Opinion: I felt disgust, guilt and shame over Israel’s actions

With tears streaming down my cheeks and unable to catch my breath, I was watching a stunning sunset over the turquoise Mediterranean Sea in Tel Aviv. Just 90 minutes earlier, and 60 miles away, I had been in the south Hebron hills of the West Bank.

I have been visiting family in Israel since I was a little boy in 1969. This was the first time I witnessed the Israeli occupation of Palestinians. The tears streaming down my cheeks were tears of disgust, guilt and shame about the crimes that are being perpetrated against other human beings in my name, In the name of Jews. In the Jewish state of Israel.

As the child of a Holocaust survivor, I was taught in the words of Hillel “that which is hateful to you do not do to your neighbors” and Martin Luther King Jr.  that “no one is free until we are all free.” How could this dehumanization be happening in front of my eyes?

I was participating earlier this year with 10 others from the United States and Israel on a New Israel Fund emergency delegation trip at possibly the most historic time in Israel’s history. Participants included rabbis, lawyers, board members and supporters. The New Israel Fund is working to build a strong democracy in Israel, rooted in the values of equality, inclusion and social justice. Over four intense days, we met with politicians, diplomats, journalists, and Jewish and Palestinian activists risking their physical well-being to build a just society for all.

Israel’s current government is the furthest right the country has seen. Judicial reforms threaten to strip the authority of the Supreme Court, leaving the government with unchecked power. This is why Israelis are protesting in unprecedented numbers. Unfortunately, largely absent from the demonstrations are minority interests and the inhumane treatment of Palestinians.

It was on the second day of our visit that we took the short drive from modern Tel Aviv to the barren militarized land of the West Bank to meet with Palestinians and activists. We heard so many heartbreaking stories.

Nasser, while hugging his daughter, described what it is like to live under constant threat of settler attacks. Multiple times a day he is called to protect innocent children walking to school as well as shepherds who are commonly harassed and attacked by ultrareligious Jewish settlers. His home, as well as his entire village of Susiya, was recently placed under a demolition order.

These villagers are unable to access power and water despite the nearby Jewish settlement having modern amenities. Jewish Israeli activists we met are on call, ready to place their bodies in harm’s way to prevent inhumane atrocities. The day following our visit, one was arrested trying to prevent a home demolition by handcuffing himself to a bulldozer.

A former Israel Defense Forces soldier shared his story of being frequently commanded to “occupy” homes of innocent Palestinian families and recalled the horror on the children’s faces he held captive.

Many now believe the goal of this government is to annex the West Bank, intent upon clearing it of Palestinians. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right religious settler, has been appointed overseer of the occupied territories. He publicly expressed his desire to wipe out the Palestinian village of Hawara following a devastating settler attack there.

I’m often asked what right I have as a non-Israeli to get involved? As a Jew, these crimes are being done in my name, and Israelis are demanding us to intervene. How can I not intervene? As humans, and as Jews, how can we allow this to continue?

If you are concerned about the future of Israel, let your elected officials know you support Israel but not this dangerous regime and the inhumane treatment of Palestinians. Let them know we want democracy and equality for all. Let’s build an Israel that we can be proud of.

David Matz is a clinical psychologist practicing in Lafayette.