Who Is Right About Zionism?

[img]583|left|||no_popup[/img]Re “Obama: What’s the Difference Between Zionism and Racism”

In response to last week’s essay, I received several comments from a gentlemen who posts under the name of Tim 2. His comments were so reflective of the typical Zionist reaction to this debate that it would be enlightening to present his remarks as a separate article.

Eric, you obviously believe the Jewish state of Israel has no right to exist and should not exist. As a result, everything else that comes from you is just hot air and noise. If the majority of Palestinians and other Arabs/Muslims believe as you do, then there will be no peace. More importantly, if the goal of Arabs/Muslims is your goal, to destroy Israel, your criticism of Israel is worthless, empty, hypocritical, non-substantive, arrogant, duplicitous and, of course, self-serving.

For you to believe you are not anti-Semitic (all word games aside) is atrocious, flagrant self-deception at best, purposeful, callous malevolence at worst.

I have a philosophy that I have developed over the years about all ideologues: Efficient thinkers give truth priority over ideology; ideologues give ideology priority over truth.

My response: Your comment just validated that philosophy. Like most ideologues, you seem to see things in black and white. You also tend to make unwarranted assumptions. What evidence do you have that I don’t think Israel has a right to exist? I was very clear in the article that I don’t like the way the United States came into being either, but that doesn’t mean that I’m advocating the overthrow of the United States. So what made you leap to the conclusion that I was advocating the destruction of Israel? I would settle for the outrageous compromise of agreeing that Israel stop stealing land under the pretext of national defense, and exist as a true egalitarian democracy. That would work for me. How about you?

Explain to me what you mean by an “egalitarian democracy” first. A dollar will get you a hundred that your solution is the destruction of the nation-state of the Jews (as Israel exists now).

The truth is, Eric, you and everyone like you deny not only the history of the Jewish people (probably the most severe type of anti-Semitism) but believe you are clever enough to formulate your hate and motivations in such a way that they become opaque or even mis-understood.

When you can accept Israel as the nation-state of the Jews, I will listen. Otherwise, you’re whistling Dixie.

My response: Egalitarian democracy is self-explanatory – a one-man, one-vote democracy where every person has equal rights. You knew exactly what it meant. But you want a state that has a legal right to discriminate against all non- Jews. There’s a word for that – bigotry. Thus you’re arguing for the legal right to do to others what you’re always whining about being done to you. That seems hypocritical to me.

And Tim, your insistence that anyone who disagrees with you is anti-Semitic is not only arrogant, but it’s getting very old. The world used to give Zionists a pass on that argument. But the world is gradually waking up to the cruelty and loss of life taking place in the Middle East as a direct result of our catering to Israel is resulting in yet another holocaust. But this time it is being carried out by Israelis. You have just about played the sympathy card out.

Spare us the guilt trip because it ain’t working anymore. I’m not buying into the send-your-sons-to-die-to- prove-that-you-don’t-hate-Jews bit. If you want to accuse me of being anti- Semitic, knock yourself out. Your Zionist gravy train is about over. We’re tired of dying so you can live in privilege.

Eric, I don’t want a pass from you or your kind. Nor do I expect you or your kind to admit you are anti-Semitic. I certainly don’t expect you to feel “guilty” about your horrific ideas and thoughts presented here.

Just because I disagree with you, doesn’t make me conclude you’re anti-Semitic. It’s just that you are one of the worst kind of anti-Semites.

I only want you to know you’re fooling no one, not even yourself.

My response: You said, “And just because I disagree with you, doesn’t make me conclude you’re anti-Semitic. It’s just that you are one of the worst kind of anti-Semites.” I think I get it. You don’t conclude that I’m anti-Semitic just because you disagree with me. You think I’m the worst kind because I disagree with you. Oddly, that makes sense to me. Anyone who thinks that everyone should have equal rights in Israel hates Jews. I’ve got it.

Many Jews take the position I do on Zionism. Are they anti-Semitic? What makes me different? You have presented no evidence. The only basis you have is that I’m a non-Jew who disagrees with your belief that Zionist should be given the right to discriminate against non- Jews. That represents the epitome of intolerance, Hitlerian intolerance. I think I'm on solid ground in suggesting that Zionism represents the Nazi wing of Judaism.

Eric, you mean I haven’t given my rationale for believing you are an anti-Semite.

Here it is:

1)Your article denies the history of the Jewish people, which I said earlier. This is exhibited most clearly by such statements as, “Far be it from me, however, to say who’s a Jew and who’s not. But I think we can all agree that European Jews are not the same Jews that were spoken of in the Bible,” and “Think about it– as bad as the Germans and Russians treated the Jews over the years, you’d think the Jews would have been given part of one of those countries,” and “Granted, when someone invades your home you do have a right to retaliate against them, but Europeans have about as much right to call Israel their home as I’d have of tearing off a part of China simply because I converted to Buddhism.”

2)You accuse Jews of being racists, of ethnic cleansing if not outright genocide, claiming in your article, “How can you go into your neighbor’s home and kill his family, then call him the aggressor? And now they’re talking about invading Iran! It’s all about racism and greed,” and “So the Israeli claim that their slaughter of the Arab people is simply an attempt to defend themselves is nothing but a farce.”

3) You accuse Israel as being the source of all Mid-East and even worldwide problems and conflicts, more importantly, of costing U.S. citizens’ and soldiers’ lives. You wrote, “This is an issue that desperately needs to be addressed because due to our failure to do so, American troops are dying, the United States treasury is being looted, and the entire world is being placed at risk.”

4) You compare Zionism to Nazism, saying in your last comment to me, “I think I’m on solid ground in saying that Zionism represents the Nazi wing of Judaism.”

Your responses are the quintessential comments of an anti-Semite. They revise or fabricate history, libel, demean and defame an entire people.

My response: When you accuse someone of being anti-Semitic, one shouldn’t have to ask you for your rationale. A fundamental rule of seventh-grade English is when you make an assertion, you should start substantiating that assertion in the very next sentence.

You’ve now accused me of defaming “an entire people.” That’s a flat-out lie. I’m not criticizing all Jews, any more than I would criticize all white people of being Nazis, or all Black people of being hip hop artists. I’m criticizing the criminal malevolence of Zionism. You find it convenient to conflate Zionism with Judaism in an attempt to generate sympathy for your bigoted philosophy.

From a Texas Vet:

I’m sorry, Eric, you had to listen to Tim 2 blabber on. You handled him well and with compassion. Thanks. As a fellow human, he deserves that much, though he seems unwilling to respond in kind.

Keep writing, Tim 2. But think clearly. Just remember, you’re tangling with serious intellects in Wattree and some of the rest of us on this site.

My Response to Texas Vet:

Thank you, Tom. Based on this guy’s philosophy, we should be bitter enemies instead of best friends. After all, I’m a progressive and you’re a staunch conservative. We disagree on many things. Naturally, you must hate Black people.

Eric L. Wattree is a writer, poet and musician, born in Los Angeles. A columnist for the Los Angeles Sentinel, the Black Star News, a staff writer for Veterans Today, he is a contributing writer to Your Black World, the Huffington Post, ePluribus Media and other online sites and publications. He also is the author of “A Message From the Hood.”

Religious bigotry: It’s not that I hate everyone who doesn’t look, think, and act like me – it’s just that God does.