Israeli circles remain engrossed in the recent statement by Haaretz publisher Amos Schocken at an international conference in London, where he described the situation in Palestine as nothing less than a new “Nakba” for the Palestinian people. Schocken declared that the occupation has become a burden for all parties involved, describing Palestinian resistance as a “struggle for freedom” and urging the international community to take a firm stand, including imposing sanctions on the occupation and its leaders who obstruct Palestinian rights.
Former Knesset Speaker and head of the Jewish Agency, Avraham Burg, expressed his support for Schocken’s remarks, stating, “The so-called ‘terrorist’ is, in truth, a freedom fighter.” While he clarified that Palestinians should not resort to killing Israelis or Jews, he questioned what options remain for those facing oppression and humiliation under Israeli occupation. Burg noted that Schocken’s statements in London, though difficult for Israelis to accept, reflect a bitter reality.
In an article published on the Walla website and translated by Arabi21, Burg criticized what he described as the “childish clichés” widespread in Israel regarding the Palestinian people, whose land is occupied. He highlighted the imbalance between occupier and occupied, adding, “The occupied must ask themselves how they can attain a life of greater peace, as there is no solution in ignoring this truth, particularly in the Palestinian context.”
Burg further explained, “No one loves violence, yet our Jewish faith, which venerates the warrior image of Yahweh, instills a deep-seated affinity for war. We yearn for a conflict without casualties, but since such a method does not exist, we engage in wars where we can kill as many Palestinians as possible.” He added that, in contrast, Palestinians are expected not to retaliate, even as they face questions about what actions are permissible for those oppressed and subjugated.
Burg then referenced a commemorative plaque in the heart of Tel Aviv at the Kirya military headquarters, which reads, “On this site was the British Mobile Force headquarters,” commemorating a violent 1947 attack by the Lehi Zionist group against British forces. “The Jewish claim at the time,” Burg noted, “was that the attackers were freedom fighters. If we switched the names, dates, and locations, would Palestinian fighters planting explosives in Israeli military installations also be labeled freedom fighters—or terrorists?”
He continued, questioning why Jewish fighters of the past are called freedom fighters while Palestinians, striving to free themselves from occupation and establish their own state, are labeled as terrorists. He emphasized that history indisputably shows that liberation struggles are legitimate, as resistance to oppression inherently involves force. For Palestinians, this resistance includes justified defensive actions.
Despite his criticism of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood in 2023, Burg condemned Israel’s retaliatory campaign against Gaza as “bloodshed without justification,” arguing that the occupation, under the guise of Jewish superiority, endorses all means, however immoral. This results in a cycle where the Palestinian victim always feels the sting of terrorism, while the Israeli perpetrator sees their actions as justifiable. Israel continues to tout claims of having “the most moral army in the world,” a notion Burg finds hollow.
Burg argued that Israel’s wars have always embodied failure, while resisting occupation remains legitimate. He dismissed Israel’s religious and demographic arguments for maintaining its hold over Palestinian territories, noting that Israel’s bloodshed, devoid of ethics, foreshadows an inevitable downfall.
In closing, Burg remarked that Israel’s claims of future victories and sustainable life cannot come to fruition without facing the “truth in the mirror” and recognizing the legitimacy of the Palestinian cause. The rising wave of resistance to occupation, widespread in Hamas-affiliated mosques, cannot be subdued overnight. Israel, he warned, must confront this reality if it seeks any path toward lasting peace.
