"I Had to Rip Off the Mask I'd Been Wearing" | Rabbi David Mivasair

Rabbi David Mivasair was a progressive Zionist for much of his life. More recently, he has committed himself to working towards the justice, equality and freedom of the Palestinian people. In this emotional and eye-opening conversation with Dr. Safiyyah Ally, he shares his journey with us, from his first time visiting Israel as a 19 year old and observing how Arabs were treated to his intensive engagement with Palestinians and support for people in Gaza. He shares how difficult it was for him to make that cognitive shift and rip off his mask, so to speak, and how hurtful it is to be considered persona non grata in the mainstream Jewish community. He feels the dominant Jewish institutions are locked into a defensive position, and he believes many Jewish people think similarly but are reluctant to speak out. He says much of what he does is informed by what he knows of the Holocaust and his understanding of his Jewish faith. He laments the dehumanization of Palestinians and says there's a propaganda machine trying to push a narrative with a campaign of misinformation and disinformation which people are increasingly starting to see through. His message to Jewish leaders? "Put the ethic before the ethnic."