ostracism and persecution of Jewish people.
One advocate for Israel, Weizmann, asserted that Jews had been persecuted for 18 centuries (since the Romans entered Palestine, the Jewish homeland at that time).
Netanyahu's older brother was killed in the rescue of the hijacking of the plane in Entebbe.
We all need to work toward fostering understanding and reconciliation between Israelis, Palestinians and all others. This kind of finger-pointing actually makes the situation worse. It makes the Jewish people feel even more unwelcome on this earth, even more persecuted. And it encourages extremists who oppose Jews (an I am not accusing Juan Cole or most DUers of being among those extremists), NAZI-type extremists to justify and spread their irrational hate.
We must work to find solutions and heal the discord in the Middle East. Blaming the Jewish people alone for the problems in the Middle East is dishonest to say the least. There were plenty of problems there before Israel was founded. The Ottoman Empire was oppressive, far more oppressive than Israel.
An interesting book to read to learn about the negotiations after WWI and the situation of the world especially the Middle East at that time is Paris 1919, Six Months That Changed the World.
From Barnes & Noble
The "war to end all wars" ended with a conference that helped spawn conflicts that persist to this day. The 1919 Versailles peacemakers created Iraq, Palestine, and Yugoslavia. They debated Kosovo, Kurdish independence, Islamic aspirations, women's rights, and the threat of communism. Margaret MacMillan's lively, detailed, sometimes mind-boggling narrative of the Paris Peace Conference follows the tangled negotiations to end World War I.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/paris-1919-margaret-macmillan/1100618985?ean=9780375760525
Of course, you can buy the book from any bookstore. It is worth reading.
Weizmann who advocated so strongly for Israel was a scientist. One of his discoveries helped the allies win WWI. He offered it to the British and their allies for free and asked only for Israel. I did not know this story.
The book describes the ignorance and confusion, the personalities, the foibles, the obvious mistakes and the high ideals of those who drafted the Treaty of Versailles that ended WWI and reshaped the world.
The value of oil was just beginning to be understood.
This book throws light on the Iraq War, on the Saudis, on the turmoil in Syria, but also on the nationalism in Eastern Europe and the great effort to win the peace after winning the war. It is long and not an easy read but well worth the trouble. Of course, it does not tell the whole story. And every author of every history book has a point of view. You may or may not agree with the conclusions or even the evidence presented, but it is a fascinating story.
I think that a lot of DUers are on the anti-Israel bandwagon who do not understand many of the issues. Again, I have to add the disclaimer that I am not Jewish. I just would like for all people to be able to live in dignity and peace including Jewish people and Palestinians.
= new reply since forum marked as read