Response to Alan Dershowitz's Huffington Post Post
In his post Dershowitz claims that occupation is a response to terrorism and not one of its causes etc..
Hmm. As much fun as the what came first argument...the chicken or the egg...terrorism or occupation is...I'd say that terrorism, defined by the US Department of Defense as: The calculated use of violence or the threat of violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological, is something that Israel has and continues to employ often in its 35 plus year military occupation of recognized Palestinian Territories. And it is also something Hamas, Hezbollah etc use as part of its resistance to this occupation. Thus neither came first nor can be used as the an exhaustive excuse for the actions on either side. The only thing relatively unique about this situation is that it’s the weaker group, the sub-altern if you will, that has appropriated the tactics of the oppressor with the means available to them.
Moving on, you asked in your article "What should Israel do..." when its citizens are harmed/killed... Why is it that it’s okay for Israel to respond violently to violence against its people, but it is "terrorism" when the other side does? Besides, way way way more Palestinian children have died at the hands of the IDF then Israeli children via attacks from Hamas type groups... In addition, events have precedence, even if you don’t like what some or all of that precedence is or if it doesn’t match the picture in your mind. Hamas just didn’t emerge one day and for no reason or for reasons only based on old European ideas regarding the Jewish decide to start sending suicide bombers! Prof, you need to do more homework and peer beyond the surface of things. I wonder if you except such weak arguments form you r students?
I know you want to portray Israel as the victim and as the good neighbor who is reluctantly pushed into "defending itself," but, unfortunately that doesn't match the facts. To be a victim one must be at a power disadvantage. In what dimension do the Palestinians have power-over Israel (answer none) In what dimensions does Israel exert power over Palestine (answer: every)...
I am a white middle-class American citizen who worked (taught high school and lived in Gaza for two years (2002-2004). And I can tell you that Israel is not a nice neighbor, colonial master, or landlord. The occupation is violent and humiliating and ever present. The group punishment, the destruction of infrastructure, agriculture, and residences plus the land grabs and control of water resources does not make one a victim, but a victimizer.
I don't support Hamas's/Hezbollahs tactics which target civilians (anymore than I support Israel’s willingness to kill civilians who are guilty by proximity), nor do I support their desire to set up an Islamic state (bad for women). However, if I had been born Palestinian and raised under this Israeli occupation, I can honestly say that I would likely support groups like them which fight back...humans can only take so much oppression before they meet violence with violence.
Have you ever been to Gaza or the West Bank Sir, do you know the ways and means of this occupation? There are groups who sponsor those interested (especially Israelis and Jewish from other places) and show them what life is like under Occupation. As a Prof, I am sure you realize the value in verstehen, and not excepting everything that comes out of Israel’s Public Relations (aka propaganda machine) as Truth.
To end, I agree with your nemesis N. Chomsky, in that the best way to reduce one’s risk to terror is for them to stop terrorizing and emasculating their “security threats.”
Hmm. As much fun as the what came first argument...the chicken or the egg...terrorism or occupation is...I'd say that terrorism, defined by the US Department of Defense as: The calculated use of violence or the threat of violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological, is something that Israel has and continues to employ often in its 35 plus year military occupation of recognized Palestinian Territories. And it is also something Hamas, Hezbollah etc use as part of its resistance to this occupation. Thus neither came first nor can be used as the an exhaustive excuse for the actions on either side. The only thing relatively unique about this situation is that it’s the weaker group, the sub-altern if you will, that has appropriated the tactics of the oppressor with the means available to them.
Moving on, you asked in your article "What should Israel do..." when its citizens are harmed/killed... Why is it that it’s okay for Israel to respond violently to violence against its people, but it is "terrorism" when the other side does? Besides, way way way more Palestinian children have died at the hands of the IDF then Israeli children via attacks from Hamas type groups... In addition, events have precedence, even if you don’t like what some or all of that precedence is or if it doesn’t match the picture in your mind. Hamas just didn’t emerge one day and for no reason or for reasons only based on old European ideas regarding the Jewish decide to start sending suicide bombers! Prof, you need to do more homework and peer beyond the surface of things. I wonder if you except such weak arguments form you r students?
I know you want to portray Israel as the victim and as the good neighbor who is reluctantly pushed into "defending itself," but, unfortunately that doesn't match the facts. To be a victim one must be at a power disadvantage. In what dimension do the Palestinians have power-over Israel (answer none) In what dimensions does Israel exert power over Palestine (answer: every)...
I am a white middle-class American citizen who worked (taught high school and lived in Gaza for two years (2002-2004). And I can tell you that Israel is not a nice neighbor, colonial master, or landlord. The occupation is violent and humiliating and ever present. The group punishment, the destruction of infrastructure, agriculture, and residences plus the land grabs and control of water resources does not make one a victim, but a victimizer.
I don't support Hamas's/Hezbollahs tactics which target civilians (anymore than I support Israel’s willingness to kill civilians who are guilty by proximity), nor do I support their desire to set up an Islamic state (bad for women). However, if I had been born Palestinian and raised under this Israeli occupation, I can honestly say that I would likely support groups like them which fight back...humans can only take so much oppression before they meet violence with violence.
Have you ever been to Gaza or the West Bank Sir, do you know the ways and means of this occupation? There are groups who sponsor those interested (especially Israelis and Jewish from other places) and show them what life is like under Occupation. As a Prof, I am sure you realize the value in verstehen, and not excepting everything that comes out of Israel’s Public Relations (aka propaganda machine) as Truth.
To end, I agree with your nemesis N. Chomsky, in that the best way to reduce one’s risk to terror is for them to stop terrorizing and emasculating their “security threats.”
posted by Green Tara at 1:53 PM
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