I had a video call with an Israeli citizen in Jerusalem yesterday. We’ve been arguing about Palestine-Israel for exactly three years now. Perhaps the first time two people shouting at each other on X actually get to know each other. We talked about some private things first, but eventually we move to the topic we’ve been fighting over. He shares he’s in a whatsapp group run by ‘hill top youth’ and does criticize them for provoking Palestinians.

I’ve been radically intolerant of some ex-friends with different opinions than me on this topic, so instead of attacking or ghosting I try to understand. Without going into details I know him to be a deeply moral, caring, affectionate kind of man. I could give examples, but he’s rather private. Clearly he is strongly convinced those settlers have some kind of right to be on that land. I do not, so I try to understand how we can be similar in many ways and then arrive at such a different conclusion in other matters.

We talk about how it all started in the 19th century and he is sure prior to 1948 no Jews ever stole any land from Palestinians, but purchased the land legally. That led to Palestinians losing their jobs or their livelihood and some used violence to retaliate. Which, if it really went down like that, we both find an unwarranted reaction. But then I turn to AI and it’s more complex, some purchases were legal, but some were very messy and hard to see as legal, since it wasn’t always clear the people selling the land had the right to sell it, and then the people affected are much more justifiably angry.

One book pops up that deals with it.

Another book… Am half eager to read it and half wondering why the hell I’ve taken on this burden to try and understand this wasp nest.

He also points out that the writings of Jabotinsky calling for colonization of Palestine didn’t necessarily mean he was hell bent on stealing land from the get go.

And that the Naqba affected mostly areas fron which there had been attacks on Jews. All this is disputed, but when someone explains his views without calling me a moron or a retard or a fuming anti-semite I give those views some serious consideration.

The most discomfitting part is to see far, far more morality, depth and decency in someone who then sides with one of the most grotesque evils of our times to MY mind, than I see in almost anyone I work with, because the people I work with and meet don’t give anything beyond their job, relationship, sexual desires, holiday, house renovation, appearance any consideration whatsoever.

Life used to be hard.

Now it’s hard and incomprehensible with the little bit of aliveness still granted hiding in the most inexplicable of places.