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Submitted by Trish Munro
Since the barbaric attacks on Israel by Hamas, the terrorist government of Gaza, the world — including Livermore and the Bay Area — have been singularly focused on the resulting war and its terrible cost.
Though it takes knowledge to understand context and make policy, it only takes a heart to cry for all those who have died in this terrible war. They were parents, children, brothers, sisters, friends, community members.
No matter who they were, how old they were, how they lived, or how they died, their absence leaves great holes where there was once someone to hold, someone to live life with. That grief is something our community can share.
I would prefer to focus on Livermore in these letters of the editor, but I can no longer ignore the way this subject has made its way into our lives in ways that are painful and divisive for individuals and communities.
For me, these past weeks have been agonizing. Israel — and Jewish history writ large — is personal. It is part of my identity. In addition, I have spent much of my life studying Jews, Judaism, Jewish history, and the historical and geographical context of Israel and the Middle East. (Though I have also studied Islam and the larger history of the Middle East, it would be chutzpah for me to speak about those subjects or the Palestinian lived experience. I respect those experiences and that history, but the danger of voicing opinions and making assumptions without adequate knowledge often creates more harm than does silence.)
As I have listened and read, I have been struck by the lack of knowledge of Jews, Judaism, and how Jews fit into world history — including the world’s long history of anti-Judaism. I have been struck by the lack of knowledge of how the European colonial powers (particularly Britain) shaped the entire Middle East.
I have been struck by how some words have been flipped on their heads in order to delegitimize Israel’s existence (as opposed to supporting a two-state solution to the region). These are all areas I can speak to with some authority and will — but not here.
With the exception of this one letter, local papers should remain places to discuss local issues. Rather, I will be using the Substack platform (https://questionassumptions.substack.com/) to inform, to learn, and to discuss these issues. Do join me.
Editor's note: Send your opinions on Livermore topics to editor@livermorevine.com. All submissions will undergo editorial review and must include author's full name.
