20 THEOLOGY

be extrajudicially executed, with the ballistic weapons examination proving their guilt performed retroactively by the executioners, not by a court
of law (the appropriate circumstance should be an international tribunal,
since most Palestinians are sure that at least two of the three had nothing
to do with the murder).
I am presenting these cases to illustrate the extreme inequality in our
joint life, in this land, and to emphasize the reasons behind the emergence of the popular global movement for solidarity with the Palestinian
people. And please do not rush to your feet, protesting and chanting: The
whole world is against us, never mind, we shall overcome! because we
shall not overcome.1
The aforementioned violations of human rights are precisely the reason why many Jews all over the world have joined the BDS campaign, a
key issue for those of us who are trying to prevent violence against Israel
while simultaneously countering its arrogant and aggressive policies
against the Palestinians living under its rule.

NECESSARY VIOLENCE

In a talk at the New School, Simon Critchley has argued that violence
is never justified even if it is sometimes necessary. This statement lays
a heavy burden of guilt on numerous resistance movements all over the
world who have been compelled to resort to violence against occupying
forces.
When the children in the Palestinian village of Bilinwhose land is
being grabbed by heavily armed Israeli soldiers in broad daylight under
the pretext of lawful conductthrow stones at soldiers, the village
elders tell them: Your act of stone throwing is totally justified resistance,
but we have chosen nonviolent resistance for this village, and therefore
violence is unnecessary here. As part of our support for this type of
nonviolent action in places like Bilin, and following forceful, violent IDF
actions against the residents of the village, we, Israeli activists, have formulated our position in favor of BDS.
When the state quells the nonviolent yet effective resistance of a
rightless minority with violent unlawful means, then violent resistance
to the military forces enforcing this oppression is justified. Indeed, such
1. A well-known Israeli song.

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