Look who supports the BDS movement against Israel?

, by Vera Schwarcz,

Look who supports the BDS movement against Israel? When will we have the courage to face the truth in the Academy?

My Wesleyan University colleague, Richard Ohmann, [appeared on Friday, Jan. 10] in Chicago at the Modern Languages Association panel united by a passion for boycotting Israel. Why does a retired professor of English choose to focus his energies on attacking the one and only democracy in the Middle East? I recall our early years together on our very liberal campus animated by ideals for racial and social justice. Richard was a moving force in our faculty Marxist Study Group. Then, as now, there was more dogmatism than informed conscience that galvanized the interest of self-proclaimed social reformers.

I was part of that group for a short while. My own studies of Chinese history and long years interviewing intellectuals who survived the Cultural Revolution led to a sobering that impels me today to question the views and the passions of my former friend. What I learned over the past four decades of scholarship and teaching is that empirical truth and the verities that animate conscientious dissidents against autocracy such as Liu Binyan and Vaclav Havel, have less and less resonance in the Academy.

To be sure, I am glad that the President of Wesleyan, Michael Roth (also a historian steeped in archival research, not only literary theory) had the courage to condemn publicly the current academic frenzy about boycotting Israel. Professor Richard Ohmann, by contrast remains in the old theoretician’s trenches. Lies about Israel have gained easy currency among former and current Marxists. There is too little room in their minds—as well as in their writings and the classroom—for simple facts such as Israel is the sole island of support for women’s and gays’ rights in the Middle East. There is no room to speak about the fact that Miss Israel is a Black woman, formerly of Ethiopia.

Instead, unjustified and unjustifiable analogies to apartheid are made with impunity. Lies become “truth” all too easily when spoken in the fluent discourse of seasoned academicians such as Richard Ohmann. Dick, we have come to the final splitting of the ways: Which will you choose? Old verbiage or the courage to dissent from the pack—a virtue we once admired together, at Wesleyan, and beyond?

Schwarcz is a Freeman Professor of East Asian Studies and Professor of History at the University. 

  • Senior ’14

    Professor Schwarcz condemns “unjustifiable” comparisons between the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, yet does not hesitate to draw an implicit connection between Ohrmann’s “passions” and the Chinese Cultural Revolution. This is a shameful tit-for-tat.
    A choice between old verbiage or the courage to dissent from the pack? To be blunt, this is pure paranoia. There is no “pack” witch-hunting pro-Israeli opinions in academia. There is no “courage” in statements like President Roth’s or Schwarz. This is just talk. If Schwarz REALLY wanted to be courageous, she would offer an actual reason why the situation in Israel-Palestine IS NOT like apartheid, rather than dismissing the discussion all together. This dismissal is not courageous but cowardly.
    Schwarz’s reference to Miss Israel is telling however. Just as democracy in Israel is mere pageantry masking the oppression of Palestine, so too is Professor Schwarz’s tirade a mere screen in front of productive discussions. Is Israel like South Africa? What would a democracy in not JUST Israel proper but Israel-Palestine as a whole look like? And what kind of steps can we take towards reconciling the two sides?

    • itaintmojo

      The “apartheid” usage by BDSers is a false narrative, and another hateful way of mischaracterizing Israel.

      BDS will only accomplish Jew hatred kinship, and little else.

      In the end all of BDS’s false narratives rife with omissions of facts that pertain to their false, and vicious hateful claims can be countered with facts to the contrary….that is if counter dialogue is even allowed. Many speakers who wished to counter BDS claims had to have their lectures cancelled because people who support BDS were so aggressive in not letting them even give their side.

      BDSers ignore facts of history completely when spreading their hateful message, about the only decent Country in the middle east. The only country in the middle east where the Christian population is growing is Israel. Arab citizens of Israel would never move to Gaza or Ramallah. They may hate Jews, but they would much rather live in Israel, then move anywhere else in the middle east.

      BDS is not even for a two state solution. They want Israel wiped off the map essentially. BDSers mask their Jew hatred with complaints against Israel, even though Israeli’s are by far the kindest of all mid east nations to their people and others around them. BDSers dont say a word about boycotting the Assad regime, who has committed the most heinous savage crimes against his own people. BDSer’s say nothing about Sharia Muslims in Egypt, who have been persecuting Coptic Christians there for decades, seeing now as there are no more Jews to expel from Egypt. BDSers only single out Israel as the evil, when the reality shows Israel’s track record as a very giving country compared to ALL others in the region.

      Unfortunately, BDSers have the world wide population of Jew haters to draw from, so they will always have support from their fellow Jew haters. But BDSers will never have the truth. I doubt BDS lies will succeed in bankrupting Israel. There are enough people who see BDS for what it is, for Israel to still have customers. So enjoy your hate festival BDSers, and accomplish Jew hate kinship if you must, while Israel keeps on inventing things that help the world, treating sick Syrian soldiers in Israeli hospitals despite their hate for Jews, and letting them go back home freely, and making a productive life for themselves, while all of you BDSers spend your time with unproductive hate.

      • Senior ’14

        BDS lies? The only person lying here is you, and it’s to yourself.

        You complain about BDS ignoring the facts, but when you criticize the Apartheid analogy, all you can muster is a meager “it’s a false narrative.” This is not an argument at all. It’s like saying ‘BDS is hateful because their wrong.’ Maybe you have a point, but clearly you haven’t found the words here to say it yet.

        “Many speakers who wished to counter BDS claims had to have their lectures cancelled because people who support BDS were so aggressive in not letting them even give their side.” It’s certainly possible that Zionists have had lectures cancelled or protested by pro-Palestine activists, but I’m equally positive that BDS supporters have had their careers and funding jeopardized by the Israel supporters. And, unlike you, I’ll give you an actual “factual” example of this: for instance last February, when a pro-palestine event featuring Judith Butler among others was nearly cancelled in NYC http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/02/04/nyc-pols-threaten-brooklyn-college-funding-over-bds-panel.html.
        Or in 2011 when the Canadian University of Regina cancelled a pro-Palestinian lecture. Another link: http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/07/05/cancellation-sparks-plenty-of-debate-2/

        I’d like to hear you give some facts too. Not just vitriol. Unsubstantiated claims lend little to this already dead-and-beaten-horse debate, and I’m tired of hearing people complain about the other side not having the facts while simultaneously failing to present facts themselves.

        You present a number of ungrounded claims, but perhaps the most disturbing is your utter ignorance of the BDS platform. Do some research before you write (you’d be surprised how much more charming an informed opinion is). Your claim: “They want Israel wiped off the map essentially.”

        In fact, BDS is not nearly as radical as you claim. Actually, the aims of the boycott of Israel consist of the three following points (you can find these on the websites if you care to take the time to actually look):
        “1. Ending its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantling the Wall
        2. Recognizing the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; and
        3. Respecting, protecting and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN resolution 194.”

        http://www.bdsmovement.net/call

        Now call me naive, but this does not sound like a call for the abolition of the Israeli state. It simply recognizes the birth right of every Palestinian to return to their homeland (“birth right”? hmm… why does that sound so familiar…)

        My family is hearty Ashkenazi stalk, so leveling accusations of anti-semitism won’t work. (Although, as they say, nobody hates the Jews like the Jews). There is a clear difference between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism that you have demonstrated an incapacity to see. Perhaps because it’s easier for you to view your opponents as hateful. Maybe that’s how you excuse your own hatred.

      • itaintmojo

        I don’t buy in to the timeless “nobody hates the Jews like the Jews”. Never did. Jewish Jew haters like Chomsky and Finklestien are a tiny minority. I have met French people who say they can’t stand the French. I’m sure Every country, or race has it’s dissenters, but I am also sure they are all in a minority. I’m sorry to hear that you are Jewish, and feel the way you do about Israel. but you have a right to your opinion.

        I don’t agree with occupation. I think disputed lands is a more realistic way of putting it. The lands were fought over. Israel won those battles in largely defensive wars. Before that, there was no dispute by Arabs after the fall of the Ottoman Empire as to who was in control of those lands. The British mandate of Palestine had clear intention for a homeland for Jews. The partition ended up much smaller for Israel, due to Arab objection. Still the Jews accepted the Partition in 1947. Arabs rejected it. Had the Arabs been smart and accepted, their state of Palestine would be 66 years old today, and contain a larger territory than what they are willing to settle for now. Instead 5 Arab countries attacked the nascent state on its 1st day of rebirth in the hopes of wiping it out. They failed then, and then in subsequent attempts, and now the land has changed hands and is disputed. Till the Jewish state is recognized and respected, security for the jewish state is of high concern.

        Refugees is another issue related to 1947 again. Had the Arabs accepted the Israeli state then, there would be no refugees. Israeli’s say Arab leaders urged Arabs to leave the area till they finished wiping out the Jews and then come back. Arabs claim that Jews ethnically cleansed them. I believe both of those claims are true, and contributed to the exodus. But it should not get lost that the exodus did not have to happen, and that it only happened because Arabs refused the partition to live side by side with a Jewish state. While Israel took in over 700,000 fleeing Jews from Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Syria, and the region, the rest of the Arab world treated the Arab refugees as pawns (still do), and left the Arabs with no country. When you leave out these facts you leave out the truth.

        BDS is not for a two state solution. They want as you say, for the refugees to return, and land given back. But in that scenario, demographically, Bargouti know that Jews will become a minority in their own state.

        BDSers and Jew haters have no interest in talking about all the good things about Israel. How it was a poor dessert before Israeli’s built it to what it is. That Arabs sit in the Knesset, and supreme courts of Israel, while Abbaas and other propose a Judenrein Palestine. How Israel has brought medical and technological wonders to mankind for all the world to share and use. All the humanitarian efforts for any place in the world hit by natural disaster. Even treating injured Syrian soldiers who despise them, and letting them go home after they are healed, without so much as a thank you. It’s indecent of BDSers to not mention any of the good Israel does. There are many more positives about Israel, none of which will ever be mentioned by a BDSer. And with all the villainous dictatorships still out there in the world today, BDS hones in on Israel, who are in no way perfect, but in the top echelon of kinder countries if there is such a thing. Its through that hypocrisy that I speculate that bashing Israel, instead of lets say Syria, is hate agenda based. Israeli’s still want to be recognized and respected, and for Arab hate teachings in their school curriculum to stop, and then live side by side with a Palestine that accepts them. Even a Judenrein Palestine (which is very racist obviously). To this day, and even by Abbass himself during these “peace talks” Arabs refuse to recognize the legitimacy of the Jewish state. Hamas, and all Sharia advocates in the region want every Jew out of Israel, and that there be no Israel. Abbass, like Arafat before him, lines his Swiss bank accounts by depositing aid money that was intended to help Arabs. Over 2 billion dollars are unaccounted for at the PA, and no one cares. But bashing Israel is where it is at for you, and for the millions of world wide Jew haters, and it does not matter what the facts are to people like you. I’m willing to look in the mirror and see the mistakes Israel has made. There are many. The USS Liberty, The King David Hotel, and Dier Yassin, to name a few. Israel has done bad things. Just not on the scale of countries that are truly oppressive consistently. And in comparison the the Arab regimes around them, one could easily say the Israel is kind and benevolent. Arabs in the region will either destroy Israel, or continue living their sorry hate consumed lives. Too bad for both sides Arabs stubbornly cling to this attitude of pointing fingers, and never looking in the mirror.

        If BDSers wanted to something really good for Arabs in the middle east, they would start a movement to stop hate teachings of Jews, and Israel. Push Sharia advocates from Hamas, Hezbollah, and Muslim Brotherhood to reform its intolerance of non Sharia doctrines. Change the name to BTH. Bury The Hatchet. Sounds a lot more productive to me for both sides.

      • Senior ’14

        “Arabs in the region will either destroy Israel, or continue living their sorry hate consumed lives”
        Some generalization….

        I’m not going to get legnthy here, but I’ll just say that you’ve completely evaded my own points.

        1.) You seem unwilling to consider the Apartheid analogy, or even to give a few substantial reasons why it is innapropriate.

        2.) You prefer not to explain how BDS is an anti-semitic organization. This conclusion seems axiomatic for you. Being opposed to Israel is not the same thing as hating all Jews, and unless you can give a good argument connecting the two, it’s going to look like a cop-out rhetorical retreat to most people reading this.

        3.) You cannot give me a good example of pro-Israel speakers being shut out in academia.

        I want to return to original discussion. I’m not interested in arguments that say ‘Because Israel is the most “progressive” country in the region, we must support them.’ You know why? Because once upon a time South Africa was the most developed country in its area, but we eventually realized that is not reason enough to allow Apartheid to continue. This was at a time in history when the Taliban was growing in power in Afghanistan, when Pinochet was still a dictator in Chile, and when the Chinese were shooting kids in Tianamenn square. Those other tragedies did not prevent the global community from taking action against South Africa. In fact, I’m sure that Apartheid was not the greatest evil at the time when the boycott against it began.

        Israel (and to be clear, I’m not talking about the jewish community) is in clear violation of international law. It is colonizing Palestinian lands. And it supports a racist birth right policy that says that people who have never lived in the Levant can move there, while people who two generations back lived there can now never move back.

      • itaintmojo

        Re your point 3)
        http://www.presstv.com/detail/230703.html

        http://www.jspace.com/news/articles/university-in-south-africa-cancels-israeli-official-s-lecture/9152

        http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/united-kingdom/120430/israeli-professor-has-uk-workshop-cancelled-after

        There are many more events that were cancelled.

        Point 1) Many of the young anti-Israel activists who claim that Israel is an apartheid state don’t understand what the definition of apartheid truly is. According to Merriam Webster’s English dictionary, apartheid is “racial segregation: specifically, a former policy of segregation and political and economic discrimination against non-European groups in the Republic of South Africa.” Policies that were implemented in apartheid South Africa were legal prohibitions on sexual relations between different races; forced physical separations between races, in restaurants, neighborhoods, swimming pools, public transport, etc.; restricting members of the black community to unskilled labor in urban areas; forbidding blacks from voting; educational restrictions for blacks, etc.these conditions listed above do not exist in Israel. Arabs have the vote, which in itself makes them fundamentally different from South Africa’s black population under apartheid. And even the current right wing government says that it wants to overcome Arab disadvantage and promises action to upgrade education and housing and increase job opportunities. Most pro Arab groups point to the separation barriers/walls that Israel has erected and use the word apartheid. But these walls were erected for security, and have done their job. Suicide bombing incidents are way down since the walls went up. The usage of the word apartheid in regards to Israel, is slander. Especially with all the brutal Arab regimes nearby.

        Point 2) I believe I did explain, but perhaps I didn’t, so I will take another stab at it, and hope I’m not repetitive. Those who would say that they have nothing against Jews, but that their beef is with Israel….I don’t buy that. Zion is the one homeland of the Jewish people for them to call their own. Taking religion out of for a moment, one could say the same for Italy, Canada, or any other country/state. I will never tell an Italian, that I like Italians, or that I have nothing against Italians, and follow it up, that Italy is illegitimate and should not exist. Its fair to say an italian will not take kindly to that. I think its fair that Israelis would take it the same way. If you are against Israel, then you are against the majority of Jews who believe Israel is legitimate. If the only Jews that are like-able to BDSers are Jews like Chomsky, Finkelstien, and you, then you only like Jews that agree with your agenda, and they are in a deep minority. Stop holding up these anti Jew Jews and saying “look your own people agree with us”. Its another false narrative omitting the majority.

        Your point about which country to pick out to ostracize is a good one. People tend to go in the direction where their passion is. South Africa was a unique case. I took the time to read up on the history of how Apartheid came to be in South Africa. Its too long to write about here. But again, if you dig deeper, and read both sides, you will find facts that put whites in SA in a peculiar position, that morphed into a bad situation. Empathy for persecuted Blacks is and was, very high in the world, due to their history of persecution. I myself grew up reading stories of MLK, Lincoln, and Medger Evers. I was fascinated. I’m sure I’m not alone. There is no more Slavery or segregation in the US. Been gone for decades. But you would not know it from the race grievance industry Jackson and Sharpton have kept going, while they never say a word about the 73% fatherless Black and mixed race children in America today. Or that 97% of all Blacks who get murdered in the US today, get killed by other Blacks. pardon I digress….In Israel’s case, The core of the critic comes from an already imbedded dislike. Jew hate is taught by parents around the globe. Parents speak to tier kids about the rich, greedy Jews who control governments, the movie industry, and who killed Christ. This is real, and its global. There ‘s no telling how many people hate jews around the world, or have been mind poisoned from an early age to grow up with that imbedded. My guess would be no less than 1 billion of the world’s people, and I think I’m being conservative. Arab countries even include Jew hate in their kids school curriculums. BDSers have huge advantage in this way. They would not be able to gather nearly as much members were it not for Jews hatred being so popular, and the target of the campaign…ooops pardon me I should have said Israeli’s, because as you say BDSers have nothing against Jews, pardon my sarc.

        Don’t take me as someone who thinks Israel is perfect. Israel has things to apologize for, as do most nations. But in comparison to their neighbors they are to me a wonderful country. BDSers only point out the negative about this kinder country, and worse, they omit important historical occurrences to an audience that feeds off Jew hate.

        I have imagined it in my head countless times what it would be like if Arabs and Jews in the middles east were good to each other, and respected each other, and lived peaceful happy productive lives together. A dream I will likely never see. I see grave darkness for Israel. and BDS is not helping to deter that. America under Obama will be closer to BDS than to Israel. That is where the wind is blowing. I’m very worried you will have your way soon. I don’t think Israel will be going down alone though. Unless the hate stops, it will come to war, which now days is uglier than ever. And unless Sharia reforms itself to put tolerance of others in their doctrine, then I doubt highly there can ever be a solution other than confrontation. It so sucks Senior.

      • Senior ’14

        1.) Apartheid is not meant to be an exact model of the Israel-Palestine situation, only an analogy. So if you look for differences, yes, there will be some. What is alarming are the similarities. (a) A western colonial state that has isolated many of the native inhabitants into a small fraction of their former territory. (b) gross economic imbalance between colonists and native area. (c) an inability of those native areas to participate in the democracy of their administrators. I’m not the only person who feels this way. The second president of South Africa also argued that Israel practiced apartheid.

        Even for Arab citizens of Israel, their ability to purchase or lease land is considerably limited compared to Jews through the JNF’s land monopoly. And Arab citizenship rights are much more limited than Jewish ones. Jews can obtain citizenship pretty much no matter what, regardless of their country of origin. However, even the spouses of current Israeli citizens are not allowed citizenship if they are from Arab countries. Sound a little bit like apartheid yet?

        2.) Looks like the only one making sweeping generalizations here is you. Yes there is anti-semitism in the world. Many people who oppose the state of Israel are anti-semitic (more often than not Israeli aggression is the cause, not the effect of anti-semitism/until the birth of the state of Israel, Jews and Arabs DID live side by side in the middle east, so explain to me what other than Israeli aggression explains this sudden shift?)

        Race grievance industry? I’d imagine that ‘industry’ is somewhat less successful than the prison-industrial complex. Ever wonder why there are so many fatherless black children? More black people are behind bars today than were in chains during slavery. Also take a drive through Chicago/Los Angeles/Oakland/Saint Louis. Yes, there is still segregation in the US, buddy.

        The notion that Israel is the Jewish state is your assessment, and yours alone. Since the days of Herzl Jews have opposed the Israeli state. Believe it or not, not even a majority of Jews live in Israel. In fact, by some counts, more live here in the US. Israel is not “the” Jewish state, it is “a” majority Jewish country populated by less than half the worldwide Jewish population, a fraction which believes in Zionism.

        Now as far as anti-Jewish indoctrination goes, yes, there is hatred on both sides. That is the nature of conflict. I think you have yourself exemplified the hatred going the other direction.

        But again, I’ll remind you, we are talking about BDS, not the entirety of people which are unhappy with Israeli policy. No, just the BDS which you accuse of being anti-semitic. There is no substance for this other than your longing for a cheap way to dismiss them. Right now you’re all talk. Levelling anti-semitism is a quick way to silence people, but it won’t work on me, nor on the BDS. I want evidence, not just invention.

        3.) I am asking about pro-Israeli lecturers. Not Israeli lectures. Obviously these Israeli professors have been asked not to speak. That is the idea of a boycott, after all. And noticed none of these examples came from the US. Probably because the US is so anti-Israel Israeli speakers don’t even bother coming here…

      • itaintmojo

        I don’t think I ever used anti Semitic in anything I wrote you. I normally would not because I don’t use that term. Seeing as not all Semites are Jewish, I find the term inaccurate. For me its Jew hate. I don’t use Jew hate to dismiss you. I believe that if you are pushing Israel as an evil entity that needs to be boycotted over a country like Syria, then you are a hypocrite who hates Jews. I don’t know why else you would single out a country that has done so many good things unless it stemmed from some sort of hate. When you call Israel an aggressor, for me its false. Arabs are the ones who have been trying to wipe Israel off the map. They attacked israel on the 1st day of its re-birth, which makes clear for me who the aggressors are. When you twist that around I again have to question you on historical accounts that you won’t acknowledge, and wonder (not assume) if there is hate behind your thought process. I don’t know what happened to you. But something must have happened to you to make you block out historical occurrences and hate the people you were born into. Whatever happened to you, I wish it hadn’t. But maybe one day, you will come to see that its not every Jews fault.

        I want to say to you, that time is running out. After all that has happened, many Jews have fallen over to the right. Angry settlers are lashing at Arabs. Its wrong but many of these folks have just seen too much hate thrown their way, and have fallen in to the hate back trap. There are going to be a lot more Naftali Bennetts in Israel. I believe this is going to come down to one of the ugliest confrontations ever. I don’t know how soon. BDS is not helping matters with their singling out the only decent country in the mid east. BDS incites hatred under false narratives omitting pertinent historical facts. BDS is a hate club. A revenge club. All directed at Israel, one of the finest examples of democratic productivity the world can offer these days. While you spend your time on preaching hatred for Jews in Israel, Israeli’s will go about there daily lives, keep producing, keep raising families, and stay ready for the next attack. Unfortunately, I fear doom for them, because this will never stop under Sharia doctrine the way it is. There is no way devout Sharia advocates can accept Israel. It would be Blasphemy against the Koran. To them Israel must be destroyed by any means. And there are so many Sharia practitioners, as well as non Sharia Arabs filled with hate for the Jewish state. That is why they attacked from 5 counties on the 1st day. They had to, in accordance with Sharia law. One day these people will get a nuke and do something terrible, and that will be it for Israel. And Israel might not have the charity to go down alone. South Africa was in the wrong and had to admit it. Israel has no such obligation. Not everyone is going to buy BDS false narratives with omissions. History has been safe guarded enough to present the truth to the public. The only people who will buy your false versions are people who want to buy it because they already hated Jews in the first place, so it already fits their interests. Its a lousy cause, based on misrepresentation of history. You will only have Jew hate kinship as a result of your efforts, and possibly a ton of dead people from both sides from your contributions. Israel should kick everybody out of the negotiating room now, and tell them to not bother coming back till hate teaching is stopped in Arab schools, and that the Jewish state will be respected and its security needs are sincerely addressed. There is nothing to talk about till then in my view. Each side make their moves, and do what they must till then. You and I are not really finding much middle ground. Neither are they. I’m truly sorry for that. I wish we could find something to talk about and be friends and help each other. But you won’t be making many friends nor do you intend to, when you call someone a land thieving apartheid murdering occupier. So when you call me that don’t expect kindness back, and don’t tell me I am dismissing you because you I say you hate Jews. You have nothing nice to say about Jews. The only Jews you like are those Jews who share your hatred of Jews. That doesn’t count as tolerant for me.

      • Senior ’14

        You’re splitting hairs with your distinction between anti-semitism and “jew hate.” In fact hate doesn’t need to be a part of this debate at all. I support Palestinians out of compassion for their unfair predicament. Nothing “happened” to me to make me think this way. Unless you count my moral sense as having “happened” to me.

        “Land thieving apartheid murdering occupier”
        not my words. Clearly you need to assume there is some sort of emotional symmetry in this debate. I like Israelis, and Palestinians, and especially the Jews. But that doesn’t get in the way of politics.

      • itaintmojo

        Perhaps you are different than most BDSers, Even if you don’t feel hate, you can’t convince me that hate is not prevalent in most BDSers and in most Arabs from the middle east. They teach their kids from the moment they can talk to hate the Jews, and about jihad. Most comment sections on articles to do with Israel, have a abundance of hateful comments. Documented history is ignored by BDSers, along with the rest of those who single out Israel. Arab citizens of Israel have it better, and are treated best in Israel. In comparison, Arabs live awful lives in all the neighboring countries, Things would be so much better for Arabs if they stopped hating, and found tolerance for their Jewish neighbor. No one is perfect, and without self reflection, no one improves themselves. Until Sharia advocates reform and amend the koran to allow tolerance for other faiths, then this won’t end in any peaceful manner.

      • Amended

        Really? Then it sure is odd that Jews and Arabs both lived peacefully together in Palestine for centuries prior to the occupation…

        Maybe I missed the memo but did Moses amend the Ten Commandments recently? Wasn’t there some stuff in there about not stealing, killing, coveting? :-)

        Eh, who cares, he and the rest of the Israelites were all just tripping on drugs anyway. :-)

        7 And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium.

        8 And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.

        Manna (Hebrew: מָ‏ן‎) is an edible substance that, according to Abrahamic doctrine, God provided for the Israelites during their travels in the desert.

      • itaintmojo

        Yes I heard they got along and lived side by side before 1948. Was that due to dhimmitude? There were bloody incidents though during the period of the British mandate. On both sides. I have no info on the predominance of Sharia before 1948 in the region. These days it’s safe to say that strict advocates of Sharia cannot accept a Jewish state neighbour. Your accusations of land theft are a poor attempt at erasing history. Arabs refused the partition which was approved by the Government in charge at the time (the British), as well as the League Of Nations. More Arab lands were lost after Arab attacks. To sloff that off to theft by Israel is a false narrative. Only haters with an agenda can push and buy that false depiction. The more your ilk put out tales with omission the more you shall be exposed as altering history to suit your hateful agenda. The more BDS singles out only Israel while other countries committ real atrocities which BDS ignores, the easier it will be for good people with common sense, to see how bigoted BDS is.

        Love thy neighbour. Sharia cannot do this unless the neighbour submits to Sharia. That’s why it needs amending and reform. Until Sharia is changed to include tolerance of other faiths then there will never be anything to discuss. We shall stand ready for the next attack and respond accordingly

      • EatGentilesGetMoney

        “I had made up my mind to write no more either about the Jews or against them. But since I learned that these miserable and accursed people do not cease to lure to themselves even us, that is, the Christians, I have published this little book, so that I might be found among those who opposed such poisonous activities of the Jews who warned the Christians to be on their guard against them. I would not have believed that a Christian could be duped by the Jews into taking their exile and wretchedness upon himself. However, the devil is the god of the world, and wherever God’s Word is absent he has an easy task, not only with the weak but also with the strong. May God help us. Amen.” – Martin Luther

        The Jews and their Lies [http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/luther.htm]

        2000 Years of Jewish Ritual Murder [http://gblt.webs.com/jewish_ritual_murder.htm]

        Book of Revelation [http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/k/kjv/kjv-idx?type=DIV1&byte=5379618]

        God Bless

      • itaintmojo

        Please continue speaking out. By doing so, you expose yourself and your ilk of the bigoted haters that you are. People need to be aware of your blatant discrimination and prejudice.

      • EatGentilesGetMoney

        As a Lutheran, I am offended by your accusations. May the Lord guide your evil heart back towards the Light.

        John 20:19 “Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.”

      • itaintmojo

        I wrote the easily verifiable truth. The only country in the Mid East where the Christian population is growing is Israel. You cannot erase the truth of this.

        Christians are being slaughtered in Arab lands as we write. And it’s not Jews butchering them. Ask a Coptic Christian in Egypt who is burning their churches and raping young Christian girls.

        You are either of low information, or of brainwashing. Either way you have pointed your finger in the wrong direction to look for evil. I have been a kind servant to goodness all of my life, and your accusation to the otherwise is misinformed at the very least, to very likely bigoted discrimination.

        Save your own soul before you try and save others.

      • Isaiah

        May we all save each other’s souls with knowledge and compassion. There is wisdom in the Zohar, as evidenced by the Prophecy of Elul 23 5761 (Sep 11th 2001)

        3 High Places shall fall Down, and the Palace of Strength…

        http://www.kabbalaonline.org/k…
        http://magog.web-site.co.il/go…

        The Holy Zohar at the ‘Balak’ Parasha (Page 212) talks about many matters that are supposed to happen at the latter days.

        Among other things the Zohar tells us that in the Hebrew month of Elul (which is the 6th Hebrew month according to the Biblical count), within 25 first days of the month, 3 high places will fall in one city.

        The terrorist attack on the US came on Elul 23rd (within the first 25 days…), and it made the two highest towers, the WTC (World Trade Center) twin towers, collapse. Later in the same day WTC7, the 47 storey tower near the twin towers, also collapsed. And we see that that three high places in the same city fell-down on the same day, during the first 25 days of Elul, as the Zohar predicted almost 2000 years ago.

        Let us all work towards a New World Order of Faith, Wisdom, and Compassion.

      • itaintmojo

        Israel: The only country in the Middle East where the Christian population is growing, and is safe from persecution. Your false narratives won’t fly with anyone except your fellow Bigoted Denigrating Scammers.

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