A couple of friends of Israel or perhaps actual Israelis have written to ask why I dislike their favorite country so much. They don't get it. Old Timers here can tell them that I HATE NATIONALISM. All nationalism, everywhere. Mark Twain despised organized religion and monarchy. He once wrote that mankind would only be free when "the last priest is hanged in the guts of the last king." Romantic nationalism was a new phenomenon in his day and so he did not have the opportunity to add nationalism to his list of anathemas. Patriotism is another matter. I hope that I am a patriot. Read the preface to Elie Khaddouri's "Nationalism" to understand the difference. Nationalism is mere tribal loyalty and hatred of what are seen as competitor tribes. Often the tribal self-image is a pastiche of fable and propaganda. Zionism and pan-Arab nationalism are two sides of the same debased coinage of human folly.Afterthought: In a conversation a while back I quoted (what I thought was) Samuel Johnson saying that "patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel." My interlocutor interrupted: no, no it is public patriotism.
In Gaza we have the folly of Zionist nationalism matched against the equal folly of a form of politicized Islam that embraces Palestinian nationalism.
Adults would find a workable compromise in order to make an end of the craziness of white phosphorus shellings of schools filled with refugee civilians followed by scenes of defiance that will inevitably lead to the murder of more children. Clearly, there is a scarcity of adults in the Holy Land.
Um--I'm pretty sure I'm right: Johnson did not include the qualifier. But he might well have, and perhaps he would, if challenged. For more on Johnson on patriotism, go here.
1 comment:
So sorry, Buce, but patriotism has nothing to do with Zionism. Zionism is about survival of a people.
The good Jewish citizens of Germany considered themselves just that in the 1930s. Along came Hitler, and guess what. It was decided that because they were Jews they couldn't be citizens.
Ditto Russia, the pogroms, circa 1904-05. Ditto Spain, 1492. And I could go on but...
The point is, Jews have been murdered simply because of their ethnicity. They have an historic homeland. They are entitled to life there, in an essentially ethnic (and very tiny) state, if they wish.
There never was a nation of Palestine until there was an Israel. Palestine is an artificial construct, not a natinality. Gaza was formerly Egyptian territory. The West Bank was formerly part of Jordan. You don't hear Egypt and Jordan offering to take in the so-called "Palestinians." I wonder why?
Besides, what are the Israelis supposed to do when their own villages are shelled by Hamas and their own kids killed? Ignore it? Can you imagine if Mexico shelled Houston? Or if Canada shelled Chicago from Toronto?
And please, no arguments about "proportionate response." War is not about proportions. War is about destroying the enemy's ability to attack you.
The Isaelis signed a peace plan. It gave the Palestinians most of what they wanted — 95% in most accounts I read at the time. 95 versus 5 is not a bad compromise. And what was the Palestinian reaction? They blew it off.
I feel terrible for the innocent children who are getting killed in this war. But if you don't want your children killed, don't start a war. And certainly don't place your rocket launchers and other military operations in schools and hospitals. That kind of behavior demonstrates the Palestinian leadership's own wanton disdain for "Palestinians."
Once again, Zionism gets the blame for the results of Palestinian acts of aggression.
You want to attack *real* ethnic bullies? Go fight the Janjaweed.
Oh, sorry, they're Arabs. Not nice to criticize them. Or at last not fashionable.
Crankily yours,
The New York Crank
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