Opinion My Mother, Vivian Silver, Is Gone. Who Carries Her Flag?

[Nanjeanne]

Vivian’s son, Yonatan Zeigen is a social worker who after October 7 decided to devote himself to being a peace activist.

Ever since her voice fell silent, I am overwhelmed by pain. Standing before a mirror that measures 365 square kilometers, if you don't include the West Bank. As an individual, what is reflected back to me is pain and hopelessness. As a people, what is reflected to us are big ideas and empty phrases: "national goal," "they only understand force," "they never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity," "there's no one to talk to." It all comes back to us and repeats in an endless loop.

The Zionist project is an impressive enterprise that was intended to provide an answer to the genuinely existential Jewish question. At the same time, its aim has always been to turn an area inhabited by one ethnic group into the nation-state of another ethnic group.

SNIP

People say that if Hamas would just lay down its weapons, the current war would end. That may be true, but what would the Palestinian Authority say, which put down it weapons long ago and has been left with occupation? If we want to prevent soldiers from falling in battle, to ensure that the communities near the borders rebuild and prosper, to ensure that Israelis in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv stop experiencing terror attacks, and that all the hostages return, the Palestinians need to have a horizon. They need to at least receive a signal that when they do lay down their arms, the blockade will end, and the checkpoints and bombardments will be replaced by dialogue.

Yitzhak Rabin was thought of by Palestinians as the "breaker of bones" and Yasser Arafat was known as the "arch-terrorist," and they were able to recognize each other's existence on the national level. This happened because they underwent a conceptual change. Menachem Begin told Anwar Sadat that "war is avoidable, peace is unavoidable." Where have all the good men (and women) gone, the leaders who will finally save us from the agonies of war?

Read his powerful words here. [link:https://archive.is/MdaM6|]

[link:https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2024-02-11/ty-article/.premium/my-mother-vivian-silver-is-gone-who-carries-her-flag/0000018d-9974-d92c-a9ed-fbfd75300000|]

[marble falls]

1. "war is avoidable, peace is unavoidable."

[Nanjeanne]

2. That struck me as well. Powerful statement. I hadn't heard that quote before.

[marble falls]

4. And to have it come from Menachem Begin.

[Lonestarblue]

3. I have seen many comments that Hamas should just put down its weapons.

But Palestinians know that the road to permanent exclusion from their land will follow. Israeli governments have given Palestinians no way to fight for their own state other than violence. It now should be up to other countries, including ours, to declare Palestine a state and to begin negotiations on borders. The senseless killing in Gaza needs to stop.

[Goddessartist]

6. Yes,

ad nauseum here. It's a ridiculous argument.

The vengeful slaughter must end.

[Goddessartist]

5. Thank you.

This is so perfectly put in its entirety.

And this right here:

"When I talk to people about peace, they insist that I, an ordinary citizen, come up with a solution. Do they insist on the same thing from someone who talks about war? The answer is no. In the Israeli context, war is perceived as something to be taken for granted, that is managed professionally and done out of no choice as a response to existential danger. But if we were to put this conception to the test, we would find that Israel is an established fact, and that therefore war does not bring more security and does not protect us. It brings only death and destruction and increasing, ongoing security risks.

Basically, we are the ones who are still not internalizing the fact of our existence as a state, while the vast majority of Arabs in the world and most Palestinians grasped this long ago. And by insisting on continuing to Judaize the area between the Jordan River and the sea (in everyday language, this is called "occupation&quot , we are fostering and fueling the Palestinian resistance movement and the fundamentalist culture of death on both sides, and perpetuating the conflict."

[Nanjeanne]

7. Vivian Silver was a remarkable activist. I was fortunate to have met her. Her son is made of same cloth.

[Goddessartist]

8. Fortunate indeed!

Remarkable woman, and son. Thanks again for posting this article.