A brilliant article by
Ha’aretz’s Gideon Levy, who with Amira Hass, is the conscience of Israel. During Operation Protective Edge, when he
went to Ashdod, his security minders had to get him away quickly as he was in
danger of also being lynched by Israeli right-wingers who don’t go a bundle on
freedom of speech.
Ha’aretz’s Gideon Levy, who with Amira Hass, is the conscience of Israel. During Operation Protective Edge, when he
went to Ashdod, his security minders had to get him away quickly as he was in
danger of also being lynched by Israeli right-wingers who don’t go a bundle on
freedom of speech.
It takes apart the Israel’s protests of innocence as
to where the violence have come from.
The attribution of the stabbings to some primeval, hidden recesses of
the Arab mind, gentically inherited is part of the colonial mind-set.
to where the violence have come from.
The attribution of the stabbings to some primeval, hidden recesses of
the Arab mind, gentically inherited is part of the colonial mind-set.
Particularly good is Levy’s savaging of the notion
of the obsession with a ‘Jewish’ state.
A Jewish state of racists and pogromises, chauvinists all. I would go further still. Israel as a Jewish state is, in many ways, Hitler’s final
victory. He succeeded in ensuring that Jews
would leave Europe and elsewhere and confining themselves in their own, racist,
ghetto state.
of the obsession with a ‘Jewish’ state.
A Jewish state of racists and pogromises, chauvinists all. I would go further still. Israel as a Jewish state is, in many ways, Hitler’s final
victory. He succeeded in ensuring that Jews
would leave Europe and elsewhere and confining themselves in their own, racist,
ghetto state.
Tony Greenstein
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| A racist and hate monger in any language – warned Israeli voters that the Arabs were voting ‘in droves’ |
Israelis
didn’t know about the Palestinians’ suffering beyond the dark mountains a half
an hour away. For the most part, they didn’t want to know.
didn’t know about the Palestinians’ suffering beyond the dark mountains a half
an hour away. For the most part, they didn’t want to know.
 |
| Gideon Levy – the conscience of Israel |
By
Gideon Levy
Gideon Levy
October 18, 2015 “Haaretz”
What did you think, the Palestinians would sit
still indefinitely? Did you really think Israel would continue on its course
and they’d just bow their heads in submission?
still indefinitely? Did you really think Israel would continue on its course
and they’d just bow their heads in submission?
Do
you know many historical examples of that? Is there one example of a brutal
occupation that persisted without stoking resistance? Apparently that’s what
you thought, otherwise there would have been public pressure long ago to act,
because who wants terror?
you know many historical examples of that? Is there one example of a brutal
occupation that persisted without stoking resistance? Apparently that’s what
you thought, otherwise there would have been public pressure long ago to act,
because who wants terror?
 |
| Isaac Herzog and Tsipi Livni – the racist Zionist ‘left’ has called for more repression than Netanyahu has delivered |
But
Israel slid into a deathly silence, with darkness over the abyss, and now it’s
acting surprised. It voted for the right, for ultra-nationalism, racism and
messianism, and now it’s feelings are hurt.
Israel slid into a deathly silence, with darkness over the abyss, and now it’s
acting surprised. It voted for the right, for ultra-nationalism, racism and
messianism, and now it’s feelings are hurt.
After
all, what did it ask for but some quiet, to be left alone from the occupation
to which it’s not even linked, and from the resistance that has fallen on it
like a natural disaster. Sleeping beauty has awoken to the sound of stabbings
and car-rammings, and through the cobwebs of sleep it’s asking: How did this
happen? How can they be doing this to us again?
all, what did it ask for but some quiet, to be left alone from the occupation
to which it’s not even linked, and from the resistance that has fallen on it
like a natural disaster. Sleeping beauty has awoken to the sound of stabbings
and car-rammings, and through the cobwebs of sleep it’s asking: How did this
happen? How can they be doing this to us again?
 |
| Palestinian youth resisting in the only way they know against the Israeli Goliath |
You
can’t blame Israelis — they were busy doing other things and knew nothing. Bar Refaeli’s wedding
weighed heavily on people’s minds, as did events at the Allenby 40 nightclub.
Israelis didn’t know exactly what was going on over there, beyond the dark
mountains, half an hour’s drive from their homes — for the most part, they
didn’t want to know.
can’t blame Israelis — they were busy doing other things and knew nothing. Bar Refaeli’s wedding
weighed heavily on people’s minds, as did events at the Allenby 40 nightclub.
Israelis didn’t know exactly what was going on over there, beyond the dark
mountains, half an hour’s drive from their homes — for the most part, they
didn’t want to know.
The
media gladly succumbed to their wishes. They hid the crimes of the occupation
from people’s sight — such pictures don’t buoy ratings. The image of a
Palestinian as a human being doesn’t sell newspapers. The media never reported
what those people go through and what they really desire. It sufficed with
diversions, incitement and propaganda. That pays better.
media gladly succumbed to their wishes. They hid the crimes of the occupation
from people’s sight — such pictures don’t buoy ratings. The image of a
Palestinian as a human being doesn’t sell newspapers. The media never reported
what those people go through and what they really desire. It sufficed with
diversions, incitement and propaganda. That pays better.
Politicians
promised that everything would be fine, rabbis incited, settlers torched, the
whole world is against us, just leave us alone. Then out of the blue those
knife-wielding youngsters with murder in their eyes descended upon us. The
quiet dissolved, security fizzled, businesses collapsed, dreams of jeep tours
and quick vacations became uncertain.
promised that everything would be fine, rabbis incited, settlers torched, the
whole world is against us, just leave us alone. Then out of the blue those
knife-wielding youngsters with murder in their eyes descended upon us. The
quiet dissolved, security fizzled, businesses collapsed, dreams of jeep tours
and quick vacations became uncertain.
The
government blames the Islamic State and the left blames the lack of “peace
talks.” Experts on Arab affairs — the southern branch of the Shin Bet security
service and Military Intelligence — say it’s because of “incitement.” The wise
sages of security issues say, as is their wont, that this time the other side
must be hit hard. Everyone agrees that the Arabs are to blame because they were
born to kill. Through this stupefying haze all connection to reality has been
lost.
government blames the Islamic State and the left blames the lack of “peace
talks.” Experts on Arab affairs — the southern branch of the Shin Bet security
service and Military Intelligence — say it’s because of “incitement.” The wise
sages of security issues say, as is their wont, that this time the other side
must be hit hard. Everyone agrees that the Arabs are to blame because they were
born to kill. Through this stupefying haze all connection to reality has been
lost.
In
the meantime, Jerusalem has become the capital of apartheid. No other city so
discriminates and dispossesses or is so violent. Gun-toting
Mayor Nir Barkat, who’s largely responsible for the discrimination
and dispossession in his city, incites against a third of its population — an
unbelievable phenomenon in its own right.
the meantime, Jerusalem has become the capital of apartheid. No other city so
discriminates and dispossesses or is so violent. Gun-toting
Mayor Nir Barkat, who’s largely responsible for the discrimination
and dispossession in his city, incites against a third of its population — an
unbelievable phenomenon in its own right.
And
you thought 300,000 people would acquiesce? That they’d watch settlers invade
their homes as city hall denied them minimal services amid maximal property
taxes? That they’d look on while the occupier arbitrarily denied them residence
status, as if they were migrants in their own city?
you thought 300,000 people would acquiesce? That they’d watch settlers invade
their homes as city hall denied them minimal services amid maximal property
taxes? That they’d look on while the occupier arbitrarily denied them residence
status, as if they were migrants in their own city?
That
they would put up with Jewish gangs beating them up in full view of policemen
and forgive? That a young man growing up in this reality — with his
neighborhood a Soweto — would spend his life washing dishes and building homes
for Jews with no chance of escaping his ghetto?
they would put up with Jewish gangs beating them up in full view of policemen
and forgive? That a young man growing up in this reality — with his
neighborhood a Soweto — would spend his life washing dishes and building homes
for Jews with no chance of escaping his ghetto?
Did
you really think right-wing provocations on the Temple Mount would pass
quietly? That the burning of
the Dawabsheh family would pass with no response — and even more so
the defense minister’s arrogant claims that Israel knew who the perpetrators were
but wouldn’t arrest them?
you really think right-wing provocations on the Temple Mount would pass
quietly? That the burning of
the Dawabsheh family would pass with no response — and even more so
the defense minister’s arrogant claims that Israel knew who the perpetrators were
but wouldn’t arrest them?
That
their children would be burned helplessly with Israel not punishing anyone and
they’d remain silent? That the response to all this would be more of the same:
We’ll demolish, detain, dispossess, oppress, torture and kill more than ever —
and (Jewish) Zion will be redeemed? Did anyone really believe that?
their children would be burned helplessly with Israel not punishing anyone and
they’d remain silent? That the response to all this would be more of the same:
We’ll demolish, detain, dispossess, oppress, torture and kill more than ever —
and (Jewish) Zion will be redeemed? Did anyone really believe that?
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