Being an agreement between
The Jewish People
&
the Nations of the World
for the de-escalation of the conflict between Jewry and the rest of Humanity, and the building of trust through commitments made at the same time, by both sides.
In each row, people who are Jewish make one commitment, and people who are not Jewish make a matching one. Neither side gives up anything the other does not match.
IOpen and Honest Inquiry
People who are Jewish
We renounce epistemic intimidation on the topic of Jewish activities in history. We agree to stop censoring discussion of Jewish history, including the dark side.
People who are not Jewish
We agree that open discussion is held to standards of evidence. We will cite real sources, we won't use fabricated quotes, we'll keep proven claims separate from alleged ones, and we'll drop claims that fail the test.
IIThe Collective and the Individual
People who are Jewish
We acknowledge that the Jewish People acts as a collective, through the State of Israel and through the institutions that speak in our name. Their actions are fairly judged as collective actions. We will not hide behind the individuals who dissent to avoid that judgment.
People who are not Jewish
We acknowledge that not every member of a collective endorses or takes part in its actions. We will judge individuals by their choices, not their DNA, and we will never apply blood-guilt.
By way of illustration: America invaded Iraq in 2003. Before the invasion, 59% of Americans favored it (Gallup), and once it began, 72% supported it (Gallup). Not all individuals supported it – the collective still did it.
IIIOne Suffering Among Many
People who are Jewish
We renounce the claim to a monopoly on victimhood. Jewish suffering is one suffering among many, not the suffering to which all others are subordinated.
People who are not Jewish
We agree to hear the full history of what was done to Jews, without denial or minimizing, as part of the same open conversation.
IVOne Standard for All
People who are Jewish
We renounce any separate standard by which Jews or Israel are to be judged, and accept the same standard of conduct applied to every other people and nation.
People who are not Jewish
We agree to apply that same standard consistently – no stricter for Jews than for anyone else, and no looser for ourselves.
VNo Chosen People
People who are Jewish
We renounce any claim to being more valuable, more holy, or more chosen than any other people. Jewish souls are not higher than Arab, Persian, Navajo, or Igbo souls.
People who are not Jewish
We renounce the same claim for our own peoples and faiths – whether racial supremacy, religious supremacy, or the belief that any people has been "replaced" in God's favor.
VIScripture Is No License
People who are Jewish
Whatever the Torah says, we will not kill, harm, or dispossess any people in its name or at its command. Where honoring this principle requires rejecting a text's authority, we reject it.
People who are not Jewish
We accept the same principle for our own scriptures and traditions. No Bible, Quran, or national myth licenses harm against Jews or anyone else.
VIIMutual Non-Intimidation
People who are Jewish
We give up epistemic intimidation: smears, firings, deplatforming, and campaigns to silence critics.
People who are not Jewish
We give up physical intimidation: threats, vandalism, harassment, and attacks on synagogues and Jewish people.
VIIIThe Land
People who are Jewish
We support equal rights for everyone living between the river and the sea, regardless of religion or ethnicity, and the trial of anyone who has committed war crimes – including Israeli leaders and soldiers.
People who are not Jewish
We support the safety of Jews who live there, and the same accountability for crimes committed against Israeli civilians.
Signed, this ______ day of ____________, in the year ________, by the undersigned,