Everything up to this point has been warm-up. Now we get to the answer.
And I’ll warn you up front: the answer is not one thing. It’s a whole constellation of things, and some of them are going to be harder to swallow than others. That’s why most Jews never get this far — because each one of these reasons, on its own, is enough to make a person defensive. Stacked together, they can feel like an indictment.
They’re not an indictment. They’re a list of causes to be examined. And if you can get through the list without slamming the book shut, you’ll find something on the other side of it that’s actually quite hopeful. But you have to get through it first.
So take a breath.
In progress
[The list goes here. Each item will be presented as an accusation – "one of the most cited examples people give for what the Jews did" – and linked to its own page in the Dark History section.]
[Each page will follow the Treaty's Row 1 standard: what people believe, stated fairly; why it persuades them; what the evidence actually shows; and how to talk with someone who believes it.]
Every one of those accusations has a story behind it — the evidence, the history, the receipts, and the counter-evidence. The Dark History section is where we lay all of it out, one item at a time, and test each one.
I know these things sound really bad. If you’re like most people, your reflex is to call them “tropes” and close the page. I ask you not to. Look at the evidence – all of it, on every side – before you decide. That’s what the Treaty asks of everyone.
This is not saying “Jews are bad.”
It’s saying that Jews, like all human beings and collectives, have contributed to generating conflict, and are not unidirectional victims, but also share in the perpetration.
“All Jews” did not do these things. A common misinterpretation of this line of inquiry is that it “blames all Jews” for “what some Jews” did. And that is not true at all. I myself am Jewish. I’m not blaming myself. And I’m not blaming other Jews who did not participate, and in most cases had no idea any of it happened.
But collectives exist, and they can do things. The collective known as “Japan” tried to conquer Asia, and the collective known as “Germany” tried to conquer much of Europe. America invaded Iraq in 2003 – and a majority of Americans wanted it to. Not every individual supported it; the collective still did it. The Jewish People acts as a collective too – through the State of Israel, and through the institutions that speak in our name. And that’s why it’s so important for individual Jews to become aware of what our collectives have done, and to publicly oppose the parts that are wrong.
In order to oppose something, you first have to acknowledge that it exists. That’s what the Dark History section is for. It’s Jewish history education! And by making Jews aware of the patterns of the collective with which they identify, it creates the ability to oppose the aspects of that collective that do harm.
If enough “good Jews” become aware, they can cleanse the collective and make it better able to coexist with the rest of humanity.
The Conversation We Keep Postponing
Lasting peace between Jews and Gentiles is impossible unless the full spectrum of the conflict is brought to light, consciously, and processed. We all must be able to talk openly. Not just amongst ourselves, but with the Other. Especially with the Other. Because you don’t make peace with your friends; you make peace with your enemies. That’s why they call it “peace.”
This dialogue is absolutely indispensable to the long-term safety of the Jews, and anyone who opposes allowing it to take place, who tries to censor it or shame others for having it, is obstructing the path to peace, and keeping the Jewish people in danger.
We are not antisemites for starting this dialogue. The one who avoids or suppresses it is the one postponing the resolution of the conflict, and keeping the pressure-cooker lid tightly closed so that steam continues to build inside it with nowhere to go but kaboom.
And we can let the steam out by having the long-postponed conversation – honestly, and held to the evidence – so that there won’t be a conflict anymore.
Jew-hate is not written in anyone's DNA – not ours, and not theirs. It responds to what people do. And that's wonderful news.
It means the hatred is not intractable. It means you have the ability to secure a peaceful coexistence with the world. It’s within your power. And that’s great news.