Israelis and Palestinians are steeped in a history of trauma. It reproduces and continues | Michael Segalov
Three weeks into this latest eruption of violence, one emotion prevails. It's what I felt as news broke of more than a thousand Israelis being murdered on 7 October. The same as Gaza is pounded night after night, Palestinians slaughtered in their thousands; or when I hear of civilians routinely killed by Israeli weapons in the West Bank, long before the world once again took notice. I worry for the safety of loved ones in the region. Yes, harrowing images shock. But really, I'm struck, again, by a total lack of surprise at all that's happening: these events all feel so predictable. That's not said with nihilism, nor as a detached pragmatist, but as someone who empathises deeply with all those caught up in this perpetual conflict, in ways I've long struggled to articulate or admit. I've marched waving both flags, and understand the psyche of both sides" in ways I for a long time wished I didn't: that would be far easier. Recently, I've come to see that this empathy may be a privilege.
Raised in a liberal, London Jewish community, I long viewed the state of Israel as a place to which I had a deep commitment and connection; its staunch defender. In adulthood, exposed to other outlooks, my views profoundly changed. I felt cheated, only taught a selected history. This affords me a generosity to parties that some others might never allow themselves to feel.
Continue reading...