When I started this column, one of my goals was for it to serve as a space for open conversation — a space where folks would be exposed to different perspectives and engage in honest dialogue about some of the issues in our community.
That mindset wasn’t inspired by some great desire for civility but rather from practicality, because I don’t think it’s possible to make dramatic inroads addressing many of our pressing issues unless we engage people who don’t already agree with us.
I’ve been thinking about that a lot these last few days in light of Sunday’s “We Are Israel” rally and the responding pro-Palestine protest in El Cajon.
As the U-T’s Andrew Dyer and Kristen Taketa diligently reported, on Sunday El Cajon played host to a pro-Israel rally that featured a bevy of high profile conservatives including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder and El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells. The rally brought about 500 people together for an event organizers say was intended to unify Christians and Jews in an effort to combat antisemitism.
However, it’s worth noting that wasn’t the only — and in some cases not even the primary — reason many attended the rally.
Attendees, according to Dyer and Taketa, could be seen sporting a variety of unrelated political paraphernalia, including Trump flags, “thin blue line” police flags, “Recall Newsom” signs, National Rifle Association T-shirts, and Make America Great Again-style hats. And when interviewed many attendees first cited reasons for attending that were totally unrelated to combating antisemitism, such as their for Elder or their antipathy for wearing masks.
Meanwhile, the rally inspired some 200 pro-Palestinian protesters to take to the streets. The groups behind that protest said, according to reporters, the rally’s message conflated Israel with all Jews in an attempt to silence criticism of the Israeli government’s treatment of Palestinians. One organizer said it was important to push back against the rally’s message because El Cajon has a large Muslim immigrant and refugee community, some of whom fled violence perpetrated by the Israeli government.
Ultimately protesters turned back before reaching the rally because, well, things took a violent turn.
Self-proclaimed antifa activists, acting as a security team of sorts for pro-Palestinian protesters, and of a far-right “patriot” group that locally is already known for getting into clashes with Black Lives Matter protesters, got into a violent exchange. Both sides were throwing punches and deploying an especially pungent type of pepper spray.
All that was a lot to take in, and that was before any of the other accusations and claims emerged about the “We Are Israel” organizers and the local police coordinating with extremists. Both parties have denied these claims, though it’s worth noting the claim about “We Are Israel” coordinating came directly from one of the far-right “patriot” leaders.
The day’s events are a disturbing omen of what could be on the horizon as we head toward a statewide recall election in September and a midterm election next year.
As Dyer noted on Twitter, it’s becoming fairly common for people like those associated with White supremacist groups and antifa to travel around Southern California attending political rallies with the intent of protesting or antagonizing protesters.
What I have been stuck on is what was the point of any of this — for both the “We Are Israel” crowd and the pro-Palestinian protesters?
I get the idea of trying to raise awareness for an issue or showing solidarity with a group you feel is being victimized. I think that’s important; that’s part of what I do in many of my columns.
However, if your way of doing that isn’t coupled with some kind of action to change the situation for people in distress, or even coupled with a small, genuine effort to persuade and engage people who disagree with you, then what’s the point?
I mean, do you think anyone who looked at the rally or saw that protest had their opinion on these issues changed either way, or even ended up being more cognizant of another perspective?
I seriously doubt it.
From the “We Are Israel” side, I would argue this whole thing actually detracted from spotlighting antisemitism especially in the U.S., where it is a very real problem. Instead of highlighting local organizations or meaningful steps one can take to try to combat antisemitism at home, this rally provided a spectacle of mixed messages and political theater. Essentially it stoked Republican anger and wrongfully tried to conflate any criticism of the Israeli government as being inherently antisemitic.
Also if you are hoping to do something that would ease tensions in the Middle East and “make Israel safer,” how is that accomplished if you don’t engage any Muslims in the discussion, talk to people who aren’t already on your side or acknowledge that there are very valid concerns people have about how the Israeli government has historically treated Palestinians?
Now, on the other side, if you’re the pro-Palestinian protesters, I get trying to raise awareness or show solidarity, but disrupting a rally would just send people deeper into their foxholes.
I mean if protesters hadn’t turned back and had succeeded in disrupting the rally, do you think anyone there was suddenly going to gain more empathy for the struggles Palestinians face? Heck, do you think people who are undecided about the issue or are somehow unaware of it would have been swayed by what happened Sunday?
I guess what I’m getting at is that it seems like we’re just going in circles with this and many other issues. Oftentimes we’re just venting and preaching to the choir, instead of taking meaningful steps to engage and help people who are in distress.
More simply, it feels like we’re letting our anger and frustration with each other distract us from addressing the issues.
I’m a Black man who has spent my entire life living in America, so I’m well aware of what it feels like to be frustrated and angry with your government and fellow Americans, especially those who seem to have blinders on with certain issues. I also recognize that there are certain people who are stuck in their ways and have no interest in engaging in an honest dialogue.
Frankly, there are times when both of those sentiments get the better of me.
But the harsh reality is we’re all stuck together, and it is going to be difficult to make any kind of progress if we’re not willing to reach out, even in a small way, to at least one person who isn’t already on our side.
