Comments on: Can I keep jogging without the pain of politics?

By: Shuli

Shuli — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:28:39 +0000

DTA is not the only one! I have much to say but struggle to word it, so I just read and absorb and think. You are read, heard and appreciated!

By: AYLA

AYLA — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 12:38:04 +0000

DTA: thank you. I hope you aren’t the only person on this thread reading it… (also, didn’t receive that message).

By: DTA

DTA — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 08:49:47 +0000

Ayla: This was very very powerful; thank you for sharing. BTW, I sent you a facebook message.

By: AYLA

AYLA — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 21:48:15 +0000

(Dahlia–advance apologies for the length of this post. With this piece, you have made the discussion I’m having with DTA on-topic, and I feel this topic comes up in every other comment thread, so I’m taking this opportunity. Thanks for raising it).
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DTA–first, thank you so much for letting me know that my posts make a difference to someone; that means a lot to me. You are not among those who make me angry on this subject (your tone is respectful), but this subject comes up all the time on these threads: Many people point the finger and say others should move. Right- wingers say to people like me: you don’t like it; move (which only makes me want to fight harder–God forbid those are the only people left, here). I’ve heard people tell *Ami*, who was born in Israel, that he’s a hypocrite if he doesn’t move. 972 writers are accused of not being Israeli and of being Israeli; no one can win. To me it’s a huge waste of our energy for the relatively small percentage of Jews fighting against the occupation (and you have compared yourself to a few, so I’ll count you among us), to in-fight. It also really pisses me off from armchair critics. Not you. They know who they are.
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I can tell you this: when I was living in the U.S., I always felt a sense of numb dis-ease around what my country was doing and how little I was personally feeling it; how little it seemed I could do about it. You know the list, and the feeling after Bush was elected a second time. Then, when I was living in the Negev in 2007, I got involved helping African Refugees who were spilling over the border, some from Darfur, and suddenly I was in it, not sitting at a dinner party in a college town lobbying ideas back and forth with like-minded liberals. When I went back to the U.S. after that year, I went to some J-Street meetings and felt the dialogue among americans over wine and cheese was so irrelevant, so far removed, it was depressing. Then I moved back. Then I stayed. Now, I feel my actions, my inter-actions, actually make some kind of difference, and certainly I learn more and more, and have my assumptions challenged constantly.
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Now, I would *never* say that americans should move, or that J-Street etc. doesn’t matter (this would be antithetical to 972s raison d’etre), or that you have no right to a voice here. But if we can’t respect and empathize with each other, and learn from each other, how the hell are we going to do so with anyone else. And the last people we, 972 readers, should be accusing are 972 writers. Based on the amount of time and energy we spend here, we sure seem to value their work and believe in the Magazine’s ability to make a difference. They are also politically active off-line…
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p.s. I wish you weren’t afraid to speak publicly about your views. There are protections in place in the U.S., even if there is pressure, and it is exactly that kind of pressure that we must fight, because it’s the suppression of criticism against Israel in the U.S. that is fueling the occupation.

By: DTA

DTA — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 23:48:56 +0000

Ayla: I have reasons for why I am not using my name etc. – see what happened to Dr. Teri Ginsberg in North Carolina State University, Dr. Finkelstein etc., while I do really appreciate how open you are and I feel very bad I am not as open. I see some points in your above reasoning that I am not 100% convinced, but I will stop here; never mind.
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PS. Believe it or not, you are one of my heros in this 972 site – when I read an article usually I quickly scroll down to see if there is a comment of yours (and few other of my favorite commenters.) I have not meant to antagonize you or Dahlia, I was just challenging some reasonings/ideas.

By: AYLA

AYLA — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 14:31:34 +0000

sorry for all the typos. I’ll let you find them . I stand by the sentiments. shabbat shalom to those who celebrate–see you on the other side. Take care, everyone. And, run! Run!

By: AYLA

AYLA — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 10:55:16 +0000

DTA–I, Ayla Peggy Adler, moved to Israel only a few years ago from the States as a (very) full-fledged adult. I’m Jewish. I came here, as a Jew, got hooked on the Negev, and after a few years back and forth, quit a good teaching job to move my life here and start over. I am very aware –beyond the economic/development disparity you point to–that my Right of Return is unjust if Palestinians don’t have theirs. To me, this is the biggest political problem with my move. However. I do believe that Jews also have a right to be here as well, and a responsibility to be here with humility, respect, honor for all the people and her land, etc. I’m a thousand times more active in fighting for that cause while living here than I was back in the States, and I understand the conflict a thousand times better because now I actually know Palestinians. Although I certainly respect, and relate to, the choices of those who can’t stomach living here with the injustice and leave, and the choices of those who don’t come, and the choices of those who don’t engage, I’m also very grateful for every Jew living on this side of the greenline who is fighting for justice, and I only wish there were more of us who did NOT see the choice as you do. I care about this whole region; what would become of this place if the only Israelis were those who supported the Occupation? Meanwhile: who are you? where do you live? Why no name? Because it’s hard for me to think of any place, anywhere on earth, where people aren’t living in what we could call hypocrisy. It’s how we live our lives that matters. We make a difference, every day, in our everyday interactions and choices. I could never write the book I’m writing if I didn’t live here, a novel set on this land, and my writing is my calling. What’s yours? I don’t ask that antagonistically; I ask it earnestly. What’s your calling, DTA? Get on with it, and let others get on with theirs. We waste so much energy on this site pointing fingers. If Dahlia is the enemy, we’re in bigger trouble than I thought.

By: DTA

DTA — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 23:02:29 +0000

Dahlia, since it says in your Huffington post profile that you have moved there in 97 from US or Canada (so I assume you are an immigrant), I am very confused on how I am supposed to feel after reading this article where you are trying to show your sympathy to the people living in the other side of the border, while you are living in relative prosperity. It is always easier to show compassion from a “doing-well” side.
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As Ayla suggests, it is totally not my business to criticize your personal choices, but since you are publishing this article in 972 and asking for comments, I think it is acceptable for anyone voicing similar comments..

By: AYLA

AYLA — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 22:02:05 +0000

Dahlia–you have to keep running, if for no other reason than because I’d imagine that running clears you for writing, and we need your voice. If only more people living in Israel were like you; we need you, and here, and running.
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the joint marathon is brilliant. not an israeli run for peace; a joint Israeli-Palestinian run, through many “burroughs”, Obviously, there would be heavy security, and permits, and etc.; it would be hell to plan, and would require at least a year. but I don’t think it’s impossible. Maybe not through Gaza at this time. through east and west jerusalem, Ramallah, Bethlehem…. It’s kind of brilliant.
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can we make a rule that anyone criticizing strangers’ personal life choices on 972 must use their true identity? Just sayin’.

By: Anon

Anon — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 20:43:11 +0000

I wanted to dislike this post, as being too uncritical or something. But I couldn’t. There’s something simple and beautiful and sad about it. Maybe you have to love running to sympathize. But I do, and I did sympathize.