I'm not Jewish nor am I a scholar but I've read the biographies you've written. I'm from Romania and the memory of how Jewish people were treated over here during the Holocaust is appalling. In school, every year we'd commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day and remember what the Jewish community in our hometown went through at the hands of the totalitarian regime. It's a sensitive topic over here and I'm having a hard time grappling with what's currently happening in Palestine and with our government, like too many others, wholeheartedly supporting it. It's perplexing to witness. Thank you for the work you do and for sharing these personal insights into the issue, as I and others like myself all over Eastern Europe are trying to understand events which feel like they evade all possible explanations.
Yes, the Zionist regime has successfully blackmailed all these governments. Lots of Romanian Jews survived the war and were then sold to Israel for 8000 lei a piece by the communist regime. I wonder if this is widely known in Romania. Please keep up the pressure on your own politicians. It is a disgrace that they support this.
Thank you for sharing this. Personally I knew about it but it was never mentioned in school or elsewhere so the majority of people don't know. Education under totalitarianism would've never allowed things like this to be talked about openly. In Romania, the conversation is heavily focused on preventing antisemitic rhetoric, and this is why it's so difficult to talk about what is Israel is doing without people labelling you as antisemitic. Pro-Palestine protesters have been arrested, attacked, beaten by the police while the media portrayed them as nazi junkies. It's difficult to even honestly talk about it. That's the insidious nature of Israel's propaganda I think, shutting down all conversation by weaponising antisemitism.
I know so little about Zionism. You make it so clear. Thank you. I have always defended Israel esp in light of the Shoah, but this narrow minded "right to fight" and destroy others (the Palestinians) as they were once destroy turns Zionism on its head. Zeus forbid you say this out loud to Zionists. You just did🧿💙 The hard truths are what makes us writers. Write on. Talk on. I'm listening.
Your talk left me feeling more sane, human, connected, alive. I am Canadian and much of what Denisa says about her Romanian context also applies to mine, albeit with possibly less authority-sanctioned violence. As a person who works in conflict transformation, I really resonated with your/Levitsky‘s sense of trepidation about talking and possibly damaging friendships, yet seeing no moral alternative. I also liked her more hopeful framing: we need to have the conversation in a different way, so let’s begin. It reminded me of the Massey lecture series taking place in Canada right now in which author and novelist Ian Williams argues for adherence to two principles, the first of which is, “We can talk about anything if we know how,” and the second of which is, “We should still talk, in good faith, even if we don’t know how.“ Anyway, thank you, Mr. Moser for both talking and knowing how to talk. I hope many are listening and will engage.
Yes, I think it's a similar situation in so many places all around the world. I am torn between talking in good faith -- I think that has led nowhere, and I think it also creates this context where "Israel" and "Palestine" are seen as two warring polities, like "Germany" and "France," rather than the correct context, which is, say, "France" and "Algeria" (before independence). It's very hard. We are all taught to be open to dialogue, but it is also important to see how that liberal openness has continually reinforced this most illiberal of regimes.
Thanks Ben, many fascinating insights into Judaism and especially Zionism. Living as I do in a small city in Australia, I know few, if any, Jews; my knowledge of Jews, Jewishness and Judaism has come largely through literature and other cultural channels. Yet the past 12 months has shown me how powerful political Judaism is here in Australia, and how something (is it Zionism) has suddenly stopped rational discussion, amongst intelligent people, discussion of a topic like the destruction of Gaza and its people. We do not dare refer to it as a possible genocide! Your discussion was therefore very useful for me.
Yes, a lot of people are scared to refer to it in this way. They don't want to say the wrong thing because they know that the Zionists will come after them. And this fear and silence creates the conditions for countries like Australia to support genocide. That's why it's so important for us all to speak out. Because the Zionists never stop talking.
I'm not Jewish nor am I a scholar but I've read the biographies you've written. I'm from Romania and the memory of how Jewish people were treated over here during the Holocaust is appalling. In school, every year we'd commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day and remember what the Jewish community in our hometown went through at the hands of the totalitarian regime. It's a sensitive topic over here and I'm having a hard time grappling with what's currently happening in Palestine and with our government, like too many others, wholeheartedly supporting it. It's perplexing to witness. Thank you for the work you do and for sharing these personal insights into the issue, as I and others like myself all over Eastern Europe are trying to understand events which feel like they evade all possible explanations.
Yes, the Zionist regime has successfully blackmailed all these governments. Lots of Romanian Jews survived the war and were then sold to Israel for 8000 lei a piece by the communist regime. I wonder if this is widely known in Romania. Please keep up the pressure on your own politicians. It is a disgrace that they support this.
Thank you for sharing this. Personally I knew about it but it was never mentioned in school or elsewhere so the majority of people don't know. Education under totalitarianism would've never allowed things like this to be talked about openly. In Romania, the conversation is heavily focused on preventing antisemitic rhetoric, and this is why it's so difficult to talk about what is Israel is doing without people labelling you as antisemitic. Pro-Palestine protesters have been arrested, attacked, beaten by the police while the media portrayed them as nazi junkies. It's difficult to even honestly talk about it. That's the insidious nature of Israel's propaganda I think, shutting down all conversation by weaponising antisemitism.
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2021-05-20/ty-article-magazine/.highlight/when-romania-traded-jews-for-pigs/0000017f-f47f-d044-adff-f7ff84f60000
I know so little about Zionism. You make it so clear. Thank you. I have always defended Israel esp in light of the Shoah, but this narrow minded "right to fight" and destroy others (the Palestinians) as they were once destroy turns Zionism on its head. Zeus forbid you say this out loud to Zionists. You just did🧿💙 The hard truths are what makes us writers. Write on. Talk on. I'm listening.
Thank you for reading! I would love to shut up about this but I don't see any other choice.
Your talk left me feeling more sane, human, connected, alive. I am Canadian and much of what Denisa says about her Romanian context also applies to mine, albeit with possibly less authority-sanctioned violence. As a person who works in conflict transformation, I really resonated with your/Levitsky‘s sense of trepidation about talking and possibly damaging friendships, yet seeing no moral alternative. I also liked her more hopeful framing: we need to have the conversation in a different way, so let’s begin. It reminded me of the Massey lecture series taking place in Canada right now in which author and novelist Ian Williams argues for adherence to two principles, the first of which is, “We can talk about anything if we know how,” and the second of which is, “We should still talk, in good faith, even if we don’t know how.“ Anyway, thank you, Mr. Moser for both talking and knowing how to talk. I hope many are listening and will engage.
Yes, I think it's a similar situation in so many places all around the world. I am torn between talking in good faith -- I think that has led nowhere, and I think it also creates this context where "Israel" and "Palestine" are seen as two warring polities, like "Germany" and "France," rather than the correct context, which is, say, "France" and "Algeria" (before independence). It's very hard. We are all taught to be open to dialogue, but it is also important to see how that liberal openness has continually reinforced this most illiberal of regimes.
Thanks Ben, many fascinating insights into Judaism and especially Zionism. Living as I do in a small city in Australia, I know few, if any, Jews; my knowledge of Jews, Jewishness and Judaism has come largely through literature and other cultural channels. Yet the past 12 months has shown me how powerful political Judaism is here in Australia, and how something (is it Zionism) has suddenly stopped rational discussion, amongst intelligent people, discussion of a topic like the destruction of Gaza and its people. We do not dare refer to it as a possible genocide! Your discussion was therefore very useful for me.
Yes, a lot of people are scared to refer to it in this way. They don't want to say the wrong thing because they know that the Zionists will come after them. And this fear and silence creates the conditions for countries like Australia to support genocide. That's why it's so important for us all to speak out. Because the Zionists never stop talking.
Love Grossman, excellent writer and wonderful individual.