LGF Watch would like to congratulate long time reader and supporter
Richard Silverstein for his article
Cracks in the Wall, which was published earlier today at the Guardian's
CommentIsFree online blog. We hope you'll give it a read and also check out all the other articles currently published there in response to the
Independent Jewish Voices debate. This quote from his essay, in this bloggers mind, sums up the current feeling from anyone with an honest interest in Middle East peace.
What are we afraid of? Do we not do Israel an injustice by viewing her as so delicate that entertaining a few "unpopular" ideas will lead to her extinction? The Israel I know and love can withstand such debate. In fact, I believe that Israel is only strengthened by the free exchange of ideas.
4 comments:
Thanks so much for that plug & for your kind words about the piece.
Free Exchange of ideas is the way -I definitely support your thesis.
Within Israel, debate is far more tolerated then it is about Israel in this country.
Hmmm... say richards1052 I tried
to post a comment on the Guardian
site (yes, I have an account) but
it kept saying:
Comment Submission Error
Your comment submission failed for the following reasons:
Comments are not allowed on this entry.
Oh well, here is the comment I had
attempted:
Richard Silverstein:
"...
What are we afraid of? Do we not do Israel an injustice by viewing her as so delicate that entertaining a few "unpopular" ideas will lead to her extinction? The Israel I know and love can withstand such debate. In fact, I believe that Israel is only strengthened by the free exchange of ideas.
..."
------------
http://www.netanyahu.org/netspeacinse.html
Netanyahu speech before the US SENATE
Washington, 10 April 2002
"...
The open debate and plurality of ideas that buttress all genuine democracies and the respect for human rights and the sanctity of life that are the shared values of all free societies are a permanent antidote to the poison that the sponsors of terror seek to inject into the minds of their recruits.
..."
------------
These "shared values" are acceptable as long as
the "open debate and plurality of ideas" are ineffectual.
Once the debate can effect policy it becomes a
threat and must be suspended.
Richard Silverstein informs us that "Israel's consul general in Los Angeles, Ehud Danoch wrote a foreign ministry report" which stated, in part:
"These refuseniks are cynically using their reserve soldier status and causing damage to the state of Israel. It's possible that these organizations aren't aware that they have turned, over time, into tools in the hands of North American Muslim campus organizations and that they have crossed the line between their aspiration to be an influential force within Israel to becoming a clearly anti-Israel force causing Israel great damage in the world."
Refuseniks, as you know, have been jailed for their
beliefs and conscience. They have refused active duty in
the occupied territories as such grisly duty
is against International Law.
Netanyahu further explained in his speech:
"Because only under tyranny can a diseased totalitarian mindset be widely cultivated. This totalitarian mindset, which is essential for terrorists to suspend the normal rules that govern a man’s conscience and prevents him from committing these grisly acts, does not breed in a climate of democracy and freedom."
--------------------------------
Netanyahu's speech was on April 10th, 2002.
His speech had two main purposes.
This speech was given to raise support for Israel's
Bulldozering of Jenin in the occupied territories.
The other purpose was to get into the group
picture with Bush and Blair.
April 10th was a Wednesday. The previous weekend
is the weekend Blair was in Crawford, Texas and
purportedly signed on to the invasion of Iraq.
After the "successful" conquest of Iraq Israel
would have wanted to show that they had signed
on from Day One.
Netanyahu, April 10th, 2002:
"
Clearly, the urgent need to topple Sadaam is paramount. The commitment of America and Britain to dismantle this terrorist dictatorship before it obtains nuclear weapons deserves the unconditional support of all sane governments.
...
That is why it is also imperative that once the terrorist regimes in the Middle East are swept away, the free world, led by America, must begin to build democracy in their place."
Naturally Netanyahu couldn't have given his speech
on April 9th as that was the anniversary of
Deir Yassin.
Max Tropos
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