By solely condemning the Israeli occupation for the murder, the Bil’in Popular Committee is sending both sides an unfortunate message
The morning after the murder of Juliano Mer Khamis, the Bil’in Popular Committee, led by Iyad Burnat, put out a statement expressing its sorrow over the tragic event. In the statement, the Israeli occupation is held “accountable and fully responsible” for the murder, since it is seen as part of the “escalation of politics exercised by Israeli occupation.” The statement goes on to reiterate the values of civil disobedience and peaceful means for ending the occupation, and emphasizes that the committee is not “against Jews in the world.”
The popular committees against the wall and israeli occupation express their deep sadness and sorrow to the murder that happened in Jenine today against the activist and director Juliano. The popular committees see this act as part of the escalation politics exercised by israeli occupation. These politics permits such horrific acts. Therefore, we hold the israeli occupation accountable and fully responsible for such acts. The popular committeeis committed to peaceful combativeness and civil disobedience to end the Israeli occupation and that everyone must be aware that our goal not to kill. We are not against Jews in the world. We are against the occupation and our goal to live in freedom and dignity like the rest of the world. Regardless that this act was committed on an occupied land , we believe that the killing of Juliano only serves Israeli interests.
Nowhere in the statement does the committee also include the need for Palestinians to assume responsibility for the act, or condemn the fact that Juliano was repeatedly threatened with his life and his theater firebombed by local residents who disapproved of his liberalism. Juliano Mer Khamis’s fight for freedom was not solely against occupation, but against all forces of discrimination and oppression, including those ingrained in Palestinian society.
By solely blaming the Israeli occupation for the murder, the Bil’in Popular Committee is sending the unfortunate message that Palestinians are the object of Israel and its occupation, thereby eternalizing their dependence on Israel for self-determination. For Palestinians to empower themselves and truly achieve independence, they must be able to take responsibility for what happens in their society and face their own demons in order to prevail. If nothing else, this is the legacy Juliano Mer Khamis has left the Palestinian people.
While the 44-year Israeli occupation is certainly responsible for a continued mentality of trauma, aggression and violence in the West Bank, there are also other elements at work here, such as intolerance regarding sexuality, gender and religion amongst Palestinians themselves. Even if one believes the violent elements within Palestinian society are entirely a product of Israeli occupation, Palestinians cannot expect Israel to heal and expunge it for them.
It would have therefore been nice to hear the Bil’in Popular Committee also express some self-criticism and introspection regarding the murder, and to make clear that whoever committed the murder, whether Israeli or Palestinian, are part of the same devastating forces that keep this region in turmoil. This is called for specifically because the residents of Bil’in have been so integral in changing the way Palestinians think about resistance to the occupation, and for their success at drawing the world’s attention to the legitimate Palestinian struggle.
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David EHG
*Sigh* That statement has so many (obvious) problems, it’s hard to know where to begin. For me, the fact that the committee used the Mer Khamis death as an opportunity to reiterate its political stance is troubling. However, what saddens me most is how its statement ends: “we believe that the killing of Juliano only serves Israeli interests.”
In fact, this murder only serves as a tragic loss for Palestinians living in Jenin.
zvi
Juliano taught people to think and to express themselves. That is a very dangerous thing for some people. Sadly, he is the second person I have known who was killed for educating others
(http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2008/08/13/afghan-attack.html)
Miri
I agree the statement is problematic but I didn’t like you asking the Bil’in group for ‘self-criticism and introspection regarding the murder,’ – Why is the murder of Juliano (lets assume it was by an anti-liberal Palestinian) a matter for self-criticism by Bil’in activists? Criticism, certainly, but why self-criticism? are you suggesting they are antiliberal too? Or do you mean, again ‘them’, the Palestinians, as an undistinguishable mass? I think you should be careful not to fall into this trap of patronising othering. Juliano embodied the knowledge that there is nothing so simple as ‘two sides’ – only a multitude of human beings who can and should embrace multiple identities to live in freedom, dignity and solidarity. May his revolution live on in our hearts and actions.
Nissan
חבל מאוד לאדם הזה היה חזון
חבל עוד יותר שהוא נרצח בגלל היותו יהודי
למרות שלא הסכמתי עם דעותיו עצוב לי שכך נגדעו חייו
Arlosoroff
For Miri,
The bi’ilin activist need introspection because, while today we do not know exactly who murdered Mer Khamis’s it is likely he was murdered because of what he stood for. openness, freedom of expression as an individual, was secular and was open to the possibility of a multiplicity of human identity.
So you can talk all day about how this translates to referring to them as “an indestinguishable mass” but your clearly missing an important point.
Their society is not an open society, open people like him are at risk. The bi’ilin activists can blame it on the occupation all they like, but the fact is untill the activists in the west bank and gaza stand up to the prejudices of their own soctiety they’re communal/societal aims are nothing more then mere nationalisms.
yes, freedom from the occupation, but beyond that, nothing other than nationalism.
So thank you Mairav for the article.. As activists who supposedly aspire to promote social values how can we ignore the prejudices of palestinian society? Are they not applicable to palestinian society as they are to our own?
MondoPrinte
Maybe it’s been best said by Richard Sivlerstein (http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2011/04/06/juliano-mer-khamis-the-death-of-hope/):
“they killed him. They killed hope. “They” is the killer. They is Hamas. But they is equally all those who hate and fear on the Jewish side as well. All the settler rabbis who call for the creation of concentration camps for Israeli Palestinians, or for shunning any Jew who rents an apartment to a Palestinian.”
ezequiel Kopel
brave piece!
Sylvia
Here you are hushing it up again. Serial rape of foreign activists by Palestinians and the murder of Juliano Mer in Jenin are merely two sides of the same coin. You know it and everybody else knows it. Looking elsewhere for someone or something to blame might serve certain agendas, it will not prevent another crime.
Mer’s muder was meant as a message to the foreign activists who seek to impose their own values and way of life rather than try and respect the sensitivities of their hosts. Unfortunately, blaming “the occupation” or “the Jews” and avoiding the real problem only ensures that it will happen again.
Dani Levi
I look forward to the critical far left dialogue in these pages when there is a Palestinian State this year, and the Pals start killing themselves or more rockets from Aza as a Thank You.
Can not wait what sick reasoning there will be, but what I am sure of, is that we will find that the Pals will for a very long time blame everything on the Jews. Earthquakes, climate change, erectile disfunction.
Going by some of the “Acid” reasoning in the Arab world for all sorts of stuff, I am sure levels of absurdity will be reached not seen since the hight of the Cold War, or some freaky North Korean stuff.
For a appetisers I encourage all to listen to Hamas PR logic and/or anti-tank-missiling school buses.
Oh what JOY!
Oh well, live and learn.
Ben Israel
Odd that there has been no comment at this hyper-moral blog about this:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/08/world/middleeast/08gaza.html?_r=2&hp
Dani Levi
comment has been removed. refrain from personal attacks on other readers and writers.
Dani Levi
here is an excellent comment in Haaretz about the left and this murder.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/israel-s-left-needs-to-wise-up-to-middle-east-reality-1.354548
‘nough said.
WorriedLebanese
I was quite shocked when I read the Bil’in Popular Committee’s press release, and agree with Mairav Zonszein that some “self-criticism” and “introspection” should be made… but not “regarding the murder” (because the Bil’in Popular Committee has nothing to do with it), but regarding the press release that is reproduced here, and its format!
The saddest thing about this press release is that it is not even “tailor made” to suit the particular case. It obeys a abstract and rigid format that could apply and is applied to all crimes or heinous acts. The standards were set by oppressive regimes and their servile media across the Middle East. If any violent act with political repercussions is made, it is always convenient to accuse Israel, to denounce its regime and consider it accountable for any similar act… and finally end the statement by saying that this act serves Israeli interests.
It is very said to witness a dynamic and young NGOs fighting for a just cause (ending occupation and Israeli encroachment on Palestinian land), such as Bil’in Popular Committee, repeating that discourse and parrotting those regimes.
Not everything can be blamed on Israeli occupation (and its escalation politics). Isn’t there enough stuff one can rightly blame israeli occupation for? Doing it systematically on things that cannot be directly attributed to israeli occupation and policies only discredit legitimate accusations and denunciations!
Affirming that Juliano Mer Khamis was probably killed by the same people who had repeatedly threatened him, and denouncing the violent and intolerant groups within Palestinian society that should be held accountable for such crimes is not a sign of weakness but an important step toward strengthening Palestinian society, deepening its understanding of pluralism and diversity and liberating it from the forces of oppression (be they local or foreign).
Piotr Berman
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/israel-s-left-needs-to-wise-up-to-middle-east-reality-1.354548
I can observe much rejoicing on the occasion of this murder. ynetnews.com talkbacks have many comments of which “There is justice!” is perhaps one of the milder.
When stupid people advise the wiser people to “wise up”, well, that is to be expected. The ‘realist’ sentiment seems to be ‘sure, it cannot last for ever, but we should have as much fun as we can while it last. Stand tall and kill the bastards, or at least humiliate them.’
Identification of wisdom with strength is fascism. Cult of force. Dreams of gigantic ‘parking lots’. ‘Realists’ forget about a little detail: to win a war you have to end it.
Larry Derfner
Right on the money. Nothing to add.
Borg
We are not against Jews in the world…but would prefer that they inhabit other planets, such as Saturn or Neptune, provided that they respect the rights of authentic Saturnians and Neptunians