To fear the fears of both sides

By: Rafi Dodson

Since October 7, 2023, existential fear has risen to the top of the regional anthem and is not leaving it. On the one hand, Israeli Jews demonstrate fear of the Arabs and speak in terms of an existential threat to their lives, and on the other hand, the Arabs demonstrate, no less, existential fear and terror.

These fears scare me the most. My fear of mutual fears creeps into my soul and creates frustration.

On the one hand, I have heard many Jews in Israel, including good friends of mine, say that since the massacre in the Gaza Envelope committed by Hamas, they have no compassion for any human being in Gaza, be it a baby, a child, or an old man.

In reality, Israel kills in Gaza without distinguishing between innocents and Hamas. For the vast majority of Jewish Israelis, compassion has disappeared and fear, hatred, and dehumanization have taken over. Hearts have been sealed and human feelings have been darkened.

Since the beginning of the war against Iran, a large majority of Jews in Israel have seen the war with Iran as a war of no choice to save the Jewish state from destruction by unconventional weapons. Existential fear overwhelmingly encourages support for the war despite its heavy cost in human lives. At the same time, for most of my Arab friends, existential fear has taken over the deepest tissues of the soul.

The Israeli Arabs see with their own eyes the cruelty, the darkness of their hearts, the destruction and annihilation of tens of thousands of their people and do not know their own souls.

Jewish supremacy and racism have no red lines, they lack any empathy or humanity, and they lead to the systematic destruction of the Palestinian people.

In Gaza, Israel is committing terrible war crimes. In addition, the Israeli Arabs see that the world is silent and some of it is even assisting with weapons and political support for the mass destruction of their people. Israel's clear military advantage on the battlefield, along with the ability to completely destroy Gaza and severely harm Iran, increase the Arabs' fear that Israel will continue to harm every Palestinian living in the area between the sea and the river. Israel's advantage in the war indicates that Israel is the powerful factor in the region that can do whatever it wants. From the Arabs' perspective, their existential fear these days is real. The Jews and Arabs in Israel are certain that justice is on their side and that the other side's fear is unjustified. The narratives are moving further and further apart on parallel lines with no chance of meeting.

In this reality, I fear the continued escalation of this mutual circle of fears.

In my opinion, without co-existence and mutual understanding, there is no future for either side.