Fighting Jim Crow in Israel

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

By Mike Whitney
Online Journal Contributing Writer

http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_1100.shtml

<snip>

Israel calls itself a democracy, but its prevailing ethos of Zionism precludes an evenhanded application of the law. This explains why Zionism was denounced in United Nations Resolution 3379 (vote 72 to 35) in 1975 which stated: “Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination.”

The resolution has since been repealed due to the persistent efforts of the US, but the effects are not so easily erased.

There cannot be a second set of laws for minorities; that is racism pure and simple.

The abhorrent treatment of Palestinians is the most striking example of Israeli chauvinism, but the current aggression in Lebanon is equally revealing. The massive ethnic cleansing of 750,000 mostly poor Shia Muslims in the south of Lebanon carries the same racist overtones as Israel’s conduct in the occupied territories...

[Wonk]

1. If Zionism isn't a form of racism then I don't know what is.

[cali]

2. What is your definition of

Zionism?

[Wonk]

6. Those in favor of redrawing the borders to become Ersatz Israel

taking over the lands of Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, etc.

One could also call them Israeli Expansionists, which is the term I generally prefer, as it's less ambiguous.

[Igel]

13. So you're against essentially a null set? n/t

[pelsar]

12. ?????

so what does one call this?.....

can i be blunt? call the posters ignorent of israeli society?...wonder why they are, what makes people not want to know simple truths?

[Selatius]

3. Yes, but Israel cannot be "unfounded"

Israel exists as long as Jews are a majority in the country. It's nature changes the second Muslims achieve parity or even outnumber Jews. It would no longer be "Israel." It would be called "Palestine" instead.

[liberalhistorian]

5. So, Israeli Arabs shouldn't

be given the same rights and freedoms as "legitimate" Israelis, is that what you're saying? If that's the case, then Israel has no right to call itself democratic.

[Selatius]

8. I'm not justifying any of that

What I am saying is that Israel, as a matter of national policy, determines who can or cannot live in the borders of Israel. If they simply allowed anybody who applied to enter the country, then it is likely the Jewish nature of Israel would be lost. As long as Israeli Arabs remain a minority in the country, the Jewish nature of the country is assured. To do this requires that one have very strict laws on Arabs being able to apply for citizenship and strict laws governing Israeli Arabs who may decide to marry fellow Palestinian Arabs.

[Mr_Spock]

10. It's creepy, isn't it?

Good thing is, it gives Israel impetus to jettison arab dominated areas that they have occupied.

There was a story I read where Israeli arabs are out breeding Jews & will be the majority within 20 years or so.

Since it is obvious to people like you that Israel will not exist with an Arab majority, it is clear to me that motives for any action they take must always be suspect IMHO.

[sabbat hunter]

15. arab majority

will only occur if israel keeps the west bank and gaza.

[mike_c]

4. the rank and file left is beginning to learn that Israel is NOT...

...America's friend, even as the fundy right wing embraces Zionist racism for all its worth in hopes of hastening the biblical apocalypse it awaits. Israel's best friends in the U.S. include neocon politicians who alternately want to use Israel as an attack dog in the middle east and as a model for running a garrison state, and rabid christian extremists who view total war in the middle east as a necessary prerequisite to the rapture.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

7. Agreed. Neocons are no friend to Israel...

...although they are avid cheerleaders for their militarism.

[liberalhistorian]

9. The non-Jewish neocons are

incredibly anti-semitic. The only reason they care so much about Israel is due to their apocalyptic biblical vision of Israel's role in armageddon.

[FlavaKreemSnak]

11. They are worried about the ethnic purity of Israel

I have read some articles about it, and they don't consider it racism, the ones who are in favor of it are worried that Israel will not have enough ethnic purity. Some of the article writers are concerned because they think Arabs have too many babies, and the European Israelis can't keep up. It is one of those things that Americans would probably consider racism but because it is Israel people will tell you that it is different, because to not have unconditional support for Israel is considered to be sympathizing with terrorists and also anti-Semitic.

[IntiRaymi]

17. Demographics are like tectonic plates shifting.

Make people wealthy, they stop having babies. It's as close to a sociological truth as things can get - I would opine that it ranks up there with Marx's dialectic materialism. The solution to the problem of people wanting a life of their own, is to establish institutionalized racism.
I think that it is incredibly illuminating that the people in the USA that support Israel's policies, in an unquestioning manner, are the bleating sheep that obey Mike Savage and Rush Limbaugh's exhortations.

[Karenina]

14. The Grossman family lost a son

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2454767#2454937

His bereaved father, a peace activist, clearly spells it out:

"We have only the emotional dictionary of hatred."
Quote from the interview:

GROSSMAN: First...the first thing that we should do when we have this peace treaty between us and the Palestinians is to change the study programs, is to change the textbooks, is to teach both peoples from childhood to live in life of...to live life of mutuality, of respecting the other. It is very difficult. It will be like teaching them a totally new language, because you see, we were born to these wars, to this violence. It is engraved in our genes. We forgot totally this language. We have only the emotional dictionary of hatred. And this must be changed, and therefore I do not believe that we shall see a real internalized change in the nearest future. It will take many generations to start to purify us on this poison of 100 years of killing each other.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

16. I think he's right. Very sad.