december in what journals might we expect to find nonantisemitism reported? Perhaps in the same place we’d find “White Southern Man Doesn’t Snub Black Neighbors”?
I thought I had responded to this post, but those hamsters…
The Palestinian Authority does excellent public relations work. When there is an atrocity (or even a false accusaiton of one, like the Jenin non-massacre) the news gets widely disseminated. If Arabs were being falsely accused of antisemitism, they have the wherewithall to point out the lies. But, the accusations are true, so they go to Plan B: ignore the charges.
I provided that google cite with hundreds of hits, xenophon41. If your real concern were knowing what’s going on, then you could look through the various sources and make up your mind. Apparently you have some other agenda…
So I take it you agree that no incidents of a lack of antisemitism would ever be reported? The only actual reports we’re likely to see are charges of antisemitism by one source, with corroborating evidence and/or refutations from other sources. Consequently your suggestion to London Calling that he “find data contradicting Arab antisemitism” would be an interpretive exercise shedding no actual light, since we’ve all agreed that antisemitism exists.
And btw, pally, if you have something to say about any “agenda” of mine you think you see, spit it out. Don’t cravenly insinuate, please; I can handle a direct charge.
<snort!> “…pally…” …I sound like a dork.
OK, december. Without the chip on my shoulder, I’m asking you to identify the agenda that you see coming through my posts. The only one I’m conscious of is a defense my OP and subsequent posts. If you think I have some other hidden purpose, I invite you to speak freely, and I’ll try and evaluate myself without firing back at you. If I disagree with your assessment, I’ll just say so, in two words. (Not the ones you’re probably thinking of.)
OK. ISTM that there are many people who have a better opinion of the Palestinians than they deserve. For example, there are those who believe that Israel and the Palestinians are equally culpable or that Arafat and Sharon are equally blameworthy. There are those who believe in cultural relativism, so that it is improper to criticize Palestinian culture. There are those who believe we should expect more from Israel, because they’re a western nation. Many people sympathize with the Palestinians as being undedogs. Palestinian public relations efforts are very professional and highly effective. Anyhow, for a variety of reasons many people think better of Arafat and the Palestinians than their conduct actually warrants, in my opinion.
People generally have psychological defences to maintain our beliefs. That’s normal. In particular, some of the people who hold unrealistic views of the Palestinians seem to be invested in their beliefs, so that they resist learning facts that would make them think less of Arafat and the Palestinians. I was suggesting that you might be one of these people.
I disagree.
And I know I promised only two words, but I’m gonna include a few more to state my beliefs on the I-P conflict in the hope that I don’t have to defend against any future misrepresentation of them.
Without getting into the entire history of the modern conflict, which has its roots in the Zionist movement post-WWI, I recognize a few unarguable aspects of the situation.[ul][li]Israel has a right to exist as a state.[]Palestinians have a right to political autonomy.[]Economic and military power is overwhelmingly in favor of Israel.The burden of action is on the parties which hold the power.[/ul][/li]Regardless of the atrocities committed, regardless of the morality of terror attacks or of military oppression (the two repugnant opposing philosophies in this asymmetric conflict), the inescapable reality is that an ending to the uprising can only come through Israeli concessions; concessions of political power and of settled land.
I do not revere Israel or Israelis as somehow more noble or otherwise “better”. Nor do I romanticize Palestinians or their cause. But inequities exist, and it is the stronger party which has the greater abilities and opportunities for political movement.