Never a kind word in the mainstream news media for the oppressed -practically leaderless- Palestinians. Why are they left to defend themselves with cave man weapons - sticks and stones ?
Working class Palestinians and working class Jews should have no problem living together in a SECULAR democracy that respects ALL the great religions of humanity but bows to none of them.
Oddly enough I read about Orthodox Jews who are disillusioned with Zionism - with an apartheid nation state - as a bulwark against anti-Semitism.
The late Harvard professor Howard Zinn had some sharp and informed ( Zinn was from a Jewish background ) opinions on Zionism. Isaac Asimov was also skeptical about Jewish
nationalism. He wrote in his autobiography that he found Elie Wiesel sanctimonious on the issue.
[ "I [ Isaac Asimov } let the others argue for a moment while I brooded over my resentment; then, unable to contain myself any longer, I spoke up: "Mr. Wiesel, you're wrong; the fact that a group of people has suffered appalling persecution does not mean it is inherently good and innocent. All that the persecution proves is that this group was in a position of weakness. If the Jews were in a position of strength, who knows if they wouldn't become persecutors?"
To which Wiesel replied, very angrily: "Give me one example of the Jews persecuting anyone!"
Naturally, I was expecting this. "At the time of the Maccabees, in the second century BCE, John Hyrcanus of Judea conquered Edom and gave the Edomites the choice of conversion to Judaism, or death. Not being idiots, the Edomites converted, but afterwards they were still treated as inferiors because even though they had become Jews, they were still originally Edomites".
Wiesel, even more upset, said: "There is no other example."
"There is no other period in history where Jews have exercised power", I replied. "The only time they had it, they behaved just like the others."
That put an end to the discussion. I would add however that the audience was entirely on the side of Elie Wiesel. ]
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments that are courteous, concise and relevant are always welcome, whether or not they agree with the views expressed here or not. Profanity is not necessary. Thank you for reading “Time Enough At Last!”
To which Wiesel replied, very angrily: "Give me one example of the Jews persecuting anyone!"
Naturally, I was expecting this. "At the time of the Maccabees, in the second century BCE, John Hyrcanus of Judea conquered Edom and gave the Edomites the choice of conversion to Judaism, or death. Not being idiots, the Edomites converted, but afterwards they were still treated as inferiors because even though they had become Jews, they were still originally Edomites".
Wiesel, even more upset, said: "There is no other example."
"There is no other period in history where Jews have exercised power", I replied. "The only time they had it, they behaved just like the others."
That put an end to the discussion. I would add however that the audience was entirely on the side of Elie Wiesel. ]