13.4.06

Ethnic Cleansing in Israel and Consent Manufacturing destined to the West

Ilan Pappe on Israel and its Palestinian population

''In the run-up to the election, pundits discussed this question using language akin to that employed in Europe and the United States in debates over immigration. Here, however, it is the immigrant community that decides the future of the indigenous population, not vice versa. On 7 February 1948, after driving to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv and seeing the first villages that had been emptied of Palestinians on the western outskirts of Jerusalem, a jubilant Ben-Gurion reported to a gathering of Zionist leaders: ‘When I come nowadays to Jerusalem I feel it is a Hebrew city. This was a feeling I only had in farms and in Tel Aviv. Not all Jerusalem is Hebraic but there is already a huge Hebraic bloc – no Arabs in it. One hundred per cent Jewish. If we can persevere,’ Ben-Gurion added, this miracle will happen elsewhere.''

...''Once the ‘Arabs’ in Israel and the Palestinians in the Occupied Territories came to be thought of in the West as ‘Muslims’ it was easy to elicit support for Israel’s demographic policies, at least where it counted: on Capitol Hill. But even in Europe there was no need, after 9/11, to explain why Israel has a ‘demographic problem’. On 2 February 2003 the popular daily Maariv carried a typical headline: ‘A quarter of the children in Israel are Muslims.’ The piece went on to describe this fact as Israel’s next ‘ticking bomb’. The increase in the ‘Muslim’ population – 2.4 per cent a year – was not a problem anymore, but a ‘danger’.



9 comments:

Oleh Yahshan said...

Be carfull when quoting Ilan Pepe. He has a history of changing the facts around to fit his theories, and had been sued (and he lost) about papers he has written or indorsed.

A quick flip through the article I found many errors about what he wrote. But that is not suprising, because he likes to show the world what a horrible Place Israel really is, no matter if the facts meet this idea.

one quick Example:
"segregation is ensured by construction programmes approved when Sharon was minister of national infrastructures: Jewish settlements overlook and encircle large Palestinian areas such as Wadi Ara and Lower Galilee."
- first these places (the Jewish "settlements"/towns) were built in the late 70's and early 80's and sharon was the minister of NI only during Netanyahu's period from 96-98.
- second, the develpoment of the Lower Galilee has created 100s of jobs, and oppurtunities for the Arab villiges and cities, in addition to a bigger market to sell thier products.
I know this only because I live here, and interact with the Arab Israeli population on a daily basis.

don't take Pepe at face value just because he enjoys Bashing Israel from the Inside

Dr Victorino de la Vega said...

Yeah ethnic cleansing of ´inferior Ayyrabz´...I guess that should hasten the advent of what self-proclaimed ´universal fascists´ such as Mike Neocon Ledeen call ´creative chaos´ for Israel´s sake whatever that means...

Faster please!

Gert said...

oleh:

Fine, as long as you don't deny Israel clearly fears the "demographic nightmare" (as it's often referred to by Israel supporters inside and outside of Israel). This fear is a fact.

Oleh Yahshan said...

gert,
the demographic issue in Israel is a serious one, In order for Israel to Stay a Jewish and Democratic State it has to keep a Jewish Majority. It is as simple as that.
Having said that, There is no one in Mainstream Israeli politics who think that the solution to this is to throw out the Israeli Arabs or any of the other minorities (unlike what MR. Pepe states - Incorectly).

As long as you agree that Israel has the right to be Jewish, and the Right to be Democratic, than you can understand where the fear is coming from. The problem starts when people like Pepe say that Israel does not have the right to Declare itself a Jewish State, and by doing so we somehow become this evil entity that has to be destroyed.

Sophia said...

Oleh,
1.)''In order for Israel to Stay a Jewish and Democratic State it has to keep a Jewish Majority. It is as simple as that. ''
I don't know why israel needs to keep a jewish majority in order to stay democratic. Do you mean by this that the arab population is a threat to democracy ?

2.) ''- first these places (the Jewish "settlements"/towns) were built in the late 70's and early 80's and sharon was the minister of NI only during Netanyahu's period from 96-98.''
I don't undestand how your argument refutes Ilan Pappe unless you consider that policies impelmented by others than Sharon were actually not assumed and pursued by Sharon.

3.) ''- second, the develpoment of the Lower Galilee has created 100s of jobs, and oppurtunities for the Arab villiges and cities, in addition to a bigger market to sell thier products.
I know this only because I live here, and interact with the Arab Israeli population on a daily basis. ''
May I ask you what is the state (with numbers and official references, not personnal knowledge please) of 'opportunities' and 'jobs' for arabs in the lower Galilée now ? And can you be more specific, wuth numbers and official references about this state before the second intifada and before Sharon 2001 ?

Sophia said...

Victorino,

Thanks for the links. really interesting. Ils apportent de l'eau à mon moulin d'Uber-apocalyptic scenario.
It is a lovely friday and I am going out walking with my husband and the dog.

Oleh Yahshan said...

sophia,
1. Israel dosn't HAVE to keep a Jewish Majority, but then it would not be a Jewish State. And when I say that if there was an Arab Majority it would not be a democracy, has nothing to with Arabs, but the other Answer - Not be a democracy and stay Jewish (as many of the contries around Me do so well).
2. All I am saying is that the way I see the world there is not way for a Settlement to be built in the 70s while at the same time Ariel Sharon is the Minister of NI in the 90s. Actually Sharon wasn't in the Govt. when the first Galilee Towns were founded.
3. Although I have looked in official Documents I could not find any that talk about the numbers. I can tell you that there is interaction between the Jewish and Arab Population in the galilee Both in Israeli and Arab Cities.

I hope you had a good weekend (good weather as you point out). Weather here was cold and windy - strange for this time of year in Israel.

Cosmic Duck said...

Many of Israel's problems can be derived from the fact that the country defines itself as a "Jewish state". That has led to discrimination of non-Jews. Every man has a right to be a Jew, but it's a bad idea to define a state that way, especially when many different people live in it, and they all ought to have equal chances in life.

Oleh Yahshan said...

cosmic,
did you know that in Japan the only way to become a japanies Citizen is to be born - Japanies? and no you cannot join them. Is Japan A bad place?

There is nothing wrong or bad about defining a country as Ethnic. But the wrold seems to have Issues with Israel beeing that way.
I will admit that there are issues In Israel that have to be solved, that involve discrimination, But that is an Internal Issue just like many minorities have in Many other countries in the world. It is an Issue that Israel is aware of and has been dealing with in the past few years. It is far from over, but at least we are doing something about it, it is more than I can say for other places and thier minorities (anyone been to France recently?)

 
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