How Did the Tiger Get Into the Bath Tub?
Over the years I have come to realize that many tough-talking politicians are little scared cats. To adjust for this, they exaggerate the threats coming from their target group. In my day Harry Truman was a leading proponent of scare tactics. In 1950 the fledgling military/industrial needed a ruthless opponent to justify huge military expenditures especially in times of relative calm. Harry Truman detailed the USSR [International Communism] as villain number one. Suddenly, every actor on radio became an American Spy. Ronnie Reagan became involved with foreign-born women with throaty accents. [Apparently, American girls stayed home to bake cookies.] The listener never knew where her loyalties lay till the end of the episode.
Shortly after this, US employers developed the Loyalty Oath. It placed everyone on the front line so to speak. Of course it was nonsense. Any Communist Agent worth his salt would lie. The oath became a trap for artists and intellectuals who had independent thoughts about the meaning of good citizenship. This loyalty business became a curse when many Americans lost their livelihood by resisting the bullying tactics to such as the House Un-American Activities Committee.
A number of witch hunt victims were Jewish.
This is partly why I went into shock when a number of right wing fanatics suggested a Loyalty Oath for Palestinian Israelis. Although it was voted down by the Knesset, it left a bitter taste in my mouth. Other citizens [Palestinian] wiser than I, mocked the proposed oath into nothingness.
Reacting to the "loyalty law", The Other Door has written a sarcastic post in the personae of various Palestinian citizens of Israel:
I am Mohammed Al Safoori. I swear by the Torah of the Jews that I will be a loyal citizen to the State of Israel, and will respect traffic regulations, pay my taxes and put up a picture of Mira Awad [represented Israel at Eurovision] in my living room.
I am Salima Al Jebaili. On the soul of my dead father, I swear I will be loyal to Israel and bake only kosher bread.
I am Sulaiman Ladwai. I swear by Almighty God that I knew and named my eldest daughter Walaa' [loyalty] as a premonition of allegiance to the state of Lieberman. My whole family and I will be loyal to the state. We will see you at Yarkon Park on Independence Day. Arabs are allowed to enter, right?
I am Mahmoud Abu Daqa. I was called Mahmoud after my grandfather who was martyred with the resistance fighters in ’71. My grandfather was martyred for the sake of the nation, and I will continue on his path, and swear an oath of allegiance to the State of Israel.
I am Jameel Khouri from Efrat. On the life of Virgin Mary I swear to be loyal to Israel.
[…]
I am Nora Majdalawi and my friends call me Nurit [a Jewish name].You too all seem to betray… I am committed to be loyal to the state and also recognize it as a democratic Jewish state. I hope peace will manifest itself every country of the world, just has as it has for us. I would like to send greetings to my friends in the civil defense at Nahariya Hospital.
I am Murad Al Abed. I swear by God, by the mosque and by the prophets, by my love and your love, by my eyes (which I hope will be eaten by worms if I lie), by heaven, by my mother, by my father’s testicles, by prostitutes, and by the life of Najla Fathi, that I love Israel, and that we are against terrorism.
Source: Global Voices
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