The letter is not as off-base as Benahabib's counter letter claims, but Benhabib's point remains that the Israeli-Palestinian issues must not be reduced to an issue of settler colonialism alone. The issues (there are many) are the products of many years of misrecognition of the basic humanity of both Jewish people and Palestinian people, exacerbated by many years of many mistakes made by many people. Those many people at fault include the UK, which practiced colonialism, right-wing Israelis, who practice settler colonialism, and Muslim factions who exploit the situation for selfish ends (and I know that each of my statements are insufficient to fully characterize these realities).
What is said in this letter can be more simply stated. Elements in BOTH Israel and Palestine are actively seeking the goal of genocide of the other. Those elements want the rest of the world to side with their warped genocidal views. They give us a slew of accusations and expect us to hear only one side, recognize only one side as legitimate in the complaints and goals. Nobody's right when everybody is wrong, and that's the situation here.
In a real, tangible sense, we aren't and shouldn't be dealing with an Israeli-Palestinian issue, but be brutally honest that we are dealing with two expansionist, fascist elements that are marginalizing not only their declared enemies but the many decent people in Israel and Palestine who are willing to have peace. There is no war of religion or clash of civilization going on. This is about thugs and warlords.
One could argue, as I'm sure Benhabib would, that there is more nuance involved that needs to be discussed. There always is. But until we first can state clearly and unequivocally that genocide is NEVER acceptable and that no justification for it is admissible, we can never get to a place where discussing he nuances is possible.
We've wasted enough time listening to justifications for violence. We've wasted enough time listening to flowery words of "yes, but the other side did more...." We've wasted enough lives. Enough.
