Rabbi's new book: Love can be Middle East answer

Rabbi Michael Lerner wore a tan colored California Hippie/ cowboy style hat and stood spreading messages of love even in the aftermath of gunfire of questions at the Mt.Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church in Walnut Creek Tuesday night.  

He expressed a unique world view based on love and kindness embodied in his new book “Embracing Israel/Palestine: A Strategy to Heal and Transform the Middle East.”

“When the topic is Israel and Palestine, it can get explosive,” he said with a smile before addressing the crowd of almost 60.

The content draws from 1880 till August 2011. He stated the current worldview as one in which people dominate others and maximize own interest without thinking of consequences for others.

“World is fundamentally a hostile place according to that view,” he said.

“But there is a different world view of hope where individuals can thrive in communities and on their own.”

People have heard and internalized both these worldviews. There is a continuum of domination and caring. We are guided by our own beliefs in religion, spirituality and metaphysics.

Novelists, moviemakers and songwriters all promote hope and we create the movement of social energy.

He said that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD affects both sides that see each other through their frameworks of trauma. PTSD makes them unable to act in their own interest.

He traced the journey of Jews and referred to crusades and Europe’s struggle for expanding its colonial power in Asia and Africa.

“Jews had been leaving Europe for many years but were now seen as promoting the western colonialism where they went.” With the rise of fascism in Italy and Germany in 1920s and the closed doors of the U.S., Palestine became more a plausible location. 

“Jews jumped off burning buildings in Europe and landed on the backs of Palestinians. Jews felt the same hostility from Palestinians that they had from Russians and Germans. This was embedded deep in their consciousness and they were rebuffed as disgusting beings.”

He said his book builds the story when neither side can see their own interest.  

“My goal is to seek reconciliation.” It is a dialogue with the wounded not the evil.

He ended his talk with examples of what once was thought impossible and yet happened: a black man as the president of the U.S.; Gays and lesbians getting married.

“This is not utopian thinking. It can happen.”

First question that popped out was how the love philosophy applies to the Arab-Israel conflict.  Another was a statement that it is never going to happen.  He said, “I defer to you because you know the outcome but a year ago nobody would have believed the Egyptian revolution to happen but it did.”

Another was about the role of economics in the peace process. “There is no profit in promoting hope,” he stated and mentioned the Global Marshall Plan that he created and is introduced by Keith Ellison (D-MN) in the Congress.

 Those who agreed with his views also shared personal stories.

One woman spoke from her experiences of being an American Jew and having family in Israel. “People living there need to build hope and in my heart I believe it.”

Lerner highlighted the peacekeeping role of the U.S. while answering questions. “The U.S. can assert more and do more.” He denounced U.S. vetoing of Palestinians’ recognition at the United Nation.

He ended the session by saying that human beings can’t repress love. “So don’t waste time in accepting contours of politics and reality, go follow your higher vision.” He gave the example of Occupy movement.    

“Almost 8,000 kids had gathered in Berkeley where 47 years ago I participated in the 1960s freedom of speech movement.”

Peggy Crawford who was waiting to buy his book said she liked the talk and likes to believe in hope. Charie Reid took hope in progress from the talk, quite like the Jewish lawyer whom she met while touring Israel in 2007. That lawyer was born in South Africa and worked now for the Palestinians. “They put an end to apartheid, so this can happen too, ” she said echoing his belief.

Another woman chose to be anonymous and said that she didn’t believe this philosophy would work to end the conflict. “My grandparents were in the Auschwitz camp. People threw stones and rocks at my grand mom. My mother could not even shop for groceries.”

Lerner is the editor of Tikkun magazine and a rabbi at Beyt Tikkun synagogue. He is the founder of the network of spiritual progressives. He is known as a radical, idealist, political activist, leader of social change, and a progressive.

When asked what he really is, he replied, “I am somebody who believes in God. I haven’t forgotten my God-- love, kindness and generosity—qualities that can transform and heal people into what they can really be.”

Some of the people who have endorsed his new book include Avrum Burg, speaker of Knesset and interim president of Israel, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Cornel West, professor of religion and African American studies at Princeton University and Michael Nagler, founder of Peace Studies at UC Berkeley.