Anti-Semitism's increasingly thin and hard-to-see line

[Adrahil]

173. I'm sorry... I think you view this with rose-colored glasses.

That fact is that people WERE displaced and still are today. The Zionists were not, of course, monolithic in their attitudes and did not all favor what eventually happened. In the end, the creation of the state of Israel was the result of bumbling, and a kind of colonialism (in my opinion) that continues to have disastrous consequences to this day. But it's not an isolated phenomenon, of course. The European colonial powers badly bumbled the management of colonial possessions following the end of WWI all over the Middle East and Africa, and the Israel/Palestine bumble is just one of the more obvious ones. I do think the founding of Israel represents a very troubling history.

But I think that's all kind of beside the point now. As I said, we cannot "undo" Israel. Whatever its origins, it is here, and has a right to exist now (and, of course, the right to defend itself). But you cannot ignore the deep-seated feelings of injustice, and the very real injustices perpetrated by the Israeli government today. Even IF the founding of Israel were "just," you cannot deny that it's policies for several decades have nothing to assuage the deep-seated feelings of injustice felt by displaced peoples.

Those, like me, who strongly oppose the policies of Israel should not be painted as anti-Semetic without some further reason qualification. I oppose Israeli POLICIES, not Israeli people, and far less, JEWISH people wherever they may live.

Also, I know many Jews who resent that idea that as Jews they owe political allegiance to a foreign government.

And I'm glad to hear you oppose the Israeli settlement policy. I personally see it as an extension of the more aggressive forms of Zionism.... that is, there are those Israelis who think all the occupied territories should be seized for Israel and the Arabs ejected, or otherwise subjugated... that whole Manifest Destiny thing....