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March 13, 2008 at 22:03:10

But What Can I Do About the Crisis Facing Israel and the Jewish People?

by Rachel Neuwirth Page 1 of 2 page(s)

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More and more people have been saying to me, "I realize that Jews are facing a major crisis in Israel, here in America, in Europe, and everywhere in the world. But what can I do about it? I am just one person. Vast forces are threatening Israel. Can I stop anti-Israelism and anti-Judaism on my own? I feel helpless in the face of the vast forces that are arrayed against us."

These are natural and normal human feelings. I have felt them at times myself. The confluence of international forces that has gathered against the Jewish people and faith, including the spiritual and intellectual fifth column amongst us, is indeed a formidable adversary. Nevertheless, there are things we can do if we are willing to work together to protect our rights and stand up to the massive defamation campaign waged against us.

One very important thing that all of us can do is to counter the endless lies and distortions of Israel's history and character that appear in the press, mass media, on the Internet, and even in scholarly journals. These distortions and outright falsehoods are a major reason why Israel is in such deep trouble, and in danger of "going under." Because the entire world has been led to believe an inaccurate, grossly distorted "narrative" of the conflict, the government of Israel feels it has no choice but to make concessions to the demands of its enemies, in order to appease world opinion. But these concessions imperil Israel's existence.

Each of us can help to correct this appalling situation by acting immediately, whenever we encounter such a distortion in the press or mass media, to correct it with a letter to the editor or news manager. We can also actively monitor the mass media on the Internet in order to locate as many distortions as we can and correct them. Further, we can speak up to counter distortions in public lectures and meetings about the Arab-Israel conflict, and even in private conversations. All of this requires work and time, but it really does help. Each of us should devote as much time and energy to these tasks as we possibly can.

But in order to counter the endless flow of lies and distortions about Israel, we must first learn what the true facts of Israel's history are. Before we can answer the chorus of unfair criticisms leveled against Israel and her supporters in the United States and elsewhere, we must first educate ourselves.

What are the facts about the conflict over "Palestine" that Arab and other anti-Israel propagandists have distorted, misrepresented and covered up? The following are some, although by no means all, of the most important ones:

The Israelis are not colonialists or alien "settlers" in the Land of Israel with no past connection or relationship to the country; on the contrary, we Jews have lived in Israel for at least 3,200 years if not longer. This is far longer than most peoples have lived in their present national homelands. Our two glorious temples, wonders of the ancient world, were there for a thousand years. King David's kingdom endured for more than four hundred years; later, there was the independent Jewish state of the Maccabees. Jews had lived in the Land of Israel in large numbers for at least 1,800 years before the Arabs conquered it in 635 C.E. Moreover, while hundreds of thousands of Jews were expelled from their land or put to death in it by foreign conquerors, there have been at least some Jews living there almost continuously for 3,200 years.

There has never been a distinctive "Palestinian" Arab people or an Arab "Palestine" state or nation; while it is true that some Arabs have lived in the Land of Israel for many centuries, they have never been ethnically or culturally distinct or different from the Arabs who live in other lands, including the original Arab homeland, the Arabian Peninsula. The Jews, however, are a people who originated in the Land of Israel and never had any other national homeland.

During over a thousand years of Muslim rule, "Palestine" was rarely the name even of an administrative district, let alone a nation. Arabs referred to the entire land that now comprises Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel and the "occupied territories" as "al-Shams" (Syria), which they regarded as one country.

While the Land of Israel, also called "Palestine" by Romans and Europeans, was densely populated in ancient times, its population steadily declined during over 1,000 years of Muslim rule. In the nineteenth century, Israel/Palestine was very thinly settled. There was very little agriculture, and extensive abandoned and uninhabited "waste" lands. Most of the population, such as it was, lived in dire poverty. Brigandage was such an established and accepted way of life that it was impossible to travel on the roads without the payment of large bribes to the leading men of each village along the way. The roads themselves were no more than unpaved footpaths. Villages fought wars with each other. Nomadic Bedouin tribes frequently raided villages and even larger towns. The inhabitants of the few larger towns (there were no real cities) had to cower behind thick walls and locked gates every night for security.

The Arab population of Israel/Palestine only began to grow in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, at the same time that Jews began to resettle the land. Jewish immigrants brought with them modernized agriculture, including the growing of oranges, which had been previously unknown; a market for Arab agricultural goods; employment at Jewish farms and factories; modern hospitals and medicine that saved thousands of Arab lives; the draining of swamps that had caused thousands of deaths from malaria and other insect-born diseases; and vastly expanded Arab education funded by Jewish taxes.

The Arab population of Palestine has grown extensively, from under 500,000 in 1891 to over 3,600,000 today, partly because of increased life expectancy brought about by the economic and scientific progress introduced by Jewish immigrants/settlers, but also in part because of extensive immigration to Palestine from many Arab countries.

As a result, many of the Arabs who call themselves, or who are called by other Arabs "Palestinians," have ancestors who originated in Egypt, Syria, what are now Saudi Arabia, the Sudan and other Arab countries. These Arab countries ought rightfully to give these "Palestinians" citizenship, but refuse to do so.

The Arabs, including and especially the Palestinian Arabs, have been the aggressors throughout the nearly 100 years of the Arab-Israel conflict. This "one long war" began with the communal violence that convulsed Palestine between 1920 and 1948, even before Israel was founded.

Palestinian and other Arabs organized and carried out massive pogroms against the Jews of Palestine in 1920, 1921 and 1929, waged a sustained terrorist campaign against them from 1936 through 1939, and a full-scale jihad against them in 1947-48. Thousands of Palestinian terrorist/guerillas, the regular armies of six Arab states, and "volunteers" from throughout the Arab and Muslim worlds all participated in this aggressive war. Before the 1947-48 Arab attack against the Palestinian/Israeli Jews there had been few if any displaced Palestinian Arabs. The Palestinian Arabs were not innocent bystanders in the war that made them refugees. They initiated the war in which some, although not all, of them fled from parts of Israel in 1948. They killed over two thousand Jews in that war. The six invading Arab states killed over 4,300 more Jews.

The Israelis defended themselves as best they could against these unprovoked attacks. But they did not expel the Palestinian Arabs. Many Arab leaders as well as ordinary Palestinian Arabs have admitted that Arab leaders urged the Arabs living in Palestine to flee, promising them that Arab armies would soon defeat the Jews and allow them to return to their homes. Despite this bad advice, many Palestinian Arabs never left Israel, and became Israeli citizens, with full rights of citizenship. Today there are over one million Arab citizens and residents of Israel -- more than there were in 1947, before Israel was established.

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http://www.MiddleEastSolutions.com

Rachel Neuwirth, an internationally recognized, political commentator and analyst. She specializes in Middle Eastern Affairs with particular emphasis on Militant Islam and Israeli foreign policy. She has been published in prominent news papers of Europe, Asia and the US. She is frequently quoted by reputable Media.

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8 comments

CPA, University Lecturer Risk Finance, Major Royal Australian Infantry (Inactive) RFD, Former Mayor City of Greater Dandenong, Wife from Arabic speaking coutry, Former Lecturer Arabic & Islamic culture - Army Reserve Command & Staff College.
kwalshCPA, University Lecturer Risk Finance, Major Royal Australian Infantry (Inactive) RFD, Former Mayor City of Greater Dandenong, Wife from Arabic speaking coutry, Former Lecturer Arabic & Islamic culture - Army Reserve Command & Staff College.

Annex the territories

Much of what you say is true. I grew up as an admirer of plucky Israel. Israel does have arguably the best claim in international law to Gaza and the West Bank. No other recognised country lays any claim to them. But Israel steadfastly refuses to Annex the so called Occupied Territories. After 40 years I can only conclude that it does not do so because it is frightened of giving the Arab occupants of the territories the rights and protections of citizenship. Israel is in a monkey trap, it won't let go of the land but it won't survive giving the Arabs the vote. (An asian monkey trap is a coconut with a grape inside it, tied to a tree. The monkey can get his hand inside but when he graps the grape he can't get his hand with the grape out of the small hole. Since he won't let go of the grape, he is trapped.)

by kwalsh (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 183 comments) on Thursday, March 13, 2008 at 11:32:27 PM

R. Queisser has been an unabashed progressive activist since the '60s. After 28 years in non-profit health care management he left that field, disgusted at the mess commercial health insurance companies have created. He now resides near the Canadian border where he does ontological work repairing gashes in the fabric of truth created by "conservative" politicians & pundits.
R. QueisserR. Queisser has been an unabashed progressive activist since the '60s. After 28 years in non-profit health care management he left that field, disgusted at the mess commercial health insurance companies have created. He now resides near the Canadian border where he does ontological work repairing gashes in the fabric of truth created by "conservative" politicians & pundits.

Rachel, Your Prejudice Blinds You to Reality.

Look at the retributive violence of the IDF after each Palestinian attack. Usually it will be a rocket attack against a civilian housing complex. Now count the Palestinian casualties, which always exceed 3 times the number of Israelis killed. This 3:1 pattern has been consistent for over 4 decades of my observations.

This month the IDF killed over 120 Palestinians because, according to Ehud Ohlmert, about a dozen citizens of Sderot have been killed by Hamas rockets OVER THE PAST YEAR.

Compare the scale of destruction. Palestinians have stones, bottle rockets, crude crude rockets, and suicide vests which use ball bearings and nails, projected by simple explosives or even by plastic explosives. In short, Palestinians have pathetically few resources and almost no options to protest the clear and continuing international crimes committed by Israel, e.g., occupying large areas of territory never granted Israel by its 1948 UN Charter.

Now look at the IDF’s armamentarium: F-16 & F-15 fighter planes with rockets many times more powerful (and more accurate) than Katushas; helicopter gunships that can—and do—hover alongside occupied Palestinian apartment buildings and blast through walls and windows or follow civilian auto convoys and rocket the occupants—civilian as well as militants; tanks which roll over civilians, cars, fences and orchards; and huge Caterpillar bulldozers specifically manufactured to wreck Palestinian homes and buildings.

If Palestinians had similar weapons they would no doubt use them, but for now Israel must only worry about Katushas and occasional suicide bombers—both comparatively minor threats I suspect the Palestinians would gladly exchange for their daily terrors and humiliations at the hands of the IDF.

Ms. Neuwirth, on your website (MiddleEastSolutions.com [sic]) you explain why Israel has the right to exterminate Palestinians: because Israel previously “owned” the territory 4,000 years ago. One is reminded of the trite Christian song “Jesus loves me.” Instead, Ms. Neuwirth’s song would seem to be “Israel owns the Holy Lands, ‘Cause the Bible tells me so.”

Or, as you state there: “The Jewish People have legitimate land claims. The Hebrew bible is the historical record of the Jewish People from the time of Abraham, some 4,000 years ago. The Israelites led by Moses formally became a Jewish nation at Mount Sinai thirty-three centuries ago when they received the divine Law of the holy Torah, including the Ten Commandments.”

You conveniently forget that before that event there were historical “owners” of that land and again afterwards, for 4,000 years, other groups also “owned” that land. The Ottoman Empire “owned” it for the most recent 400 years. Hmmm…I guess only Israel’s claim to the land is valid because…? And whose bible are we talking about? The King James? The Douay? The Torah?

According to your article here and your website there never were Palestinians nor a Palestinian state. “To speak of Palestine as a real country and of Palestinians as a distinct people is to perpetuate a giant falsehood….” (Anyone ever hear the term Philistine used in both Christian and Hebrew bibles? Palestinian/Philistine--Think about it.) This quaint thesis is copied (as I recall) from a propaganda piece published by Bibi Netanyahu maybe ten years ago. It was a popular bar room argument in Israel for a while until everyone tired of hearing the obvious bu**sh** and moved on.

Now check inside Israel’s many prisons, where between 12,000 and 14,000 Palestinian men and boys, some as young as 12 years old, have been held for years. Hmmm….6 IDF soldiers vs. 12,000 Palestinian men and boys. Who can guess why Palestinians seem so frustrated?

Then look at the proliferation of Israel’s Apartheid Walls, massive structures that often separate Palestinian villagers from the fields and groves they cultivate for a living, and which often preclude transportation of water and other resources necessary to agriculture. And count the Israeli checkpoints, frequently closed for days, which must be crossed by Palestinians seeking medical care. Anybody still wonder why the Palestinians seem so frustrated?

Israel is a theocratic state with some democratic forms. Many life-long Israelis can not vote, hold Knesset positions, become mayors or even teach, because of their religion. The Chief Rabbinate can still overrule laws passed by the Knesset. Becoming a true democracy would add tremendously to Israel’s international appeal as a place to build a life. It would also diminish greatly the opportunity some Arab politicians and Islamic clergy have used to criticize Israel. In fact, it would strengthen Israel internally and externally.

But as long as only Orthodox Jews can hold most public offices, as long as even Conservative and Reform Jews must subvert their religious beliefs to the orthodoxy of the Chief Rabbinate, as long as indigenous non-Jews can be denied citizenship, rights and due process, as long as Israel systematically represses Palestinians--who long for nothing more than a homeland such as Israel offers both Israeli and diaspora Jews--Israel will remain weaker than it need be.

Greater strength and resilience would result from Israel’s full compliance with the over 30 critical UN Resolutions and the correction of its human rights violations. Full compliance would also encourage other nations to negotiate the mutual defense treaties that Israel so desperately requires to be truly stable and democratic.

As other states in the neighborhood realize that Israel has abandoned its territorial ambitions, renounced its occupation of lands in the Golan Heights, Gaza and the West Bank, and Sinai, and demonstrated a willingness to engage in balanced treaties regarding water, minerals, trade, mutual assistance, borders and defense collaboration, any hostile ambitions of Israel’s neighboring states (and indeed, any international support they might have expected for military adventures) will dry up, leaving Israel stronger and more respected than ever.

And that is what will best protect Israel, Ms. Neuwirth. That is what will attract new immigrants and slow the attrition of bright, young Israelis who now see no hope in the failed policies of either Labor or Likud. And that will be the best protection possible against any enemies, foreign or domestic, current or future. Shalom.

by R. Queisser (6 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 60 comments) on Friday, March 14, 2008 at 4:18:01 AM

A writer is a rogue goose. All other gees fly in a flock formation; every goose knows his place and time for honking. The rogue goose is undisciplined. He leaves the formation indiscriminately to have a look at it from aside. He roams back and forth, takes a peep at the leader, honks a little bit from behind, distracts everyone and writes on what he sees. Time passes and as he wants to return back to his place he discovers someone else there. Thus he either has to wait until they land for rest...

to see more of bio, click on member name
Mark SashineA writer is a rogue goose. All other gees fly in a flock formation; every goose knows his place and time for honking. The rogue goose is undisciplined. He leaves the formation indiscriminately to have a look at it from aside. He roams back and forth, takes a peep at the leader, honks a little bit from behind, distracts everyone and writes on what he sees. Time passes and as he wants to return back to his place he discovers someone else there. Thus he either has to wait until they land for rest...

to see more of bio, click on member name

Slimy antisemitism once again

'More and more people have been saying to me, "I realize that Jews are facing a major crisis in Israel, here in America, in Europe, and everywhere in the world. But what can I do about it? I am just one person. Vast forces are threatening Israel. Can I stop anti-Israelism and anti-Judaism on my own? I feel helpless in the face of the vast forces that are arrayed against us."

These are natural and normal human feelings. I have felt them at times myself. The confluence of international forces that has gathered against the Jewish people and faith, including the spiritual and intellectual fifth column amongst us, is indeed a formidable adversary. Nevertheless, there are things we can do if we are willing to work together to protect our rights and stand up to the massive defamation campaign waged against us. '

**********************************************

I am not sure if RoB Kall understands that he is cultivating and nourishing a pathological antisemite here. Madame Neuwirth is a real treat. Just read it, ' More and more people had been saying to me..' as if there is a line of worried Jews standing in front of her house.. Oh, the crisis, oh, the fifth column among us (sic!) etc. etc.

Slimy love is antisemitism. Putting the Jews into the permanent crisis mode whenever they live just because of the Israeli problems is a criminal intent right there. It puts Jews in some kind of bondage towards that country, into some kind of slavery. No wonder Madame Neuwirth, a volunteer slave herself is so vehement in using fear to subdue other people who do not want to be associated with some country in the Middle East.

The whole article is total bogus and racist: Jewish settlers were a blessing, Arabs were a curse. Madame Neuwirth in her vehemency denies even common sense; the Jews from the current Europe and Russia are not the Jews from Palestine whether ancient or not; how can a Jew born in some Duchanbe have more rights to the land in Jerusalem than any one who lived there for generations? BTW, the Zionist doctrine violates even the Judaism because the teachings about Messiah explicitly state that HE and only HE will bring Jews back to Israel thus no one else can 'do his work for Him'. But those are philosophies, we should not concentrate on them. Those issues deserve a separate discussion.

More sinister is the absolute antisemitic rant about the ' fifth column' which Madame Neuwirth just can't snap out of. Denying the Jewish people the right to the free thought and free individual choice, threatening them as ' traitors of their own kind', separating them from all other people as some kind of ' people of special relaationship with Israel' is a gross violation of human rights, a blasphemy of the worst possible kind, a slimy antisemitism.

Jews are humans. Individual right of the human is paramount including the right to not give a damn about Israel as a country, also the right to, say, like Islam and/or Jesus, the right to love, say France or Russia or good ole USA, beer, lard, call girls, etc. All of that if it does not threaten other individuals in the country where a human resides is perfectly OK and no one has a right to insult us, Jews ( and others too) for that, call us a ' fifth column' and instigate fear among us. I sincerely advise Madame Neuwirth to get alive.

by Mark Sashine (46 articles, 19 quicklinks, 235 diaries, 3359 comments) on Friday, March 14, 2008 at 7:51:39 AM

Nobody special.
WatchingNobody special.

The Jewish people have no crisis

It is the Zionists who arecreating any crisis you may be perceiving. The people in crisis are the victims of Zionism, not any Jew anywhere. The Jews are benefitting from Zionism by taking land and resources away from the people who occupied the land first. The Jews can resolve any crisis by executing the Zionists.

by Watching (0 articles, 1 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 314 comments) on Friday, March 14, 2008 at 12:05:09 PM

This is a distortion of another kind

If someone knows how I, a Jew who lives in the US and works like a dog benefit from Zionism, Israeli occupation, etc, please, enlighten me. The truth is that a very few Jews ( including those living in Israel) benefit from Zionism and their doctrine. Others are just being used. As such it would be good if Zionists just get out ( nobody wants to to 'execute them' or anything). I would even let them retire. But please, do not mix the Normal people with big noses ( that would be us) with the rabid demagogues who claim to speak for us.

by Mark Sashine (46 articles, 19 quicklinks, 235 diaries, 3359 comments) on Friday, March 14, 2008 at 12:39:54 PM

A 'senior' world citizen concerned about how badly our shared domicile is being ravaged by imperialists, dominionists, neo-cons and evangelists.
syed mahdiA 'senior' world citizen concerned about how badly our shared domicile is being ravaged by imperialists, dominionists, neo-cons and evangelists.

"But What Can I Do About the Crisis Facing Isreal etc

All Arabs would describe what Rachel is doing as "Darabni Wa Baka, Sabaqni wa Ashtaka" which in English would read as "He hit me and cried, then, ran ahead of me and Complained". This is exactly what her ancestors did to Jesus. During the past few years the British and the US governments have released 'documents' covering their Foreign Policies in the Middle East, during the years 1955 to 1967. I strongly recommend and plead with her to read them. She will discover exactly the opposite to what she has been mentored and brain washed to believe in. There is no crisis facing Israel except what its founders and their successive governments have created for Israelis and Jews, by and with their own hands. Help Israel and the Jews get out of the mesmerised state of mind they are in by reading FACTS, not canards and half/quarter truths and do this soon. Whenever and by the time the expected demise of the American Empire becomes a reality, it will be too late. Try to make friends but not only in the West and not through the likes of AIPAC and Western Media. The Jews/Israelis did this with the Romans when the latter would do anything for them. Then, what happened! Try to influence people but not through a brutal occupation, separation walls and indiscriminate killings. Israel is in the Middle East. It will exist or fall in the Middle East, not in the US or Europe. It's in the Middle East that the fate of Israel will be decided.

by syed mahdi (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 123 comments) on Friday, March 14, 2008 at 1:07:10 PM

I'm interested in seeing peace on both sides of the ME conflict. End the occupation. I believe the US should honor Israel and Palestine equally. The settlements should stop. There is much land in Israel that could be used for this purpose that is not being used instead of selling it abroad to foreigners to build condos.
Lahoma WDI'm interested in seeing peace on both sides of the ME conflict. End the occupation. I believe the US should honor Israel and Palestine equally. The settlements should stop. There is much land in Israel that could be used for this purpose that is not being used instead of selling it abroad to foreigners to build condos.

Try the truth

Poor Israel who breaks international law almost on a daily basis and snubs it's nose at America when we tell them to halt the settlements and Jewish only roads. Your distorted facts about Israel ARE falsehoods! How are you going to help Israel in that way by distorting the real facts? You are only hurting Israel more than someone who hates Israel.

http://www.cactus48.com/truth.html

The Origins of the Palestine- Israel Conflict

This booklet was written by Jews, they tell the whole truth and history.

by Lahoma WD (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 2 comments) on Saturday, March 15, 2008 at 4:53:06 AM

Hater of Nazis above all. Hobbies include activism, military model building, military history, exciting and vital conversation with retired crooks. Retired
John HanksHater of Nazis above all. Hobbies include activism, military model building, military history, exciting and vital conversation with retired crooks. Retired

Israel should leave a remnant of decent Jews in Palestine.

The rest should move to New York. America is the real Jewish homeland. (Of course I wish some would refrain from contributing to 911's.

by John Hanks (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1085 comments) on Saturday, March 15, 2008 at 11:08:04 AM

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