Thursday, January 08, 2009

israel

I have NEVER commented on Israel on this blog. Having never been there, I always felt totally unqualified to voice an opinion.

That being said, what the hell are they doing over there? Have they never opened a history book? You can't oppress and bombard a people and expect any reaction other than hardened resistance.

I don't get it - are they really that arrogant, that blind?

6 comments:

Liz Schwartz said...

I think the Israelis are so entrenched in their point of view that they don't have the ability to see any other. What amazes me is they don't seem to see (or care) that this is a public relations nightmare in terms of how the world views them.

I too have never been to Israel and respect the fact that I can never understand what it's like to live under literal fire every hour of every day. Having said that, I can't support what they're doing this time. It makes me sick and ashamed.

Barry in Portland said...

What a relief. I thought it was just me!

Liz Schwartz said...

Actually, I think there are a lot of us who feel similarly but are afraid to say anything for fear of angering or alienating our fellow and sister Jews. I personally know several people at our shul who feel as we do.

Jack Falk said...

I can't agree with you on this one. While I am well to the left of the Jewish mainstream on settlements and most other issues, I have no second thoughts about Israel's current actions in Gaza. Tolerating Hamas's continued bombardment would be unthinkable. Israel is not oppressing and bombarding a people; rather, it is waging full war against Hamas, a gang of armed thugs who subject innocent Palestinian civilians to the same terror that they visit upon Israeli civilians. And the Israeli military is taking far more care to avoid civilian casualties than ANY other army would do under similar circumstances -- in fact, it's hard to find a historical precedent for their efforts to spare the civilian population. The USA hasn't made that effort; neither have the Russians or any other armed force.

Barry in Portland said...

I understand your points and they make sense, but world opinion doesn't see it that way, for a number of complicated reasons.

You can't use logic to explain wounded children.

Barry in Portland said...

Bill Moyers: http://onegoodmove.org/1gm/1gmarchive/2009/01/moyers_on_midea.html