Tag Archives: New Israel Fund

I don’t use the word genocide when discussing the war between Israel and Hamas. Here’s why.

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I’ve been holding on to this criticism for a long time – even before October 7, 2023 – criticism for a lot of liberal thinkers who seem new to the issues surrounding the State of Israel and the occupations. I understand that a lot of liberal Americans see this recent war as a war of strong, bully Israel wiping out Palestinians. I want to lay out some nuances of this particular situation in regards to genocide. I know there are people out there

As someone whose family members found refuge in the Land of Israel between 1920 and 1930, I’ve been invested in the history of Israel for a long time. In tenth grade, my American family went to Israel to reunite with our Israeli family members. My father’s mother had not been able to contact her cousin and best friend since 1921, when she boarded a ship to Ellis Island. You can probably understand that my introduction to Israel was about gratitude for this miracle, especially knowing most of their/our family members had died because of terror in Europe. The Nazis and their allies worked hard to wipe out the Jews. Some of us survived.

I’m a big, fat, liberal, loudmouth American Jewish Zionist feminist. Of course most of my Israeli best friends are liberals who protested against Netanyahu long, long before this war. I have Israeli cousins and Israeli friends who are also active progressives like me. When Trump won the first time, one of my Israeli best friends said: “Now you know how I feel.” Of course I have always hated Netanyahu like it’s my job. Of course my heart breaks for ALL people who suffer. Of course I pray for a cease fire and all the hostages home safe.

Some American liberals accuse American Zionists like me of quibbling over the definition of genocide because we don’t want to look closely at the horrible situation. (See below for a useful definition.) To me, that take sounds tone deaf. Many of us don’t use that word casually because we have had to look closely at systematic violence before.

I encourage you to consider the resonance of the word genocide with European Jews who barely escaped Nazi death camps to make it to relative safety in Israel. I think it’s hard for Jewish Israelis and their allies to hear the word genocide applied to Israel while so many Israelis live peacefully next to Israeli Arabs, Israeli Muslims, and Palestinian Israelis – inside the State of Israel.

I know that the Nazi attempt at genocide is not the only example, but it’s the one Americans and Europeans seem to know best. (See below for resources on the attempted genocide in Rwanda and the attempted genocide of Native American peoples.)

The Nazis collected Jews from every country, state, anywhere they could. To liberal Zionists like me and my Israeli friends, what has happened in Israel since October 7, 2023 is a Gaza-specific issue – a war about security. I recognize and mourn and call out the deep suffering of the Gazans – Palestinians, journalists, and other people there. I don’t avoid the word genocide to downplay the horrific tragedies occurring in Gaza. Rather, I avoid the word genocide because words have meaning. Using the word genocide to describe Israel’s war against Hamas is inaccurate, and it feels purposefully divisive.

I know that the Israeli government, the Israeli military, and the various Israeli police forces of Jerusalem and other cities do unethical and tragic violence against people in the name of protecting Israel. I don’t defend the horrific and sometimes genocidal threats some Israeli leaders have made about Palestinians, today and in the past. I would never defend the crimes against humanity committed by Netanyahu and his crew, AND Israel is fighting a war against Hamas. I do not agree with the way Israel treats the people of West Bank and Gaza, AND Israel is not attacking Palestinians outside of Gaza. This is not a genocide attempt.

My friend Avi reminds me that there are people who use the term genocide to describe Israel, knowing full well how it resonates with many Jews. Using the word genocide to describe the violence in Gaza often causes Jews, Israelis, Zionists, and others to shut down dialogue – no matter how empathetic we may feel with the suffering of the Palestinians there. In moments of clarity when I’m writing on this blog, I wonder what their goals are, especially when they paint all Zionists or all Jews with the same brush. I pray for more interactions that open hearts and open dialogue rather than shutting individuals down or shutting groups out. I hope we can all find opportunities for more real conversations to broaden and deepen our understanding; more dialogues to build relationships.

In conclusion, I hope we can all learn to speak and listen so we can build more understanding. I pray and protest for this violence to be over. I pray and march for the safety of all Israelis – not just because some of them are my family and friends. I also pray for the end of all violence against everyone, Palestinians included – for peace and safety in the Middle East. Of course I don’t want any more people to die – not in the West Bank, not in Gaza, not in Israel, not anywhere. I don’t know how we can build that kind of peace – but I hope more and more of us can work together towards peace and safety for ALL. Truly, I pray that more of our allies join the active war against Hamas.

Here are a few relevant readings I can’t stop thinking about:

Here is a piece on the origin of the term genocide: https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/raphael-lemkin-genocide-convention

Here is a helpful definition of genocide: https://www.ushmm.org/genocide-prevention/learn-about-genocide-and-other-mass-atrocities/what-is-genocide

The NIF Blog is a great way to learn more about progressive forces in Israel. Sokatch writes well-researched, well-nuanced updates about current events in Israel. I also recommend signing up for their emails.

We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families: Stories from Rwanda, by Philip Gourevitch

Here are two resources about the attempted genocide of Native American peoples: https://hmh.org/library/research/genocide-of-indigenous-peoples-guide/ and https://www.history.com/articles/native-americans-genocide-united-states

This is a powerful argument by Tomer Persico against applying the term genocide to Israel: https://heb.hartman.org.il/colonialistic-settlement/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJ0yINleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFXZFhjTGtmUmwzc1d5aTRKAR69wWBq4GtnSkpshPpdwfdDn7e1tCULk7j8u_BJiZMu_8eW4lx76ycr_UKsDg_aem_SD5efweHp5geJs4hlLH2hA

The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness, by Simon Wiesenthal

[Note: I’m teaching The Sunflower on April 23, 2025 in observance of Holocaust Memorial Day. Please join us by Zoom, if you can – through Temple B’nai Israel of Oklahoma City.]

More Resources for Current Events, Including Israel

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Note: No one is Objective. Nothing is Objective. Some journalists are better researchers than others. Some journalists include context better than others. In addition to grammar, I definitely seek out reliable research and context in my reading.

Many friends have asked me for recommendations of resources on current events affecting Israel, Israelis, Zionists, and anti-Zionists. (This post is not about books. That will be a separate post.) I’m sad I have to repeat this: Not all Arabs are Muslim. Not all Muslims are Arab. Not all Palestinians live in Gaza or the West Bank. Some Palestinians are Israeli citizens. Not all Israelis are Jewish. Not all Jewish Israelis are white. Not all Israelis agree with every policy of the Israeli government or the Israeli police force (even if one of my cousins is part of the Jerusalem police force). I can support Israel, call myself a Zionist, and still disagree with the Israeli government. I can love Israel and fear for Israelis’ safety, and still think critically about how the Israeli military and Israeli police forces protect themselves from terrorism. I can love Israel and my Israeli friends and family, and still care about people in Gaza and the West Bank. Also, Israeli is at war with Hamas. If you are surprised that I am posting this, please know – I don’t want to have to, but every once in a while, I am surprised and disappointed by how ignorant/naive/hateful/narrow some smart people are. (Sorry for the run-on sentence.)

Note: Here is an interesting one-off explanation of Arab Israeli citizens. https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-know-about-arab-citizens-israel

Here are some journalism recommendations:

I really believe in lifting up Arab-Israeli, Muslim-Israeli, and Palestinian-Israeli voices. I asked friends for more Palestinian Israelis to read/hear. My Israeli friend Or suggested I read more of Lucy Aharish and Suleiman Maswadeh. Also, Or and I love Renny Grinshpan who I mainly watched for comedy until she became an activist on October 7, 2023. Now, I love her even more. My Israeli friend/brother Niv recommends: Idan Nimsto on Insta and on Twitter/X. Idan Nimsto is probably for the young and young at heart, but this hip, musical Israeli (Lin-Manuel-Miranda-style) teacher made this FANTASTIC video – Give Palestine Back? – You don’t have to agree with it to learn from it.

Haaretz is a liberal Israeli paper which has always included journalists from the non-white and non-religious Jewish population of Israel. Yes, Haaretz costs money, but it’s worth it.

My parents strongly recommend the PBS News Hour on every topic for every American. If you can’t be home at the right time to sit still for live news, you can follow them on social media. That’s a fun mash up of traditional news and “new media.” On Instagram and Threads, they are @newshour. On Instagram, you can also get direct reports from the IDF.

I like + 972 Magazine – I don’t agree with everything they say, even though I’m pretty liberal. I think a lot of Americans like it for their authentically Israeli criticism of Israel’s government.

I also like The Times of Israel. My smart, logical professor Dr. Steven Windmueller contributes to that paper frequently. He loves context and history and research. If you are an American Jew who is wrapped up in American politics and concern for Israel/Israelis, he’s a great person for you to read.

I love the emails from the New Israel Fund. You don’t have to donate money to get their emails, but you might want to. I also like the UnXeptable website for updates and press releases. [UnXeptable started as a grassroots protest movement against the Israeli government, but turned into a grassroots community support org on October 7, 2023. Thanks to my activist sister-from-another-mister Hadar Peled for the connection to UnXeptable way back when it was the Kaplan Street protest movement.] I have heard that “mainstream media” organizations don’t address the situation of the hostages in Gaza regularly, so I recommend visiting the Bring Them Home website and/or Instagram account to find out more – even when there isn’t big news.

For very personal takes on current events, I strongly recommend both Parents Circle and Combatants for Peace. I love these organizations who emphasize working together. These aren’t either Israeli or Palestinian. Both of these organizations lift up voices from all sides of the story. Find them both on all the socials. Please share their stories. They are working towards PEACE FOR EVERYONE EVERYWHERE. Please help them get the attention they deserve for doing the challenging work of building real relationships across borders. [Again, we don’t have to agree with their every word to celebrate their values.]

Friends & Neighbors: Many of you are probably wondering why I didn’t recommend the New York Times. I like a lot of stuff about the NYT. Their games are awesome. I love the magazine and the book review section. I really like Emily Bazelon and Tressie McMillian Cottom. Also, I don’t think the New York Times is reliable on deeply controversial issues like Israel. I’m not the only one to recognize that the New York Times is not as open to the wider world context as people say/expect. For example, here is the full letter that over 180 of the NYT’s own contributers signed and sent about the paper’s on-going biased reporting on transgender life in America. By all means, read the NYT – as long as you read it with your critical thinking skills turned up to 11. There is no perfect newspaper, of course. So, please don’t let the NYT be your only or even main source for news on Israel. NPR and the New York Times don’t always present all sides of the story – partially because the story is over 2,000 years old. Partially because there are more than two sides to this story. See above!

I admit that I’m not super loyal in the way I consume news. In the course of any given week, I’ve probably read articles in all of the news outlets I listed above plus a couple extra ones local to the story I’m chasing. Additionally, for world news, I like The Guardian. Paying for The Guardian is definitely worth it. (I get most of my Ukraine news there, for example.) I don’t read the same papers every day which is why I try to tell my friends to send me articles they really love or hate too. Hint. Hint.

Thank you for listening. Feedback welcome.

May peace prevail on earth – for my people, for your people, for all the people everywhere.

Sending Tzedakah to Israel – Getting the Biggest Bang for your Mitzvah Dollar

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My friend R. Yoshi Zweiback, our teacher Danny Siegel, and my friends and colleagues at Kavod have trained me to do tzedakah in a particularly thoughtful way. [The definition of tzedakah comes from the Hebrew root tzedek – “justice.” Tzedakah is righteous giving. Jews are obligated to repair what is broken in the world. Tzedakah is doing this kind of repair with monetary donations.] Kavod embraces tzedakah organizations with low overhead. I look for organizations that use their money/donations efficiently and effectively. For example, I don’t want to pay for fancy stationery or certificates. Of course, organizations need offices and stationery, but I want most of the money to go to serving/helping people. I look for organizations with “grassroots” – responsive humans who are grounded in the work and who are responsive to the people they serve.

For those of you who want to give stuff instead of money: My father has been working in shipping and customs all over the world for 60 years. It is better to send money because: 1. It’s safer to receive money electronically than to go to the post office during a war. [Also, lots of offices including the post office close during attacks so your stuff would just sit in some storeroom.] 2. The people you are trying to help, you’ve now given them an errand to do AND they will probably have to pay customs fees AND fill out forms. 3. If you send money, you give the recipients (a.) the dignity of CHOOSING what they need/want and (b.) money for the local economy on the ground.

If a person you know can only think of stuff and/or when things start running out on the ground, it’s best to choose an organization that is sending the stuff professionally with expertise in logistics and customs. I do remember once my dad telling me about an organization sending clean drinking water to Darfur. They filled shipping containers with large military grade bags of water. Then, they left the shipping containers there for people to use as shelter. Here is group of experts making sure Israeli soldiers get what they need no matter what shortages crop up – https://my.israelgives.org/en/fundme/IsraelEmergencyFund#tab3_sec2 (from Rabbi Susan Silverman)

If someone needs to DO something, contact your elected officials and ask for their help in bringing the Israeli hostages home! https://www.nif.org/press-releases/nif-ceo-bring-them-home/ Please do not let people forget the Israeli hostages in Gaza. #bringthemhomenow #bringthemallhome

Do Read! Discuss! Educate! If someone doesn’t have money and they want to do something, I’m a big fan of study sessions with a history book or some recent articles. Education and thoughtful discussions are always good for the world. I recommend The Zionist Idea, by Hertzberg and/or haaretz.com or https://www.972mag.com/ Learning is a Jewish value. It will only make the world better.

DONATIONS: I hate this helpless feeling so….my friend Hadar, who is the most liberal Israeli I know, is my source for tzedakah organizations. She recommends: https://beactive.co.il/project/73912 – It is very responsive, very grassroots, and very Israeli. I have a good friend who has been at the Kaplan Street protests for months, and she is the one who picked this org.

I’m researching a fundraiser for Kibbutz Nir Oz. So far, it seems good. https://my.israelgives.org/en/fundme/kibbutzniroz – my Jerusalem cousin picked this one. She is heart broken about how the terrorists essentially erased the whole kibbutz. I would really like help learning more about this org – if anyone is good at research/reviews for tzedakah orgs, please comment below! Thank you!

I LOVE this organization with my whole heart – https://www.bet-uri.org.il/copy-of-home – They are a residential care facility for people with all kinds of challenges. Beit Uri is responsible and effective and wonderful. They are a grand residential care home for people of all ages who live with all kinds of special needs. At Beit Uri there are 12 bomb shelters / safe rooms that serve 130 residents and 50 staff. Some shelters are in need of renovations such as plumbing, ventilation, door frames, and doors. Your donation will certainly help with this effort.

I like UnXceptable – https://www.unxeptable.org – This is the small org, started by the people protesting at Kaplan Street week after week, month after month for JUSTICE and EQUALITY in the legal system. Lately, they’ve been more focused on sending out valuable, current information/news. [I know the spelling is annoying. I’m sorry.]

And Combatants for Peace – https://afcfp.org/ – You can trust them. I have a friend who works there. [Hi, Gili!]

For spiritual care for Israelis – I’m super interested in this organization – https://www.livuiruchani.org.il/english! If you know someone there or you can do some research, I would love to hear more. Please advise.

My Israeli cousins sent me this one – https://israeltraumacoalition.org/en/ – ITC – Israel Trauma Coalition. Their slogan is “Response. Preparedness. Resilience.” Please share this with your friends and neighbors – even if you cannot give.

I also really like this organization – United Hatzalah! https://israelrescue.org/ They have interesting stories/news on their website, and they do creative, responsive work.

Some of our friends/family/neighbors only trust big, traditional organizations with name recognition. Here are my recs for those:

NIF – try New Israel Fund! You can trust Daniel Sokatch – I’ve known him forever! Daniel’s emails are truly helpful, informative, excellent. Get on that list!

JNF has an emergency fund that people like. https://my.jnf.org/israel-resilience-campaign [My family did give them a donation in honor of my Jerusalem cousins but they are so much clunkier and slower than my first choice – Be Active. They are actually MAILING us a certificate, etc. I had already gotten my confirmation/invoice email from Be Active when JNF was actually CALLING me back to confirm something.]

MDA – This is a very concrete one – https://www.mdais.org/en – Magen David Adom provides emergency response services, ambulances, and more.

Politics & Education – If you can, please make sure everyone you know knows that AIPAC loves Republicans. Never give them your contact info or your money. If someone says something positive to me about AIPAC, I act like they said a dirty word and respond: “Honey, I think you mean NEW ISRAEL FUND (NIF). Bless your heart.“

With gratitude and with prayers for peace, RSEL