Comments on: Israeli Scholar Says Jews Are Locked In Ancient Past and Future, Blind to Horrific Present http://mondoweiss.net/2008/02/israeli-scholar.html The War of Ideas in the Middle East Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:31:24 +0000 hourly 1 By: Richard Witty http://mondoweiss.net/2008/02/israeli-scholar.html/comment-page-1#comment-64638 Richard Witty Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2008/02/16/israeli-scholar.html#comment-64638 <p>So, what do you derive from the statement of "taking responsibility for the present"?</p> So, what do you derive from the statement of "taking responsibility for the present"?

]]> By: lester http://mondoweiss.net/2008/02/israeli-scholar.html/comment-page-1#comment-64639 lester Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2008/02/16/israeli-scholar.html#comment-64639 <p>I just read "The Nazarene" by Sholem Asch. It was very controversial when it came out in the late 30's. It's about Jesus and why the Romans and jews didn't accept him, basically. It seems a very odd thing to be writing in the face of nazi oppression. </p> I just read "The Nazarene" by Sholem Asch. It was very controversial when it came out in the late 30's. It's about Jesus and why the Romans and jews didn't accept him, basically. It seems a very odd thing to be writing in the face of nazi oppression.

]]> By: Armin Rosen http://mondoweiss.net/2008/02/israeli-scholar.html/comment-page-1#comment-64640 Armin Rosen Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2008/02/16/israeli-scholar.html#comment-64640 <p>Wow do I disagree. This woman ain't the second coming of Tom Segev--in fact, her reductionist views on Holocaust consciousness do considerable violence to the very ideas she purports to be defending. See my breakdown of the event here: http://commentariat.specblogs.com/index.php/2008/02/16/gabbin-about-gaza/</p> Wow do I disagree. This woman ain't the second coming of Tom Segev–in fact, her reductionist views on Holocaust consciousness do considerable violence to the very ideas she purports to be defending. See my breakdown of the event here: http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2008/02/16/israeli-scholar.html#comment-64641 <p>"Jews have been great at preserving a collective identity thru history, lousy at governing another people."</p> <p>Remember that these traits are related. The same huge sense of ethnic grievance which is so useful for maintaining a collective identity, also makes dispassionate political decision making virtually impossible.</p> "Jews have been great at preserving a collective identity thru history, lousy at governing another people."

Remember that these traits are related. The same huge sense of ethnic grievance which is so useful for maintaining a collective identity, also makes dispassionate political decision making virtually impossible.

]]> By: Armin Rosen http://mondoweiss.net/2008/02/israeli-scholar.html/comment-page-1#comment-64642 Armin Rosen Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2008/02/16/israeli-scholar.html#comment-64642 <p>Also, the "2,000 years in the past, 3,000 years in the future" statement was probably one of the dumbest of the night. I agree that Israelis and Jews in general need to take responsibility for the present situation rather than invoking some historical teleology or another--this isn't a controversial point, and was one of JTS chancellor Arnold Eisen's main contentions at a lecture he gave last year. However, Zertal gave the issue a purely theological frame--as students of Judaism should know, the Temple last stood 2,000 years ago, while those who look 3,000 years in the future are typically looking towards some messianic endtime. </p> <p>But this is bullshit. No mainstream, secular Israelis actually view things in such narrow theological terms, and neither did the Zionist movement, which saw Zionism as replacing the accepted, orthodox eschatological narrative. Zertal's shallow attempt at charicaturing Israelis as religious fanatics was the whopper of the night, and while Shas or UTJ might actually be looking "3,000 years in the future," the majority of Israelis just want this over--and they don't want to restore the Temple in the process.</p> Also, the "2,000 years in the past, 3,000 years in the future" statement was probably one of the dumbest of the night. I agree that Israelis and Jews in general need to take responsibility for the present situation rather than invoking some historical teleology or another–this isn't a controversial point, and was one of JTS chancellor Arnold Eisen's main contentions at a lecture he gave last year. However, Zertal gave the issue a purely theological frame–as students of Judaism should know, the Temple last stood 2,000 years ago, while those who look 3,000 years in the future are typically looking towards some messianic endtime.

But this is bullshit. No mainstream, secular Israelis actually view things in such narrow theological terms, and neither did the Zionist movement, which saw Zionism as replacing the accepted, orthodox eschatological narrative. Zertal's shallow attempt at charicaturing Israelis as religious fanatics was the whopper of the night, and while Shas or UTJ might actually be looking "3,000 years in the future," the majority of Israelis just want this over–and they don't want to restore the Temple in the process.

]]> By: Alan http://mondoweiss.net/2008/02/israeli-scholar.html/comment-page-1#comment-64643 Alan Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2008/02/16/israeli-scholar.html#comment-64643 <p>Neocons Search for 'Anti-Israel' Essays by Obama Advisers</p> <p>http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/954463.html</p> Neocons Search for 'Anti-Israel' Essays by Obama Advisers

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/954463.html

]]> By: the sword of gideon http://mondoweiss.net/2008/02/israeli-scholar.html/comment-page-1#comment-64644 the sword of gideon Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2008/02/16/israeli-scholar.html#comment-64644 <p>Armin: your barking up the wrong tree. Phil Weiss has a serious problem with self hatred going on. Lets examine his own writings. He married out, fine. He celebrates Christian holidays, not Jewish ones. And he stand in vehement opposition to the worlds one Jewish state. He has a following among neo-nazi's. And he is obsessed with the number of Jews in social situations, foundations. Well everywhere. He keeps count lest one of the little devils get by him. The guy also seems to subscribe to arcane publications like the cleveland Jewish news and the Yivo institute. Strange doings from a guy who believes that Jews should assimilate out of existence and that Israel should be destroyed. All in all classic psychosis. </p> Armin: your barking up the wrong tree. Phil Weiss has a serious problem with self hatred going on. Lets examine his own writings. He married out, fine. He celebrates Christian holidays, not Jewish ones. And he stand in vehement opposition to the worlds one Jewish state. He has a following among neo-nazi's. And he is obsessed with the number of Jews in social situations, foundations. Well everywhere. He keeps count lest one of the little devils get by him. The guy also seems to subscribe to arcane publications like the cleveland Jewish news and the Yivo institute. Strange doings from a guy who believes that Jews should assimilate out of existence and that Israel should be destroyed. All in all classic psychosis.

]]> By: David http://mondoweiss.net/2008/02/israeli-scholar.html/comment-page-1#comment-64645 David Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2008/02/16/israeli-scholar.html#comment-64645 <p>"All in all classic psychosis," said Bill Pearlman as he stalked Phil Weiss around the Internet for year after year.</p> "All in all classic psychosis," said Bill Pearlman as he stalked Phil Weiss around the Internet for year after year.

]]> By: uk http://mondoweiss.net/2008/02/israeli-scholar.html/comment-page-1#comment-64646 uk Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2008/02/16/israeli-scholar.html#comment-64646 <p>You call that psychosis? </p> <p>What would you call this:</p> <p>http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/761781.html</p> <p>IDF commander: We fired more than a million cluster bombs in Lebanon</p> <p>By Meron Rappaport</p> <p>"What we did was insane and monstrous, we covered entire towns in cluster bombs," the head of an IDF rocket unit in Lebanon said regarding the use of cluster bombs and phosphorous shells during the war. </p> You call that psychosis?

What would you call this:

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/761781.html

IDF commander: We fired more than a million cluster bombs in Lebanon

By Meron Rappaport

"What we did was insane and monstrous, we covered entire towns in cluster bombs," the head of an IDF rocket unit in Lebanon said regarding the use of cluster bombs and phosphorous shells during the war.

]]> By: anon http://mondoweiss.net/2008/02/israeli-scholar.html/comment-page-1#comment-64647 anon Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000 http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2008/02/16/israeli-scholar.html#comment-64647 <p>more psychosis--</p> <p>Israel continues to ignore requests for data that would assist clearing the estimated one million unexploded bomblets. ... "All these weapons systems are computerised and grid references are entered before the bombs drop. Not receiving the cluster bomb strike data from the Israelis remains our biggest obstacle to clearance,” said Dalya Farran, a spokeswoman for the UN Mine Action Coordination Centre for South Lebanon (MACSL)."</p> <p>http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=76358</p> more psychosis–

Israel continues to ignore requests for data that would assist clearing the estimated one million unexploded bomblets. … "All these weapons systems are computerised and grid references are entered before the bombs drop. Not receiving the cluster bomb strike data from the Israelis remains our biggest obstacle to clearance,” said Dalya Farran, a spokeswoman for the UN Mine Action Coordination Centre for South Lebanon (MACSL)."

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=76358

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