A very worthwhile read posted by Bonnie. Notes that many Europeans supported the creation of the state of Israel due to their anguish over the Holocaust. But Zionism was a perpetuation of the mindset that produced it. It gained momentum amongst European Jews as an understandably defensive reaction to the racist nationalist and völkisch movements of 19th century Europe that were undermining the universality of individual rights in the European mind, and, consequently, the precarious integration of Jews into that society. Unfortunately it adopted many of its most repugnant tenants. Unlike the two Abrahamic faiths it gave birth to Judaism was not a proselytizing faith, preferring to emphasize genealogy over doctrine, hence lacked the vast power base – and license for its mischief – Christianity and Islam acquired for themselves. (Zionism of course is not Judaism, with many Zionists being atheists and many Jews, atheist and religious, bitterly opposed to Zionism; Tom Friedman noted that Israel is the most schizophrenic place on earth for Jews as there are so many different interpretations of what it means to be one there). But ethical and humanitarian considerations aside the overwhelming strategic reality is that establishing a tiny sliver of a Levantine Jewish state in a sea of a billion Muslims while disenfranchising, oppressing and murdering members of ones Muslim minority is not a good plan. Rather its a rehash of that tired, age-old prescription for conflict: exclusion and oppression breeding revolution.
Posted on: Sat, 16 Aug 2014 22:50:33 +0000
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