The verdict against teaching evolution, in the Scopes trial, was delivered in
July 1925. The Levy Report concluding that Israel’s administration of occupied
lands in the West Bank is not an occupation was delivered in July 2012. Between
these two events, a certain symmetry may be found, according to Zeev Sternhell. [Haaretz: The Dream Has Vanished, With the Left's Help]
By enlightened contemporaries, says Sternhell, “Levy’s learned conclusions will
be treated in the rest of the world just like those rulings once handed down by
village courts concerning evolution and the origin of man.”
These words come with authority and with disturbing force from Sternhell, who
is among the preeminent historians of mid-twentieth century Fascism and the
anti-Enlightenment ideologies of the nineteenth century. And the comparison may
run deeper than the parallel between two embarrassing judgments of law. The
Bible Belt in America, with its mystique of a chosen race on chosen land, bears
a close resemblance to the settler belt in Israel. Both evangelical orthodoxies
are driven by a profound hostility to the secular society that nourished them.
Both, by their unbending unity, have conquered major political parties. In the
case of Israel, Sternhell argues, the conquest of the state itself by the
settler movement is almost complete.
“the survey published on the front page of Haaretz earlier this week confirms what is already clear from our daily experience–that a majority of Israelis are not deterred by apartheid. In the wake of a continuous ideological effort of an entire generation, the right wing has ultimately succeeded in endowing society with its values: If it were to annex the territories, it would not annex the human beings living there. The Arabs would remain with the status of a population that is no longer occupied because the territories–according to what Levy stated–are not occupied territories, and they will merely be the dust of humanity, without identity or rights.”
We think of such a catastrophe as a sudden blow. On the contrary, Sternhell
implies, it can steal on a country unawares, like a thoughtless daily chore.
Before its meaning has quite emerged, it puts conscience to sleep and leaves
its traces everywhere in the common life.
“the nationalistic and messianic settlement ideology has spread like an oil
spill, until it reached the point that we are currently at: The dream of a
liberal and open society has vanished and the rug is fast being pulled from under the feet of sane Zionism. The only question now is whether we have already reached the point of no return, or whether there still remains one minute before midnight.”
How close are Americans to a similar collapse? In Israel, says Sternhell, acceptance of apartheid has become normal, as few persons a decade ago would have predicted.
In America, acceptance of a state at permanent war is now almost normal. We
have, perhaps, ten minutes before midnight–as, in the middle of one big war
and with one just ended and the aftershocks tingling from our last “kinetic
military action,” we are drawn insistently toward a next and a larger war with
another of Israel’s neighbors. And drawn, once again, by the same forces, in
Israel and America. Two bible belts and the people who know how to use them.
If the so-called liberal Zionists and their friends in the USA read this, their minds might be opened. The march of Fascism is not limited to Israel, and the USA’s anti-terrorism crusade (and attendant changes to laws and legal practice — see
Cert. Pet. in HolyLand Foundation case — show Fascism making an impressive march in the USA as well, and not just in the antediluvian south.
This all goes way back, of course. I had a look recently at Cotton Mather’s Wonders of the Invisible World, written in connection with the Salem witch trials, where he says that the American colonies were lands reclaimed from the devil.
A good article by Mr. Bromwich. However, I would argue that he is mistaken in two significant ways.
First, demographics. The bible belt may have higher birthrates than secular whites, but they are still lower than for hispanics. And add to this continuous immigration.
Israel has a very high birthrate. Discounting Gaza, it can probably increase its chances substantially over the long run if it does ethnic cleansing by attrition, which seems to be the favoured plan as of now(on display in East Jerusalem).
Second, political potency. The Republican party has never quite acquiesced to the evangelicals. George Bush Jr courted them, and in symbolic decisions like stem cell research, he gave away minor crumbs off the table. In the larger scope of things, he, like most other Republican presidents, did not give them what they wanted.
And the Republican party is just one party. In Israel, you have across-the-board concensus. The Settlers don’t get the crumbs; they are represented at all levels of government. Bibi’s closest political ally is a settler, Lieberman.
And even those out of government tirelessly advocate on behalf of the settlements, like Labor’s Yachimovich spirited defence of Ariel, the Apartheid outpost.
Therefore, the comparison between the both is weak. In Israel, the settler belt is far stronger and supported by all parties. It isn’t a movement – it is a political center.
Liberal Zionists need to come to grips with this. And then confront their own support for Apartheid, without the rationalizations.
The Republicans are more dependent on the evangelicals now than in 2000 because of demograpic changes. The white proportion of the population is decreasing. The Tea Party defenestrated the moderate element of the GOP so they had to fall back on the less educated white people.
I think one big difference between the 2 countries is there really isn’t anyone like Foxman promoting the Scopes judgment in DC who can punish anyone who steps out of line the way AIPAC can on matters pertaining to “Isreel” . Foxman is on record as saying that Israelis are God’s chosen people and that Erez Israel was given to them by G-d and Israeli policy is more or less run on this platform.
In finance they often say “Never give up on the US” but I think Israel is gone beyond the point where it can be saved. There is something fundamentally irrational about the Israeli decision -making elite.
I agree that the GOP is more dependent upon white evangelicals today than in 2000, which is part of the reason why they are moving so far to the right on social issues.
Still, the GOP is not the same as America. Nationally, we are moving towards a Californian situation. The GOP in permanent minority.
In Israel, there is unanimousconsent that the settlements must be protected. Livni may mouth platitudes, and vague ones at that, that “Israel needs a political revolution” but she is the same person who bragged that “I demanded that the IDF and the IAF acted like real hooligans in Gaza” right after Cast Lead as the elections were coming up.
Shelly Yachimovich openly courts settlers, ignores to even talk about the Palestinians and adopts a language so identical to Bibi that Haaretz calls her “Bibi’s twin” on the 2SS/Peace Process(or whatever’s left of it).
Therefore the comparison to the Bible belt in America is wrong. It is a force, but it isn’t the centrist position for both parties. Even the GOP has shied away from the more central demands of the evangelicals.
Thus, Bromwich’s comparison is severely lacking as in one case it is a minority movement, a powerful one, but still in a minority.
In the other, it has been the overwhelming concensus for decades. No matter what party is in power, the settlements continue to grow with time.
It’s more than past time to abandon the myth of the “extremist settler movement who always get their way”. It’s a dependable ploy to be used in hasbara purposes but it is far removed from historical realities. This is why Mr. Bromwich’s piece is flawed because it seeks to equate two vastly different phenomena, who differ enormously in their impact on national policy.
A good example to use, instead, is the religious mentioning of Israel during the third and final presidential debate. That was a good example of where both parties tried to outdo each other and where there is basically no wiggle room for any major politician in America today.
In Israel, as I mentioned, Labor is openly courting settler votes and has completely ignored the entire question of the 2SS. That is a sign that the settler “movement” is actually centrist policy in Israel. Thus, the comparison is wrongheaded and clumsy(and perhaps an artifact of wishful thinking, to drag down American political life with Israel ‘s Apartheid as he despairs of the Zionist dream).
I agree, Krauss.
Support for YESHA cuts right through Israeli Jewish society. One in 7 Jews in Israel is a settler and the whole programme is funded out of general taxation. paid by everyone working.
What there was of the left was destroyed by the right in Israel and now there is just one amorphous Zionist mass that thinks force will win the day and fingers crossed Iran will be sorted out as well.
Most of the settlers are ordinary Jews who just wanted a bigger house for a lower price. There aren’t so many nutcases.
The ones who turn up here are dishonourable exceptions.
Irish broadcaster Vincent Browne called an antisemite by Israeli embassy for saying that
link to independent.ie
“Israel is the cancer in foreign affairs. It polarises the Islamic community of the world against the rest of the world,”
while Rahm Emanuel tells Israel that O has isolated Iran from the world
link to haaretz.com
“Emanuel replies that President Obama has been “a very good friend of Israel” on each of the key issues concerning the two countries’ relationship: The peace process, Iran, the Arab spring, military cooperation and common values.
On Iran, Emanuel said that “there is an appreciation of Israel’s sense of threat of Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon – and when he (Obama) went into the Oval office, when it came to Iran and the international community, America was isolated – in three and a half years, the tables have been turned, and Iran is isolated from the world. That’s because of the leadership of the President.””
The Israeli settler movement probably thinks that the settlement program is not a “legitimate rape” and that therefore the Palestinians (and the world) must accept the natural consequences of the program. Of course, with zealots, it is hard to persuade them that their zealous doings are “rape” at all.
The American Zionists probably take their lessons from ostriches.
Here’s a voice in the deep Bible Belt in rural Kentucky — an oped by Larry Webster — an old-style Southern populist who carries on the tradition of critical thinking that is still a large minority in southern rural poor communities (but the progressive urban communities have failed so badly in linking with). Larry in his usual outrageous style is very clear in describing how this is basically about economic class and that race & religious & gender identity politics are about distracting white working class from the class warfare. Here’s the full, VERY FUNNY article link to kentucky.com
and here’s the key comment re/ the role of Israel in US politics: (5th paragraph down)
“In the other corner sits the challenger, on piles of money that measure labor he has appropriated from countless poor people before they were set adrift, snorting Koch, bought by a casino mogul whose loyalty is to another country. Apparently a presidential candidate can accept tens of millions of dollars worth of support from an agent of another country if it is all biblical. Mitt Romney is of a biblical sect, but they had to have more.”
For those who worry re/ a resurgence of racism against Jewish people — note how clear Larry Webster is that this is a joint project of religious self-delusion, drawing of the scriptures Christian, Mormon, Jewish…so he is not scapegoating one ethnic group. In fact, he’s demonstrating the kind of down-home sophistication about racial politics, that the more critical folks down South have re/ the region’s history…
I have an evangelical background, though I’m probably not evangelical anymore (believe in evolution, don’t believe in a literal Bible though I do believe in a literal resurrection–the demarcation line for Christianity, I think).
Evangelicals are so pro-Israel because many of them are literalists. It’s that simple. The way Bromwich juxtaposes (apparently, white) evangelicals with fascists seems very ridiculous to me.
Speaking for myself:
Do I feel that race should be incidental to my identity? Yes. Do I feel that I should vote my race? No. Switching to cultures: Do I feel that all cultures are equal at producing stable, successful polities? No. Can cultures change? Yes, but it doesn’t happen overnight. Do I feel that we have something worth protecting here in America that could be destabilized with mass immigration? Yes. Do I plan to treat all Americans as my brothers–regardless of whether my idea about immigration is implemented or not and regardless of whether we’re destabilized or not? Yes.
Also: If it’s so wrong to say that American culture–which certainly has been influenced strongly by European culture–may be better than another culture . . . (presumably because we can’t say one culture is better than another) . . . then please get on Phil’s case for saying that Jewish culture is bookish–which is clearly a dogwhistle of some kind–the kind that explains why Jews do very well in academia and other intellectual areas (very well = do better–GET IT?).
Because we can’t have a world in which it’s verboten to say that one culture is better than another . . . except we can say however discreetly that Jewish culture might be the exception to that rule. That’s insane/totally Jewish supremacist. It’s one way or the other: either no culture is better than another or there are all kinds of success-producing differences among the cultures of the world. The latter seems extremely plausible to me. Cultural progressives such as Betsy will claim the former–and then often (–not saying Betsy herself would do this) peacock around the room, what with their exceptional virtue. (And what could their ulterior motive be? Aren’t they white? And aren’t they arguing not on behalf of their own interests? Surely they must be correct–their disinterested virtue proves the case!)
About that last part–about cultural progressives not serving their own interests–recently I came up with an explanation regarding how their seemingly other-oriented politics actually serves their own direct, greedy/grubby interests. (Can’t you tell I’m proud of myself? My turn to peacock.) Here it is (read/weep): link to cognitiveparfait.wordpress.com
David Bromwich: “The Bible Belt in America, with its mystique of a chosen race on chosen land, bears a close resemblance to the settler belt in Israel. Both evangelical orthodoxies are driven by a profound hostility to the secular society that nourished them.”
Mystique of a chosen race on chosen land? If you’re talking manifest destiny–that was in the 1800s, and pretty much ALL white Americans felt that way–perhaps a small minority dissenting. Actually, pretty much all of Europe felt that way about empire and colonization. But it’s doubtful that other cultures wouldn’t have felt the same way had they the power to achieve dominance over other cultures at that time.
RE: “How close are Americans to a similar collapse?. . . In America, acceptance of a state at permanent war is now almost normal. We
have, perhaps, ten minutes before midnight–as, in the middle of one big war and with one just ended and the aftershocks tingling from our last “kinetic military action,” we are drawn insistently toward a next and a larger war with another of Israel’s neighbors.” ~ Bromwich
ALSO SEE: “Broken Shards of My Heart: The US in Decline”, by David Michael Green, Common Dreams, 6/09/12
ENTIRE COMMENTARY – link to commondreams.org
P.S. I have already voted for Stein/Honkala (Green Party) by absentee ballot. Here in Georgia I had to do so by write-in, but they will be on the ballot in most other states. Here is their map of ballot access in the various states. – link to jillstein.org
Notwithstanding the fact that I agree with what David Michael Green wrote, had I resided in one of the 2012 Swing States (the electoral votes of which might realistically go to either Obama or Romney), I would have voted for Obama.
P.P.S. “FREE DON” SIEGELMAN PETITION – link to change.org
• RE: “Are we really so far off, given the displays we’ve already seen, from being a corporate-owned polity, in which oceans of Citizens United sponsored propaganda limits the cognitive landscape of an entire country, sham elections and a steady stream of brain-numbing high-def television gruel satisfies most of the (obese) public enough to keep them stuck on their sofas, while a massive police state armed with domestic drone aircraft and angry cops deal swiftly with the few remaining malcontents stupid enough to demand a return to the better country we once knew? You know, more or less a carbon copy of Putin’s Russia, here in North America. . .” ~ David Michael Green (hereinafter referred to as “DMG”)
• MY COMMENT: I feel compelled to make it clear that I very respectfully disagree with the above-referenced excerpt from DMG’s commentary in that I feel DMG is being somewhat unfair to “Putin’s Russia” in more or less equating said “Putin’s Russia” with the (not-so) United States. More specifically, I believe “Putin’s Russia” pales in comparison to America’s current unholy trinity of “inverted totalitarianism”, “manufactured consent” and“monetary fascism”.
P.S. Here is the link for David Michael Green’s website (The Regressive Antidote) – link to regressiveantidote.net
FROM THE REGRESSIVE ANTIDOTE‘S “ABOUT” PAGE:
SOURCE – link to regressiveantidote.net
P.P.S. “FREE DON” SIEGELMAN PETITION – link to change.org
RE: “This country is dying, let’s be clear. It may live yet. It may survive for decades in slow decline. It may find a way in utter crisis to throw off, before it is too late, the fat slimy boa which is squeezing every last cent of value out of it.” ~ David Michael Green (from above)
REGARDING “THE FAT SLIMY BOA”, SEE: “Milton Friedman and the Rise of Monetary Fascism: The Dark Age of Money”, by James C. Kennedy, Counterpunch, 10/24/12
ENTIRE COMMENTARY – link to counterpunch.org
RE: “. . . The Bible Belt in America, with its mystique of a chosen race on chosen land, bears a close resemblance to the settler belt in Israel. Both evangelical orthodoxies are driven by a profound hostility to the secular society that nourished them.
Both, by their unbending unity, have conquered major political parties. . .” ~ Bromwich
MY COMMENT: Take it from someone who’s lived his entire life “down he—uh” in “these here parts”, Prof. Bromwich ain’t jus’ whistlin’ “Dixie”, y’all! ! !
SEE: “Bush Had Gog and Magog, Bibi Has Amalek”, by Richard Silverstein, Tikun Olam, 5/25/09
ENTIRE COMMENTARY – link to richardsilverstein.com
P.S. ALSO SEE:
• “God’s Hand” – Rep. on Israel Policy [VIDEO, 04:04]
Cenk Uygur breaks down comments regarding foreign aid and Israel by Republican Congressman Daniel Webster.
LINK – link to youtube.com
• Congressman Daniel Webster “Must Fund Israel” Or Lose “God’s Hand”! [VIDEO, 02:12]
Theologian Paul Begley of Indiana explains that Florida Congressman Daniel Webster “Must support Israel” or lose the “Hand Of God” upon America! This is the one Congressman who is not afraid to stand for God’s Chosen People!!
LINK – link to youtube.com
• “Bachmann: America ‘cursed’ by God ‘if we reject Israel’”, By Andy Birkey, The Minnesota Independent, 02/08/10
SOURCE – link to minnesotaindependent.com
P.P.S. “FREE DON” SIEGELMAN PETITION – link to change.org
Irony that much poetic license was taken by those who wrote the bible, its (translated, retranslated) passages now devoured by very literal people very proud of their practical “common sense.”