More diversity in the Jewish community. Here is a gathering of the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network, in California. There are a bunch of human-rights Jews there, attacking the Israel lobby. Mom, please check this out:
One of IJAN's primary activities will be to confront and expose the
role of Jewish institutions, like the Jewish Community Federation, in
supporting illegal and immoral atrocities committed against Palestinian
people. [emphasis mine, for my momma]
role of Jewish institutions, like the Jewish Community Federation, in
supporting illegal and immoral atrocities committed against Palestinian
people. [emphasis mine, for my momma]
Beautiful. They're playing guitars by the water, and throwing stones in the water, in a tashlich ceremony. One caption says:
"Sara in an inspirational moment passionately denounces the support of
some in the Jewish community to atrocities committed in Palestine."
some in the Jewish community to atrocities committed in Palestine."
Wow. It's really happening. Human rights Jews finally speaking out against American Jewish institutions! Tide is ours.
Wow. The world is changing. Or, maybe six lesbians in norther California (one of whom is a morbidly obese negress , another is, if my guess is right, Korean) held some signs up somewhere.
Meanwhile, the real world goes on.
Well hot damn! I give these jews credit for rocking the boat….and wow…naming those bad jewish communities…I say good for them…nothing works better than your own caling you out for being morally and socially unacceptable to get their attention.
Go young jews, throw momma under the train…as the movie title says…or is it off the train?
Here's a mirror-image story.
About ten days ago I was sitting on my uncle's patio terrace with several of his buddies and relations, along with his hired man. Now my uncle is a Lebanese Christian who lived in the States for 25 years, and he is a die-hard Republican right-winger. He is also bitterly angry at Muslims (with some reason but it's all old news now). Like any good ole boy, however, he has Muslim and Palestinian friends who he simply counts as exceptions.
Anyway. The Muslim hired hand is also a Palestinian refugee, about 38 years old, born in the camp down the hill from us: Ain el-Helweh. He is stateless. His camp is one of the most notorious in the Arab world, hotbed of factionalism and extremism. He is also not an educated fellow – he's a self-described "troublemaker." He does yard work and repairs for my uncle.
Somebody in the company (one of the Christian villagers) got to talking about what the Jews did to Lebanon in 2006, and the Palestinian guy politely corrected the speaker.
"It's not Jews who did it to us, it was Zionists," he said. "We are not against Jews, we are against Zionists and Zionism."
He wasn't aware of how well I understand Arabic, so I don't think he could have been saying it for my benefit. Nor would he have any idea that this comment would matter to me – he doesn't read my blog!
From the mouth of a stateless, uneducated Palestinian refugee in South Lebanon. "We are not against the Jews, we are against Zionists and Zionism."
I was staggered. This is a big, big distinction and I believe it must be percolating throughout Palestinian society if a man such as my uncle's hired hand would say it.
I didn't make my location clear. I just spent two weeks in South Lebanon and Syria. My uncle lives just east of Saida my ancestral village, which is surrounded by Palestinian refugees, Sunni Muslims, and Shi'a Hizbullah partisans.
This kind of hippie shit (much like 'dialogue groups' and 'joint community projects') does nothing to solve this conflict.
Solutions with a realistic chance of success involve national governments that are empowered and capable of making tough concessions and difficult choices.
Hi Leila,
What you mentioned is not an exception here in Lebanon but the norm. Even die-hard supporters of Hezbollah (and you can put the experiences of the Shi'a– especially the Southern Lebanese Shi'a– on par with the experiences of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon), when speaking about Israel, place a distinction between Jews and Zionists, and it comes out naturally, so it's not like they do it for the PR value. Ironically, I have seen more anti-Semitic Christians than Muslims… The SSNP (Syrian Social Nationalist Party) — a secular Syrian nationalist party in Lebanon, whose members are all Lebanese of course, contrary to what the name might make people think! — has an anti-Semitic vein running right through it. Its founder was a Christian, and many if not most of its members today are also Christian… I live not far away from a village in Mount Lebanon which is known for its support for SSNP. These guys, don't make a distinction between Jew and Zionist, and even if they do, they hate both equally. Anyway, I don't know enough SSNPers to generalize for the whole party, but I can tell you that I've met quite a few viciously anti-Semitic SSNP members. But anti-Semitic Hezbollah members/supporters, whether educated or not? Can't say I've met any. Ditto for Palestinian refugees.
"Wow. The world is changing. Or, maybe six lesbians in norther California (one of whom is a morbidly obese negress , another is, if my guess is right, Korean) held some signs up somewhere."
"This kind of hippie shit (much like 'dialogue groups' and 'joint community projects') does nothing to solve this conflict."
Well the possibly misguided and probably well-healed bleeding-hearts flower children got their story on Mondoweiss which is no doubt under the glare of the lobby types who are exacerbating Palestinian suffering.
That's only a couple of degrees of separation by my count and not an entire waste of time.
And even if it was a waste of time, what exactly is the point of pointing that out?
I imagine the point is asking Phil Weiss to tone down his enthusiasm
for a world-a-changing in behalf justice, not because the author doesn't want that, but because the author sees how deep and strong
the Zionists are with their near stranglehold on American dollars.
Not to mention that a good portion of those in the jewish 'anti-zionist' movement are in fact true, rabid zionists – and another good portion of jews don't even realize, or aren't willing to believe, that they are zionists….