Looking for a Protest
From Gershon the Winkler
I have some free time coming up next weekend. And in all honesty, I have been feeling quite guilty not having participated in any demonstrations over the years on behalf of human rights and the such, being too busy studying Talmud and watching Netflix. So, I called one of my colleagues who is well-known for his involvement in demonstrations and protests, a real true-blue activist if there ever was one.
“Hello, Jeff. It’s me, Gershon.”
“Ah! How are things up in Berkeley?”
“No, the other Gershon.”
“Oh.”
“Anyway, I was thinking, like, it’s time for me to join a protest. You know, like, for human rights and stuff. And I figured you’d be the one to contact because you’re all over social media on the Israeli-Palestinian and Hamas thing. So, I thought maybe you would know where some humanitarian protests are taking place.”
“I’m your guy, Gersh. And your timing is impeccable. Because there’s a protest in front of the Israeli consulate in your neck of the woods tomorrow at noon.”
“Great! Can’t wait! What’s it about?”
“You know, Israel’s disproportionate force in reaction to the attacks by Hamas and the plight of all the Gaza civilians who are caught up in the conflict.”
“Cool. And after that, can we go to the protest against Syria which has slaughtered more than 2,000 Palestinians and driven 300,000 of them from their homes?”
“Yeah, but that’s Syria, not Israel, so there are no pro….”
“Hmmm, well then there must be a protest going on regarding the 4,000 civilians slaughtered by Jihadists in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger in West Africa! – not to mention the 600,000 mostly women and children who’ve been displaced!”
“Wait. Slow down, Gershon. Did Israel have anything to do with that?”
“No, of course not.”
“I didn’t think so. Sorry. I can’t help you with that one. I don’t know of any protest in that regard.”
“Oh. Okay. Not a problem. How about this one? The mass slaughter and rape of 6,700 Rohingya Sufis by the predominantly Buddhist nation of Myanmar, and the displacement of more than 870,000 of them?”
“Wait. Hold on. Did Israel have …?”
“Uh, no.”
“Sorry, I can’t help you with that one either.”
“Oh! For sure there must be a demonstration going on to protest the massacre of tens of thousands of Tegray natives in Ethiopia and the displacement of 1.7 million of them – been happening over three years now!”
“Tragic. But what’s it got to do with Israel?”
“Hmm. What about the eleven gays who were executed in…”
“Wait. I don’t think Israel was involved, I mean – couldn’t be. Israel even has Gay Pride parades.”
“So, you can’t help me with that one either?”
“Nope. Sorry.”
“How about this one? The so-called honor killings of women who were ra….”
“I heard about that, but that doesn’t involve Israel. Try again.”
“Okay, maybe this one, Jeff. Maybe this one. Are there any protests going on in regard to the restrictions along Gaza’s border crossing which is preventing civilians from seeking safety?”
“Bingo! Yes, of course. I can list 40 or 50 demonstrations right off the bat that are going on against Israel’s clos….”
“Jeff! I’m not talking about Gaza’s border with Israel, which has actually remained open most of the time throughout the years and allowing thousands of Gazans daily access to employment and health care within Israel. I’m talking about Gaza’s border with Egypt which Egypt has kept completely closed for over sixteen years now, refusing to let anything or anyone in or out of Gaza through its border.”
“Wha…?”
“And then there’s the African nation of Burundi, whose Security forces and intelligence services have been responsible for numerous killings, disappearances, abductions, torture, rape, and arbitrary arrests. Must be a protest going on about….”
“You got me, Gersh. Never heard of Burundi, let alone what’s going on there. And anyway, if Israel wasn’t involved, then you can forget about any protests.”
“Right. Okay. But you’ve got to at least know about some protest happening somewhere against the Syrian government for its role in the mass killings of 470,000 of its own citizens! And it’s still....”
“Horrible. I’ve got to admit. But Israel had nothing to do with that, so there aren’t any demons….”
“Um. Okay. How about, like maybe there’s a demonstration happening somewhere protesting the millions of displaced refugees in….”
“Aha!!!! Now you’re talking! You mean Israel’s displacement of Palestini….”
“Nonono, I’m referring to the 384,300 refugees in the Central African Republic and the well-over a million in Libya and the yet another million in Somalia and the 2.4 million in South Sudan and the 2.5 million in Nigeria and the 3 million in Yemen and the 6.1 million in Syria and the….”
“Whoa! Slow down, buddy. I understand your passion, but since these have nothing to do with Israel….”
“What about the untold numbers of civilians slaughtered in fighting going on across the rest of the world, like in Ukraine and….?”
“Okay. I’m not sure I understand what that has to do with Israel’s bombar….”
“I’m talking about the 20,886 killed by Jihadists in the war going on in Maghreb, and the 11,846 killed in Myanmar or the 113,726 killed in the civil war in Ethiopia, or the 15,435 killed in Somali civil war – all of this happening as we speak!”
“Oh. Um…sorry, I…I never heard of these places, but in any event it’s irrelevant because Israel is not….”
“Or maybe you know of some demonstrations going on against countries known for their abuse of women’s rights….”
“Well, but…I…um, well I know it isn’t Israel, so I can’t…”
“Exactly. I was referring to Yemen, Honduras, Saudi Arabia, Republic of the Congo, India, Mali, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran….”
“Um, I…well…I…uh...okay, like I’m really sorry to disappoint you, Gersh. But there are over 368 demonstrations going on right now all across the country, and in Europe, too, and I’m sure you can even find one on your nearest campus right now, but none of them have anything to do with any of the stuff you’re talking about.”
“Oh? Well, what are they demonstrating against, then?”
“Um…Israel.”
Rabbi Gershon has kindly given NMJJ permission to publish his story "Looking For A Protest," as first published in the Walking Stick Foundation newsletter in 2024,
Rabbi Gershon Winkler is a widely recognized pioneer in the restoration of aboriginal Jewish Mystery Wisdom. Author of fifteen books on themes of Jewish lore, law, history and mystery, his refreshing teachings are harvested from more than four decades of immersion in ancient Judeo-Aramaic and Hebraic source texts and oral traditions. He is the author of Magic of the Ordinary: Recovering the Shamanic in Judaism and served many years as Hillel Director, Circuit-Riding Rabbi, Prison Chaplain, as well as Guest Lecturer at numerous colleges and universities and communities across the U.S., Central America and Israel. Learn more at https://www.walkingstick.org/
Gloria Abella Ballen, whose painting accompanies this story, co-founder of the Institute for Tolerance Studies, is an artist and author creating award-winning books as well as working in other media, including painting, drawing, graphics, and silverwork. Visit at abellaballen.com.
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