Martial Law: Imminent Arrival?

[Greg Burnham]

Lauren,

You need not direct me to sources that will allegedly improve my understanding of Israel. I have already read the work you suggested. You have no idea who you are
attempting to school here. My understanding of the region might be more than you could possibly have guessed. Cryptic statement? Yes, I know. Live with it. Condescending
remarks, patronization, and ill-advised cites to authorities that are themselves dubious will not work with me. Try again.

Condescending? Guilty. Patronizing? Guilty. But ill-advised cites to autorities? These people are more than authorities. They are Zionist leaders. Ben-Gurion? Jabotinsky, the father of the Likud party? My only point is that there was and always has been an aspect of Zionism which is includes ethnic cleansing within the larger framework of their internal conversations. And it is very old.

(Off topic, I found it humorous to read Jabatinski's comment on the "militarists" vs. the "vegetarians.")

I could be accused of cherry picking quotes. OK, here is another one from Jabotinsky's The Iron Will:

I am reputed to be an enemy of the Arabs, who wants to have them ejected from Palestine, and so forth. It is not true.


Emotionally, my attitude to the Arabs is the same as to all other nations polite indifference. Politically, my attitude is determined by two principles. First of all, I consider it utterly impossible to eject the Arabs from Palestine. There will always be two nations in Palestine which is good enough for me, provided the Jews become the majority.

What a mild statement compared to what is going on now in Israel.

Don't agree? Fine. The annals of Benny Morris are long and filled with invective. He paid dearly for his book. But I know I cannot not settle it, nor will I try.

BUT for all the hot tempered stuff that has happened here at DPF, you actually threatened me. That's low.

Up until now, I have read your posts here at DPF and over at The Swamp to great benefit. You gave a very good talk at COPA. Your JFK credibility is very high. But I also now know that you can be a bully and a mean spirited person. I wish I did not know that.

A bully? Mean spirited? Hmmm. I responded in kind to your characterization of my statement as "dumb". It was not. Nor am I. If you would like to believe that the potential for me to become "nasty" is a threat then you are in the wrong zone. I apologize if it came out harsher than it was meant. No "threat" was intended. However, I do tend to react sharply toward those who would confound kindness with weakness. Likewise, I reject self proclaimed authorities on subjects of which they appear to me to have tunnel vision.

Your attempt to pass judgment (positive as it may seem) on my JFK work does not impress under these circumstances. Perhaps we have very different views on this (Israel) subject and should just accept that as the case, not reading more into it than that.

:peace: