What They’re Really Selling Us in the Name of “Coexistence”
When You Offer a Hand, and They Hide a Knife
When naivety meets reality… and finds a kippah and a knife in its back
Some words are pure honey.
Take “coexistence,” for example – it sounds like an ad for organic peanut butter: soft, sweet, and full of love.
But like every ad – someone forgot to read the fine print.
What does “coexistence” actually mean?
On paper: two peoples, two cultures, living side by side in mutual respect.
In practice: one side makes hummus, the other plans an attack.
But if you dare to question it – you’re instantly branded as a “racist,” “cynic,” or worse – guilty of “geo-national-gender insensitivity.”
A classic scene:
You: Organize an “interfaith friendship event.”
Him: Arrives smiling, brings a tray of knafeh – then shares a video of Nasr al-Din al-Shami calling to “wipe out the Zionists.”
But you? You keep smiling. Because, “you can’t generalize,” and “peace begins with me.”
(Maybe. But the terror attack usually begins with him.)
When did coexistence become code for emotional surrender?
When you’re invited to an “open dialogue” – and discover your role is to listen, not speak.
When you’re told to “acknowledge their pain” – but yours is “too political.”
When they erase your symbols “to avoid tension” – yet hang a Palestinian flag at the entrance.
When “bridging gaps” means you’re expected to crawl.
Because here’s how “coexistence” usually works:
| Side A | Side B |
|---|---|
| Erases Jewish identity | Demands recognition of national identity |
| Seeks reconciliation | Offers “right of return” |
| Pays the bill | Burns the bus |
| Forgives | Films |
| Stays silent | Shouts “Run to al-Quds!” |
The Ironic Twist
Real coexistence actually happens every day – in malls, hospitals, and construction sites.
Nobody films it. Nobody gives it an award.
But when it does happen, it’s not because of workshops – it’s despite them.
Coexistence doesn’t need five facilitators and a circle of empathy.
It needs two people who simply don’t stab each other.
So why do they keep selling it to us?
Because it photographs well.
Because it sounds lovely in European embassies.
Because it’s easier to dream about “dialogue with coffee and cookies” than admit this is a clash of identity, faith, and nationhood.
Meanwhile, you’re left with the sense that coexistence is like a diet – everyone talks about it, but no one actually does it right.
So what does make sense?
To recognize that not every good intention ends with a hug – some end with a siren.
To set boundaries – even in coexistence. Not every “dialogue” is worth the risk.
To remember: living together doesn’t mean erasing yourself so the other won’t feel uncomfortable.
And to ask the simplest question:
If I’m asked to give up my identity in the name of coexistence –
why is it that the other side never gives up a thing?
הירשמו כדי לקבל את הפוסטים האחרונים אל המייל שלכם
