'I didn't sign up for this!'

(JNS) — It has been nearly a week since two unarmed, innocent Israel supporters were gunned down in Washington, D.C., without cause or provocation. I have been waiting in the intervening days for some sign of remorse or regret from the pro-Palestinian camp here in America. Not simply the compulsory condemnation of unprovoked violence (though that itself may not be a given in these confounding times), but a full-throated reappraisal and disavowal of a movement that has proven itself to be very different from what it claimed to be.

From the dyed-in-the-wool Islamists, the inveterate anarchists and the radical left, we should expect no such introspection or recalibration. But from the American youth on campuses, including some of the left-wing Jews who have been swept up in the fad of revolution and intersectionalist fervor, I would have hoped that the cold-blooded murder of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim might have jolted them from their stupor and alerted them to the fact that they have chosen the wrong side of history.

Yet, unfortunately, such a mea culpa has not yet been forthcoming. I therefore wrote the following letter in the hope that some young person of good conscience might see it as an expression of feelings not yet expressed:

“I joined the Free Palestine movement because I was horrified by the slaughter of innocent civilians in Gaza. I knew that over 1,000 innocent Israelis were murdered on Oct. 7, but I did not believe that their senseless deaths should result in more senseless death. I wanted the cycle of violence to end, and it seemed to me that with enough international condemnation, the Israeli army could be stopped from pursuing Hamas in heavily populated civilian centers. I knew that Hamas was a terrorist organization that could not be reasoned with, but I was standing up for Gaza’s civilians, not the terrorists.

I have had my questions about some of the speakers at our rallies and protests. Some seemed overly hateful and violent. But I understood their anger and their zeal, and I was willing to overlook their exaggerated claims and their inflammatory, revolutionary rhetoric. Passion is vital for attracting people to an unpopular cause.

I went along with the crowd for the past year and a half, but then last week, on May 21, two young, unarmed Zionists were gunned down in cold blood by one of the leaders of the Free Palestine movement, and I understood that I, and many others like me, had been duped and manipulated and that this was not what I had signed up for.

It suddenly became clear to me that many of the leaders I had followed do not seek the peace that I have been after. They are not, in fact, against genocide, but they actually seek the death of all of those with whom they disagree. It occurred to me then—and I am not proud to admit it—that my words and actions have contributed to making the world less safe, less tolerant and less righteous.

Now I know what they mean by “Globalize the intifada.” I thought it meant let’s raise our voices and make ourselves heard, but what it truly means is let’s bring terrorism everywhere. Now I understand that “Free Palestine from the river to the sea” doesn’t mean creating equity for all people in Israel. It means murdering all of the Jews that live there—and why stop there? Jews everywhere are fair targets.

I have decided to stand up and speak out because I have made a terrible error, and if I don’t correct it, then I am partially guilty for the blood that is spilled on account of the words that I have chanted and promulgated. I have wanted to fight for truth, and now that I see the truth, I cannot ignore it.

I did not become a part of this to take lives, but to save lives. I realize now that saving lives means clearly disavowing violence and murder. It is shocking to me that there are those with whom I have previously stood shoulder to shoulder who are continuing to support a cause that has been exposed to be precisely the illiberal and racist-fascist movement that it pretends to oppose.

I have always believed that it is courageous and even heroic to stand up against the crowd and say what needs to be said, no matter how unpopular it may be. I am praying that my admission of tremendous error will enable some of my peers to similarly shake themselves from the spell that they have been under, as I was.

The events of May 21 represent a clear turning point. If we do not course correct now, we are heading down a road far more destructive than we can imagine.”

While I have not yet seen such a letter, I maintain my hope and eternal optimism that there are some sensible people who recognize that the rubicon has been crossed and the gig is up. If so, feel free to take these words as your own and share them with your friends. It is not too late, but it may be soon. Already, there are those who are cheering these murders and calling for more of the same.

You have a dire choice to make. Is this what you signed up for?

Marc Erlbaum is a filmmaker and the co-founder of Philadelphia’s Jewish Relief Agency.