13 Oct 2023
Oliver Zissman, co-owner of Leafy in St Albans, explains why he thinks we should be openly discussing the actions of Hamas.
The recent events involving Hamas – the terrorist group – and Israel have once again drawn the world’s attention to the longstanding and complex Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While international media has extensively covered these events, there is a significant silence within our local community about the atrocities and their implications.
I have personally struggled to get my voice heard, as have a growing number of the Jewish community in St Albans. Our outlets are few and far between with social media being the one that we traditionally always turn to, especially in times like these. But many platforms are seemingly switched off for us or anyone who wants to discuss the impact these attacks have had on the local community.
I don’t believe antisemitism is the intention. I don’t believe the people who hold the strings are purposely being antisemitic. Local communities may choose to remain silent out of fear of creating divisions and controversy among their members. Such discussions can quickly escalate into emotional and divisive arguments, leading some to opt for silence to maintain peace and unity within their community.
However, I believe that is wrong and voices should be heard, like they have always been during similar times such as 9/11 or the Paris terrorist attacks, or even the far more divisive subjects of Covid and Brexit.
For me, this wasn’t and isn’t about politics. I am non-religious and in the past have spoken publicly – and not in favour – about the way the Israeli government has handled the Palestinian situation.
But it is essential to emphasize the importance of depoliticising discussions surrounding terrorist attacks.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, marked by a long history of grievances and geopolitical complexities, often overshadows the humanitarian aspect of these attacks. To ensure a more balanced and empathetic perspective, we must separate acts of terrorism from political disputes.
This is about innocent babies, children, parents and grandparents – including Holocaust survivors – being taken from their homes and being brutally murdered. Seeing the images of the burned bodies of babies, that only one mainstream newspaper had the courage to print, should send shivers down the spine of every parent, regardless of religion or nationality. I held my kids that little bit closer last night.
I have had dozens of messages over the past 24 hours from Jews and non-Jews alike, most saying how sad they feel that antisemitism is very much alive in our community. Also from a former St Albanian, now living in Israel just two miles from the border with Gaza. Having lived here for over six years, she is convinced about the anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric in St Albans and says how sad she is about it. I would have previously said she is talking nonsense. I wouldn’t have believed her at all. But I am beginning to think she may be right and I hope so much she isn’t.
The importance of having open and frank discussion is essential. There are many within St Albans who don’t understand why this has happened and what will be coming in the future if these particular terrorists are allowed to roam free and not removed from any level of society. They deserve to be able to ask. We deserve to tell them.
We should also be able to discuss the implications for the innocent people on both sides of the border, which as I write, look more and more bleak by the hour.
We should all be totally outraged and disgusted by the actions of Hamas. I mention above that I am not a religious person. I have always believed in having a good moral compass over one that is determined by things or beings we cannot control and whilst I am not going to suddenly turn to God, I can’t help but say that I do pray we do everything possible to rid the world of this evil and there are no more evil than those who committed these acts. Whether Jewish or Muslim, both fundamentally peaceful religions, we should all stand together to condemn them.
As a minority group living in the UK, I personally believe being Jewish is easy. We are infrequently discriminated against, we rarely experience antisemitism first hand and that is exactly how it should be. When we compare ourselves to other minority groups who experience bigotry daily or weekly, we should count ourselves lucky. But that feeling of ease seems to be waning, especially in light of the past 24 hours.
Instead of doing what they have done previously for terrorist attacks, our national football association will not light the Wembley arch in the colours of Israel because they don’t want to upset their neighbours. For those who argue that football and politics should not mix, I agree. But again, this is not about politics.
On a more local level, we have a Palestinian protest organisation planning a meet this weekend in St Albans city centre. I have asked if they will condone the Hamas terrorist attack whilst making their (hopefully) peaceful protest. Their response was: “Hamas is a resistance movement born out of frustration and desperation.” Whilst that may be true in terms of their foundation, there was no condemnation at all for their actions from this free Palestine group.
While silence within local communities regarding the atrocities brought on by Hamas may be driven by various factors, it is essential to encourage open and informed discussions.
