Given that Israel is the only FREE (according to Freedom House), liberal pro-gay, Western style parliamentary democracy in the Middle East, I would say that any American that doesn’t favor Israel over the Jihadi terrorist led (Hamas), anti-gay non-free Palestinian authority is probably betraying his/her American values.
Your point about displacement is taken, but consider this.
Every Native American that I have ever met considers him/her/their self to be a proud American, and nothing else/nothing less. They would certainly answer any question about that in the affirmative, if asked.
I am not sure that if Arabs living in Israel were asked that same question with respect to Israel that you’d get the same type of answer. Israeli Druze and Bedouins might answer affirmatively, but many would not, and would tell you that all that land is theirs and that the Jews should get out. Given that, bad analogy.
There are huge countries of Arabs out there. Jews are entitled to their relatively far smaller space as well.
I’m not arguing against Israel. I’m pro-Israel. I’m saying we can’t say what 92010 said (without being hypocritical) and it’s not a bad analogy. Your anecdotal experience doesn’t prove anything and even if it did, it doesn’t prove this to be a bad analogy.
That said, I’m not going back and forth with you on this one for a few dozen posts. We can agree to disagree.
The retort that “Israel has the right to exist” to the stance that “Israel shouldn’t oppress its own citizens” is like replying “state’s rights” to “America should abolish slavery” and “End Jim Crow”.
It is entirely consistent to support Israel as an independent state while also denouncing their oppression of Arab Israelis and their current/recent aggressive annexation(s) resulting in massive displacement of Palestinians.
“End oppression” ≠ “Israel doesn’t have a right to exist”.
Israel commits human rights abuses, yes? They should stop committing them, yes? It’s very simple.
If you want to support their regime of oppression and human rights abuses then just say that. It wouldn’t be surprising to me at all. Don’t hide behind Pat Buchanan. No need to be timid and yellow-bellied about this. What Pat Buchanan says is entirely irrelevant to the question of Israel’s own actions in regards to Arab Israelis and Palestinians.
It makes sense in a couple of conditions. Either he… 1 - supports the oppression of Arab Israelis and treatment of Palestinians OR 2 - doesn’t believe that Israel oppresses Arab Israelis.
whispers** It’s number 2. He thinks the claim that Israel oppresses Arab Israelis is “bogus, stupid and ignorant” And we were regaled earlier this week about how he was soooo shocked by a buddy being a Holocaust denier.
Last time I checked the amount of Palestinian lives lost throughout the entirety of the conflict dwarf the amount of Israeli lives lost. “It’s not difficult to choose sides there”. /s
But it’s not about picking sides. It’s about understanding that the only path forward is through peace with equitable respect and dignity. That’s the fundamental premise in a 2-State Solution. Picking sides in this conflict fundamentally means you do not respect or even acknowledge the humanity of the other side and the inherent dignity that should be afforded to them.
Right?! All the bluster and smoke on behalf of the Uighurs, Tibetans and Taiwanese (and rightfully so) but all the hem-hawing and mental gymnastics when it comes to Palestinians.
