I think of a younger generation, my children aged 40 or so. Grown up with ‘liberal’ views on race, ethnicity, gender, religion. With a complete mix of friends across those groups.
They look at what Israel has been doing before and after Oct 7th with horror, no less than the events of the 7th itself. And then they are told that to criticise Israeli brutality in Gaza, or the endless brutality in Gaza and the West Bank that preceded it for decades is to be anti-semitic? So to support that slaughter is to be ‘pro-semitic’?
These are not the historic anti-semites of old, just people who recognise obvious racism and genocide. The real anti-semites are those right wing, fascistic groups that today’s Israeli cosies up to. Orbans Hungary and Trumps Republicans. A shared Islamophobia. Israeli and other supportive Jews will live to regret this.
Brilliant writing and sharp insights, ringing as true as a year ago. I couldn't have the read the original so I only realised that you had warned it was a repeat when I came to the number of Palestinians killed so far... Tragedy in time and statistics...
The bit I have never understood in all the emotional ebb and flow that occurs whenever Palestine and Israel is discussed, is that pretty much most of the strategies employed by the state of Israel seem to be straight out of the Nazi Germany tactics employed against European Jews in the 1930s & 1940s. Whether ghettoisation and withholding of food resources; removal of legal rights within a court system that constantly supports the state and not its citizens; the concept of "untermensch" when Israelis are discussing or commenting on Palestinians (Netanyahu having embedded this in his speeches and strategies); and an iron fist attack whenever revolt or protest occurs etc..
I still struggle after many years to appreciate or understand why the Western powers adopt such an unbalanced view of events and long term global outcomes against such an overwhelming hypocrisy as exercised by Israel over many decades.
I think of a younger generation, my children aged 40 or so. Grown up with ‘liberal’ views on race, ethnicity, gender, religion. With a complete mix of friends across those groups.
They look at what Israel has been doing before and after Oct 7th with horror, no less than the events of the 7th itself. And then they are told that to criticise Israeli brutality in Gaza, or the endless brutality in Gaza and the West Bank that preceded it for decades is to be anti-semitic? So to support that slaughter is to be ‘pro-semitic’?
These are not the historic anti-semites of old, just people who recognise obvious racism and genocide. The real anti-semites are those right wing, fascistic groups that today’s Israeli cosies up to. Orbans Hungary and Trumps Republicans. A shared Islamophobia. Israeli and other supportive Jews will live to regret this.
I fear you’re absolutely right Robin.
I venture it is turning out worse than you expected?
Definitely.
Brilliant writing and sharp insights, ringing as true as a year ago. I couldn't have the read the original so I only realised that you had warned it was a repeat when I came to the number of Palestinians killed so far... Tragedy in time and statistics...
The bit I have never understood in all the emotional ebb and flow that occurs whenever Palestine and Israel is discussed, is that pretty much most of the strategies employed by the state of Israel seem to be straight out of the Nazi Germany tactics employed against European Jews in the 1930s & 1940s. Whether ghettoisation and withholding of food resources; removal of legal rights within a court system that constantly supports the state and not its citizens; the concept of "untermensch" when Israelis are discussing or commenting on Palestinians (Netanyahu having embedded this in his speeches and strategies); and an iron fist attack whenever revolt or protest occurs etc..
I still struggle after many years to appreciate or understand why the Western powers adopt such an unbalanced view of events and long term global outcomes against such an overwhelming hypocrisy as exercised by Israel over many decades.