Now that this Middle East debate is nearing the end, so it seems, I would like
to conclude with some Joni quotes.
Stay tuned I'll make it short.
First, I wish to clarify a couple of points, for the record:
* The word "antisemitism" was deliberately coined in 1879 by Wilhelm Marr, an
anti-Jewish racist in Germany,
to replace the term judenhass, Jew-hatred, which had gone out of favor. It
has always, and only, been used
to describe hatred and discrimination directed at Jews. Attempts to eradicate
the plain meaning of the word
(by saying it applies to arabs who are also semites) are anti-semantic, to say
the least.
* To criticize policies of the Government of Israel-or of any country-is
legitimate, even vital; indeed as a democratic
state many Israelis do just that. I'm not accusing anybody who criticizes
Israel of being anti-semitic.
Actually even my wife and other close relatives disagree with Israeli
politics.
But there is a profound difference between criticizing a country, and denying
its right to exist. Anti-Zionism,
the denial of Jews the basic right to a home, is nothing but antisemitism,
pure and simple.
As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote (see his speech in JMDL #387, NJC).
I joined this list to discuss JONI and any other topic with people with whom I
share this passion.
However, if I see anti-semitism here or elsewhere then I'll expose the racists
for what they are,
as I'm sure Joni would do herself.
* The conflict between Jews and Palestinians is political and territorial, not
racial nor religious.
Attempts to turn a political issue into a racial one undermine the chances of
resolutions. The religious
arguments which I've posted (about Jerusalem not being mentioned in the Koran)
were there to counter
the other side which in my opinion manipulates not only Palestinian children
but also the world media
into making this whole conflict a religious (and therefore racist) war and not
what it is: a political
and territorial conflict.
Song for Sharon:
I met a revisionist at a party this summer.
His main supporting arguments to his claims were that some Jew was himself a
nazi (?), and that
some other Jews were anti-Zionists, dija vu in recent JMDL debates?
Regarding the snakebite URL which Azeem refers to as being just "another
viewpoint", one of its recurring
source used as justification is a book written by Jewish sounding name
authors.
Could very well be, I haven't read it.
The whole thing sounds like Joni's Snakebite Evangelists on DED to me.
Remember "The Protocol of Zion"?
What makes me sick is more and more uninformed people, Joni fans in this case,
are falling for it.
In short, it's no coincidence that Joni started her Amnesty International show
with:
Artifice and innocence
(I'm the) exhausted one
Oh these changing times
Change in the heart of all mankind
Oh these troubled times
Then:
Land of snap decisions
Land of short attention spans
Nothing is savored
Long enough
To really understand
In every culture in decline
The watchful ones among the slaves
Know all that's genuine will be
Scorned and conned and cast away
Dog eat dog
People looking, seeing nothing
Dog eat dog
People listening, hearing nothing
.....
Dog eat dog
Knowing nothing
Dog eat dog
Finally, I would like to thank Clark for his nice letter which, by a twist of
fate, appeared in the same JMDL 387
as my post of Dr Martin Luther King. This wonderful letter allows me to
simply refer you to Dr. M.L. King's
speech and rest my case.
Before I leave, I would like to encourage the "innocent" closet Jews to remain
watchful and not to be fooled
by "snakebite evangelists". If I've opened anybody's eyes to the snakebite
manipulative techniques during
these debates, then I've accomplished something here.
Love,
Laurent
