Re -Disturbing Anti-Israel Rant from Britain

[blue2helix]

I am against the current actions of Israel. Just as I roundly criticize the US Government for its crimes in Iraq (home as well) and endure stinging remarks from the right of being a "traitor" or not loving America or not "supporting the troops," I expect our Pro-Israel/Jewish contingent to stand up and endure the same if they truly believe that Israel's current actions are not acceptable.

There was recently a very distubing thread from a poster in England that was very angry and mentioned the "dispersal of the jews" from Palestine as a solution. Let me be clear - Totally unacceptable hateful unproductive speech which has no chance of initiating productive discussion or resolution.

But let us attempt to examine the thread with the eyes and mind of someone who is mature. The tone was very angry and outraged and the poster seemed very afraid of the use of nuclear weapons. It was creepy and chilling to hear a person seriously (perhaps emotional and out of their minds) talk about dispersing and disenfranchising an entire country (Israel).

But when you think about it. What is the language the rest of the world is hearing from our leaders. Occupying Iraq at the cost of tens or hundreds of thousands of deaths and forcing fake democracy for $$, constant threats to the other Middle-East countries and lots of talk about the usage of nukes on Iran as well as the current cleansing of Southern Lebanon. Think about how creeped out the rest of the world is getting?? The poster, while morally wrong in his views and ideas for a solution, has actually done us a small favor by illuminating the urgency and fear that is striking the hearts of most other countries in the world.

Rather than being respected, the US is striking raw fear into the hearts of the rest of the world citizenry. The kind of fear that shoots a dose of adrenaline in your heart and makes your head a little light. The kind of alarm that I felt when I read the Anti-Semitic poster say the despicable things that he said.

How do we convey this urgency that our government (& Israel) are pushing the rest of the world to wards near mindless fear and rage? What is going to be the price for our impotent voice?

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[blue2helix]

2. frustrating

It is just so frustrating because fear and war are such effective powerful political mobilizers for the unscrupulous political party that immorally utilizes them. It seems that no matter how much we scream at the top of our lungs, our government has lost any semblence of checks and balances. I really feel like we are being run by a gang of crime lords who have such an easy time manipulating the public. When the public wakes up it will be too late. All checks on power will have been removed.

[non sociopath skin]

3. Both my Jewish-American wife and her mother .. though past supporters ...

... of Israel are sickened by what its leaders have made it.

I'm glad that there are others who are standing up and being counted.

Anti Right-Wing Israeli Government does not = Anti-Semitic, as the Neocons would cynically have us believe.

The Skin

[blue2helix]

5. I guess

I guess the argument to be made is that it is not in the long term interests of Israel or the region in general. But when each side is so busy dehumanizing the other side and building a political and economic power base around such, it seems near impossible to turn back the clock.

[Dead_Parrot]

7. There's always a few, though

who only see the the world in black and white. Over reaction by the IDF becomes wholesale slaughter by the State of Israel, becomes Genocide by all Jews, therefore Jews are evil and must be scattered and their country destroyed.

It's not unique to the current situation - think "kill their leaders, bomb their homes and convert them to Christianity"...

Sigh.

[Ignoramus]

4. "Anti-Israel"

Yeah, I agree with what you say, and that thread was pretty outrageously bigotted.

I don't agree with the phrase "Anti-Israel" though, in general. The notion of being for or against Israel, as opposed to agreeing with or opposing Israel's policies is part of the problem.

The charge that someone is anti-Israel should be a familiar meme. Liberal people are often accused of being anti-American, which is effectively an argument that, if you disagree with American policies, you are opposed to America. That type of tactic, intentional or not, should be opposed.

Also, I agree with your comments about needing to make it better know that this situation is breeding hatred and not helping matters. I don't have anything significantly different to say about that though.

[blue2helix]

6. agreed

The poster alternated between Israel and Jews so I guess my headline communicated the posters ambiguity. In fact it is probably more correct to state that his post had degenerated to Anti-Jew.

[The Magistrate]

8. Locking

Please do not post to continue the discussion in a locked thread: it is against the rules to do so.