Comments on: Why it’s appropriate to remember the Warsaw Ghetto when considering Gaza

By: Todd

Todd — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:24:56 +0000

I agree, and see no reason to constantly search for historical parallels for the actions of Israelis. Among the people who matter, I don’t know who could be unintentionally in the dark about what Israel is.

I also agree with you about generational guilt, and find it odd that many Jews like to constantly kick up dust over the Holocaust, Jim Crow, etc., when they are so vulnerable as a group.

By: Citizen

Citizen — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:16:54 +0000

I agree with you Colin. However, you need to contact Rehmat and Mooser. Rehmat threw out the red herring, and Mooser took it up, and then, so did I.
Mooser did not actually address the historical issue Rehmat should not have brought up, except by way of a (very misleading) joke (his usual custom). I commented in turn just to support a modicum of historical fact.

By: Colin Murray

Colin Murray — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:53:25 +0000

Of what relevance is it for solving the problem of Zionist aggression today? The leadership of the Inquisition was wholly Catholic. Does this reflect negatively on contemporary Catholics?

I reject the notion of generational guilt. It cuts both ways: modern Jews are no more responsible for the crimes of communists than modern Germans are for the crimes of Nazis.

By: Citizen

Citizen — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:09:30 +0000

Mooser wishes to avoid by feeble jokes the historical fact that the leadership during the Lenin and Stalin era–right up to Stalin’s eventual purge of Jews from the high ranks–was disproportionately Jewish.

By: potsherd

potsherd — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:12:20 +0000

I would call it a “work in regress” myself.

By: Shmuel

Shmuel — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:57:49 +0000

The definition of a Jew according to Israeli law has also been “a work in progress”, modified a couple of times to close perceived loopholes and accommodate changing needs, moods and political alliances. That would have been far more difficult had the Law of Return been included in a constitution. Besides, the fact that it is an ordinary, rather than constitutional law, allows those Zionists who feel uncomfortable with the “Jewish and democratic” concept to play it down or make believe that it is somehow “temporary”.

Interestingly, some Jews who would have been persecuted under Nuremberg were excluded from the Law of Return. Edith Stein for example, who was interned and murdered by the Nazis as a Jew, would have been considered a non-Jew according to the Law of Return (1970 amendment). I repeat, that a comparison between the Law of Return and the Nuremberg Laws (acknowledging the differences of course) is chilling, in the way that both bureaucratise “racial” classifications: the number of Jewish grandparents, religious affiliation, etc. The similarities are neither coincidental nor trivial.

By: Mooser

Mooser — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:35:59 +0000

"Smite" is reserved for the Jews" What the hell can you say? It all depends on whether you are the smiter or the smitee, huh? But it's clear you are smitten with the word "semite". Too bad that "semite" is actually a meaningless word, from a spurious ethno-linguistic division. It's used as a term of convenience, because of its use in the term "anti-semitism", but as far as I know, all the ethno-linguistics it's based on are quite speculative, to say the least. BTW, love the way you stick in the little parenthetical "Jewish-dominated era of Lenin and Stalin", cause that is for sure the way to go. When Americans realise that their Chasidic neighbors are actually tough Russian Gulag Guards and Commissars, Americans will go nuts! And many of them (Jews) are teachers ! Or should that be "teachers"? And Oy what those schmucks are doing to our precious language!

By: Mooser

Mooser — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:24:04 +0000

Call Me Ishmael, thank you for the reccomend. I’ll look out for it.

By: yonira

yonira — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:17:33 +0000

interesting link, thanks Chaos

By: potsherd

potsherd — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:37:38 +0000

It’s noteworthy that the new Israeli state did not embody the Nuremberg definition of a Jew in a Constitution, that in fact the impossibility of reaching a consensus on this point was one of the primary reason Israel still has no constitution. Today, with the theocrats in the ascendant, there are a growing number of Jews who are considered Jews by the Law of Return by not by the rabbinical establishment. These people live in a legal no-man’s-land where they are denied many of the human rights of citizens.

Another thing that is noteworthy is the way some Israeli politician – Avigdor Lieberman this time around – perennially arises to pander to this section of society at election time, but stabs them in the back the moment he gets into office and sells out to the religious parties.