LETTER HOME: ON WHY I’VE CHOSEN TO VISIT ISRAEL
Dearest Family and Friends,
I fluctuated, to be honest, about where September would lead me. But in the end I chose Israel.
I knew that I wanted to visit a nation in the Middle East, but I wasn’t sure where exactly I might find the most meaningful experience. I had considered Israel as a destination when I had envisioned my original trajectory back in 2008. But for various reasons, it began to slip off the list of concrete destinations. One of these motives to avoid Israel was catalyzed by a well-respected friend, who questioned whether it would be a good idea for me to go into what many deem an occupied state.
“Maybe he’s right,” I thought, in the weeks following our chat, “Perhaps it would be wise to steer clear of such a politically charged state. Besides, I just don’t have defined personal politics regarding Israel. Maybe it’s best to wait until I’m more educated.”
Besides, Israel has a history of bullying other nations in the Middle East, right? At least that’s what I’ve been told. And there is also the dreaded Israeli Stamp Stigma, where evidence in one’s passport of a visit to Israel will prohibit entry into a number of Middle Eastern nations (such as Syria or Lebanon). I thought, “Wouldn’t it just be easier to go to Turkey or Jordan?”
But, as I’ve made my way across the world this year, something began to shift. Part of this change has been catalyzed by meeting some really lovely Israelis, such as Jonathan and Neta in the south of France. I learned more about the history of exchange-based volunteerism through agricultural communities at kibbutzim across the nation. This seemed to align perfectly with the type travel that I was undertaking.
One evening in France, after a lovely dinner of courgette quiche and red wine, Jonathan, off the top of his head, gave me the names of three different places where I could volunteer while in Israel: a Zionist community in the Southern Negev Desert, a goat farm among the hills of Har Hashabi and a 200-year-old Arab mansion turned guest house in Galilee. I pondered potential of the rich experiences that I could gain from each of these hosts.
There came an intuitive voice that urged me to invite something more politically charged into my explorations. As mentioned, my original thought was to steer clear of the region because I had such undefined politics about it. But then I realized that having undefined politics about a nation is a perfectly valid and rational reason to visit. Ultimately I’d like to move from feeling complete ignorance about the Middle East, to being able to form minor analyses based on my own experiences and perceptions.
The decision to go to Israel has subsequently spurred new thinking. One question that I’m exploring is the concept of “boycotting” a nation or place because I might not agree with it’s politics or laws or customs.
Allow me to provide an example.
For many years I was told (and subsequently believed) that I should not visit Jamaica because of the injustice faced against the LGBT peoples of the nation. The theory is that, by limiting the tourist dollar, we would somehow teach the nation a lesson about how they ought to celebrate sexual diversity. But I now see this example of boycotting as ineffectual. If anything, gay political leaders should be going by the boatload to Jamaica to provide support to those LGBT folks would are battling to survive in one of the world’s most unfriendly places to be openly non-heterosexual. Blanket policies, such as boycotting an entire nation, might provide a simplified form of helping a westerner feel like s/he might be helping. But are we?
Ultimately, what does effective intervention actually look like?
The case of tourism in Jamaica does not translate directly to my current quandary of whether or not to visit Israel. But one element does resonate through both examples, and that is the idea that blanket boycotting is an oversimplification to situations and political realities that are deeply complex. And I believe that we will not deescalate homophobia or sexism or racism by folding our arms and refusing to engage. This is as true in human relations as it is in international politics.
Incidentally, if there is any nation that I should consider boycotting based on international relations and problematic policy, I might consider placing the United States at the top of such list. But I spent the month of January in New Orleans, and deem myself richer for having visited. If I am learning anything, it’s that the ‘nation’ and the ‘people of a nation’ are separate entities.
And so I approach this month with the same perspective as all the other legs of this journey. I have chosen to visit Israel because I want to learn about the history and the culture and the people. And hopefully my experiences there will help to form me into a more learned citizen of the world.
Whether you, my family and friends and faithful readers, agree with this decision or not, I request that you join me in the questioning. What are your thoughts on boycotting a nation? Is there a place where you would never travel? What is problematic about choosing Israel as a destination? Help me in expanding my examination of this decision.
Dance with me on this one,
xoxo
Daniel
This is a really difficult question, and bravo to you for lobbing it our way as well instead of grappling with it uniquely on your own.
I have really mixed feelings about Israel. Somewhere in the background is the collective guilt of all humanity for the Holocaust, but also fresh images of heavy-handedness and inequality dealing with the Palestinian population. I know there is a significant portion of the population that would like to work toward peace and coexistence, but sometimes the rules and the structure of your society make you do things you might not have otherwise. And then there is the impact of collective fear, justified or not, that will also make you do things you might not otherwise have done.
It might be a very interesting time for you to be there, with domestic economic pressures pushing questions about the cost of the occupation, particularly of the settlements in the occupied West Bank. And the clash of the secular and the religious, which is always compelling.
Be safe, and meet as many people as you can: it will surely help you paint a more balanced picture of the place than any of our media is likely to present. I take it you’re going to the goat farm? (Love the opening animation of their web site, BTW.) Enjoy, and avoid leaving anything lying around within reach of goats — I hear they’ll eat anything!
Thanks for the insightful comment, Ken.
I do hope to have discussions with as many people as I can. It’s all about learning.
Which includes how to milk goats ;-)
Wonderful and thoughtful post, Daniel. I might add, in the face of 450,000 Israelis demonstrating this past Saturday for economic equity, peace and social justice, that the ‘government’ and the ‘people’ can be separate entities.
BRAVO!!
I’ve got to say that the Israel visit doesn’t bother me at all, but the stance on Jamaica has me at the opposite end of the spectrum. It’s akin to asking late 1930s Jews to visit Hitler’s Germany. I don’t have any Gay friends who go to Jamaica (I suppose mostly because I’m in the west coast of the US and Hawaii trumps the Bahamas) but I have seen some straight online acquaintances who do visit regularly. I think our job is to educate those who don’t know what’s going on in Jamaica. Our tribe deserves that at least.
Indeed, going to Jamaica is not entirely safe for LGBT folks. I suppose I’m suggesting more intentional interventions with a large amount of people (strength in numbers) as opposed to just a couple of folks going down with unrealistic expectations of changing a societal mindset.
And yes, education on the ground and overseas is also a brilliant intervention.
I’ve made it no secret that I was concerned about the choice of country for this month. I was concerned on many levels, mostly for your safety and your overall morale.
I am eating my words quite frankly right now, after reading this post. Of course, I know you are a big guy and generally make decisions that are well thought out. I know that you a do not go in blindly, that perhaps after Scotland, Israel is the perfect place to be for you right now.
Over diner tonight, C. Smith and I discussed the idea of protest vs. political action, in light of this post. How far are we prepared to go to support a cause or validate a boycot? What is helpful, what is not? Who does it really hinder? What voice should one take in these circumstances? Should one guide the conversation or simply observe it?
Our questions posed had very few straight answers to be quite frank… but in many ways, this conversation reaffirmed my faith in you, your capacity to make choices and the voice you offer to all of us who cannot experience the world as you do at the moment.
Love you always.
Mylène
I’m still chewing on the idea of ‘boycott.’ I think in some instances a boycott can be a brilliant political measure, especially when it’s limiting ‘things’ versus ‘people.’
Some great things to boycott:
- Factory Farming
- Gender Inequities
- Any musical recording of Paris HIlton
Thanks for joining the conversation!
Hey Dan. I hope your visit to Israel will be as life-changing for you as it was for me. It’s a beautiful yet troubling place. Looking forward to read your take on it.
also don`t forget to mourn about those Turks killed and in Gaza strip…
I love you Daniel and I’m glad you are being thoughtful… but you should know there is a very large movement of people who are highly critical of Israeli zionism (the idea that it is a Jewish person’s birth-right to occupy the land that is the Israeli state), including queer people, as Palestinian queers suffer greatly in the current apartheid state. I would encourage you to engage with groups like Aswat, the well known Lesbian Palestinian group (link below). Here are some links for you to check out so you can form a political understanding of the situation:
Toronto’s Queer’s Against Israeli Apartheid FAQs (there are great resources in their resource section too): http://queersagainstapartheid.org/faq/
Campaign to end LGBT tourism to Israel: http://queersagainstapartheid.org/2009/09/09/apartheid-israel-is-no-place-for-lgbt-leisure-tourism/
Aswat Palestinian Lesbian Women’s Organization:
http://www.aswatgroup.org/
Good overview of current Israeli state policy, and info on ending the occupation: http://www.endtheoccupation.org/downloads/AAFFAQs.pdf
Thank you Mr. McClelland for providing a bit of contrast to this decision.
I encourage readers to click through a do a bit of research on what you’ve shared.
I love your process, the way you work through things, the way you put yourself ‘out there’ and invite critique, the way you invite others to join your process. And I love the thoughtful comments you are getting……
I wonder if the Israelis and Americans realized how lucky they were that YOU graced their shores. Seldom do these countries get to see such moral superiority, so it no doubt must have been a treat for them when you walked among them!