I love living in a Black and White world

[andrewducker]

A HAMAS leader has warned that Islamists would kill Jewish children anywhere in the world in revenge for Israel's devastating assault.

From here.

Cheery stuff.

I'm glad I'm spending the day in bed, where it's safe.

Comments

[palmer1984.livejournal.com]

He said “They have legitimised the murder of their own children by killing the children of Palestine,”. That's not quite the same as saying "we are going to murder Jewish children". Still bad, obv, but not exactly the same.

[palmer1984.livejournal.com]

What he was probably saying is that suicide attacks may happen, in which Jewish children may die. Horrible obviously, but not the same as saying that Islamists will specifically hunt out Jewish children and kill them.

[rhythmaning.livejournal.com]

So much for peace on earth and goodwill to all men.

An eye for an eye - and the whole world will be blind.

[aliiis.livejournal.com]

I find it very difficult whenever I see Zionism in any way equated with Judaism - by either side.
It's such an extremely emotive subject and the things that are being done to the Palestinians at the moment are so utterly horrific that I regularly find it pretty much impossible to form any kind of coherent statements, or anything really beyond 'a... a fucking school'. Still though - thankfully, more eloquent people exist and dunno, you might possibly find some of these interesting:
http://www.ijsn.net/187/
http://www.jewsagainstzionism.com/index.cfm

[andrewducker]

I find it hard to produce anything more coherent in these situations than "Man, that whole situation is fucked." and "I wish people would stop killing each other."

[khbrown.livejournal.com]

Let me guess: since these organisations can't easily be labelled as anti-Semitic it will be self hating Jews instead?

[andrewducker]

Why self-hating? A lot of people of Jewish ancestry think that Israel has committed terrible actions and acted in an appalling way. Why would that make them anti-Jew?

[khbrown.livejournal.com]

It doesn't, but this seems to be a common line of attack from pro-Zionist / Israeli voices when confronted with someone who is Jewish but does not agree with them. It's another way of silencing debate and making something into a us / them, black / white issue.

[andrewducker]

Which makes it surprising that you were using that phrase yourself. Unless you meant it ironically?

[khbrown.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure if I meant it ironically. What I meant was that I suspect the two anti-Zionist Jewish organisations that the links were posted to would more likely be criticised by Zionists in an ad-hominem way, as being comprised of self-hating Jews, than be entered into constructive debate with.

I suppose what I was trying to get at was an intransigence that can make it difficult to be opposed to all the bad stuff, because of the tendency for too many involved, on both the Israeli and Hamas/Palestinian sides, to paint it as a simplistic black and white issue where they cannot admit to being partially in the wrong or to blame, or to the existence of external political factors.

[andrewducker]

Aaah, you mean that as they couldn't be labelled as anti-semitic they will be labelled as self-hating!

I read it as "they can't be labelled as anti-semitic so they must _be_ self-hating."

Consider my confusion cleared up :->

[khbrown.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's what I was trying to say. Sorry for the confusion.

[themongkey.livejournal.com]

Phew! Good job it's only my Dad that's Jewish, then. \o/