December 2010

Why Should You Be An Activist in Palestine?

By Cide Benengeli October 2010

The moral reason to go to Palestine cannot be disputed. Palestinians are currently in their seventh decade of military occupation and are subject to the most brutal immiseration and politicide. Only the most jaded conscience can fail to be moved at the sight of the horrors perpetrated. Furthermore, the Occupation is personal to Americans. The F-16s that rain death over the Gaza Strip come with “Made in USA” labels.

However, if compassion drives us, emotions alone cannot be the reason to go. One argument of IDF intellectual hitmen has been “but why do you unfairly target Israel when there are so many other tragic situations in the world?”. They have a perverse point. Unmanned drones wreak havoc in Pakistan, and ethnic cleansing plagues the Congo. If we are, however, to avoid comparing victims to see who is “more oppressed,” then we have to consider the strategic dimension.