Letter From The Editor: How and Why The Title For the Candle Article Was Written
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Hello,
A reader responded to the article about the Hanukkah candles that are financially linked to a Zionist entity in Israel who manages land taken from Palestinians to secure with the state of Israel, which enforces and maintains Palestinian oppression, which has now reached the point of genocide.
The reader feared that all Hanukkah candles would be perceived to be linked to Palestinian oppression and genocide, and preferred a different title, as well as recommendations on where to get Hanukkah candles that do not support genocide.
Understanding this concern, and the important distinction between the theory and lifestyle of Zionism versus the religion of Judaism, I will explain the thought behind the title, and why other candles were not recommended in the article.
But first, here’s Arvind telling us why he pitched the article to A Little Beacon Blog in the first place: “My partner, who is Jewish, previously purchased these candles without knowing anything about the Jewish National Fund, and we were horrified to learn we had unknowingly supported such an organization.”
The Thought and Decision Behind The Title
The title for this article went through 5 drafts. The author, Arvind Dilawar, proposed this original title with his article as this:
Draft 1:
“Local Walmarts Selling Hanukkah Candles Benefiting Anti-Palestinian Org”
Keeping the local nature about the article is important, so I was fine with “Local Walmarts” leading the headline. However, after reading Arvind’s draft, I learned about the organization being specified - JNF (Jewish National Fund). I learned that JNF describe themselves as being involved with “water resource management, tree planting and the preservation of Israel’s green spaces.” A lot of those green spaces are desert, so not only did I learn more about this organization planting invasive trees into a desert to create green space, I learned that in 2019, JNF held 13% of all Israeli territory, making it the largest private landowner in the country.
With that knowledge, I needed a stronger headline that had to do with the land and land occupation. Palestinian land held by Israel.
Draft 2:
”Hanukkah Candles Sold At Walmart Benefit Anti-Palestinian Land Occupation Israeli Management Organization, JNF”
I told Arvind that this was not the title, but was a desired direction for the title. It is a big concept to fit into one line. Since mentioning “Hanukkah” is a lightening rod in anything having to do with Israel’s land occupation and now genocide to keep that land. The religious day of Hanukkah has nothing to do with the state and government of Israel or genocide, and is simply a part of Judaism. In this time, it is important to remember that and not generalize. However, these are candles for Hanukkah, so the act of donating proceeds from a product for Hanukkah unfortunately conflates the issue, and drags the religion into financial support, that the religion of Judaism did not consent to.
Draft 3:
”Local Walmarts Selling Hanukkah Candles Benefiting Israeli Occupation of Palestine”
Arvind then suggested this new headline and shifted the focus to JNF's complicity in the Israeli occupation of Palestine (rather than its discrimination against Palestinians in Israel).
Meanwhile, I started reaching out to Jewish friends from the Beacon Ceasefire group who are vocal against Israeli’s genocide of and oppression of Palestinians to see if they had recommendations of “neutral” Hanukkah candles. I haven’t heard back yet, and that’s OK. They might not know, or might not have time to do the homework on where proceeds of Hanukkah candles end up.
As for myself researching this investment, I did not make the time. The state of Israel, and the Zionists supporting it, have weaponized Judaism so badly, I needed to keep my own focus on articles already in research mode. Even if I had heard back, I would have put the recommendations in a separate article. If those recommendations ever come in, at any time, I will put them into a separate article, linked to from the Rite Lite Ltd / JNF article.
As for the photo of the Hanukkah candles on the shelf; that other brands are in the photo: we need context. We need to see where these candles sit on the shelf. Thanks to the photos, we can read the marketing material on the Rite Lite candles, that describe and declare JNF’s own intentions.
This article very clearly was about Rite Lite and JNF specifically. Just like if you took a photo of a toy or doll on a shelf, like “American Doll” and are talking only about that doll, if other dolls are in the photo, like a “Barbie” or a generic doll, one doesn’t blanket the message of the article on “American Doll” to the other dolls on the shelf. Context is given to see where “American Doll” sits on the shelf.
In gathering a neutral photo of the Rite Lite candle, that was used as the main illustration for this article, I then noticed that a man is pictured on the box of candles. The man is holding an axe while looking back at a single tree, which I found odd, since JNF prides itself in planting forests. Why would their man be looking back at the forest with an axe to cut it down? One doesn’t usually prune with an axe. One cuts down trees with an axe. I made note of this in the caption of the main photo used.
Draft 4:
”Local Walmarts Selling Hanukkah Candles Benefiting Israeli Illegal Occupation of Palestine”
Getting closer to publishing, I suggested the above headline to Arvind, asking if it was accurate in his opinion. He preferred “Illegal Israeli Occupation.” I still wanted more on land occupation.
But as I published the photo of the box of candles, I read the marketing material on the box as I transcribed it, so that it could be easily read. That is when I noticed that the word “Zionist” was in JNF’s description of itself on the box of Rite Lite Ltd Hanukkah candles.
This moved me to suggest one more edit to Arvind:
Draft 5:
”Local Walmarts Selling Zionist Hanukkah Candles Benefiting Israeli Occupation of Palestine”
I told him that the reason I wanted to include the word “Zionist” in the title was to get people who are new to criticizing the state of Israel to most importantly be aware of Zionist theory and support. Zionists and Jews are two different things. As Joe Biden told us, “You don’t need to be Jewish to be a Zionist.”
Expanded, Joe Biden said on October 9th, 2024: “You know, at my direction, last week, the United States military took unprecedented action again to actively assist the successful defense of Israel. You’ve — you’ve heard me say before that I got very badly criticized as a young senator for saying, ‘I’m a Zionist.’ You don’t have to be a Jew to be a Zionist. It’s not necessary.”
Joe Biden went on to say something very dangerous, but is a theory presented as a defense against mass slaughter and murder otherwise known as “war” or “conflict” in Palestine. Joe said: “And the idea — I firmly believe — without an Israel, every Jew in the world’s security is less stable. I mean that. It doesn’t mean that Jewish leadership doesn’t have to be more progressive than it is, but it does mean it has to exist, and that’s what worries me most about what’s going on now.”
As people learn more about why the state of Israel is doing what it’s doing, and what it has been involved in all over the world, it is very important that they learn about Zionism. The distinction is the only way to preserve and defend Judaism, as Zionists have hurt Jews and endangered them in this sense.
It is in protection of my Jewish friends that I publish these pieces, and adopted Palestine into the mission of this Little Beacon Blog. Since much of America’s mainstream media is complicit in weaving these stories.
Thank you.
