Well reasoned, Marc, but I am sick of the Palestinians shrouded in victimhood - have you seen the textbooks for children? They teach hatred - many of them breed it - they pay families to sacrifice their children as suicide bombers - they don’t want a two state solution. I detest Netanyahu, but I am sick of all the blame focusing on Israel - many of the so called Palestinians are really Jordanians or Egyptians - why is it they don’t want them in their countries???? One of the great mysteries ? there was no state of Palestine - so why is blame not being focused on Jordan and Egypt - the Muslim countries love having Israel as a scapegoat - and so do the students rallying at universities who know little about the history of the region. As a Jew who graduated UC Berkeley, I am disgusted by the virulent antisemitism and the apologists for Hamas - there is no moral equivalency - I don’t believe Israel targets civilians - they don’t have a curriculum that compares Palestinians to blood suckers or pays suicide bombers to kill Palestinians. I hope Hamas releases the hostages and a cease fire can be negotiated - but cease fires mean nothing to Hamas; they will funnel the billions of humanitarian aid into more tunnels and weapons and continue to kill Israeli civilians. Until the Palestinians, with help from Jordan and Egypt and other Arab countries can rid their land of Hamas - I fear the situation is hopeless. Never Again! This tragedy has shown us Jews that we must stand strong against the people who hate us!
Hi Wendy. My sentiments exactly. I could have written this reply. As someone who considers herself a leftist, I am appalled and profoundly disappointed in the left’s support for and even adoration of Hamas. This issue has divided the left since 1948 and more acutely since 1967. In addition to being a leftist, I have always been a proud Zionist.
The left sectors who support Hamas are tiny and mostly irrelevant. what you and and Wedny are not addressing is how u believe this conflict will be resolved. Your emotional response is understandable but makes for bad policy. Questions you should think about: who governs Gaza after the war? The West VBank? Are you for or are are you not for a peaceful two state settlement. If tou are not, the only solution is to kae 2,5m Gazans disappear. Policy, please., Not raw emotion. Laura, no offense, but oroud Zionists generally live in Israel otherwise their Zionism means next to nothing.
Wendy. Palestinians were expelled and blocked from arab nations decades ago, Egypt currently works with Israel to keep Gaza sealed up. Half of Israeli Jews are Mizrahi... they are middle eastern jews whose families were expelled from surrounding arab countries in the 1940's. They cannot go back and are in fact refugees. They are the darker skinned Arab Jews. The only state that supports Hamas is Iran and they are Persian btw, not Arab and their solidarity is based on religion. Just like Israel's government is based on religion. Yes, lots of Palestinians hate Jews and Israelis. This was never the case before 1948. They hate them because whether you are comfortable or not with the idea, Israel is an occupying power that makes life very uncomfortable even for the most apolitlitcal Pal civilians. That hatred of Hews is no greater than the hatred that many of my fellow Jews express about Palestinains and all Arabs, mostly. You know that is a fact. How do our Jewish friends (Iam a Jew) talk about Pals in private? No need to answer.
Marc - I have never heard my Jewish friends call for the murder of Palestinians, nor do they celebrate or hand out candy when Palestinians are killed - and as far as I know, Jewish textbooks don’t use dead Jews to teach math. I’m sure you know much more than I do from your journalist experience, but the anti-semitism I’m seeing is repugnant as is the ignorance behind it. How would you, were you an Israeli leader, fight Hamas when it imbeds itself with Palestinian civilians and refuses to return the hostages (if they are even still alive) - the only thing terrorists seem to understand is overwhelming power! They certainly lie and propagandize and are not to be trusted. I don’t even trust the casualty numbers - Hamas has stated photos before and their lack of credibility is as depraved as their brutality. How would you end this war?
Well reasoned, Marc, but I am sick of the Palestinians shrouded in victimhood - have you seen the textbooks for children? They teach hatred - many of them breed it - they pay families to sacrifice their children as suicide bombers - they don’t want a two state solution. I detest Netanyahu, but I am sick of all the blame focusing on Israel - many of the so called Palestinians are really Jordanians or Egyptians - why is it they don’t want them in their countries???? One of the great mysteries ? there was no state of Palestine - so why is blame not being focused on Jordan and Egypt - the Muslim countries love having Israel as a scapegoat - and so do the students rallying at universities who know little about the history of the region. As a Jew who graduated UC Berkeley, I am disgusted by the virulent antisemitism and the apologists for Hamas - there is no moral equivalency - I don’t believe Israel targets civilians - they don’t have a curriculum that compares Palestinians to blood suckers or pays suicide bombers to kill Palestinians. I hope Hamas releases the hostages and a cease fire can be negotiated - but cease fires mean nothing to Hamas; they will funnel the billions of humanitarian aid into more tunnels and weapons and continue to kill Israeli civilians. Until the Palestinians, with help from Jordan and Egypt and other Arab countries can rid their land of Hamas - I fear the situation is hopeless. Never Again! This tragedy has shown us Jews that we must stand strong against the people who hate us!
Hi Wendy. My sentiments exactly. I could have written this reply. As someone who considers herself a leftist, I am appalled and profoundly disappointed in the left’s support for and even adoration of Hamas. This issue has divided the left since 1948 and more acutely since 1967. In addition to being a leftist, I have always been a proud Zionist.
The left sectors who support Hamas are tiny and mostly irrelevant. what you and and Wedny are not addressing is how u believe this conflict will be resolved. Your emotional response is understandable but makes for bad policy. Questions you should think about: who governs Gaza after the war? The West VBank? Are you for or are are you not for a peaceful two state settlement. If tou are not, the only solution is to kae 2,5m Gazans disappear. Policy, please., Not raw emotion. Laura, no offense, but oroud Zionists generally live in Israel otherwise their Zionism means next to nothing.
Wendy. Palestinians were expelled and blocked from arab nations decades ago, Egypt currently works with Israel to keep Gaza sealed up. Half of Israeli Jews are Mizrahi... they are middle eastern jews whose families were expelled from surrounding arab countries in the 1940's. They cannot go back and are in fact refugees. They are the darker skinned Arab Jews. The only state that supports Hamas is Iran and they are Persian btw, not Arab and their solidarity is based on religion. Just like Israel's government is based on religion. Yes, lots of Palestinians hate Jews and Israelis. This was never the case before 1948. They hate them because whether you are comfortable or not with the idea, Israel is an occupying power that makes life very uncomfortable even for the most apolitlitcal Pal civilians. That hatred of Hews is no greater than the hatred that many of my fellow Jews express about Palestinains and all Arabs, mostly. You know that is a fact. How do our Jewish friends (Iam a Jew) talk about Pals in private? No need to answer.
Marc - I have never heard my Jewish friends call for the murder of Palestinians, nor do they celebrate or hand out candy when Palestinians are killed - and as far as I know, Jewish textbooks don’t use dead Jews to teach math. I’m sure you know much more than I do from your journalist experience, but the anti-semitism I’m seeing is repugnant as is the ignorance behind it. How would you, were you an Israeli leader, fight Hamas when it imbeds itself with Palestinian civilians and refuses to return the hostages (if they are even still alive) - the only thing terrorists seem to understand is overwhelming power! They certainly lie and propagandize and are not to be trusted. I don’t even trust the casualty numbers - Hamas has stated photos before and their lack of credibility is as depraved as their brutality. How would you end this war?
Painfully and brilliantly analyzed and written. Thank you for the ongoing work, my friend.
Cogently argued: no way out with the current fixed condition in place: ‘2 state solution.’ No military solution, no human .
Way out: nation of Jerusalem, from the river to the sea. can be done. Rise people of the lands and do it.
Long time no talk. Email me ur phone
Don't think I have a working email for you. Email me at celeste@witnessla.com, and will send. We're assuredly overdue.