Louise Adler and Me: Asking Questions and Loving Humanity.

[A response to Louise Adler’s Opinion in The Age, Saturday 21st September 2024]

I find it curious that Louise Adler’s opinion about foreign policy is sought so often. She, herself, admits she has no expertise. I, and many others, think it goes much deeper. She has lots of questions but superficial knowledge of the topics she keeps addressing. Her instincts and opinions are not completely invalid. I deeply share some of her concerns. It’s just that I am a leftist activist, a human rights lawyer and my heart is still open to the sun.

I am a 5th generation Australian Jew. My grandchildren are 7th generation. I am a human rights lawyer, an educated Modern Orthodox Jew and a Jewish educator. I go to Synagogue most weeks and keep kosher. I’m sure Louise would see this as some backslide in history, but it means that every single week of my life I’ve committed time and energy to thinking about the relationship between what is going on in the world and the justice we are obliged to pursue as a Jew. I’ve been known to give an impromptu sermon about something in the world that is really not right. 

 None of my activism has excluded non-Jews. None of my work has privileged any group except women - as on that count we can never seem to win, and besides, no matter what cultural or social background, we are still women, under various forms of patriarchy. Like Louise, I don’t think Jews have some obligation to be a light to the nations or to be particularly moral. Certainly, I agree with Louise that Jews are not better than anyone else. Having said that, the reason I do what I do and act as I do is because I’m a Jew. I was taught that all people were made in God’s image and that to kill one person is to kill the world. I see it as my individual obligation to do anything within my power to help to heal the world.  

 I grew up as a socialist Zionist. I don’t know if Louise’s Jewish identity is grounded solely in the Holocaust. It seems like it is. I imagine her parents and grandparents thought assimilation to be ideal. By that I mean education about Jewish religion and Jewish history were not important and even eschewed. On top of that, even 2nd generation Holocaust survivors have survivor guilt. Which would explain a lot. 

 I am concerned for Louise, though. Why is she afraid to ask questions? Clearly publishing an Opinion Piece is not the behaviour of someone who is afraid. But she keeps saying it. There’s not one thing Louise has said that isn’t discussed daily by left wing Jews around the world. She gets a lot of facts wrong. Maybe she is scared that a person who doesn’t think it’s noble to prioritise terrorists and aggressors over the victims of terror will show her up. 

Louise’s attitude to us Zionist Jews is rather sanctimonious. Claiming to be a rare among Jews because she cares deeply about Palestinians is insulting and arrogant. Just because most Jews believe that we are entitled to live in safety in our ancestral homeland, does not mean that we don’t want exactly the same for Palestinians. 

I’d be happy to introduce Louise to literature and people who should make her feel better. Take Women Wage Peace and Women of the Sun. The former is the largest civil society organisation in Israel which includes Palestinian women, Druze, Christian and Jewish women. One of their founders was massacred on October 7th. It took 8 days to find enough DNA to confirm the murder. Until then everyone thought she’d been taken hostage. Women of the Sun live in Gaza & the West Bank. Together the organisations have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Do you think that the Jewish members of this group are heartless, Louise? After Oct 7, these Jewish Zionist women didn’t lose sympathy or stop their support for their Palestinian counterparts. It was the other way around. Some, but certainly not all of the Palestinians, supported Hamas’ actions. Even before Israel lifted a finger, they ceased to be partners in peace. 

But it shouldn’t be a competition. The death, the killing fields of the south, the actions in Gaza are terrible. But there is a war and on this occasion Louise, did you ever consider that Israel might be the injured party? Every nation has an obligation to its people to respond to exponential threats to its existence. Only a Jew, like you Louise, would think we should save the enemy before our own children. You are happy to bring the wolf into your house, bring Grandma downstairs tightly tied, and give him the carving knife. After all, wolves are maligned and you really believe that your very own Little Red will be safe. The fairytale told you so. 

There is well-documented evidence that Israel has done everything in its power to limit casualties. I’m sure some people want revenge for October 7th. That is the natural human response. We want the hostages back. If they are hidden among civilians, civilians are going to get hurt. That’s because this is a war. I’m not sure if Louise knows this, but there was a ceasefire in place on October 6th. The war could have ended the way wars generally end, on almost every day since October 7th. All the Palestinian people have to do is to return the hostages and lay down their weapons. 

It is not in Jewish hands to stop this mess. I wish it was. Just as Gaza is a mess, Israel is a disaster area. Thousands of internally displaced people - refugees with no safe temporary haven with their neighbours. Hundreds maybe thousands of other traumatised people. A stuffed economy. I’m not sure what international aid will be forthcoming to help Israel rebuild from the thousands of rockets that have done incredible damage.

In whose interest is this war, Louise? Nobodies. But we have to get the hostages back and Israel has to be a safe place for our children.

 I have 2 beautiful black grandchildren in Israel. I only tell you this, Louise, because you probably thinks that Jews are white, privileged power mongers. I also fear for them. As Jews are supposedly white and my grandchildren are black, what happens to their identity. Other black people like Black Lives Matter won’t have them because they’re Jews. The West needs to get their facts right. It is damaging to the 60% of Israelis who are not white no matter how you define it. Claiming they are white, allows for the perpetuation of some pagan foundation story that has Jews as colonialists. 

 Louise, let’s have a journey together. We can begin in the land of Canaan. The place where the Jews are from and have continuously lived for 3,000 years. You can explain to me what it means to you to be a Jew. How it ties you in knots lest anyone mistake you for a Zionist. And why you think Palestinian lives are more important than Jewish lives, rather than the same. I’ll sign you up for Women Wage Peace Australia. It will allow you to do something about justice to all victims of this horrible conflict. And then you might be able to begin to heal from your affliction of self-hatred. I can’t think of anything else it could be.