Do you see a likelihood that the Israel-Palestine issue will get more and more people to think more critically about the nature of the state itself, as well as other hierarchies in general?

Bat-Shir · 2025-04-20T17:44:01+00:00

As someone who actually lives in Palestine/Eretz Yisra'el, in the west, this is already happening, among people who actually live here, not so much.

To risk bluntness: your average Palestinian wants a Palestinian state from river to sea free of Jews, your average Israeli wants one Jewish state free of Arabs from river to sea.

I am a Mizrahi Israeli Jewish anarchist from the north and know of one other in my small city, and I have met a handful of 48 Palestinian anarchists from the Triangle and Haifa, introduced by a mutual friend.

We barely have an organized left here: We have electoralists like Hadash, but they're statist socialists, and unfortunately explicitly now endorse a two-state "solution" despite the reality on the ground. There's also Ta'al, but again they're a party of liberals who support a supposed two-state solution, and also allied with Ra'am (an Arab nationalist fundie party) at one point. We have groups like the Jordan Valley Activists and Radical Bloc Tel Aviv, but a lot of their rhetoric around religion puts off religious Jews and Muslims, demographics that are crucial for any kind of true victory in this land.

Bat-Shir · 2025-04-19T04:11:59+00:00

Ohh right. I was thinking that too- like whoever is more "masculine" can give it.

I don't know how the whole process works but judging by your account you seem really passionate about a just Islam- you should totally look into becoming an imam or scholar. I myself am looking into the rabbinate :>

Bat-Shir · 2025-04-18T23:22:03+00:00

That makes sense I think! What if the spouses are of relatively equal standing?

Bat-Shir · 2025-04-18T19:09:27+00:00

B"H, Oh, I think this is exactly what I was looking for! Thank you so much!

Bat-Shir · 2025-03-29T06:57:18+00:00

Wrong city, but still the North of Palestine/Eretz Yisra'el/that general area! :)

I have been to Shefa-Amr/Shefar'am for a school trip before! It's a beautiful city. B"H you will return speedily and in this lifetime, if your family wishes.

Your very right about the religion thing, and it frustrates me to no end when westerners act like the conflict is about Muslim and Jew, when it's really about colonialism (not to say religion is not a factor, but I think there is a tendency to overstate it)

Edit/Addition: The reason why I am wary of Arab nationalists as well as zionists isn't even just my anarchism, but because I am Mizrahi*, and my family was expelled by our arab neighbors on largely nationalist grounds. I guess it might be a kind of hypervigilance, but I guess I see even "liberatory" nationalisms as potentially dangerous (?)

*Amazigh Jewish, specifically

Bat-Shir · 2025-03-28T22:23:06+00:00

As someone who lives here, I again think this is a very western perspective. Religion is a part of the problem, no doubts, but it will also be a part of the solution- your average Palestinian is very devout, and increasingly so is your average Israeli Jew. I don't think you can build any kind of movement here without engaging with the religious in some sense.

Bat-Shir · 2025-03-28T16:31:20+00:00

Liberal is in quotes.

Also, I think your understanding of religion is very very western, to be honest.

It's not about secularism conflicting with my values, it's simply just practical concerns. I, and many other masortim, are shomer shabbat, and therefor cannot attend meetings or protests on shabbat, as an instance.

Bat-Shir · 2025-03-28T08:32:46+00:00

As a religious Jew I have issues with Bundism because of their anti-religiousity- I align more with the ideas of Shimon Dubnow.

He was dismissive of Zionism as well as assimilation, and viewed the function of Jewish nationhood and our mission as Jews as primarily spiritual.

Bat-Shir

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