Understanding The Hatred of Israel

[shira]

Israel – seen to some as being the most nefarious, heinous and odious country in the world. No other country gets a remotely comparable amount of criticism (from international bodies, states, media, academia etc.). No other country gets the same spotlight, the same protests, the same threats, and the same attention. There is no Roger Waters led boycott of Sudan, but of course there is one of Israel.

Most accusations against Israel are baseless, libellous, and simply wrong; but for the sake of this article, lets accept every single one of them. Lets say Israel is truly an apartheid, ethnic cleansing evil regime; does this explain why Israel is so hated? Not even close.

Even if every destructive claim against Israel were valid, it would still be nowhere close to one of the most damaging or oppressive states in the world. Since the years 2000, 1975, 1948 or however far one wants to go back, Israel has not been in the top ten list of casualties. The amount of lands occupied by other states or annexed is numerous; the amount of states which build “illegal” settlements is significant and just like the list of countries with the highest casualty count, least freedom, most oppression and poverty, nobody has any idea about whom these countries are.

It is not as if the Palestinians are especially special people who bring greater attention either. When 1000’s of Palestinians died in Syria recently, this was not deemed important news or a cause of concern, even for the Palestinian people. Once again, even if every charge against Israel was true, more Palestinians would have been killed from Arab-Palestinian violence than from Israeli-Palestinian violence in addition to facing a much more severe form of apartheid, poverty while having less government representation and rights.

So if its not Israel’s record which causes this attention, what is it? To me, I believe there are three main reasons for the hatred of Israel, almost always working in coordination with each other. These stem from Israel being Jewish, propaganda and ignorance.

more @ http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/understanding-the-hatred-of-israel/

[Scootaloo]

1. I love when someone who doesn't understand something, tries to explain it to others

Especially when it's so clearly an issue from self-gratification as this gooey puddle is.

[shira]

2. Be substantive. What's wrong with his argument(s)? n/t

[Scootaloo]

4. What's wrong with his arguments?

Mainly their foundation within the mental illness known as Zionism. Like any other antisemite, a Zionist just cannot conceive some someone ever not hating Jews. And so they approach everything as if that were the sole explanation for whatever they're dealing with.

Zionist antisemitism has an interesting spin on the old garbage, though. Take a look from Mr. Franks piece here;

I support every Jew to be as vocal and involved with Israel as they want, regardless of how critical they are. The only “problem” is how prominent and influential Jews are. Government, Media, Academia is all filled with Jews – Jews who use their power to question and criticize Israel as their own self-reflection. The New York Times is a Jew’s guilty conscience. Academics, pundits and politicians are not Saudi or Burmese people writing about their governments, but Jews voicing their opinion on Israel.

Yes, it's a problem that Jews are prominent media figures, and that those Jews sometimes speak out against Israel I presume he supports their right to free speech, so long as they're saying the right things. At least he doesn't pull a Dershowitz and label them all kapos or something, so at least he has a sense of grace. Granted he still seems young, I'm sure he'll discover that Zionism allows someone to be as filthy a fucking antisemite as they can, so long as they support Israel - John Hagee and the English Defense League for two glaring examples.

He also follows the same old Hasbara argument that is evident every time you post this article (and yes Shira, no matter how many different bloggers you find sucking this particular teat, the content is invariably identical.) It goes something like this:

Hi there! I can't help but notice you're criticizing Israel about something. Did you know there are other nations in the world that also do bad things? You did? So why aren't you criticizing them instead of Israel? That means you hate Israel. And if you hate Israel, you also hate Jews!

And can't squeeze by without talking about Arab violence against Palestinians. Interestingly, never once raising the question of why thouse thousands of Palestinians were in Syria in the first place instead of, say... Palestine. That's a forbidden question, so forbidden, so taboo that even those despicable "problem" Jews writing for the New Yorker never even bring it up, either! Brrrr, scary question!

Oh, and these two paragraphs together?

Israel being a wealthy, educated country viewed as being “white” also makes things more challenging. People care more about inequality than they do about quality. The reason why South Africa was hated so much was not because it was the country that offered the lowest quality of living for their population, but because it was seen as being the most unequal country in the world. When people see two ethnic groups in conflict that they not only have nothing in common with (such as white skin), they see them as equals and in many cases, with such contempt that they do not care what happens. From the Western perspective, Arabs fighting each other – who cares, brown people fighting each other – who cares, Africans fighting each other – who cares; white people fighting against non-white people – evil colonization that must be stopped.

In spite of the aforementioned factors, nothing would be possible without ignorance. Almost nobody in the world knows about the conflict in Yemen, Sudan, Nigeria, or Somalia or really anywhere else in the world. Due to the reasons listed above, everybody knows about Israel. Every time Israel does something, it is reported and deemed important. Most people live in their cocoon of the world where the only conflict or oppression they hear about in the world is Israel. This in supplement to all of the expert opinions suggesting to them how evil Israel is (influenced by the Soviet-Muslim propaganda and authenticated by critical Jews). Then added to the fact that they see these powerful wealthy white people victimizing poor, helpless “native” ethnic people without context, their decision is made; Israel is wrong and these people are now experts, free (and likely) to spread their analysis to everyone else.

There is so much entitlement, so much white man's burden bullshit going on here that it would take me hours to untangle all of it for a point by point.

To be balanced though, he makes a point about Israel's prominence in the media being a major reason for the colume of content this conflict generates - a feedback loop, I suppose. a point I've brought up myself on multiple occasions to you - and always had it dismissed, since - antisemite that you are - you can't conceive of any notion other than "everybody must hate jews!" as the answer to why Israel gets so much attention.

[shira]

5. And now Zionists are antisemites according to you....

No liberal/progressive Zionists and Zionists are antisemites...



He argued near the end of the article that most of the hatred isn't based on antisemitism:

I used to think that activists with no relation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were all anti-Semites due to their hypocritical stance on Israel in comparison to all of the other countries in the world that they are ignoring. I now realize that I’m wrong; these people (for the most part) do not hate Jews. However, they are just ignorant, mindless individuals. Morality only applies to conflicts that the world acknowledges and society has only deemed there to be one conflict worth caring about.

Albert Einstein once said, “never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity” and I think it is applicable in the case of Israel. Anti-Semitism is a disturbingly large problem that most people cannot even comprehend. There is no doubt that it does impact the world’s view of Israel. However, I truly believe that ignorance and apathy, or as Einstein describes as “stupidity” is the main cause of the world’s view on Israel. I cannot explain the John Mearsheimer’s and Roger Waters of the world and do not think my argument applies to them, but the people buying their books and supporting them I believe fall into this category.

We see that ignorance and mindless anti-Israel drivel on display here all the time. He nailed it.

You wrote:

Hi there! I can't help but notice you're criticizing Israel about something. Did you know there are other nations in the world that also do bad things? You did? So why aren't you criticizing them instead of Israel? That means you hate Israel. And if you hate Israel, you also hate Jews!

Those who obsess and focus on Israel fancy themselves as human rights activists. Not only should they focus a significant amount of their activism on other causes (they don't) but they couldn't even care less about Palestinians elsewhere (in Syria, Gaza, Lebanon). Why don't you riddle me that one and explain why the haters are blind to Palestinian suffering when Jews can't be blamed.

You brought up the media, but what is it I'm always dismissing about it? Why do you think the media obsesses on fake stories of al-Dura, Israel killing Palestinians for their organs, or French Diplomats posing as rights activists for the Bedouin rather than reporting on Palestinian suffering elsewhere around the mideast...or worse happening around the world?

It's not just the media either, as the UN obsesses on Israel too - rarely condemning significantly worse atrocities happening all around Israel (and to the Palestinians as well). Why do you think that is?

[Scootaloo]

6. And the problems I cited still remain

Because he does open this discussion with the assertion that it's "BECAUSE JOOZ" - even participates himself by, guess what, blaming Jews and their control of the media. You find this worthy of defense.

This is of course without even touching on the core assumption, that it's "hatred." Isn't that how he's framing this whole thing of his, as "HATRED of Israel"? Isn't that how every last example of this exact same argument goes, no matter what blue-light special discount blogger pens it?

Shira, if the world hated Israel half as much as you and the rest of these half-wit hasbarists wish it did, for the sake of your arguments, Israel would be having much greater problems than "Oh noes an aging musician put Israel's national symbol on his concert prop, boo hoo hoo the world is so cruel!"

Really, the biggest fucking concern in your world, your narrow, privileged little Zionist world, is that someone somewhere has decided to not buy sodastream goo. That someone has written an op-ed that isn't as flattering to Israel as you like. To you that's HATRED. Ever thought of how fucking nice you must have it, that this piddling shit is what makes you gasp and clutch at your pearls at the horror of it?

[shira]

7. If this hatred for Israel is imaginary...

...then what explains the following:

1. Fabricated slander like al-Dura, hundreds massacred at Jenin 2002, killing Palestinians for their organs, spreading aids to Palestinian children, IDF are nazis, Islamists on Mavi Marmara singing death-to-Jews are really "humanitarians"....?

2. Israel's exclusion from all regional groups at the UN, the UNGA passing 22 resolutions vs. Israel in 2012 compared to 4 for all other states...?

3. The fact that those blasting Israel claim to be pro-Palestinians, even though they couldn't care less about Palestinians unless Jews could be blamed for their suffering? These same "rights activists" use antisemitic tropes all the time, are told about it and still do it. They support Hamas "resistance"/terror and cannot blame Hamas (who they see as equivalent to rape victims who cannot be blamed). They are in no way horrified at Hamas' genocidal incitement and rhetoric vs. the Jews.

How do you explain the above if we're all just imagining this hatred?

[oberliner]

8. "privileged little Zionist world..."

That phrase means what exactly?

[shira]

10. more specific answers to your points...

Shira, if the world hated Israel half as much as you and the rest of these half-wit hasbarists wish it did, for the sake of your arguments, Israel would be having much greater problems than "Oh noes an aging musician put Israel's national symbol on his concert prop, boo hoo hoo the world is so cruel!"

Without America, Israel would definitely be having much bigger problems. No doubt about it.

Read here:
http://www.timesofisrael.com/when-they-become-pm-they-realize-how-utterly-dependent-israel-is-on-the-us/

Really, the biggest fucking concern in your world, your narrow, privileged little Zionist world, is that someone somewhere has decided to not buy sodastream goo. That someone has written an op-ed that isn't as flattering to Israel as you like. To you that's HATRED. Ever thought of how fucking nice you must have it, that this piddling shit is what makes you gasp and clutch at your pearls at the horror of it?

What you described aren't my biggest concerns when it comes to hate vs. Israel.

How do you just ignore continued rocket attacks, calls for genocide vs. the Jews, the UN's animosity and isolation vs. Israel, calls from everywhere for Israel's destruction, all the demonizing hate rhetoric (they're nazi racist apartheid supremacist thieves & murderers), or antisemitic attacks worldwide that are out of proportion to other minority groups?

===========

Riddle me this one:

Those who can't be bothered by Palestinian suffering when the Jews can't be blamed....what are we to make of these people? Assume they're not ignorant of the abuse that goes on in Gaza, Syria, or Lebanon. They just don't care. They don't give a flying rip about all the genocidal incitement coming from Hamas or the PA. They're sympathetic to the terrorists and liken them to rape victims who unfortunately do what they can to "resist". They want Israel destroyed. If these people truly do not care about Palestinians, they can't be bothered by the most vulgar nazi-like antisemitism, they tacitly support terror vs. Israelis and they want Israel to go bye-bye......how are they NOT haters? How is that fucking possible?

[Shaktimaan]

12. Seriously?

Really, the biggest fucking concern in your world, your narrow, privileged little Zionist world, is that someone somewhere has decided to not buy sodastream goo. That someone has written an op-ed that isn't as flattering to Israel as you like. To you that's HATRED. Ever thought of how fucking nice you must have it, that this piddling shit is what makes you gasp and clutch at your pearls at the horror of it?

Are you truly so entirely blind to current events and history as it regards anti-Israel rhetoric, actions, beliefs and threats? How is that possible?

To clarify, hatred is not an oped article that is unflattering. It is seen though in things like a joint policy of every Arab country to seek Israel's destruction. (Arab League policies that were in effect for decades.) It's seen in the widespread belief that Jews use gentile blood to make matzoh and are stealing Arab people's organs. It's seen in Israel having less rights to participate at the UN than any other member state. It's seen in the fact that the only state to earn a "free" rating from Freedom House in all of Africa and the mid-east is the only one regularly accused of apartheid. It's seen in UN institutions like the Human Rights Council make Israel the subject of half of its resolutions to date and condemn it seven times, (the only state to be condemned actually; while genocide raged in Darfur the HRC recommended "looking into it.&quot It's seen when the UN passes a resolution officially equating Zionism with racism. (Zionism being Jewish Nationalism, singled out amongst every other state as having its right to exist labelled racist.)

Yet you think that not buying soda stream is what people consider anti-Israel? I can understand criticizing Israel or even disagreeing with its creation but how can anyone be simply unaware of the hatred and bias that exists against it? Did you never read a little blurb about OPEC? Did you not learn about the first gulf war? What's going on with you? Do you live in a box that only gets anti-Israel propaganda delivered?

[Fumesucker]

3. For better or worse Israel is perceived by many as a vestige of European colonial power

I can't say that I blame a good bit of the world for having a really intense dislike for European colonialism, that was a truly unfortunate era in history and the echoes of those sins will reverberate across the world for some considerable time to come.

[WatermelonRat]

9. There is valid criticism of Israel

That other countries engage in wrongs does not negate Israel's problems, but when the difference in criticism is so staggeringly out of proportion to reality, there's more than just humanitarian concern going on. For all its faults, Israel is probably the most liberal country in mainland Asia (South Korea and Armenia are the only ones that might rival it there to the best of my knowledge). To see so much demonization of it makes me uneasy, even as I oppose the settlers and Netanyahu-types.

[aranthus]

11. I think this is a simplistic analysis.

He writes that he can't explain the Mearsheimers and Roger Waters of the world? Then what good is his point? If you can't explain why the elite haters of Israel think the way that they do, how on earth do you think that you are going to dissuade the people who read them? More important, he doesn't take into account the different types of haters of Israel who hate for different reasons. And excuse me, but "propaganda and ignorance" aren't reasons for hating anything. They are merely the conduits for the introduction of the hate. Yes, there is hatred of Israel, and yes, it has very little to do with what Israel does. But there are much better explanations of this out there.