The Birth of a Nation
Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images
This week Palestinians are moving beyond the Israel- and US-dominated peace process and appealing directly to the world. They are asking the United Nations to formally recognize Palestine as an independent, sovereign state within its 1967 borders.
There is a profound symbolic significance to this move.
It was with a vote in the General Assembly in November 1947 that the state of Israel first achieved recognition through a resolution calling for mutually occupied land to be divided into two states. Israel and most of the nations of the world have long viewed that vote as the source of Israel’s legitimacy as a nation.
If the United Nations General Assembly created the state of Israel sixty years ago, it can create a Palestinian state now.
A bold stroke of poetic justice like that could breathe new life into the whole region and beyond.
82 comments on the article “The Birth of a Nation”
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Anonymous
"Freedom of religion" are you serious, what religion is free? If you don't believe you will be this and that, and if you don't behave accordingly, then that and this would happen to you. Religion have so hindered intelligent progress that we wound up trying to solve the same problems through the same efforts. Throughout history in countries where there is religion there is human suppression in one form or another. Religion is the most power and most dangerous weapon created by man on man's behalf. Religion cannot free the mind when its aim to trap the soul.
Anonymous
"Freedom of religion" are you serious, what religion is free? If you don't believe you will be this and that, and if you don't behave accordingly, then that and this would happen to you. Religion have so hindered intelligent progress that we wound up trying to solve the same problems through the same efforts. Throughout history in countries where there is religion there is human suppression in one form or another. Religion is the most power and most dangerous weapon created by man on man's behalf. Religion cannot free the mind when its aim to trap the soul.
Anonymous
Anti-semitism, anti-zionism. Not that different. Why? Because the idealisation of the Paelstinians vs. the Jews, does not get at what is happening. Why did the Europeans and US not focus on the treatment of the Syrian, Chinese, Iranian, Saudia Arabian, Russian, etc., etc., populations vs. focussing on the Israeli treatment of the Palestinians? What about focussing on the Arab treatment of the Palestinians - which is apalling and far worse? Anti-semitism. Making factual statements about Israeli abuse is good and important, but not at the expsense of reality and not disproprotionately so...that becomes bias and radcism, which is what it is...no less and no more.
The issues are much more complex that this. The Palestinians, just like the Lebanese, are not in control of themselves. They are strongly regulated and controlled by Iran/Syria through various militias, and even if they wanted a good deal with a more reasonable President, it will not happen, because the foreign influences do not want it to happen. Peace will not happen until the foreign controlled militias, and the dictatorship Arab states have all revolted, so that their governments no longer need to leverage the Israel issue to distract the populace from their own circumstances. Of course, Israel will need a different President, but that will happen again, it is only a matter of time.
Anonymous
Anti-semitism, anti-zionism. Not that different. Why? Because the idealisation of the Paelstinians vs. the Jews, does not get at what is happening. Why did the Europeans and US not focus on the treatment of the Syrian, Chinese, Iranian, Saudia Arabian, Russian, etc., etc., populations vs. focussing on the Israeli treatment of the Palestinians? What about focussing on the Arab treatment of the Palestinians - which is apalling and far worse? Anti-semitism. Making factual statements about Israeli abuse is good and important, but not at the expsense of reality and not disproprotionately so...that becomes bias and radcism, which is what it is...no less and no more.
The issues are much more complex that this. The Palestinians, just like the Lebanese, are not in control of themselves. They are strongly regulated and controlled by Iran/Syria through various militias, and even if they wanted a good deal with a more reasonable President, it will not happen, because the foreign influences do not want it to happen. Peace will not happen until the foreign controlled militias, and the dictatorship Arab states have all revolted, so that their governments no longer need to leverage the Israel issue to distract the populace from their own circumstances. Of course, Israel will need a different President, but that will happen again, it is only a matter of time.
Vanunu
Yeah but..actually no.
It's ah, of course A for effort and everything sparky, but actually no. You're way, waaaay off the mark.
Where to begin? "Antisemitism" as a concept has been thoroughly debunked. The misnomer is now widely accepted as fraud perpetrated by the ugliest factions of the ultra-militaristic Zionist wingnuts who conceived of an exclusive Jewish (ie. white European) colony in the middle east in the late 1800's. The term was of course coined by an Austrian journalist and later appropriated by Hitler himself to excuse and obfuscate the absurd hypothesis of Nazi Eugenics. Essentially being Anti-Jewish didn't sound quite scientific enough so it was thought that associating practitioners of Judaism with the Semites of the Middle East would place them in a racial category that could then, according to the theories of Eugenics be bred out of the Aryan race (by extermination mostly).
To continue to fling this misnomer around to this day is not only an abandonment of logic but a cancerously cynical and ironic reanimation of the scourge of Nazism (which many people will note is precisely what Zionism attempted to do in 1948 * google: Stern Gang, Irgun and Nazi correspondence).
Whnile there are still a few addled Nazis and Judeo-Supremacists who buy into the poppycock of Eugenics let's be clear about this amongst ourselves and in discussion/debate with the tyrannical elements of our societies that continue to obfuscate with such fallacies. "Semites" refers to a very broad group of 'middle eastern' or today's 'Arab' people who spoke languages with similar roots. This group covers a large area and includes many different peoples including, it should be noted, present day Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, etc. Amongst these many 'middle eastern' peoples was a small, extremely violent tribe of 'Arabs' - for all intents and purposes - who insisted their invented religion was the best - they called themselves the Hebrews.
In point of fact the actual people who practiced Judaism in Germany were not and are not to this day racially related to the 'Arab' people of the 'middle east' 3,000 years ago. Just as people who practice Christianity today are not related to Jesus (another 'Arab' btw.) Which is why Hitler was crazy to suggest that the Jews should be rounded up for racial reasons. And it's one glaring reason why the Jewish Establishment is crazy to suggest that there is anything racist about criticising "israel".
By the same reasoning we should call anyone critical of Christianity "Antisemitic" because Christianity was also invented in the 'middle east' by people who spoke Semitic languages. And anyone who is critical of Palestine is, according to such logic, Antisemitic as well.
And so and so on...
The use and mis-use of language is important and it can be used to murder thousands and thousands of people as the Jews of Europe and Palestinians know only too well.
It's time to challenge this inane mis-use of language for what it is: propaganda. If Jews and the Jewish Establishment want to crack down on anti-jewishness let them say as much. It's clear though, by their use of such dis-information that they are afraid the world will then have to admit that Judaism is an IDEOLOGY and not - NOT a race. At which point the house of cards is exposed for what it is. And the inevitable demise of the religious colony of "israel" hastens.
So let's all call a spade a spade and challenge this word whenever it is casually tossed out to avoid debate and critical analysis. Let's all put an end to the pseudo-science of the Nazis that the Jewish Establishment is so strangely keen of perpetuating to this day."
And please don't try to tell us that the dictionary says the word means this or that. The dictionary also says a "terrorist" is this or that and we all know how that term is misused with the sole intent of obfuscating truths that are simply too painful to swallow for the powers that be ie, "israel", corporate special interests, etc.
I'm sure the dictionaries in the 1800's had preposterous definitions that have since been expunged or changed due to the lack of relevancy etc.
Much as the word "israel" is likely to be changed in not too short a time as well.
;)
It's important to finally be done with the old canards that Zionists like you fling into discourse such as these because said canards are not only keeping Palestine and the entire middle east oppressed but they are keeping you moored to a sinking ship of intellectual credibility - not to mention the effect it must surely be having on your withered soul as you casually espouse supremacist hate speak via your only lightly watered down Zionism.
Now then your next flaccid argument and a classic, predictable set piece of Zionist talking points crafted in the PR firms of occupied Jaffa with extorted U.S tax-payer monies had something to do with how much the world should be focusing on everyone else and leave the poor billionaire Jewish colony to commit crime against humanity after crime against humanity. Surprised you didn't drag out the dead horse argument about how the U.S mistreated and expropriated the land of the Native Americans and therefor why should "israel" have to answer for their crimes. The technical problem here is the same. And without going into the obvious extrapolation to where Hitler or Apartheid South Africa was headed whilst hiking down this slippery slope lets just say your time has come. You can point to others and throw up a bunch of smoke and mirrors and try to hypnotize the king of the realm like Tolkien's Wormtongue but eventually you will have to answer for you own misdeeds. That time is now. No one is buying your distractions any more. We're talking about you. Not China or the other Arab countries or anyone else. They get plenty of criticism in your Jewish owned and operated media outlets that have well documented Zionist bias. So cork it. And buck up. This is your turn. What kind of a people are you? The world is waiting. How do you want to be seen in this world? Racist scumbags? Nazis? Or people of conscious who take responsibility for the name that is claimed by the bad apples amongst you who hide behind your robes and infect the world with hate and oppression. Clear your name. And do it without any more crocodile tears. And do it soon.
Your doltish theories and hyperbole about the political make-up of Palestine or Lebanon have zero relevance to the underlying and glaringly obvious foundational problem with "israel". The simple fact that can be grasped by grade school children is simply this: You white people came to a brown peoples land and stole it about 70 years ago. Simple. Very easy to grasp. Not complex. And of course is no different than any other 19th or 20th century misadventure in Colonialism. The difference is that everyone else in such matters has been reprimanded by the uprising of the oppressed with-in and sent packing where as you remain moored to the past steadfastly and as such a last hold out in a world evolving without you. As you can see you will inevitably loose. You don't have any choice in the matter. You will be dragged into the present kicking and screaming if need be but you will follow. "Israel" is naturally doomed to failure. Just as White Supremacist South Africa fell so shall you. What choice do you have? The Arab non-Jewish population INSIDE "israel" will increase exponentially such that you will no longer be able to maintain your mandated "Jewish Majority" furthermore such mandates will be exposed for what they are: bigotry and Apartheid and you will loose an\y last remaining shreds of sympathy you might still entertain in the minds of the undereducated who are availing themselves of common knowledge with the same speed that you loose power and credibility. Meanwhile outside your walled colony the world is massing. The owners of the property that you stole whole still hold the keys to the houses you occupy will demand justice in the court of world opinion and unless you kill them all and incur the wrath of the world you will paint yourself further and further into a corner until...
No, "israel" is finished. The idea was faulty from the outset and continuing to saddle the dead animal is only hastening your demise.
Kick and scream all you want. One State is coming. THAT truly is only a matter of time.
Vanunu
Yeah but..actually no.
It's ah, of course A for effort and everything sparky, but actually no. You're way, waaaay off the mark.
Where to begin? "Antisemitism" as a concept has been thoroughly debunked. The misnomer is now widely accepted as fraud perpetrated by the ugliest factions of the ultra-militaristic Zionist wingnuts who conceived of an exclusive Jewish (ie. white European) colony in the middle east in the late 1800's. The term was of course coined by an Austrian journalist and later appropriated by Hitler himself to excuse and obfuscate the absurd hypothesis of Nazi Eugenics. Essentially being Anti-Jewish didn't sound quite scientific enough so it was thought that associating practitioners of Judaism with the Semites of the Middle East would place them in a racial category that could then, according to the theories of Eugenics be bred out of the Aryan race (by extermination mostly).
To continue to fling this misnomer around to this day is not only an abandonment of logic but a cancerously cynical and ironic reanimation of the scourge of Nazism (which many people will note is precisely what Zionism attempted to do in 1948 * google: Stern Gang, Irgun and Nazi correspondence).
Whnile there are still a few addled Nazis and Judeo-Supremacists who buy into the poppycock of Eugenics let's be clear about this amongst ourselves and in discussion/debate with the tyrannical elements of our societies that continue to obfuscate with such fallacies. "Semites" refers to a very broad group of 'middle eastern' or today's 'Arab' people who spoke languages with similar roots. This group covers a large area and includes many different peoples including, it should be noted, present day Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, etc. Amongst these many 'middle eastern' peoples was a small, extremely violent tribe of 'Arabs' - for all intents and purposes - who insisted their invented religion was the best - they called themselves the Hebrews.
In point of fact the actual people who practiced Judaism in Germany were not and are not to this day racially related to the 'Arab' people of the 'middle east' 3,000 years ago. Just as people who practice Christianity today are not related to Jesus (another 'Arab' btw.) Which is why Hitler was crazy to suggest that the Jews should be rounded up for racial reasons. And it's one glaring reason why the Jewish Establishment is crazy to suggest that there is anything racist about criticising "israel".
By the same reasoning we should call anyone critical of Christianity "Antisemitic" because Christianity was also invented in the 'middle east' by people who spoke Semitic languages. And anyone who is critical of Palestine is, according to such logic, Antisemitic as well.
And so and so on...
The use and mis-use of language is important and it can be used to murder thousands and thousands of people as the Jews of Europe and Palestinians know only too well.
It's time to challenge this inane mis-use of language for what it is: propaganda. If Jews and the Jewish Establishment want to crack down on anti-jewishness let them say as much. It's clear though, by their use of such dis-information that they are afraid the world will then have to admit that Judaism is an IDEOLOGY and not - NOT a race. At which point the house of cards is exposed for what it is. And the inevitable demise of the religious colony of "israel" hastens.
So let's all call a spade a spade and challenge this word whenever it is casually tossed out to avoid debate and critical analysis. Let's all put an end to the pseudo-science of the Nazis that the Jewish Establishment is so strangely keen of perpetuating to this day."
And please don't try to tell us that the dictionary says the word means this or that. The dictionary also says a "terrorist" is this or that and we all know how that term is misused with the sole intent of obfuscating truths that are simply too painful to swallow for the powers that be ie, "israel", corporate special interests, etc.
I'm sure the dictionaries in the 1800's had preposterous definitions that have since been expunged or changed due to the lack of relevancy etc.
Much as the word "israel" is likely to be changed in not too short a time as well.
;)
It's important to finally be done with the old canards that Zionists like you fling into discourse such as these because said canards are not only keeping Palestine and the entire middle east oppressed but they are keeping you moored to a sinking ship of intellectual credibility - not to mention the effect it must surely be having on your withered soul as you casually espouse supremacist hate speak via your only lightly watered down Zionism.
Now then your next flaccid argument and a classic, predictable set piece of Zionist talking points crafted in the PR firms of occupied Jaffa with extorted U.S tax-payer monies had something to do with how much the world should be focusing on everyone else and leave the poor billionaire Jewish colony to commit crime against humanity after crime against humanity. Surprised you didn't drag out the dead horse argument about how the U.S mistreated and expropriated the land of the Native Americans and therefor why should "israel" have to answer for their crimes. The technical problem here is the same. And without going into the obvious extrapolation to where Hitler or Apartheid South Africa was headed whilst hiking down this slippery slope lets just say your time has come. You can point to others and throw up a bunch of smoke and mirrors and try to hypnotize the king of the realm like Tolkien's Wormtongue but eventually you will have to answer for you own misdeeds. That time is now. No one is buying your distractions any more. We're talking about you. Not China or the other Arab countries or anyone else. They get plenty of criticism in your Jewish owned and operated media outlets that have well documented Zionist bias. So cork it. And buck up. This is your turn. What kind of a people are you? The world is waiting. How do you want to be seen in this world? Racist scumbags? Nazis? Or people of conscious who take responsibility for the name that is claimed by the bad apples amongst you who hide behind your robes and infect the world with hate and oppression. Clear your name. And do it without any more crocodile tears. And do it soon.
Your doltish theories and hyperbole about the political make-up of Palestine or Lebanon have zero relevance to the underlying and glaringly obvious foundational problem with "israel". The simple fact that can be grasped by grade school children is simply this: You white people came to a brown peoples land and stole it about 70 years ago. Simple. Very easy to grasp. Not complex. And of course is no different than any other 19th or 20th century misadventure in Colonialism. The difference is that everyone else in such matters has been reprimanded by the uprising of the oppressed with-in and sent packing where as you remain moored to the past steadfastly and as such a last hold out in a world evolving without you. As you can see you will inevitably loose. You don't have any choice in the matter. You will be dragged into the present kicking and screaming if need be but you will follow. "Israel" is naturally doomed to failure. Just as White Supremacist South Africa fell so shall you. What choice do you have? The Arab non-Jewish population INSIDE "israel" will increase exponentially such that you will no longer be able to maintain your mandated "Jewish Majority" furthermore such mandates will be exposed for what they are: bigotry and Apartheid and you will loose an\y last remaining shreds of sympathy you might still entertain in the minds of the undereducated who are availing themselves of common knowledge with the same speed that you loose power and credibility. Meanwhile outside your walled colony the world is massing. The owners of the property that you stole whole still hold the keys to the houses you occupy will demand justice in the court of world opinion and unless you kill them all and incur the wrath of the world you will paint yourself further and further into a corner until...
No, "israel" is finished. The idea was faulty from the outset and continuing to saddle the dead animal is only hastening your demise.
Kick and scream all you want. One State is coming. THAT truly is only a matter of time.
Anonymous
You are aware that not all the Jewish people had left "Israel" and had continued to make up a portion of the population down through the years. So, to state that "white people" came to "brown people's" land 70 years ago and "stole it" is the icing on your twisted cake.
Anonymous
You are aware that not all the Jewish people had left "Israel" and had continued to make up a portion of the population down through the years. So, to state that "white people" came to "brown people's" land 70 years ago and "stole it" is the icing on your twisted cake.
Anonymous
you're talking about a comparatively tiny minority. if zionism had been based on where there was already an existing jewish population, israel's capital would be baghdad. if it was based on justice, it would have been carved out of germany, if it had been based on practicality, it would have been the 50th state, carved out of the alaskan territory. instead it was based on religion and racism, and this is what we got.
Anonymous
you're talking about a comparatively tiny minority. if zionism had been based on where there was already an existing jewish population, israel's capital would be baghdad. if it was based on justice, it would have been carved out of germany, if it had been based on practicality, it would have been the 50th state, carved out of the alaskan territory. instead it was based on religion and racism, and this is what we got.
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