Last night Rachel Maddow did something rare. She didn't ignore the potential lack of awareness of her audience and tried to educate. The problem was of course not what she said but where she chose to begin the history of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict that made me very uncomfortable. So I wrote her the e-mail that follows:
Dear Rachel,
I'm certainly not the first to write concerning your history of the conflict (largely due to watching your show in Europe) but I need to register my disappointment.
By neglecting to state that the movement for the modern state of Israel began with the settlement of largely European Jews in British controlled Palestine followed by an independence movement that employed violent acts against civilians (no labels necessary) and the expulsion of many, not all, Palestinians from their homes to be resettled in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and throughout the world, sets up the false belief that the Palestinians who call for the destruction of Israel do so because they just don't like Jews.
There are Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs who believe in a one state solution that is neither Palestine nor Israel based on secular values and religious tolerance. There are those who would consider such a solution as the destruction of Israel as a Jewish state.
The religious and moral grounds for the establishment, or destruction, of modern Israel are not at issue here for me and I know there are those for whom those are the only issues, clouding all other points of view. I think the historical error of omission of facts most people accept is problematic.
Your effort to outline a conflict that is often erroneously treated in the US media as something that everyone knows about already is commendable. The point in the process where you chose to begin is not. The Palestinians were not responsible for the genocide against the Jews in Europe, yet they were forced to pay the price.
I do not condone Palestinian acts of violence in the aftermath of these recent events. Yet, what would have happened had Germany, Spain or France been forced to give up territory for the founding of a Jewish state? Would the former dispossessed residents have quietly accepted the situation?
I watch your show regularly because of your honesty with your audience and yourself. You don't run from your fallibility and seek to correct mistakes. It is generally refreshing. This episode was not.
Thank you for your consideration.
Peace,
Seeking solutions to this conflict, as the US is expected to do, requires a clear assessment of what happened. How can a lasting peace be achieved otherwise?
I think all of us need to be more aware in order to advocate for policies different from the current path that up to this point continues to lead to bloodshed.