Plagued thoughts
So around a month or so ago, I went out for some sake and a little bit of Blue Note Cafe with a couple of friends of mine and a friend (and some of his friends) of one of my people. While there, the subject of politics came up and that eventually led to the subject of Israel and Palestine (how it got there, I remember not). I started to express my opinion on the subject, which as of late starts out with a bit of an anti-Israeli policy slant to it, and I brought up a newspaper article that I read (which I cannot find, so it's been bugging me pretty hard of late) that ended talking about the bombing of a mosque by a jewish radical group. At the time I think I said suicide bombing, which is incorrect and I apologize to Matt if that altered your or Bre's opinion of me, and I meant to addend that to the friend- unfortunately, that's when the friend of the friend started to get upset. He started expressing his opinion of the matter, stating that I don't understand how "those people [people being the palestinians] think" and that "what's so wrong about having a piece of land the size of New Jersey to ourselves". The conversation ended quickly afterwards, partially because everyone just wanted to chill for the evening. The two friends did agree that Israel's done some things, mostly military incursions after being attacked, but I'm not sure they believed me about the Israeli ultranationalists. I have some rather strong and controversial opinions on the matter, but I don't like to talk about it (even though I really want to) because those of Jewish descent really get up in arms about it. Oddly enough, I've met few people of palestinian descent that get that angry about the issue. I guess my main problem with the issue is that I see it pretty much as hypocrisy on both sides, and I guess I should stop starting the discussion with my views on israel and should start on the palestinian side- that should lead to less yelling at me. Oddly enough, when people start telling me I'm not thinking about the issue correctly, that just pisses me off- can't say why.
For me the hypocrisy comes from the Israeli condemnation of the palestinian/muslim extremists declaration of a holy war on israel (this is when I get yelled at, but please- allow me to enumerate before passing judgement). Condemn the part of the holy war that makes the fighting a jihad or infintata- the part that gives praise to and encourages acts such as the suicide bombings-I'm completely against that; but the israeli's can't criticize the P/ME's for claiming a holy agenda against them (meaning the Zionists) when one of the israeli's main reasons for geographically being where they are is a divine right given by God (as stated in the bible) to that land. According to my way of thinking, by stating you have a literal Divine Right to land, the military actions you take to procure or defend that land make that fighting a type of holy war. Many american jews (at least those I've talked to) have a mindset of the israelis being victims and far too few recongize or admit that the israeli's have their own ultranationalists (one group assasianated the Israeli Prime Minister back in the 90's for considering peace talks with the palestinians) that are just as violent as the P/M extremists can be and that (from what I can gather, please correct me if I'm wrong) the nation of Israel has policies prohibiting the settling of the country by those of non-judeo descent. I also don't see how some jewish people can lambast the firing of rockets toward an israeli settlement but have no qualms about pictures depicting the israeli army firing tank shells and rockets at a palestinian settlement/camp. I think it's ignorant that anyone completely believes that all the israeli attacks on palestinian settlements are to sweep out extremists, and that those killed were the bombers, especially when some of those attacks are carried out by missles. Not less than three weeks ago, from the gaza pull-out, an israeli evacuee stole a gun from a soldier and fired on a group of palestinians (wounding several and killing one or two), yet I haven't heard a word from anyone that had a problem with this, and I don't want anyone to say "that was an isolated incident" becuase I don't think it was. In fact, I think it was just an idication of the other side of the story that isn't portrayed by the american media all that often. From my point of view, I see the american media as mostly having a pro-israel attitude instead of an objective view of the issue and I'm honestly sick of of the bias (the american media is pretty much all biased on all issues, which is the part that makes me sick) shown toward any country that is allied with the US- the bias smacks of cold war era type thinking. I'm tired of many american and israeli jews being so vehement on the situation and getting angry rather than talking about it so I can flesh out my ideas and possilby correct them if I have some wrong information, so much so that I'm afraid that I'll mostly likely viewed as an ignorant bigot instead of a man who wants to talk about an issue and gain unbiased information (such have been my fears since that Sake night I mentioned in the beginning). I'm tired of people telling me I don't know the reality of the situation or that I have the wrong opinion. I'm tired of people berating me when I try to express this opinion rather hearing me out, and I'm tired of rich people of jewish heritage moan about the plight of jewish people as a whole when they attend ivy league schools and drive brand new cars. I believe a person can talk about how their forefathers struggled and the atrocities visited on their grandparents, but they cannot say "our struggle" when they themselves are so privileged- and that, my few readers, goes for everyone. I just felt I needed to say that.
Corollary article to the post
For me the hypocrisy comes from the Israeli condemnation of the palestinian/muslim extremists declaration of a holy war on israel (this is when I get yelled at, but please- allow me to enumerate before passing judgement). Condemn the part of the holy war that makes the fighting a jihad or infintata- the part that gives praise to and encourages acts such as the suicide bombings-I'm completely against that; but the israeli's can't criticize the P/ME's for claiming a holy agenda against them (meaning the Zionists) when one of the israeli's main reasons for geographically being where they are is a divine right given by God (as stated in the bible) to that land. According to my way of thinking, by stating you have a literal Divine Right to land, the military actions you take to procure or defend that land make that fighting a type of holy war. Many american jews (at least those I've talked to) have a mindset of the israelis being victims and far too few recongize or admit that the israeli's have their own ultranationalists (one group assasianated the Israeli Prime Minister back in the 90's for considering peace talks with the palestinians) that are just as violent as the P/M extremists can be and that (from what I can gather, please correct me if I'm wrong) the nation of Israel has policies prohibiting the settling of the country by those of non-judeo descent. I also don't see how some jewish people can lambast the firing of rockets toward an israeli settlement but have no qualms about pictures depicting the israeli army firing tank shells and rockets at a palestinian settlement/camp. I think it's ignorant that anyone completely believes that all the israeli attacks on palestinian settlements are to sweep out extremists, and that those killed were the bombers, especially when some of those attacks are carried out by missles. Not less than three weeks ago, from the gaza pull-out, an israeli evacuee stole a gun from a soldier and fired on a group of palestinians (wounding several and killing one or two), yet I haven't heard a word from anyone that had a problem with this, and I don't want anyone to say "that was an isolated incident" becuase I don't think it was. In fact, I think it was just an idication of the other side of the story that isn't portrayed by the american media all that often. From my point of view, I see the american media as mostly having a pro-israel attitude instead of an objective view of the issue and I'm honestly sick of of the bias (the american media is pretty much all biased on all issues, which is the part that makes me sick) shown toward any country that is allied with the US- the bias smacks of cold war era type thinking. I'm tired of many american and israeli jews being so vehement on the situation and getting angry rather than talking about it so I can flesh out my ideas and possilby correct them if I have some wrong information, so much so that I'm afraid that I'll mostly likely viewed as an ignorant bigot instead of a man who wants to talk about an issue and gain unbiased information (such have been my fears since that Sake night I mentioned in the beginning). I'm tired of people telling me I don't know the reality of the situation or that I have the wrong opinion. I'm tired of people berating me when I try to express this opinion rather hearing me out, and I'm tired of rich people of jewish heritage moan about the plight of jewish people as a whole when they attend ivy league schools and drive brand new cars. I believe a person can talk about how their forefathers struggled and the atrocities visited on their grandparents, but they cannot say "our struggle" when they themselves are so privileged- and that, my few readers, goes for everyone. I just felt I needed to say that.
Corollary article to the post