The Invasion of Gaza. Two Wrongs Do Not Make a Right. A Meeting with an Israeli Peace Campaigner

The Politics of Wise Action

Assaf Katz and I shared a 45-minute Zoom meeting on 14 February 2024. Assaf is a long-standing Dharma practitioner and campaigner for peace.

The text below is a transcription of the meeting. It was then edited, adapted and modified for readability.

Two Wrongs do not Make a Right. The Politics of Wise Action

AK. You are one of my favourite teachers. Let us discuss the current war in Israel Palestine. In my view, the war between Israel and Palestine in Gaza is one sided.  It has been over four months since the 7 October when everything exploded. It's a lot of time. I couldn't imagine. You have been to Israel, and Palestine, many, many times for a long period (once or twice a year between 1992 and 2019) including contact with 1000s of Israelis. I don't know how many Palestinians you have met. Knowing the situation, you have seen the escalation and know many things. I read parts of your autobiography. You have been close to wars elsewhere. What is important to me also is the Dharma perspective. How do you feel regarding what is happening now in our region?

CT. An important question. We take care with the input of the information from the media, particularly the news and the visuals of what's happening in Gaza. It’s a horror and obscene. It is also a nightmare. We don't have the language to describe what takes place there. The current round started on 7 October but there were all the causes and conditions that led up to October 7.  October 7 is a cause but also an effect due to previous causes and conditions. It's vitally important to explore and understand the long history of this region, especially in the past 75 years. This helps open out a process of understanding. That is a necessity from a Dharma perspective. It isn't easy to NOT take sides That does not mean remaining quiet. We do not lean in any direction, feeding into a binary or dualistic mode - for one side and against the other. Such prejudice shows a lack of clarity, lack of wisdom and lack of love. Do not confuse passivity with equanimity. Some hold to a detached viewpoint. They might say, “Humans have always been like this. Our species has always been violent. This war is just another expression of it.” Plenty of people, including Buddhists, express this view to justify inacti0n.

AK. Where do you hear such views?

CT. I hear it in conversations. I read it online. I hear the views in the media and in television/radio debates. Views revealing detachment get expressed frequently all over the world. Sweeping generalities contribute to a passive, detached response. I say in response to this that equanimity, a key word in the Dharma tradition, includes fearlessness. It means finding and keeping trust with alternatives to conflict and war. We explore our wise concerns and ensure steps towards non-violent resolution remain in the foreground of our consciousness. Relying on developing equanimity in such circumstances, we can handle personal abuse of our views.

AK. Can you say what you mean by resolution?

CT. As a mode of response, resolution means unambiguously campaigning for the halting of the war, halting of inflicting violence on people and their habitat in Gaza. The first step is an unconditional ceasefire and then to begin negotiations after the ceasefire. Dharma teaches application of the voice, written word and non-violent action to take the steps to find a resolution. That means communication with the dominant parties involved and input from the wise counsel of others who do not take sides. Then there is the potential for resolution. If we stay mute and passive, we are out of touch with our humanity and empathy for others. This is detachment. Indirectly, those who do not speak up, support perpetuation of the violence, support the killing of men, women and children. The current and next generation of Israelis and elsewhere will ask Israelis, What did you do to stop the killings in Gaza?

AK. I understand the view of not taking sides between Israel and Palestine. This is difficult. There is something about the view about not taking sides, a non-dualistic standpoint. It doesn't have a specific way of manifesting in the world. It doesn't mean that because I don't take sides internally, I don't take action which seems one sided, or supports one side more than the other. I wouldn't say that we are at war because I don't feel we in Israel are in a war anymore. That would be incorrect. Maybe there was a war for the first few days, but now I think that the words 'Israeli attack' is more fitting.

CT. You make valid points. Not taking sides can lead to a passive and irresponsible response. When we look at Gaza, there is an overwhelming intensification of infliction of suffering on the Palestinians. Our priority acknowledges the tragedy and nightmare of this huge infliction of suffering on the people of Gaza. We must speak up for them. That includes looking into the causes and conditions over decades. What are the steps to resolve the suffering after a ceasefire? The voice of protest, the voice of people who recognise the ongoing infliction of misery, keep questioning. It is vital to keep the voice alive, spoken and written, and not water down passionate concerns and critiques. Many civilians hold tightly to violence as the only solution to the Palestinian problem. There is nothing much we can do. They show no mercy. They believe in widespread or partial annihilation. We communicate with many others who have unspoken concerns about the daily nightmare for men, women and children. How would that person feel if she he or their children were facing what the people in Gaza day in and day out? What is their response if was the other way around? What if it was a Jewish community in Gaza and a powerful Arab army bombing and shelling Gaza?

AK. Let’s look at communication. With whom Who are you talking to?

CT. I mean communicating with anyone. You speak or write to your parent, friends, colleagues, the religious, political, soldiers, teachers, citizens in the street and more. You could speak up at a meeting or in a street protest., We have to keep learning every day from every single conversation and every thought we have. What are creative and imaginative ways to help the networks of people build up a force to challenge the government and military and their supporters in Israel and the West? This is genuinely difficult. I live in a country (UK) which has engaged in more wars than any other single country on this earth including the United States. There is a long history of warfare initiated and perpetuated by this country. People naively think UK has not been at war since World War 2. We have been constantly at war. More than 300o citizens died in the civil war in Northern Ireland, as well as wars of occupation, wars in the Middle East, plus arming nations. Arms are the biggest biggest export of our country.

AK. You speak about different emotions and the intensity of emotions. Some people say, “This is too much. It is impossible to feel anything any longer.  It might then get overwhelming., What can I do?” I want to ask you.  You are a writer. From reading some of your stuff, you meet people in the world who do amazing peace work. People can affect the situation. What needs to change with what is happening? Some of us Israelis feel that when the US stops their support, then the war will end and stop the occupation of Gaza. Is it like waiting for God, called the United States, to act?

CT. I hear what you say from a certain perspective. It's a perspective that matters here. If you regard the situation as so big, you get overwhelmed. There seems to be so much to deal with. You might think Israel wants to wipe out all or part of Gaza. That feeds into the feeling of helplessness. This helplessness is disempowering. We lose our power and hand it over to the United States and Israeli governments. Many Israelis may disagree with what is happening in Gaza. They want the bombing and shelling to stop but do not have the freedom in their being to contribute to making it stop. Fear in Israel prevents speaking up or acting upon. The thought may say inwardly, “This is too much. This is going on too long. There's too much suffering. How many more women and children have to die.?” It is going to take Israelis, like yourself and others, to take the steps and make the shift to empowerment. It's the shift away from the transference of authority to inner authority and the expression of one's humanity. This shift rises above the hateful ideology of your political masters and the mostly unthinking media narrative. Streets and protest are only one way to act in humane ways rather than promote acts of inhumanity upon the so-called enemy.

AK. There are some things already happening. Last weekend, there were Israeli-Palestinian protests in Palestine. It feels like an ant trying to stop an elephant. It took two months before we could do anything. You spoke about holding a perspective. Who am I to stand against the Israeli government, the IDF and millions in Israel who support the destruction of Gaza? How can we have a perspective so we can be effective in bringing about a ceasefire.

CT. In Sri Lanka, villagers will tell you that a mosquito deep in the ear of a wild elephant will stop it from stampeding around. What difference can we make? This is probably one of the most frequent points of discussion for non-violent activists.  I am one human being. I feel if I submit to the viewpoint that the war is so big and I'm so small, I shrink. If I become impregnated with this view as an ultimate reality, as the truth, I lose my resolve and humanity. I pay a price for this and become wishy-washy. I remain determined not to lose my authority and dignity which resists those whose primary purpose consists of slaughtering people. They uphold a violent ideology of the nation state above everything else. Let us refuse to submit to these fanatical ideologues. Our common humanity lies at the core of things. The powerful have lost contact with the significance of a common humanity. We cannot sacrifice our voice, so violence, hatred and destruction of communities takes priority. We have to remind ourselves of this every day and remind each other that suffering needs resolution in small and big ways. Our commitment matters more than mindless perpetuation of suffering of the innocent and guilty. This is not easy You can find compassionate people on the Earth who share their voice and take the risks. Bless them for it.

AK. I would like to ask you, because I feel what you just said, reveals a spark of trust, rather than faith. The trust comes across as applying action to bring about dependently arising conditions for liberation from suffering. What you said brings trust that there is a way out. That is already a change of perspective, which is very important. I could feel the trust when you are speaking. Straightaway, Martin Luther King came to mind. I have a great belief in the power of human beings to create meaningful change.

CT. When I change my limited positions, I have a lot more power to change the situation. Having trust means walking with the trust allowing us to walk the path and realise our power - political power and meditation power.

AK. It is like when you start to practise meditation, you do not know where it will take you. If you have something to say from your experience, you can extend what is possible for us as human beings to bring about change.

CT. You make sound points. Trust does not depend on the result of trust or trust in a satisfactory resolution. I don't place trust on the outcome preferring the application of trust showing in the validity of what we express. I trust in what I say and trust in what moves me to do something that is authentic, caring and valid. The intention means the move towards resolution, to end the causes and conditions that bring about suffering. Israelis need to look and reflect on the situation in Gaza and make the primary action for your government to declare a ceasefire. Be clear about that. Two wrongs (Hamas and your government) do not make a right. This is why we are having this conversation. Please develop and stay steady with the nourishment you give each other. Stay steady with the determination to do everything you can to stop the atrocities in Gaza. Be fearless. Do not be afraid of Hamas or your government and their supporters. Demand the USA, UK and Germany stop providing billions of Euros in arms to Israel. Western countries are complicit in the terror on Gaza. Say No. No. No No, to feeding the ideology of war and mass slaughter. Show a radically different voice. Stay true to seeing a common humanity. Trust this view. The current numbers in Jewish Israelis calling for an immediate end to the invasion of Gaza may be small, sadly small – perhaps  3%. Speak against the horror in Gaza. Keep working and keep communicating. Keep protesting and the numbers will increase. Your government is unfit for purpose. The Prime Minister and his Ministers remain trapped in an ideology. They remain detached from people, soldiers and citizens, and their suffering. Their hearts and minds have lost connection with the humanity of people. This reveals the tragedy. The Israeli government and Hamas have much in common. Remind them of their betrayal of care for Israelis and Palestinians. This is a huge undertaking. Please don't become dependent on results. Trust in fearless action, compassion and justice. This takes priority.

AK. Thank you, Christopher. It was a pleasure to talk with you. Keep the passion and the vitality alive. Any final words?

CT: Liberation includes liberation of the voice, to free up the voice to reveal to others your primary ethic reveals as steps to reduce and end suffering This is the best voice of our species. Let's abide in the humane tradition of commitment to the end suffering and not the voice to support it or hide among the fearful afraid of speaking up. The silent majority has become the tragedy of such violence.