Violence between Israel and the increasingly squeezed Palestinians has been going on for decades, but recently it suddenly exploded. Israel’s brutal persecution of the Palestinians has gone up several notches. And, of course, Israel’s tail continues to wag the U.S. dog.
Listen – I’m sorry about the way Jews have been demonized and persecuted over the last 2500 years. And I abhor Hitler and the Nazi scum as much as any gentile could. But that doesn’t mean I will knee-jerk take Israel’s side every time. Israel has a right to exist, but only if it acknowledges Palestine’s right to exist, and the human rights of the Palestinians whose ancestors were rudely robbed of their land more than seven decades ago. Israel has a right to defend itself, but it cannot use this as an excuse to commit genocide. The UN recognizes Israel as an apartheid state. Why won’t the United States do the same?
It is a sad irony Israel is inflicting on Palestinians the same kind of atrocities that have been directed at Jews for so long. One would think that Jews, having suffered from the worst instance of ethnic cleansing in history, would not do unto others as has been done unto them. Yet even while the ultimate evil of the Holocaust is still in living memory, Israel continues to exterminate Palestinians – whose numbers include Christians as well as Muslims.
Recently I learned that some US states have a shocking law: If you want government aid, such as to rebuild after a disaster, you have to promise not to boycott Israel. Don’t believe me? Here is a video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRXuOeugOWU
Voltaire wrote, “To learn who rules over you, simply find out whom you are not allowed to criticize.” If criticizing Israel gets your government funding cut off, what does that say?
More and more people around the world – including lots of Jews – are getting fed up with Israel’s status as a sacred cow. People from every walk of life here in the US are getting more and more vociferous about our support of Israel’s ethnic cleansing. I have signed numerous petitions calling for an end to aid for Israel until they accept a two-state solution and leave the Palestinians alone. I have marched on behalf of the Palestinians and for peace in the Middle East. I dare to wear a shirt that proclaims my support for Palestinian rights.
As I write this, Benjamin Netanyahu has been unseated as Israel’s Prime Minister. If his own government has had enough of his brutality towards Palestine, so much that disparate parties with a wide range of political standings were willing to unite in order to effect his ouster, that may indicate Israel is finally ready to face its own dark side.
Naturally, Zionist bugnuts attack anybody who refuses to bow and scrape before their favorite golden calf. They accuse pro-Palestine activists of being Nazis, or at least of being anti-Semitic. Excrementum tauri! Opposing Israel’s vicious persecution of Palestinians does not make you anti-Israel, let alone anti-Jewish. You can hate the sin but love the sinner.
Some claim that Jews are entitled to Israel just because Jews had a nation there over 2000 years ago. Bonjour! Paging all First Nations/Native Americans, whose lands were stolen within the last two to three centuries. If Jews are entitled to Israel, then American Indians and Hispanics are entitled to all of the Americas. If we can shove Palestinians out of the Levantine, we can send all the white people here back to Europe, all the Black people back to Africa, et cetera.
Zionists point out that Hamas’ one goal is the destruction of Israel. No love is lost between me and Hamas – indeed, no love is lost between me and any terrorist organization. However, we need to take a walk in Palestine’s shoes. Imagine that you are part of an ethnic minority whose ancestors were robbed of their rightful homes and lands. Imagine your oppressors have the support of a powerful nation that squelches any and all criticism of how your people are treated. Imagine that, whenever somebody so much as throws a rock at one of your oppressors’ goons, they react with bullets and missiles, killing not just the rock thrower but also anybody who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time – including children and pregnant women. Imagine that your cries for justice, which have gone on not just for decades but for generations, have fallen on deaf ears. Do you really think that you would not become a terrorist? By drowning out the voices of Palestinians, Israel has sown the wind, and Hamas is the whirlwind it is reaping.
The only solution is a two-state solution, with Israel allowing the Palestinians to flourish. The time is long overdue for the lion to lie down with the lamb.
12 Responses to “Sound Off! 6/19/21”
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Great article. I agree with all of it. We MUST have a 2 state solution.
Great article Freya..
This type of violent actions over the who and where ones can live on these grounds/lands must stop. It gets them no where, just causes more hate, violence and deaths of many innocent people of all ages.
I pray that they can come up with like you suggested, a “two-state solution”.
Thanks Freya
I’m one of those Jews that is getting fed up with Israel’s status as a sacred cow, Freya, and when I expressed the exact same sentiments you do here, I’ve been called a traitor and a self-hating Jew. That doesn’t bother me in the least, words don’t hurt me. What bothers me is the plight of the Palestinians and the increasing influence the Israeli government has on the American and European people by always playing the holocaust card to label criticizing Israel for the genocide of Palestinians as anti-Semitic and therefore illegal.
A two-state solution is what is needed right now before Israel has annexed all Palestinian land for settlements and its water reserves with it.
Excellent article and post.
Your last sentence says it all. Amen!!!
Thank you, Freya for posting.
Yes, excellent post.
I, too, am a Jew, at least by birth, who has been fed up with Israel’s constant squeezing, and disrespect, of the Palestinians, and with the U.S.’s unblinking support of it.
I have read the Bibi was not ousted because of any unhappiness with his stance on this issue, but because of his incessant working towards becoming an autocrat, just as TOT was working towards.
Fantastic post!
A two-state solution is the only viable hope for establishing peace in the Middle East.
Jews have been demonized for a lot longer than 2500 years, actually – long before there were Christians to do the semonizing. To name just three demonizers, there were the Egyptians, the Philistines, and the Romans (the Romans were within the 2500 years, but still pre-Christian.) Being demonized by out groups was sometinmes considered a sign, or side effect, of being chosen. (But please, don’t anyone tell Trump** that!) So it’s understandable for anyone who knows the isstory to be inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt.
But there is no longer any doubt – and having been demonized is never an excuse for bad behavior, and certainly no excuse for demonizing others.
There’s a fellow on Daily Kos (a community member) named Tevye who 8 years ago went, with others, to Israel to demonstrate to “stop the tanks.” While there he saw one of his cmrades murdered, run over by a tank. Every year, on hthe anniversary of that eveny, he re-tells the story so she will not be forgotten. Here’s a link to the most recent ieration. Please don’t look without grabbing a hanky or a tissue or a box of tissues.
I know that a story alone is nver a whole truth. But truth does live in stories, and this is ine which may reach perple whom nothing else can reach.
Thanks Freya. FYI:A court recently ruled against that kind of anti-BDS law:
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/05/24/advocates-hail-ruling-striking-down-unconstitutional-georgia-anti-bds-law?
I’ve also been reading a lot about the sanitizing of language used by Israel and in the media (NYT gets mentioned as a major one) to keep us seeing Israel as not occupying, not violating international law. not triggering violence and only acting in self-defense, and not violating human rights, etc.. Here’s one:
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2021/05/19/media-coverage-israelpalestine-presents-false-equivalency-between-occupied-and?
Given that Palestinians elected Hamas as their leaders, and operated health care, social services, etc. before getting elected, I keep wondering how much the terrorist label is akin to the labels given to the Black Panther Party, who created the first food closets, etc., before going to CA’s state capitol armed (but not used).
So much of Israel’s actions in recent months, years seems intended to make a two-state solution impossible.
I too am Jewish,and I completely agree with Freya. The two state solution seems the best to me. Sadly Israel seems hell bent on creating one apartheid state, encompassing both Israel and the West Bank.
On a more positive note, many thanks to all of you who keep Politics Plus alive. Each day is a tribute to TomCat who should be purring contentedly at what you do!
Thank you, Margaret. It is of course a labor of love. But it does entail labor of the other kind- for those who comment as well as those who write. You are much appreciated.
I received a note from Joan How that the link in my posting is not working. Here is a link that does work, at least as I post it: Boycott Israel? No US state jobs or aid for you!
Thaks so much Freya! Yes, this works (and of course it’s outrageous.)