SEE COMMENTS BELOW: The widespread episodes of pro-Palestinian antisemitism on American college campuses calls to mind an old blogpost about European antisemitism.
“I find it shameful,” Fallaci begins, “that in Italy there should be a procession of individuals dressed as suicide bombers who spew vile abuse at Israel, hold up photographs of Israeli leaders on whose foreheads they have drawn the swastika, incite people to hate the Jews. …”
Condemning genocide, thus refusing to support Israel’s current military actions, and anti semitism are separate things. The quote you use here is entirely misplaced (how are students dressing as ‘suicide bombers’?)
Disappointing from an otherwise interesting blog. Unsubscribing.
Sorry to see you go.
Dear Cousin, I am sure that you are aware of the warning issued by Einstein to the early Zionists that it would be a shame to see Zionist’s do to Palestinian Arabs what Hitler did to the Jews, it is proper and appropriate to compare the genocide now occurring to the holocaust.. Sone 4 million Palestinians living in ghettos subject to brutalities and humiliations that boggle the mind. No, it is sickening and has turned the world utterly against Israel. Israel courts self destruction if it continues. I condemn Israel and support the establishment of a Palestinian nation with Israel to return to 1967 borders. I shall not abandon my affection for you, respect for your accomplishments and curiosity to see what you will turn up in future posts…
Dear Cuz — I was unaware of Einstein’s warning to early Zionists. One thing I would ask, though, are the Israelis actually doing to the Palestinians in Gaza what Hitler did to the Jews? Are they pulling gold fillings from their teeth, asphyxiating them in gas showers, cremating their bodies in death-camp ovens? If the Israelis are committing genocide in Gaza, I am against it. Even if they are not committing genoicde, I am against the killing of innocent Palestinians and bombing their homes to smithereens as collateral damage in a war to root out Hamas. Genocide does not of course require Hitler’s methods. Starvation and bombing will do. So I admit that retrieving Oriana Fallaci’s rage against the Muslim suicide bombers and neo-Nazis of her time (along with her rage against religious mania, Moslem and Christian alike) as an apt response to the campus protests against the war in Gaza was ill advised, which is not to be taken as an apology.
Cuz…moving 2 million people around, destroying 40% of their homes, killing 36,000, wounding over 100,000, destroying water treatment plants, cutting off food supplies, destroying Unversitues, schools, hospitals, churches and mosques, ….certainly sounds like Genocide to me. It does not rise to the German effort but that is not required by the Rome pact. If the world does not intervene Israel risks doing much greater harm as famine and disease set in.
Cuz — Yes, there is no way to justify what is happening NOW in Gaza. It’s long past time to stop it, whatever it’s called. But how?
With US veto in Security Council nothing is possible from without other than economic embargo. With US joining rest of world vistas open of possible good outcomes. The risk of Egypt Iran Turkey Hezbollah coordinating attack on Israel grows otherwise. The noblest would be Israelians to rise up and vomit on the heads of Likkud but that is unlikely.