Comments on: J Street pushing a policy that leads to disappointment http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/10/30/j-street-pushing-a-policy-that-leads-to-disappointment/ now with extra source Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:20:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Greg Angelo http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/10/30/j-street-pushing-a-policy-that-leads-to-disappointment/#comment-43640 Greg Angelo Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:53:41 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/10/30/j-street-pushing-a-policy-that-leads-to-disappointment/#comment-43640 I have read your article and found it quite interesting. Zionism as a philosophybecame distasteful when it embraced terrorism as a means of achieving its objectives in the 1930s. Notwithstanding the persecution of the Jews by the Nazis, this does not give the Zionists the right to opress the Palestinians. Unfortunately after World War II Zionist terrorism forced the British out of Palestine and led to the creation of Israel as a racist state. For whatever reason the Palestinians were forcibly removed from territory occupied by them for hundreds of years and there are numerous examples of "native title" being extinguished on a basis not dissimilar to the appropriation of Jewish property by the Nazis. Palestinians have become the new "untermenschen". Strategically the United States needs Israel to maintain military control the Middle East having displaced the British imperialists after World War II. Israel can therefore ignore American public opinion which of course it manipulates through the very powerful Jewish lobby. To a lesser degree Australian politicians are beholden to the Jewish lobbyists in this country because of their political and economic influence. Jewish leaders are very sensitive to being compared to Nazis and of course they have not run extermination camps. However Israeli reprisals with the kill ratio of several hundreds to 1 is not dissimilar to the Nazi reprisals on civilians in Europe in World War II. Comparisons between the Warsaw ghetto and Gaza can also be made. It is however unfortunate the religious fundamentalism on the Islamic side it is particularly abhorrent, with reprisals and indiscriminate targeting of civilians. It should be noted however that their tactics are not that dissimilar from the Stern Gang and the Irgun, activities which the Zionists preferr to ignore while complaining about Islamic terrorists. Both sides are under the influence fundamentalist zealots which the majority seem incapable of throwing aside. As long as the Jewish lobby unquestionably supports Israel this problem will continue because any attempt by political leaders such as Rudd or Obama to settle these differences will be resisted, fundamentally because it is through the conflict that these people derive influence. I suspect that the position on the other side is similar. It is only as a consequence of ongoing conflict that the "gunmen" have influence. I have read your article and found it quite interesting. Zionism as a philosophybecame distasteful when it embraced terrorism as a means of achieving its objectives in the 1930s. Notwithstanding the persecution of the Jews by the Nazis, this does not give the Zionists the right to opress the Palestinians. Unfortunately after World War II Zionist terrorism forced the British out of Palestine and led to the creation of Israel as a racist state. For whatever reason the Palestinians were forcibly removed from territory occupied by them for hundreds of years and there are numerous examples of “native title” being extinguished on a basis not dissimilar to the appropriation of Jewish property by the Nazis. Palestinians have become the new “untermenschen”.

Strategically the United States needs Israel to maintain military control the Middle East having displaced the British imperialists after World War II. Israel can therefore ignore American public opinion which of course it manipulates through the very powerful Jewish lobby. To a lesser degree Australian politicians are beholden to the Jewish lobbyists in this country because of their political and economic influence.

Jewish leaders are very sensitive to being compared to Nazis and of course they have not run extermination camps. However Israeli reprisals with the kill ratio of several hundreds to 1 is not dissimilar to the Nazi reprisals on civilians in Europe in World War II. Comparisons between the Warsaw ghetto and Gaza can also be made.

It is however unfortunate the religious fundamentalism on the Islamic side it is particularly abhorrent, with reprisals and indiscriminate targeting of civilians. It should be noted however that their tactics are not that dissimilar from the Stern Gang and the Irgun, activities which the Zionists preferr to ignore while complaining about Islamic terrorists.

Both sides are under the influence fundamentalist zealots which the majority seem incapable of throwing aside. As long as the Jewish lobby unquestionably supports Israel this problem will continue because any attempt by political leaders such as Rudd or Obama to settle these differences will be resisted, fundamentally because it is through the conflict that these people derive influence. I suspect that the position on the other side is similar. It is only as a consequence of ongoing conflict that the “gunmen” have influence.

]]> By: John Bennetts http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/10/30/j-street-pushing-a-policy-that-leads-to-disappointment/#comment-43610 John Bennetts Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:14:46 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/10/30/j-street-pushing-a-policy-that-leads-to-disappointment/#comment-43610 People such as the author are to be admired for their sanity and strength in the face of entrenched positions. Only a nationalist Israeli or a political captive of Zionism could support the status quo in the former Palestine. Something needs to be done, and soon. It is clear that those currently in and near power in Israel are not part of the solution, yet the pain of the conflicts is felt throughout the world. For once, Australia is not standing side by side with its great and powerful ally on this subject, thank goodness. People such as the author are to be admired for their sanity and strength in the face of entrenched positions.

Only a nationalist Israeli or a political captive of Zionism could support the status quo in the former Palestine. Something needs to be done, and soon. It is clear that those currently in and near power in Israel are not part of the solution, yet the pain of the conflicts is felt throughout the world.

For once, Australia is not standing side by side with its great and powerful ally on this subject, thank goodness.

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