So, I came up with a pithy quote
Sep. 10th, 2005 12:09 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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weirdjews, I came up with a quote which, the more I think about it, the more I think I'm right. I said:
Now, really, "complete destruction" doesn't necessarily mean violence or death. It means the destruction of the identity of "Palestinian" or "Israeli".
Option 2 is just plain not going to happen. The identity of "Israeli", or "Zionist" has been around since at least 1897, if not before. And if, somehow, G-d forbid, all the Jews were kicked out of Israel, and Israel ceased to exist as a modern country, there would still be Zionists. So, Option 2 isn't happening.
Option 1: as a Zionist myself, although one who frequently feels that the government of Israel is doing the wrong thing, I would love it if all the people who think of themselves as Palestinians decided that they wanted to be active participants in the modern state of Israel, and decided that, fundamentally, they are Israelis. And that would be the ideal way that we would see the destruction of "the Palestinians" as a group distinct from "the Israelis".
But that's not going to happen, either. Their entire self-definition is based on what they're NOT as much as what they ARE -- and what they're NOT is Israelis. You just can't put that down easily.
There are plenty of Arab Israelis. Arab Israelis aren't Palestinians.
I can understand this emotional reaction. As a Jew, a significant part of my self identity is "not Christian."
It sucks, because I have a lot of Christian friends, and I can respect what they do with their Christianity, and that Christianity is a positive influence in their lives. Yet, my emotional response to the word "Christian" is strongly negative. And half my own family's Christian. (Interestingly, I've got a slight positive response to "Catholic", no response whatsoever to "Protestant", and "Quaker" is strongly positive.)
weirdjews, I came up with a quote which, the more I think about it, the more I think I'm right. I said:
There are three lasting solutions to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. One is the complete destruction of the Palestinians. Two is the complete destruction of the Israelis.
I'm in favor of the third solution.
I'll let you know if I ever figure out what it is.
Now, really, "complete destruction" doesn't necessarily mean violence or death. It means the destruction of the identity of "Palestinian" or "Israeli".
Option 2 is just plain not going to happen. The identity of "Israeli", or "Zionist" has been around since at least 1897, if not before. And if, somehow, G-d forbid, all the Jews were kicked out of Israel, and Israel ceased to exist as a modern country, there would still be Zionists. So, Option 2 isn't happening.
Option 1: as a Zionist myself, although one who frequently feels that the government of Israel is doing the wrong thing, I would love it if all the people who think of themselves as Palestinians decided that they wanted to be active participants in the modern state of Israel, and decided that, fundamentally, they are Israelis. And that would be the ideal way that we would see the destruction of "the Palestinians" as a group distinct from "the Israelis".
But that's not going to happen, either. Their entire self-definition is based on what they're NOT as much as what they ARE -- and what they're NOT is Israelis. You just can't put that down easily.
There are plenty of Arab Israelis. Arab Israelis aren't Palestinians.
I can understand this emotional reaction. As a Jew, a significant part of my self identity is "not Christian."
It sucks, because I have a lot of Christian friends, and I can respect what they do with their Christianity, and that Christianity is a positive influence in their lives. Yet, my emotional response to the word "Christian" is strongly negative. And half my own family's Christian. (Interestingly, I've got a slight positive response to "Catholic", no response whatsoever to "Protestant", and "Quaker" is strongly positive.)