dave@utcsrgv.UUCP (Dave Sherman) (11/07/83)
Mike Hodge claims:
A semantic [sic] person is a Jew, a Zionist is a radical
terrorist using all of the tools of terror to try to achieve
the goals of the Jews.
I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
Mike, I suggest you read a little history. A Zionist is a person who
subscribes to Zionism. Zionism maintains that the Jews have the right
to live as an independent nation, not subject to oppression, pogroms
or mass slaughter. If you examine the history of Israel and of Zionism,
you will find little terrorism on the part of the Jews. A little, but not
much. Certainly nothing compared to the terrorism which the PLO has used
and continues to use.
The experience of the Jews in Europe who suffered from anti-semitism
which culminated in the Holocaust brought the Zionist movement to a
head. It became quite clear that the Jewish people could not continue
to be homeless. Having nowhere to go was the primary cause of the scale
of the Holocaust.
Zionists began acquiring (PURCHASING) and settling on unused land in what is
now Israel long before the country came into existence in 1948. When the
U.N. voted to partition Palestine (till then a British colony) into TWO
coutnries, one Arab, one Jewish, the Jews offered peace and co-existence
to their Arab neighbours. The Arabs didn't like the idea of an independent
Jewish country, and thought it would be easy to destroy it. They're still
trying. Israel's goal (and the goal if Zionists) throughout its history has
been to achieve PEACE in the region.
Perhaps there aren't very many Jews in Oklahoma. You obviously don't
know any. I suggest you read an unbiased history of the formation of
Israel ("O Jerusalem" by Collins & Lapierre is a good one) before
spouting any more of your drivel.
Dave Sherman
Toronto
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{allegra,cornell,decvax,ihnp4,linus,utzoo}!utcsrgv!davekoved@umcp-cs.UUCP (11/12/83)
Dave, your comment that Zionists used terrorist tactics deserves
some explaination. As you said, the use of terrorism was not frequent,
although it did occur. This must be set in context!
During WWII, the moderate arab leaders in Palastine were murdered by
those leaders who believed they could gain power through an alliance
with Hitler. These Nazi supporters were those who were interested
in exterminating the Jews, and taking over the region from their
colonial rulers (the British). These murders lead to pogroms, and
riots against the Jews who were legally living in Palastine. These
actions raised some difficult problems for the Jews who were trying
to live peacefully with their arab neighbors, and reclaim swampland.
The Jews had to arm themselves, and sometimes travel in armored convoys.
The British, trying to placate the arabs, let them pretty much do as
they pleased, and passed laws which made it difficult for the Jews to
defend themselves and their property.
The attitude of the British persisted, even after WW II, up until
the establishment of the State of Israel. The British persisted in
their pro-arab policies. It is a miracle that Israel even exists!
The whole point of this tirade is to give some background on why some
of the current problems exist. The politically motivated murders in
the '30s and '40's contributed to the hostility which exists today.
During the *War for Independence* when Israel was established (note
Israel was attacked by its arab neighbors, not the other way around),
some of the arab leaders were exhorting their people to kill the Jews
and take their homes and land! The Jews fought back and drove them
out of Israel. This is the origins of the *Palastinean Refugees*.
Since then, the palastineans have used terrorist tactics to kill
Isrealis (men, women AND CHILDREN). These terrorists do not understand
anything except terror. Israel has struck back using conventional means
and equivalent terrorist tactics. Their targets are against terrorists
(military targets), not the *refugees* (the problem of the refugees is
a seperate topic altogether).
The use of conventional military tactics do not always work (ie: Vietnam).
Sabatoge and terrorist tactics may be the only way to stop terrorists.
(Nobody said that terrorism is pleasant business!).
Enough of my rambling.
On another related subject: any opinions on what will happen to Arafat?
What about Syria's involvment?
- Larry