...try an experiment, put on some Arab clothing and take a walk in downtown Jerusalem.
Then put a Jewish star on your shirt and take a walk in Ramallah or Gaza City.
Then write back about the forces of good and evil in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
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8 comments:
But Alex, that's been done. Richard Ellison's novel, Invisible Man. Gregory Peck in Gentleman's Agreement film.
A bit antiquated, aren't you.
But my point is: what will really happen. who will get killed first?
Put on some Arab clothing and take a walk through some of the 'Jews-only' streets of downtown Hebron.
Let's see what happens.
That's so silly. First of all, since I first visited Hebron in 1970, I know first hand that Arabs who are not suspected of terrorism for decades have walked among the Jews quietly with no fear for life. Any reaction, minus 10%, is always based on security threat not racism although with the Arabs lately trying to be very racist themselves, the barriers are falling.
I'm not sure what Hebron you are talking about.
Take a look at this map: http://www.btselem.org/Download/200705_Hebron_Center_Map_Eng.pdf
Hebron's old city used to be a vibrant place, full of shops, restaurants and...people. Nowadays it's a ghosttown.
The only people there are Jewish settlers and Israeli soldiers. The shops are closed. The houses are abandoned or occupied by extremist Jews. The walls are covered in anti-Arab graffiti.
Some streets are not allowed for Palestinian cars, others are not allowed for Palestinians in general (not even pedestrians, not even house-owners, not even kids walking to school).
Some streets are covered with iron nets to protect the people from the stones and garbage that is being thrown at them by settlers who occupy their upper floors.
David Wilder, spokesperson of the settlers, refers to his windows as 'motivational windows'. Everytime he sees through them, he knows what still has to be done (to cleanse Hebron from all things Arab and completely judaïcize them).
What do you mean, security?
it's called incremental backwards Pal. progress. for every act of terror they lose.
Seriously. How on earth can one justify what is happening in Hebron...
Why are you not able to formulate criticism towards what settlers are doing in Hebron? I can not believe that you agree with everything that is happening there, and that you honestly think everything there is the Palestinians own fault...
YMedad,
It's funny when people w/ no scruples, nor dialectical skills, attempt to argue. Let's take your ideas one at a time, and reject them w/ logic, and no mysticism. A novel concept in Israel/Palestine discussions, no?
Besides a pointless reference to "Invisible Man," you seem to miss my critique: people anywhere, whether it's right or wrong, are unable to completely rise above prejudice when oppression, perceived or correct, is involved. Not everyone can be as honest, intelligent, and discriminating as you, my dear. That a Native American is willing to scalp a white family after the husband kills the native's wife is not justified, but understandable. The fact that many Russians hated every German after WWII, regardless of Nazi ties or not, is not justified, but understandable. The fact that many Israelis wanted, and some even planned and were arrested for, a "German holocaust" against German civilians after WWII is understandable, but not justified.
See the pattern? But, Palestinians are not responsible for the first strike. If you take someone's land, there will be retaliation - that is the first cause, and it applies to any point in history. I mean, you do realize there were people living in Israel before they were kicked out, correct? And, if you're brave enough to tackle this particular point, let me anticipate a logical flaw: don't collapse regular ole' Palestinian civilians w/ a group of Arab states circa 1948 into one monolith, as if the actions of Arab X, who does not care about Palestinians anyway, must somehow be tied to punishment of Arab Y, a completely unrelated person. That would be, you know, a little racist on your part.
Moreover, if the rest of their land is illegally occupied (that is the consensus of almost every nation on earth -- is that anti-Semitism, or common sense?), and then a "security wall" is established, which strategically crawls NOT around Israel, but around the best, most fertile portions of Palestinian land, potentially reducing them to dependent, divided neighborhoods, what do you expect?
Oppression, no matter who is doing it, is wrong. Sorry, Jews are no exception to this principle. Common sense applies to every human conflict in history - whether it's Native American, African, intra-European, etc., it's simple. But, the second Israel is brought up, you like to invoke double standards and mysticism, as if Israel is somehow removed from the confines of "ordinary" politics and "mundane" facts.
Grow up, and accept one standard if you're going to argue ethics. Do you realize how absurd you sound? Someone gives you evidence of incredible racial discrimination in Hebron, and you call it "incremental Pal. progress"? What if the word "Palestinian" were replaced with "black," to describe black crime in New York City, and to justify anti-black discrimination b/c they commit a disproportionate # of crimes? Ah, but I get it - Israel is not bound by ordinary logic, so it's alright in Israel, even if it's racist anywhere else.
Moreover, your statement has another logical fallacy, collapsing terrorist attacks carried out by a tiny minority with an entire population. And, as you're probably aware, collective punishment, a barbarian act that appeals only to pathological fascists, is illegal, for good reason. I do not support terrorism is ANY form, whether it comes from a few raggedy Palestinians, or a super-organized militaristic state like Israel. Unlike you, I'm able to use my brain and be objective instead of getting emotional over my political biases.
Alex, let's cut this short.
You write: "Palestinians are not responsible for the first strike. If you take someone's land, there will be retaliation - that is the first cause...".
Who conquered and occupied Jewish land in 638, disbanded all remaining cultural, religious and social institutions (the political were destroyed by the Romans in 135 and the Byzantines in 350 wore down the rest) if not the...Arabs who came out of the Saudi Arabian peninsula (and continued on to southern France and the Gates of Vienna)? They were the foreigners.
Okay?
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