Comments on: Ali Abunimah on One State in Israel/Palestine

By: lester

lester — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

first thank you for not evoking Borat.

Also, I think it may be not ideaistic but realistic to support a one state solution considering the continued failure of the one state and one disputed area. Lebanon is not a bad goal to shoot for, figuratively of course.

By: Ahmed

Ahmed — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

"The problem with Zionism for this Jew comes down to that one thing. I'm an idealist; I like to feel idealistic about my politics. Embracing Zionism these days isn't any fun. It's about arguing, we didn't kill that little child on purpose, and they did it first; about rationalizing land grabs from Arabs, 60 years ago and today; about contending that Arabs are alot like the Nazis; about justifying the denial of the right of travel of the Gaza soccer team; about rationalizing the fact that the American Jewish committee spoke to the Polish consulate before Tony Judt's planned speech to say that Judt "was not the most popular figure in Jewish circles."

This is a fascinating formulation. Thanks. I used to walk by "pro israel" "infomation" tables on campus jam packed with leaflets saying that Jenin was a hoax, and that the Israeli army is a beacon of liberty. In fact denying, apologizing for, or explaning away gross atroacities take up a huge chunk of the work that groups like hillel do. Woefully off topic but have you read jacqueline rose's book

By: anonymous

anonymous — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

Some Rebuttals to Mearsheimer&Walt admirers:

O. Jew S., "Doing it and Denying it" | If I did Lobby It (never to be published)

Dershowitz, "Lobby meets Torture" | Jewish Hideous Creatures, a bestiary

Cabal Of Yale's Jewish Donnors, "Kissing Juan Cole Goodbye" | Letters of Advice to American Teachers

Need Lazarus, "How to Resurrect an Unborn Lobby" | Tales From the Crypt

Sasha Cohen, "Slipping with the Lobby" | Ass in the Ice - Autobiography

By: LM

LM — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

After many months of bloviating about the need for "realism," Philip Weiss now tells us he's an "idealist." How many American and Western European Stalinists, Maoists, an not a few Hitler Youth types have made the same claim. No doubt it was "fun" at the time (those kids in Triumph of the Will certainly seem to be enjoying themselves). Weiss is no idealist; he is a preening moral narcissist, a cynic who will take any position to justify the elimination of the state of Israel. If he wants to take the Palestinian position in the conflict that's fine. Let him do so honestly and tell us about all the idealism and fun he finds there.

By: Steve

Steve — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

The proposal sounds like a search.
The pros and contras are mostly too emotional.

The reason is the supra national feature of the conflict.

The Palestinian leaders have been falling into the many traps:
a. Nazi German
b. Soviet
c. Syrian tyranny
d. Iran's fascist leaders

Israel was mostly under these sieges.

The ZAHAL fought and defended Israel.
The destruction was awful.

I do not mind the one state solution if the siege is broken.

The problem can be understood if you take your time and go to live a few years in the Middle East.

By: brenda

brenda — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

Beautiful piece, Phil. It reminded me of the feelings that came up for me on some of those big anti-war marches: you know, when you come across the pro-forma small group of grim pro-war types, I used to look at them and think, "If they only knew how much fun we're having they'd join us in an instant."

And the South African experience I agree is very apt. You know, I believe Nelson Mandela is a true genius. There have been several notables who applied the Ghandi formula, but Mandela is maybe the only one who went beyond Ghandi. NPR has broadcast many interviews with some of South Africans involved in the Truth & Reconciliation Commission. It was an amazing thing, kind of like a miracle.

By: Rowan Berkeley

Rowan Berkeley — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

Ali's father actually is a Jordanian politician. Ali has been slow to move towards the one state view, wisely so, since in the absence of a bargaining chip analogous to the control of COSATU over the South African gold mining labour force, the Palestinians stand to gain very little from a South Africa style move to majority rule. Note that the crucial concession made by the ANC was a pledge not to nationalise the gold mining industry.

By: j

Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

Why don't the Jordanians take the Palestinians back?

If the Palestinians had a leader like Mandela, there would have been peace and prosperity in the region a long time ago.

May dipshit Weiss should visit South Africa before he babbles on about it based on one person's story. His opinion might change after they rip his finger off to steal his ring or slice his face up for his watch.

By: max ellis

max ellis — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

I spent from the age of 10 to 25 as a pasionist bi-nationalist, follower of Buber and Magnes and the Ihud movement (yes- I learned about it in Herew school), I argued it against my Socialist Zionist relatives. I was the young idealist of "why can't we all live together?" But the last 30 years strongly working wthin both the left and Jewish movemments, I realized we all didn't have to be forced to live together if we didn't want to.
The oppressive model that forces groups to only we within one political unit is not needed or wanted. There remains a bold tradition within Jewish cultural life that recognizes and supports the struggle against that cultural melding. It is often identified with the Jewish Bund but present in oother cultural groups including Armenians arguing against the cultural nihilism of the great power models- It supports National Cultural autonomy- territorial or not. Your demand that there be one-state is the same demand as the US demand that the Kurdish Republic in Northern Iraq disband and give up its autonomy to be part of a single Iraq state. That is a repressive and regressive impulse. I understand your example of Nellson Mandela- but your comment about Vladimir Jabotinsky and Leon Wieselthier's father was foolish.
A 'solution' for one area may not be properly the best for another. You continue to ignore or avoid any validation of the cultural and historic rights and desires of peoples but treat each one solely as a state entity. I agree with your comment that you "do not know enough to be sure".

By: lester

lester — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

if US support is pulled Israel will have to find solutions to it's problems on it's own. with out a steady supply of weapons that will have to mean making alliances with it's enemies. this is the basis of conservative foreign aid: there shouldn't be any. at least not in keeping artificial states afloat and keeping them from facing the reality of their situation. like Iraq we must stand down so israelis stand up