needs are great. Despite this situation, they are people for whom, if you wish to prosper in the U.S., you cannot publicly be seen to support in any way — especially when it concerns speaking out against their continued oppression.
Whenever I address Israeli violence publicly — whether to express disgust at the deliberate targeting of civilians or the rampant system of apartheid and oppression maintained by Israel — I prepare for the loss of Jewish friends and for messages such as “You will never work in Hollywood again” and “Now I know that you hate our people, I will not employ you.” (Yes, these are actual quotes.) The people who voiced these opinions feel in a position of control over my destiny and suggest that their more privileged position as someone who can employ me and have some influence over my career and income should be used to punish me for not supporting the actions of the state of Israel.
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