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[Preamble: During the last week, the Israeli Hebrew blogosphere has been babbling for and against the war. Though Shooky has been able to find around 80 bloggers against the war, the vast majority is for it, and keeps blogging about it both in Hebrew and English.] 2009 marks the end of ‘freedom of expression in Israel’ as it contains neither Freedom nor Expression; judging by the rising racism in Israel, all we needed was a military operation in order to show how Israel’s state is close to Nazi Germany in 1938. Well, Nazi Germani didn’t have internet access so the Hilterjugend couldn’t join Facebook groups like annihilate German Jews and all other Jews” or “The movement to abolish Jewish employees from the Berlin Gas Station” and maybe even “until when will these Jews hang around the German girls?“. Indeed, harsh pictures for the Facebook users. Some might say it’s the dreamy right, or that it comes under freedom of expression, but in a decade, when the history books will be written on how Israel became a lovely dictatorship, these cases will be documented.
1.
But it’s not only these cases, but the gagging of the left’s protest. It makes no difference whether it’s Boaz Toporovsky, Israel’s student union chair, who claims that the left’s protest should be excommunicated or The Israeli Police that prevents activists from demonstrating by claiming that it fears retaliation froom mobs (similar to Itamar Ben-Gvir‘s claim against the Gay-Pride parade). But it’s not only the police’s perception and a bunch of extremists like Toporovsky, a major part or the public that participated in an online survey claims that the Israeli Arabs [and left] have no right to protest against the war, as it harms the war effort:
2.
My mistaken but instinctive claim is that Israeli Citizens deserve the undemocratic reign, they deserve the ongoing destruction of human rights and freedom of expression, crumbling of the state’s apparatus and destruction of democracy. Thinking like this would mean surrender; but not thinking like that would mean that I’m as missionary as the pro-war propaganda: I’m trying to convince the unconvinced to certain gnosis. I’ll lose anyway just by playing the game, as they are not interested in real democracy. Israel’s citizens wish for an enlightened and benevolent dictatorship and are willing to go all the way with it.
3.
Even more, can anyone actually demonstrate to “support our troops“? IDF is a part of the state’s apparatus and it is an executional force and not a political one. One cannot force policy on the state’s army and no one can force the army simply by demonstrating for it. The army needs to conduct unpopular acts, as long as they are done in an authoritative manner by the authorised legal entity.
4.
My opinion costs me quite a lot of time, effort and peace of mind. Most of my friends already criticised my acts and flooded me in invitations to support the Israeli “Hasbara” for the war (Hasbara is, if you didn’t know, a sort of propaganda and spokesmanship); when I tell them I oppose the war I get attacked: How can I opposed? my opinion is illegitimate and I’m excommunicated. So here: I am against bombing Sderot and I don’t think that Israel’s military action will help. If that’s not a legitimate opinion, you’re more than welcome to propose laws that will stop me from thinking in that manner.
5.
The war has been going on for a week, the Qasams are still here and we already have casualties, anyone else thinks that this is a wasted war?
Please tell me how is it possibly that the jewish people who suffered so much under Nazi Genocide can turn around and become worse than the Nazis……..All those poor jewish souls must be spinning in their graves
What pitty……………………………………………that people can not learn from History…………………………………………
Hi Nick,
I don’t think we’re worse than the Nazis, I think that the Israeli Government is doing a terrible job and that it has to stop the unneeded killing in Gaza.
Unfortunately, people here don’t learn.
How is it possibly that the jewish people who suffered so mush under Nazi Genocide can repeat History and be worse than the Nazis…….all those jewish Nazi victims must be spinning in their graves what a pitty………
As Jonathan allready noted the Israeli aren’t worst then Natzis becouse they are in diffrent category you should use better countries for comparison .
The reason is that you are talking about countries right to defend herself against terror.
In the same manner you can say how is Hamas is better then Al-Qaeda (while they are related ) .
As many say it is easy to drow dirt on sombody without beeing in his place (Aka you should live in the south to understand the feeling ) .
Next question is for you as you note you live in Montrial i wonder what do you think about Cubans or maybe about the 70’s – 80’s terror attacks ?
Since i don’t know your age but i belive that you wore an adult in the 70’s .
What do you remmber about 60’s – 80’s about the feeling that in any moment your family could be murdered by some terrorist. How do they feel about the Khalistans ?
now your feeling are based on no more a 5 terror attacks in a decade we got abit more.
now think about IL that get around 70 terror attacks in a day (each day we are bombarded with ~100 rockets ).
I used the next sources :
terror in canada
Nick Safos facebook profile
Wikipedia link about the terror in Montrial
What is clear is that the war is alienating those in the middle who argue for a lasting, sustainable peace from those at the extremes who argue simply for mutual annihilation – and in fact its providing more power and influence to the extremists who oppose making peace.
[And I believe if you don’t believe that making a lasting peace should be the ultimate goal of any action, then you’ve already stopped reading]
It seems both arab and israeli extremists basically think alike, i.e. “all of #them# must die.” They have more in common with each other than with the moderates of both sides. ‘We can never forgive you for (insert military/terrorist act)’, ‘Your (insert jewish or arab) barbaric culture must be wiped off the face of the earth’, etcetera, etcetera.
Its a vicious circle without even a trace of wit, insight or humanity!
“Lets not do a deal because Hamas will then be seen to have won!”
“Lets not stop the rockets because then israel will be seen to have won!”
…you get the picture.
I dare to hope that Obama’s team might bring some of the same quality of circuit-breaking ideas used to build bridges in Northern Island. Lets face it – its the longest-lasting and most intractable conflict today which in this connected world has the potential to affect (and diminish) us all.
I dare to hope that the moderates will outlast the extremists, snooker them in their own zero-sum logic.
But I fear peace has slipped out of our grasp for yet another generation. We should all feel ashamed.
Tim Parsons
Sydney, Australia (just in case Boris wants to have a go the way he did with Nick).
I’m sorry if I made the wrong impression but (AFAIK) im not an extremist.
I (and I believe any Jewish person ) was offended by the comparison to Nazi.
No more no less.
Also the problem that many people would find hard to understand how is It to live in this area (Dotan Mazor created project just to understand).
I hold the opposite opinion from Jhontan about what should be done and how,
Perhaps it is related to the point that I don’t have a legal (as in law) education , im only a SE student ;-).
But I have strong opinion that all side (voices) should be heard:
I actually found myself defending the right to demonstrate by liberal people (even if I disagree with them) since this is one of the basics in democracy (btw AFAIK the US is already using laws to lower the rate of protests).
I believe that I should not try to convince you ( or any other actually) since as Doron Mazor also noted ,
You can’t understand until you feel it on your on flesh … (here is what I feel )
I agree with you that peace (Jordan type not Egypt) should be done.
But with a normal and understandable restrictions (for example what happened three and a half years ago).
“I dare to hope that Obama’s team might bring some of the same quality of circuit-breaking ideas used to build bridges in Northern Island. Lets face it – its the longest-lasting and most intractable conflict today which in this connected world has the potential to affect (and diminish) us all.â€
As I understand this conflict is the highlight only from one reason :
This is a conflict between “ east and west “ (I don’t remember who’s line it is ) not any other reason.
There much more horrific conflicts one that I was witness of it effects (only about the victims trying to stay alive by trespassing to Israel)
The genocide in Darpur (strange or not they are running to IL ) ..
Tim Parsons
Sydney, Australia (just in case Boris wants to have a go the way he did with Nick).
Didn’t get the point sorry .
B. ,
Bombarded south , Israel
For some reason the links got an extra ” sorry …