Yes, there is an unmistakable stench here, PalestraJon, and you and I are not engaging in a "tactic," you and I and WinSmith are simply noticing the age old hatred of a particular people, a mindless animus which stains the ranting mob here. And they will continue to howl at anyone who points this out.

-- Lotus Feet

Such drama!

Hey, Winsmith, do you enjoy or agree with Lotus Feet connecting your comments with his/hers? Is that the kind of company you claim and keep?

"it's people seeing distinctions between themselves and others that are either artificial, non-existent or unimportant."

Is that it really doesn't matter whether Palestinians or Black South Africans believe themselves to be the same as the people keeping them in bantustans. It just matters that Israel or South Africa didn't see them that way. You have to be aware of the power dynamics, before you can apply this kind of perspective. I whole heartedly agree with you however, that the differences are constructed.

As it happens, the Mother and Grandparents who raised me are long gone. My Dad's side of the family are different, and fortunately do not have the old pretentions of German and Hungarian Jews who thought they were better, until Hitler taught them that the gas killed them just as easily.

It happens in various ethnic groups that sometimes one branch looks down on another. The Milanese look down on the Romans and the Romans look down on the Sicilians and the Sicilians look down on the Sardinians. Don't ask me who the Sardinians look down on (the Milanese?).

And, so it might go with Glennnnnnnnnn. I don't think he's willing to reveal very much about his roots as a Jew. For all I know, his Mum may have been Christine Owens before she met his Dad, Irving Herschel Greenwald. Maybe Christine insisted that little Glennnnn go to Sunday School at The Church Of The Immaculate Conception and do the rosary every morning. I don't know. Do you?

Maybe Glen is or is not very uncomfortable around Jews, especially Jews who are not committed to the fantasy world of progressive politics. I don't know. I don't think he will tell me.

Do you?

"BTW, "Boobie" means 'Grandma' in Yiddish, one of the world's most colorful dialects. Mine was wonderful, she spoiled me rotten and excused all my many faults."

But she hates Israel by your own admission. How can you tolerate this kind of thing from your own family?

I didn't notice your next post, where you solidly excoriate your hateful grandmother. Good for you. Now if there were only hope for the other Israel haters.

I whole heartedly agree with you however, that the differences are constructed.

Spare us the semiotics, or whatever it is you're smoking.

As an Israeli on the center-right part of the political spectrum I say to you: Even Nasr-fucking-allah doesn't deserve that shit.

Sorry, I didn't mean to insult you by implying Palestinians are biologically no different than you.

What does Glenn's history have to do with anything? What's your point? Are you measuring "Jewishness?"

...that my post was in reply to UsedtobeKristin's question about why people find it hard to be "rational" about Israel. My answer was to point out the irrational forces in play. If this was a case where the players (and their "supporters") simply wanted a place to live and, hopefully, prosper, not only would these problems likely not have arisen, but people would be less tolerant of the foolishness on both sides. It's irrational considerations that are getting in the way. At least, in my view.

Don't be too hard on Lotus Feet; he comes from an Israeli hating family. Its only natural that he project that history on others from time to time.

What part of Tel Aviv do you live in? I don't know it that well, but I might recognize it.

JonathanInTelAviv: "As an Israeli on the center-right part of the political spectrum"

Do you support Israel's ongoing settlement expansion in the West Bank, JonathanInTelAviv?

Hamas knew how Israel would respond. Since Israel has always responded thus. And they knew the prevailing wisdom and mood in Israel. So, Hamas invited what’s been termed a “massacre”.

Fits into their strategy somehow and Israel obliges because it fits into theirs as well. But what exactly is Hamas’s strategy?

Relying on history and the logic of power I think the answer lies somehow in following a money trail if one can be scented out.

For Us? Why not had more fuel to a world on fire?

Why, based on your writing, am I not surprised you won't read?

I didn't insult Palestinians, in fact I pray for them - that they don't have to read your tripe.

Do you support a 2-state solution based on 1947 borders specified in the UN partition plan, assuming Palestinian government states Israel's right to exist as a state based on that plan?

Of course, your concern is for Palestinians. That's obvious from everything you've written here. Apologies again.

Settler colonialism is unstable in the contemporary world because of the facilities subject populations have for mobilization and resistance. Conflict between colonizer and colonized has only ended in one of three ways: 1) The expulsion of the colonists, as in Algeria; 2) the integration of the colonists into a nation that includes the indigenous population, as happened in South Africa; or 3) the expulsion of the indigenous population, as with the Trail of Tears in the nineteenth-century United States.

Bob Simon told Charlie Rose that the 'two-state solution' in Israel-Palestine is dead, which is likely correct. He suggested that the most likely outcome is Apartheid. However, I would argue that Apartheid is a phase and its itself an unstable situation, and that only one of the above three outcomes is actually permanent. Given that the Arabs are becoming more technologically sophisticated and wealthier over time, and given their demographic advantage, I do not expect a trasnferist or trail of tears policy to be implemented or succeed. In the long term, over several decades, I think either there will be a gradual outflow of Israeli emigrants that leaves Jews a plurality in Israel. Or there will eventually be a single state. The other possibilities, of either a century-long Apartheid or another expulsion of Palestinians a la 1948 seem to me less likely. The Gaza operation is intended to extend the life of an incipient Apartheid. But that is sort of like giving a heart transplant to a man diagnosed with terminal cancer. - Juan Cole [emphasis mine]

http://www.juancole.com/2009/01/un-ceasefire-call-ignored-miseries-of.html

The link embedded in Bob Simon told Charlie Rose that the 'two-state solution' in Israel-Palestine is dead is below:

http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/9900