Israel Independence Day, Naqba Day, Haim Gouri and B'Tselem

This email was originally posted on May 14, 2018.

 Today is the 70th anniversary of the declaration of Israeli independence:


Conversely, tomorrow is the 70th anniversary of the "Day of Catastrophe" ... the Naqba  ... the Day of Lamentation for the Palestinian people


It is thus with great symbolism, that today of all days the American embassy was relocated to Jerusalem ostensibly in celebration of Israeli Independence, but also quite plainly as a seemingly permanent reminder of Palestinian oppression.

Sitting here watching the sun set on the San Francisco Bay, it is indeed far removed from the horror that exists some 13,000 miles away in what is deemed to be the "Holy" Land.  And indeed, some might even wonder why we should care that 50 people died today in some far away land ... and what do we really know about it any way?

To those who think that, and to those who ask, I commend to you the life story of the person who may be Israel's greatest poet 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/01/obituaries/haim-gouri-poetic-voice-of-a-rising-israel-is-dead-at-94.html

and I also commend to you the work of B'Tselem


and I ask that one consider if the "image of God" was present in what occurred in Jerusalem today.

Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins

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