ISRAEL JUSTIFIED

Israel, for many Jews, means Jewish nationhood. Admittedly, because Israel is a young country, often under attack on its borders, often under fire internationally for a wealth of reasons (some of which are most definitely anti-Semitism in a new guise, some of which are valid complaints blown out of all proportion), there is a defensive quality that operates. Jews are Israel – but not all Jews define the nation Israel the same, not all of them will see the state Israel as the best or only representative of the nation/nationality.


Differences of opinion are valid. Essential, also. But Israel as a state exists – it is a miracle that after so many years of being a pariah among its neighbors in its own land it STILL exists – and many Jews, supporters of Israel (including many critical voices!) are proud of its survival, its achievements, and its sheer chutzpah at maintaining itself in the face of the loathing and hate directed at it by most of the Arab and Muslim world, most of Europe (especially Western Europe, now proudly NOT responsible for the burden of their history), and even many in the US. Especially from Jews who would rather not have been born Jewish, and Jews who are not comfortable with Jews being proud of a country, or celebrating the defiance of their people.
Like the bullied kid on the playground, there are still many who are far more comfortable with being the put-upon Jew among the Gentiles, rather than the feisty little outcaste feared and despised for being different.


Yet it is precisely those attitudes and fears that maintain anti-Semitism. As long as there are Jews who obsequiously apologize for everything Israel does, as long as there are Jews who lavish affection on groups that have no intention of requiting that love, as longs as there are people who justify any enmity and discriminatory act as a valid voice of resistance, there will be a need for Israel to exist, and for Israel to resist.

[Note: the above was a comment I placed under this post:
http://proisraelbaybloggers.blogspot.com/2010/05/bay-area-women-in-black-and-jewish.html
I am by no means above recycling myself - especially when what I said is correct.]



FROM COMMENTER BERKELEY WONG:

Anyone who thinks that the Palestinian narrative, with its violence, terrorism, incitement, and rank unbridled anti-Semitism, is the moral equal of the Israeli narrative of impossible survival and redemption of a nation, is more or less choosing the side of darkness, deceit, and ultimately, ethnically cleansing the land of Jews.


“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”
[Bishop Desmond Tutu]


'Zionism' as a national liberation movement predates almost all other national liberation movements. In fact, Arab nationalism arose in imitation of Zionism in attmepting to cast out the imperialists, those being the Ottoman Empire, the English, and the French. Without the inspiration of the ideal of Jewish national rebirth, it is quite likely that the Arabs would STILL be mere subjects of the British, French, and Turks.

Zionism, of course, was also profoundly inspiring to many other nations casting off the yoke of empire - the Chinese, the Indonesians, the Indians (yes, EVEN Gandhi and Nehru!), the Yugoslavs, the nations of East Africa.....