Quote:
Originally Posted by Nage Waza
I certainly did and stand by my accusations. Ignoring or supporting terrorism while holding Israel to a different standard than other groups and criticizing them for that is simply racism.
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That is not racism. Judging Israelis based on their race would be racism. Most people here have been judging the actions of the Israeli government and SOME Israeli citizens.
Is Israel held to a different standard than the Palenstinians? Yes and they should be. Israel is a liberal democracy that should be held to a higher standard than terrorists like Hamas, or brutal dictators like Assad, or corrupt kingdoms like the Saudi's, or religious extremists like the Ayotalah. Israel is a superior socio/political environment than it's neighbours but that doesn't mean it's perfect and immune from criticism. Throwing out accusations of antisemitism at the first sign of criticism towards Israel is counter-productive to having a reasonable conversation.
This thread is a near-perfect microcosm of the actual conflict. There are Palestinian supporters that have a hatred (rational and otherwise) for the state of Israel and can see no good in Israel. There are those that defend Israel no matter what and make excuses for it even when Israel is clearly provoking violence. There are those that can see both sides of the issue and make their arguments and observations impassionately but with compassion and empathy for the suffering on both sides. And finally, there are those who have no idea what they're talking about and should probably stay out of the debate.
The Israel/Palestinian conflict will never be solved (nor will the ongoing debate here) until:
-The Israeli supporters look at the atrocities that Israel HAS committed and hold them to account. And when others do so not label them as anti-semites.
-the Palestinian supporters look at the atrocities that Palestinians, Hamas and virtually every Arab nation in the region (and elsewhere) have committed or attempted to commit against Israel (and continue to do so).
As it stands, each side is so firmly entrenched in their position (both in the region and on this board) that any hope for real peace is unlikely any time soon. The irony is that most Israelis and Palestinians in the region legitimately want peace. When I lived in the area there was very little day to day hostility towards each other. People just went on with their lives. As a matter of fact, my Israeli friend had a best friend that was Palestinian. However, there are powerful factions on both sides that actively destabilize the relationship and the region for their own gain and these factions have successfully infiltrated the psyche and soul of this conversation. It's hard not to get emotional in these kinds of conversation but it's necessary for progress.