Either You Are With Us Or You Are Against Us
Part of the reason I started this blog was to point out the tide of anti-Israel sweeping the American Left. I can't tell you how often I have argued this with my liberal Jewish friends just to received bewildered looks in response. They say that I'm crazy and that it isn't true. I would then point out that the leaders of the Democrats include such anti-Israel activists as Michael Moore, Al Sharpton and Howard Dean. To which the response I would often hear is that "Joe Lieberman is a Democrat" and "Clinton was a friend to Israel". For some reason it is near impossible to convince some people that their long standing notions about the once proud Democratic party are no longer true. The argument is invariable steered back to abortion or stem cell research or some other topic of which I care little.
The recent turmoil in the Middle East has once again pushed to the forefront the differences within the parties. Yesterday the Liberal JINO (Jew In Name Only) Columnist Richard Cohen of the Washington Post wrote a column whose premise is that the creation of the State of Israel was a mistake and that Israel should "hunker down" and accept the terrorism as the price for their existence. Another liberal JINO Ron Kooby of the Curtis and Kooby Talk Show stated that " Israel was the only country firing on fleeing refugees". I guess he didn't notice that Hezbollah and Hamas were firing rockets indiscriminately on civilians.
It is easy to dismiss the ranting of liberal JINO's like Cohen and Kooby as the lunatic fodder of far left nut jobs. That is of course until you turn on any talk radio show or check any message board to understand where the sympathies of either side lie. A brief glance at the topics at Democratic Underground' s forums and you'll see sheer anger at the idea that President Bush didn't support the international calls for an immediate cease fire in Lebanon.
On the conservative side, sites like Free Republic show posters with almost exclusively well wishes for Israel and praise for the administrations stance in allowing Israel the freedom to operate in the best way they deem fit. A quick listen to talk radio seems to constantly pit the conservative pro Israel callers versus the liberal anti-Israel caller. The mantra of the left is that Israel is responding "disproportionately.
The reason I took the time in the midst of this crisis to point out these truths is simply to open the eyes of those of my fellow Jews who continually deny that the left wing democratic party is no longer our friends. In a way it can be said that those of us that support the Democrats in this environment are siding against Israel. Now if you choose to side against Israel, well that is your right. But at least now you will be making an informed decision.
7 Comments:
Well, I am not a Jew. But I am rooting for Israel and I am thankful that we are on their side. What right do liberals think they have to tell Israel what they "think" they should do anyway? Until they have lived in their shoes for the past 500 years, they really have no clue. Good job on your post, it is good someone tries to educate the left side, however, talking to them is wasting your breath. They talk in circles and I can't make out any intelligence in their view point. God Bless
I'm not Jewish, nor Christian, nor Muslim, not right-wing, nor left, nor Republican/Conservative, or Democrat/Labour. I AM a human being, and I don't understand why there's anything wrong with calling for a cease fire.
I AM an historian, with considerable reading behind me, and nothing I have read so far has convinced me that Israel is in the right - morally or ethically - while I have read a lot of stuff which convinces me Israel is - like your JINO friend says - that the creation of israel was a mistake. ANd yes, there are other countries which were historical 'mistakes' for other peoples, which include Pakistan, Bangladesh, as well as South Africa, among others.
Are we not allowed to say that? Are we left wing for pointing out the errors of history?
These examples are products of decolonisation, whereas Israel was a product of RE-Colonisation. The MYTH and story of the original Israel does not justify the re-establishment of a NEW Israel.
I wish it were different, cos like many people born in the late 20th century, I grew up with 100% sympathies for Jewish people thanks to the outrageous monstrosity of the WWII and the Holocaust. I will always extend extra lattitude for Jewish people because of the Holocaust. It makes me cry thinking about it - and I'm not Jewish. I will equally go to my death to defend a Jewish person as much a Muslim, or even an Atheist. I'm not racist, nor discriminatory in the importance of my morals.
However, as every Historian knows, the calls for RE-colonising Israel are ancient, ever since the ORIGINAL decolonisation and reversion back to the original inhabitants of the land back in Jeursalem 600BC after the first colonisation. Ever since then, there have been numerous attempts to take back Jerusalem. (It would be much like, imagine for some bizarre reason, the Native Americans managed to reclaim America, say New York, and pushed out lets say the European descended New Yorkers. And then, in 2000 years time, these European descended New Yorkers tried to reclaim back New York for themselves, saying it was always theirs. It may become more complex, but really, it's an absurdity. But hopefully yu understand why I use the term RE-Colonisation).
The Zionist's extensive PUSH for Israel particularly from the 18th century onwards pre-dates the Holocaust substantially enough to - whatever our empathies - dismiss the Holocaust as the primary justification for the establishment of the modern Israel.
Modern Israel is for those reasons often likened to South Africa, and often declared a racist state, by many, many people, including Orthodox, well-informed, religious Jews.
These learned, orthodox, religous Jews, who have far more 'right' to express an opinion on Israel and Judaism than almost anyone else in the world, will tell you categorically the aims of Zionism are categorically anti-Jewish. They will tell you flatly that one cannot be a Jew and a Zionist simultaneously. Why?
Judaism is a religion, not a race. To be Jewish is to be religious and spiritual, to follow God, not some politican, or right/left wing debate or political land-grab agenda. God is NOT a proponent of real estate, borders or nationalism.
It is morally, from a religious and spiritual perspective, repugnant to kill other human beings, whether Jewish/Chrisitian/Muslim/Other. These orthdox Jews are furious that Israel is acting in the the Jewiish name.
It would be ridiculous to call these learned, orthodox, and true carriers of the religion of Judaism JINOs, as much a dismissive insult it seems to me as labelling any Jew critical of Israel a self-loathing Jew.
But I think I would happily call any right-wing Jew advocating war and murder a JINO, for believe me, they are not acting in the best interests of Judaism, as seen from a religious, spiritual, and accurate perspective, but from some dubious political right to some authoritative, punitive and aggressive attitude.
Whew. I didn't mean to write all that.
I have no wish to be dismissed as anti-semetic, nor anti-Jewish, for saying what I believe I have discovered and believe through my counsels with truly Jewish people, including many Israelis who disagree with murder and mayhem, as well as the modern Israeli state.
Perhaps you have also heard of Messianic Jews, who believe all three, Jews, Christians and Muslims are all members of the same family, 'the children of Abraham'..? Hence when ever any Jew/Christian/Muslim attacks, goes to war with, or kills another Jew/Christian/Muslim, they are effectively striking their bretheren...?
I know I have waffled - my apologies - hopefully you can understand by my tone I have no wish to engage in paltry, nor undermining arguments such as those perpetuated by the likes of Ann Coulter (I think she was bit by a rabid dog some time ago ;-0).
But perhaps you could comment on this last point? Why do people outside this 'children of Abraham' faith have to watch the 'believers of the Adam and Eve' myth expend huge amounts of resources fighting and killing each other when they are all from the same family...? Isn't THAT wrong? It is, after all, by many accounts, the same religion.
It's not often I say this, but we'd be better off praying for peace than advocating more war.
So, if the terrorists put down their weapons and said, ok, no more then it would be over right? Yes, I think so. But if Isreal put down their weapons do you think the war would be over?
Hmmmm.....something to think about. David was a man after God's own heart, yet, he was a man of war. God even commanded him to wipe out women and children. Has God changed? No, he is still the God from yesterday and today. I don't think he has a problem with people defending themselves. When terrorists willing die in allah's name only to kill others (suicide bombers) they chose the wrong side. You can't negotiate with those people. Yes, we should pray, but I think we should be praying that those who are blind from the truth will come to know Jesus as their saviour. After all, the Bible is clear, there will never be true peace until the Lord's return.
This is in response to the "anonymous historian" post. Judging by the misstatements and half truths in your post I would call in to question where you might come off referring to yourself with such a title. Your post was so long winded and filled with nonsense that it is hard for me to know where to begin responding. I will ignore the multiple misspellings of the word colonization ( a word which I think most historians would know how to spell) to address your comments about the "truly Jewish people". I am assuming that you are referring to a tiny sect of Hassidic Jewery that believes that the re-establishment of the State of Israel should only happen when the Moshiach comes. They are a tiny group amongst millions of orthodox and Hassidic groups that completely support Israel. The Jewish people are a diverse group with a diverse array of opinions. Another thing to clarify is that I do not consider that tiny sect of Anti-Israel Hassidim to be JINO's. That term is reserved for liberal scumbags like Ron Kooby and Alan Combs that represent themselves as Jewish yet couldn't tell the difference between a shul and a kippa. I agree that Judaism is a religion and non-practicing atheists can not be considered Jews.
Next I will address what I gather to be the main point of your post regarding the "re-colonization of Israel". The Jewish people have been in Israel for thousands of years. It is no colony. There were large Jewish communities there throughout history. The Zionist movement was about expelled Jews returning to their homeland. Jewish pioneers like Rothschild legally bought up the lands there for the purpose of resettling there. There has never in history been a State of Palestine. The area termed Palestine had been controlled by the Ottoman Empire since the times of the Crusades. There were always Jews and Arabs living in that land.
Furthermore in the period since the Jews supposedly displaced all of those Arabs from their homes over a million Jewsih people living in Syria, Morocco, Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq and Iran were forced to leave their homes and property by the governments of those countries. Those Jews had been living in those countries for hundreds of years were expelled without fanfare. It is interesting that your liberal atheist groups never bothered to protest those expulsions.
Now to address your final point. We are all praying for peace. No rational person wants war. Unfortunately we are all facing an enemy that does not have the same sensibilities.
KevinE
colonisation is a word, genius
Kev;
Can you tell me more about Rothschild legally purchasing "the land"?
What areas did he buy specifically, who did he buy it off and what did he pay for the land? Are the land deeds still available for examination?
Wolfie,
Rothschild was one of many prominant Zionist Jews that legally bought up land in Israel in the 100 or so years prior to the founding of the state. I mentioned him specifically because I had heard his story in Israel last year when I visited some of the Wineries. Here is a writeup on him:
"Despite the fact that winemaking is referred to in the Old Testament, modern winemaking wasn't introduced in Israel until the 1880s. That's when Baron Edmond de Rothschild backed the planting of vineyards and the building of two wineries-one in Richon-le-Zion, southeast of Tel-Aviv, and the other in Zikhron-Jacob on Mount Carmel, south of Haifa. These vineyards and wineries were donated to Israel in 1906, and the Société Cooperative Vigeronne de Grandes Caves was established as a cooperative to produce the wines"
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