After rejecting the suggestion that the October 7th massacre should be understood in context, many pro-War supporters of Israel now claim that its actions in Gaza should also be understood “in context” (presumably self defense or right to exist etc.) But there are of course fundamental differences. Israel is an occupyer. It’s not “defending itself” it’s fighting to continue the occupation of Palestinian lands, while subjugating millions of people to life of misery and hopelessness.
Historically, Palestinians’ right for self determination was ignored at the first opportunity such a question needed to be discussed, at the end of WWI, prioritizing Western interests in the Middle East over anything else. This is the context in which understand Pankaj Mishra’s essay.
From the abstract:
Memories of Jewish suffering at the hands of Nazis are the foundation on which most descriptions of extreme ideology and atrocity, and most demands for recognition and reparations, have been built. Universalist reference points are in danger of disappearing as the Israeli military massacres and starves Palestinians, while denouncing as antisemitic or champions of Hamas all those who plead with it to desist.
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Among other things, Mishra argues that the Israeli occupation of Gaza fosters a system of domination similar to Nazi Germany, generating "counter-memory" narratives that attempt to erase the suffering of Palestinians (a direct result of the Nakba and the ongoing occupation of Palestine).
Two argument struck me as powerful in this comparison, since they’re intuitive and well understood (at least by anyone who passed through the Israeli education system, or served in the army), regardless of everything else discussed in the essay:
Israeli narratives demonize Palestinians and justify occupation through security concerns.
The international community's silence and selective condemnation empower the Israeli occupation.
Two points that happen to echo the rise of Nazi germany and the world’s indifference to the #holocaust.
The Israeli police have launched a third investigation into Professor Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian from the Hebrew University, following her recent release from detention. Her defense team has advised her not to answer questions on political matters or those outside the scope of the investigation. They also warned that if she is summoned for further questioning, they will consider legal action to halt the political persecution.
During previous interrogations, she was questioned about her views on East Jerusalem, colonial settlement, and Israel's actions in Gaza.
Her legal team has requested urgent intervention from the Attorney General's office to prevent further summons for questioning and to instruct the police not to investigate her on matters beyond the approved scope.
The defense team has accused the police of abusing their authority and engaging in political persecution.
Linked article below gives an introduction and link to an article that appeared in the June 20, 2024, issue of the #LondonReviewOfBooks (#LRB), a magazine based in the #UnitedKingdom.
Shatz addresses the false conflation of #antiZionism with #antisemitism by #USA politicians and others. He explains that argument is not new, and it has never been shared by all #Jews. The books he reviews in this essay single out #Jewish voices that were sharply critical of the main leaders of #Zionism in the years before Israel was established, as well as after 1948.
"A new book brings much-needed clarity to the debate on #antisemitism, and how the fight against it is tied to our collective liberation... [The authors] expertly weave together the struggle against anti-Blackness, Islamophobia and transphobia into the project of collectively working for liberation."
Review of Safety Through Solidarity: A Radical Guide to Fighting Antisemitism, by Shane Burley and Ben Lorber
It is almost laughable seeing Zionists claim that a normalization deal with Saudi Arabia would legitimize Israel in the region and in the minds of Arabs and Muslims.
What will actually happen is that Saudi Arabia will be delegitimized in the eyes of Arabs and Muslims. Saudi Arabia knows this and it is a main reason why they still condition any normalization on the recognition of Palestinian statehood.
A member of the advisory committee of the Jewish Council of Australia, on antisemitism:
"The voices of those who are unequivocal in condemning the violence of 7 October while reproaching the disproportionate response to the events, recognise all human suffering and is a start to a dialogical pathway to peace.
The draft dogging law is something #Netanyahu will find very difficult to have most Israelis stomach. This was published on “Makor Rishon” (Firsthand Source), a rag catering to the religious Zionist conservative crowd, which form a big chunk of his “base”.
“Don’t worry guys. Learning (Torah) for his health and your success.”
“Everything about Israel is fake. It’s a completely synthetic nation created without any regard for the organic sociopolitical movements of the land and its people, slapped rootless atop an ancient pre-existing civilization with deep roots. That’s why it cannot exist without being artificially propped up by nonstop propaganda, lobbying, online influence operations, and mass military violence.”
Garbage #Poll. What exactly does "nationally representative sample" mean?
'The American Jewish Committee, using '..a nationally representative sample of 1,001 Jews aged 18 or older. Online interviews were conducted..."'