No More Tears: Benny Morris and the Road Back from Liberal Zionism

[BowlingForPalestine]

No More Tears: Benny Morris and the Road Back from Liberal Zionism

By Joel Beinin

Lengthy but well worth the read.

---snip---

Morris now provides a moral justification for ethnic cleansing that he did not offer before the second intifada, arguing that “ven the great American democracy could not have been created without the annihilation of the Indians.” Native Americans and those with a sounder knowledge of North American history may demur. But in Israel, appeal to the authority of the US is the ultimate clincher in any argument. Yearning for the success of the American example, Morris now criticizes Israel’s first prime minister and defense minister, David Ben-Gurion, for failing to do “a complete job” because “this place would be quieter and know less suffering if the matter had been resolved once and for all. If Ben-Gurion had carried out a large expulsion and cleansed the whole country…. It may yet turn out that this was his fatal mistake.” Palestine-Israel might also be quieter today if Hitler had completed his planned genocide of world Jewry. It does not occur to Morris that there might be a parallel between these two historical counterfactuals. The first is in the realm of acceptable speculation; the second is too obviously outrageous to consider.

---snip---

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[Offshore Bush]

1. Sickening.

Why such people as Morris have to discredit the Israeli cause is beyond me.

[Resistance]

2. Just what is the "Israeli cause" in your view?

[Offshore Bush]

5. It was originally to secure a homeland for the Jews.

Too bad it's been perverted by imperialist greed and bigotry.

[BowlingForPalestine]

10. Indeed...

n/t

[BowlingForPalestine]

3. It is sickening.

That he said that David Ben-Gurion should have completed the task!

Truly sickening, on that we agree.

[Resistance]

4. I am

growing more and more embarrassed to have his book (Righteous Victims) occupying space on my bookshelf. It is informative, but his recent bullshit has got to go.

[Aidoneus]

6. his recent bullshit is most appreciated

honesty in such matters, however repulsive, should never be shunned..

[bemildred]

8. An unusually clear example of the lack of moral

cojones in someone who clearly has a good mind.
Good historical work degenerates into the usual
"the end justifies the means" drivel.

An interesting read, too, but not much that was
new. You are correct that honesty, however framed,
from "unimpeachable" sources is to be appreciated.

[Resistance]

9. point well taken

[BowlingForPalestine]

7. I like his honesty.

You can deal with a man who's honest much easier than one that deceives.