The Israel - Palestine issue seems to split people of any political persuasion, and libertarians are the same. No matter what rational arguments are offered up, I think at heart one chooses sides on the basis of irrational or emotional grounds.
There are the disputed historical facts, the dodgy religious justifications, the 'who's David, who's Goliath?', the protests against bias and hypocrisy, one side's dog-eared trump card cry of 'anti-Semitism' , the other's retort 'the Palestinians are Semitic too!' On both sides is a feeling that the other side just cannot see the mastodon taking a dump on the carpet.
This current furore fits the established pattern: the Israeli paratrooper shoots dead the Palestinian boy throwing stones. The Palestinians cry 'see how these heartless criminals shoot children!'. The Israelis cry 'see how these vicious bastards send their own children to their deaths!' No doubt voices of reason and reconciliation are ignored on both sides. I recall the same situation on a grander scale recorded in Robert Fisk's 'Pity the Nation', where the PLO installed an anti-aircraft gun on the roof of a hospital, which was bombed forthwith. The challenge; 'you wouldn't dare!' doesn't work too well with the Israelis.
Personally I have always favoured the Palestinians. Maybe it has something to do with one of my close school friends who was an Arab, or that I remember the Sabra and Shatila massacres (be the first Israphile to shout "that was the Falangists!" and win a prize), which horrified me - one of the first times I'd seen dead bodies on the news. Whatever the original cause, the Palis are 'my team', and my sympathies usually go to them. So, all of you on the other side, feel free to have a go, but don't be obliged, as we've all heard and stated the arguments before, and it's all water off a duck's back.
My main concern with regard to the region is that Israel will do what it's been gagging to do for years: attack Iran. Nobody knows just what's inside that particular Pandora's box, but the term 'bloodbath' will no doubt be applicable.
There are the disputed historical facts, the dodgy religious justifications, the 'who's David, who's Goliath?', the protests against bias and hypocrisy, one side's dog-eared trump card cry of 'anti-Semitism' , the other's retort 'the Palestinians are Semitic too!' On both sides is a feeling that the other side just cannot see the mastodon taking a dump on the carpet.
This current furore fits the established pattern: the Israeli paratrooper shoots dead the Palestinian boy throwing stones. The Palestinians cry 'see how these heartless criminals shoot children!'. The Israelis cry 'see how these vicious bastards send their own children to their deaths!' No doubt voices of reason and reconciliation are ignored on both sides. I recall the same situation on a grander scale recorded in Robert Fisk's 'Pity the Nation', where the PLO installed an anti-aircraft gun on the roof of a hospital, which was bombed forthwith. The challenge; 'you wouldn't dare!' doesn't work too well with the Israelis.
Personally I have always favoured the Palestinians. Maybe it has something to do with one of my close school friends who was an Arab, or that I remember the Sabra and Shatila massacres (be the first Israphile to shout "that was the Falangists!" and win a prize), which horrified me - one of the first times I'd seen dead bodies on the news. Whatever the original cause, the Palis are 'my team', and my sympathies usually go to them. So, all of you on the other side, feel free to have a go, but don't be obliged, as we've all heard and stated the arguments before, and it's all water off a duck's back.
My main concern with regard to the region is that Israel will do what it's been gagging to do for years: attack Iran. Nobody knows just what's inside that particular Pandora's box, but the term 'bloodbath' will no doubt be applicable.
3 comments:
I don't think we've all lost our humanity, although one of the things I can't stand with this issue is the positive glee some are greeting these deaths (to those ready to retort "that's not us, that's your side!" I deplore it equally the other way round). Rather, this is a tribal thing, which is very human, and is why it produces this tribal response even here.
The last time there was any prospect of peace was back in the early '90s. There was for a moment some form of normality - a football match between the two sides for instance. Then it all slid, due to continuing encroachment from Israel and rampant corruption from Arafat's crew, not to say Yitzak Rabin catching a bullet and Arik Sharon taking over.
Still, if the Israelis ever do want peace, they won't have to look further than the jail cell where they're holding Marwan Barghouti, the closest thing to a Mandela figure the Palestinians possess.
Maybe it has something to do with one of my close school friends who was an Arab,
sigh.
Taqiyya.
"Allah has forbidden believers from being friendly or on intimate terms with the infidels in place of believers "
one side's dog-eared trump card cry of 'anti-Semitism'
this is a source of much ( deserved ) antagonism for the Jews.
the slogan of the JDL ( appropriated by many Jews ) is "Never again", referring to the Holocaust.
which is fine, and all. only they never seem to get around to applying that to any other victims of genocide nor any other victims of the Holocaust.
through their MORAL FAILURE to fight genocide, everywhere, for all races and religions, i think they store up for themselves a mighty cup of wrath.
The problem is, I reckon that cup of wrath may get passed around for us all to take a sip!
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