Reply #1: Uh, [View All]

[elsaamo]

Well, to begin with, I find any endeavor trying to compare the propoganda services or lack thereof of two people to be rathur absurd and futile. Imagine if one tried to compare the same efforts on the part of the americans and Arabs on the eve of the Iraq war, an event about which, I am sure, that no matter your political leanings you recognize that at least some spin was done.

More specifically to this article, I was very impressed by the author's excellent research on random and tragic comments made by Israeli leaders, but I must say his research was "lacking" if he could not find a similarly illustrious list. I am not so indurstrious that I would take upon myself to construct such a list, but a more talented person might choose to begin with Chairman Arafat's speech to the United Nations carrying a gun, the only person ever to do that. He might also glance at some of Arafat's other charming comments in which he admtted to being a terrorist (this was, admittedly, at least 2 decades ago, but nonetheless interesting), and if this person were to even more energetic, if such a thing were possible, he might find it interesting reading to research all of the pithy statements made by the heads of other groups like Hamas and Hizbollah, which at least one poll says is supported by a majority of Palistineans.

Or, I suppose, such a person who I am CERTAIN wishes only to be unbiased and defend both sides might find himself understandably winded after finding 6 sentences by Israeli leaders, and instead deacide "With the Palestinians, on the other hand, the use of language is much more descriptive of their reality." Ahh. the inspiring thing about this sentence, which I am certain will light the imagination to all future spin-doctors and propgandists out there is that the only way to contest this line is, apparently, to contest reality. Luckily, though, I am certain we have a web-site here iflled with Democrats, who should be able to easily find the crack between his specific research on the Israeli side, and his broad but beautiful language on the Palistinean side.

Just for the record, I am also appalled by his reading of Franz Kafka. Anybody who reads Kafka and whose mind does not immediatly go to the Holocaust has never read a modern history book, and only raises the question of how these thoughts must have screwed that brilliant author's mind. Israel has done alot of things it shouldn't be proud of, and it still does way too many of them. But to argue that Israel's actions are close to anything described in Kafka or in books about the holocaust are simply absurd. Considering I've gone on this tangent, I might as well conclude it- I honestly don't care much about what happens with the West Bank and gaza Strip. If the Palistineans want it, let them have it, and make it into a state, a brothel, or a football stadium (prefferably for the Giants to leave the country, but that's just personal bias). I'm all in favor of that, and to be entirely honest, most moderate Israelis agree. Here's where the agreement ends- Israel must survive. This cannot be a question, it cannot be an issue for the simply reason that if it does not, then the most serious human rights issue since, and I hate to use this term as it is so loaded, but being true, I will nonetheless, the Holocaust. One million Jews were in the Arab countries prior to 1948- 10,000 are now. The Palistinean population in West bank and Gaza Strip, on the other hand, grew by fifty percent. There are 5 or however many million Jews in Israel. If it collapses, we will hopefully have that many refugees, but perhaps not. My only hope is that future generation on the reading of Kafka, think only of Adolf Hitler.