Jewish reporter has standing to say it: Settlements must go

[Classical_Liberal]

Jewish reporter has standing to say it: Settlements must go

By Richard Cohen



Fortunately for Jeffrey Goldberg, he not only once lived in Israel, but served in its army. Without those credentials he almost certainly would be denounced as an anti-Semite or a self-hating Jew. After all, Goldberg had the consummate gall and utter chutzpah to say the obvious: Israel's West Bank and Gaza settlements have to go.

Actually, Goldberg went even further. In nearly 16,000 words in the May 31 issue of the New Yorker, this Washington-based journalist wrote that in some ways, the Jewish zealots who have established settlements in the heart of overwhelmingly Palestinian areas are as great -- or greater -- a danger to Israel as their counterparts among the Islamic extremists, Hamas and Islamic Jihad. His article was titled, ``Among The Settlers; Will They Destroy Israel?''

For raising that question, Goldberg has come under unaccustomed attack. Until now, he has spent the last several years reporting and writing about Islamic radicalism and the threat it posed. This made him the darling of the neocons. But now he's asking similar questions about Jewish zealotry, and for that his integrity, if not his very sanity, has been questioned by the usual American guardians of Israeli security.

Among the slings and arrows sent his way was one from Andrea Levin, the head of a media watchdog group, published in the English-language Jerusalem Post. She called Goldberg's piece ``distorted and sloppy with facts.'' I read it quite differently: It was on the nose....................

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/opinion/8926027.htm

[Classical_Liberal]

1. Read the excellent article here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x71485

[papau]

2. A good honest article - I hope folks act on it

:-)

[Violet_Crumble]

3. I just read the article...

He's right with saying that what some of the settlers told Goldberg was disturbing. I found the entire article disturbing. But I think saying that they hold a 'virtually racist' view of Arabs should have been described as what it was, which was racist views...

Violet...

[drdon326]

4. "Pop quiz, hotshot"

“The occupation is in the minds of Children who are taught hatred.”

“The Arab refugees are being used as pawns' to create a terror breeding ground, as a form of aggression against Israel”

“The Arab refugee problem was caused by Arab aggression and not Israel. Why should Israel be responsible for their fate?”

answer here

[Classical_Liberal]

5. Good God Israel transfered 700,000 Palestinians in 1948

That was the cause of the refugee problem. It wasn't caused by the Palestinians. This is even by the account of Benny Morris a supporter of doing more transfers. The settlements and the occupation are very real, otherwise how do you account for Rafah? How do you account for the Gaza plan?

[number6]

6. neo con Frank-ee sez

Frank Gaffney Jr.
President of the Center for Security policy:

"In the 25 years I have been in Washington I have never heard anything so extraordinary and the truth so eloquently told by someone like this; Walid Shoebat."

what in the hell is a Shoebat ?

[drdon326]

8. "what in the hell is a Shoebat ?"

niiiiice comment about his name.

To bad you dont know......try reading about him.

[number6]

9. I've read too much already ....

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5217711/

try reading this if you think occupation is in children's minds....

"TEL AVIV, Israel - A stream of powerful images — of heartbreak, protests and gory violence — can be seen almost daily coming from the Middle East, especially dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."

by the way nice insults towards Palestinians,..
that Mr. Shoebat has ...

[drdon326]

10. Then let me help you...

"Walid lived through and witnessed the Six Day War while living in Jericho.
Later was involved in many anti-Israel riots, terror, and violence against Israel, and was imprisoned in the Russian Compound Jerusalem's central prison for incitement and violence against Israel.

Walid continued his life of violence and rioting in Bethlehem and the Temple Mount. He later left to the U.S and worked as a counselor for the Arab Student Organization at the Loop College and engaged in anti-Israel activities.

In 1993 Walid studied the Tannach (Jewish Bible) in a challenge in order to convert his wife to Islam. Six months later after intense study, Walid realized that everything he had been taught about Jews was wrong. Convinced he was on the side of evil, he became an advocate for his former enemy.

He wrote several online books including "DEAR MUSLIM, let me tell you why I believed" and "ISRAEL, and the world's mock trial." In these essays, he exposes anti-Semitism and the hatred of Jews in both the Islamic Christian and secular worlds."

http://www.shoebat.com/bio.html
............................................................

yeah, I'd say his perspective and history is impressive.

[number6]

11. this is why you like this guy, huh

Convinced he was on the side of evil, he became an advocate for his former enemy.


whats an Islamic Christian ? oh Islamic, Christian and Secular ?
forgot comma ?

and what about bigotry against Muslims and Racism against Arabs ?

I still don't like this guy, but your help is appreciated. ;)

[number6]

7. yea , there just hallucinating <sarcasm>

"The occupation is in the minds of Children who are taught hatred.”

they think they see imaginary walls and tanks ....
and dead people, they see dead people ...:(

[Violet_Crumble]

12. Another pop quiz...

What did that have to do with the article that was posted?


Violet...