What does the Sikh Community think of the Israel-Palestine Conflict?

[TheeTurbanator]

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh! 

Recently, there was a big protest along the Israel border, and people on both sides got killed. While the Israel-Palestine conflict isnt new, I have started to see a lot of vocal Sikhs, such as Samsher Singh (Anandpur Exile), Harman Kaur, Sikh Talk, etc support Palestine. I find it interesting how some Sikhs support palestine, yet also advocate for Khalistan.  

I would just like to state that I personally am not choosing a side as I feel that I do not know enough about this situation, however I will say that both sides are not innocent and have blood on their hands. On one side, Israel is occupying lang, on the other side, Hamas is refusing to even negotiate and is calling for the death of Jews. 

From a Sikh perspective, it is like beef to a hindu or pork to a muslim to steal what rightfully belongs to someone else, however it's also immoral to want to exterminate an entire race. I just want to make it clear that Im just asking a genuine question, and dont support either sides. 

With that being said, What does the Sikh Community think of the Israel-Palestine Conflict? 

 

[TejS]

We have our own issues to deal with. None of our people should be concerned with anything other than our own issues at hand. 

[TheeTurbanator]

7 minutes ago, TejS said:

We have our own issues to deal with. None of our people should be concerned with anything other than our own issues at hand. 

 "our people" are not just Sikhs or Punjabis, "our people" are all Humans, we as Sikhs should work towards Sarbat Da Bhalla, not just our own. Those who are also concerned with other issues tie everything back to Sikhi, which promotes helping others. This is why you see a lot of vocal Sikhs stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, Palestine, and you have organizations such as Khalsa aid which go out and help non-Sikhs, which again, there's nothing wrong with. 

[GurjantGnostic]

2 hours ago, TheeTurbanator said:

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh! 

Recently, there was a big protest along the Israel border, and people on both sides got killed. While the Israel-Palestine conflict isnt new, I have started to see a lot of vocal Sikhs, such as Samsher Singh (Anandpur Exile), Harman Kaur, Sikh Talk, etc support Palestine. I find it interesting how some Sikhs support palestine, yet also advocate for Khalistan.  

I would just like to state that I personally am not choosing a side as I feel that I do not know enough about this situation, however I will say that both sides are not innocent and have blood on their hands. On one side, Israel is occupying lang, on the other side, Hamas is refusing to even negotiate and is calling for the death of Jews. 

From a Sikh perspective, it is like beef to a hindu or pork to a muslim to steal what rightfully belongs to someone else, however it's also immoral to want to exterminate an entire race. I just want to make it clear that Im just asking a genuine question, and dont support either sides. 

With that being said, What does the Sikh Community think of the Israel-Palestine Conflict? 

 

I was brought up with a judao christian american bias, so earlier in life I supported the "jews" having a homeland, their rights having been so under actualized around the world, and themselves having undergone so much barbarism. The zionist movement got off to a decent enough start, with kibbutz etc and the Israelis showed much valor in the six day war. 

Fast forward to the present, and the Israelis now greatly resemble the white supremacist nazis the world was saving them from, and they've now commited so many of their own atrocities, I can no longer say I'm a supporter of Israel. 

For a while, what looked like measured responses against Hamas etc has given way to full blown racist ghettofication, imperialism, and atrocious hateful behavior. Most jews I know also no longer support Israel. 

I do think the Panth has many things to sort out itself, but it has always been the way of Sikhi to speak out against, and act against oppression always. 

"I came into the world charged with the duty to uphold the right in every place, to destroy sin and evil... the only reason I took birth was to see that righteousness may flourish, that good may live, and tyrants be torn out by their roots."

Guru Gobind Singh Ji

 

[TheeTurbanator]

5 hours ago, GurjantGnostic said:

Israelis now greatly resemble the white supremacist nazis the world

Is that why Israel is the only democracy in the middle east and a place where muslims, christians, jews, gays, etc can all live in peace? Is that why Israel allows people into its parliament who dont support it? Is that why Israel was willing to sit down and talk with others?  

I try to stay as objective as I can, but even I have to admit that you are misspeaking here. 

 

5 hours ago, GurjantGnostic said:

I do think the Panth has many things to sort out itself

 

Im not implying Sikhs go join the war, im simply asking a question from a Sikh point of view.  

 

5 hours ago, GurjantGnostic said:

 "I came into the world charged with the duty to uphold the right in every place, to destroy sin and evil... the only reason I took birth was to see that righteousness may flourish, that good may live, and tyrants be torn out by their roots."

 

Please also post the original text, as well as a citation. 

 

 

[puzzled]

Not really bothered tbh

[MisterrSingh]

1. An injustice was meted out on the Palestinian people when their land was seized to form the Israeli state. The signing of the Balfour Declaration (a cause that was personally spearheaded by the scion of the Rothschild clan on behalf of the Zionist federation), which essentially was the rubber stamp from the British government for the formation of that new country. It's the seemingly one-sided and frankly excessive and unequivocal subsequent American support for all Israeli activity in the part of the world that seems to irk most Israeli opponents.

2. Equally, post-Holocaust it was the feeling that the Jews needed their own country so that if another situation arose where they were being targeted in whichever host country they happened to reside at the time, for whatever reason, they could escape to their own country and be safe. That's an understandable position, and something we as Sikhs should appreciate considering the events in our relatively recent history.

3. One of the reasons the United States is heavily invested in Israel is a commonly unmentioned belief held by certain factions of evangelical Christians that populate the Senate and other influential sectors of the U.S. government, who believe in an End Of Days scenario whereby the Messiah will return to Earth once Jerusalem is declared the capital of Israel. An apocalyptic prophecy heralding, presumably, bad times for Muslims. Moving the American embassy to Jerusalem (which is what's mainly contributed to the recent unrest) is considered to be a provocative move by the States in effect bringing the world closer to that apocalyptic scenario.

4. Israel is considered to be the Goliath to Palestine's David, and with the full weight of American political and financial support behind all Israeli decisions and actions in Israel's desire to defend itself, it causes a sense of festering resentment to foment at the idea of Israel's treatment of the Palestinian underdogs. As we know, everyone roots for the little guy.

5. Israel is basically an ethno-state which adheres closely to the practices of ethno-nationalism ("nations defined by a shared heritage, which usually includes a common language, a common faith, and a common ethnic ancestry") which they would argue is essential for their protection and future prosperity from a demographics perspective. It's one of the reasons the "attribute" or claim to Jewishness is passed down on the mother's side, and conversion to Judaism, when a non-Jew is to marry a Jew, is considered to be a fundamental requirement. In essence, you will not be seeing Israel throw open the doors to non-Jewish immigrants. In fact, they are known to be somewhat wary of ethnically black Jews from places in Africa who wish to settle in Israel. The thought processes on the part of Israelis behind such issues are constantly traced back to the persecution faced by Jews throughout their history in terms of their need to protect themselves from outside threats.

6. As for Sikhs supporting Palestine, particularly those with a visible platform to shape opinions, etc., it's an issue that ties into the greater subject of political belief, and from my rather cynical experiences I've observed that to stand with Palestine is the archetypal Cause du Jour of any aspiring liberal / progressive; a rite of passage, if you will, before being awarded the figurative badge of being a champion of the downtrodden. Psychologically, it's considered to be a clear-cut ethical situation of Good Vs Evil (with the Israelis constituting the latter).

It doesn't require much thought or nuance, unlike the thorny issue of Sikh secession from a hostile Indian regime that's has graduated from visible and physical hostility and destruction of our people, our beliefs, our history, and our institutions, to the less visible acts of subversion, degradation, and eventual submersion and assimilation into the Hindu mainstream. But that's way too complicated and nuanced a cause to process and tackle. Plus, Mera Bharat Hai Mahan; Bhindrawale was a terrorist; Sikhs are unfashionable, etc. It's much simpler to throw one's weight behind a movement populated by BILLIONS of Muslims and MILLIONS of hip, liberal, vain whites. Less to think about. Those dopamine highs gained from posturing on social media won't be forthcoming when posting about Sikh rights.

[TejS]

11 hours ago, TheeTurbanator said:

 "our people" are not just Sikhs or Punjabis, "our people" are all Humans, we as Sikhs should work towards Sarbat Da Bhalla, not just our own. Those who are also concerned with other issues tie everything back to Sikhi, which promotes helping others. This is why you see a lot of vocal Sikhs stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, Palestine, and you have organizations such as Khalsa aid which go out and help non-Sikhs, which again, there's nothing wrong with. 

And this is exactly the mentality that has gotten us into the position that we are today, or should I say mess. I hope you understand that others doesn't mean non-Sikh either. I guess when any Sikh thinks he/she has to fulfill their religious duty of helping people, we always look far and away from home in places like Syria where you have Ravi Singh doing all he can, but we never look at our home, which is frankly collapsing. Sikh youth all over the world need guidance and help more than ever and it should be our duty to help them first, so that they can fulfill their Sikh duties as well. 

The problem is that Sikhs have never focused on their own and have suffered as a result of this. Our people need to stop giving into emotion and be more logical and sensible, and that means ensuring community interests over everything else. 

That said, the Jewish people are a great model to emulate for the Sikhs given their many similarities with us. Their seize of land and now their protection of their homeland ensures that their generations will have a place in which their culture/religion/language will flourish without oppression or pressure. Good on them.

[jkvlondon]

problem with Israel is it has continously broken treaty and international laws to extend its settlements into Clearly designated Palestinian areas . It has NEVER intended to leave its borders at the 1947 places and has kept up its relentless stealing of land and property of the Palestinians . If they had learnt to live within their borders maybe there would have been minimal problems in the middle east . Israelis have always instigated and goaded the Palestinians into replying (much as GOI to us) then when the reply comes its oh save us , arm us , send us more cash .

There is a large group of Israelis who are now seeing the occupation for what it is , haram and are trying to fight for the Palestinians against the state through legal channels  Yesh Din is one organisation . Yes I agree that the oppressed have become the oppressors. Sikhs can learn from the manner in which Israel have diminished the palestinians . We already can see how our gurdwarey have been undermined , walls destroyed , chabeel ghars demolished , even whole gurdwarey razed to the ground . our history is being removed by either removing the orginal buildings , stealing of scriptures, distorting and propagation of the distorted history . Now we even have Udasis joining in and claiming Guru Arjan Dev ji changed Bhagat Bani therefore he deserved his death . It looks like those dalits/non brahmins who have started stating that sikhi is a mulnivasi dharam rather than brahminism/hindu dharam  are rocking the boat so they are trying put a wedge between the sikhs and those who are willing to become sikhs .  Our amritdhari brothers are interfered with and ejected from examination centres , and this week our bibian are having their sleeeves cut off their clothes in pretext of eliminating cheating (guess they never heard of rolling up sleeeves)... vastarharan anew .

[FreshMind13]

The protest was a staged thing by the Hamas terrorists to get media attention. They used innocent people as human shields and 10 people were killed in the protests were Hamas members.

There is blood on both sides, but in this situation, Israel has warned people they would be shot. Hamas has been planning this for weeks.

A mother brought her 8-month old child to the protest, why? Why in the world would you bring your child to a place where you already know there is going to be violence.

People need to look at both sides, Israel isn't fully in the wrong in this case as the media portrayes it.

I'm not choosing a side, as I have not looked into the history of Israel much, but just know that this isn't a one-sided issue.