|
|||
|
All too often in the discourse surrounding the Middle East, do terms like "apartheid," "Nazi," "genocide," or "ethnic cleansing" come up in describing actions by various parties. Actually, all of those terms have been used to describe Israel at one point or another.
All are completely misguided and demean those that actually lost their lives in the course of the Holocaust that was World War II at the hands of the real Nazis - Germans. Millions perished at the hands of the Germans. Many took note of their ruthless efficiency. This includes many Arab leaders, who were enthralled with the whole concept of ethnic cleansing - particularly since it would eliminate the Jewish presence in Israel once and for all. A funny thing happened on the way to that ethnic cleansing though. The Israelis fought back. Hard. Real hard. And they won. And won again. And again. However, each time, they were robbed of total victory over Arab aggressors because of Cold War politics reining in the Israelis before they could totally eliminate the Arab armies arrayed against them. In the intervening years, terrorist groups filled the role that the Arab armies tried in vain to accomplish. They sought to wear down the Israelis and have utilized many of the propaganda techniques favored by the Nazis in trying to delegitimize the state of Israel. They often call Israeli leaders Hitler, (many call President Bush the same, but that's another article itself). They criticize the Israelis use of dogs in security patrols, even though the use of dogs is often to ferret out bombs being smuggled within the Green Line by terrorists. The Israelis get criticized for their construction of a security wall between Palestinian controlled areas and Israeli settlements and lands Israel possesses (both pre- and post-1967). They say that the Israelis are engaging in apartheid because they're constructing barriers, limiting Palestinian economic interests because of checkpoints. All of those Israeli measures were instituted for the sole purpose of deterring Palestinian terrorists from blowing up buses and Israeli citizens. But, somehow, it's Israel's fault when they try a nonmilitary solution to terrorism. Oh, but to get back to the whole concept of apartheid, one needs look no further than Saudi Arabia, where it is taken to high art: If you are not a Muslim, you cannot even enter Mecca. You are directed to another city entirely. Non-Muslims are looked down upon within the Saudi kingdom - treated as lower class citizens with fewer rights. Just ask anyone who had spent time in Saudi Arabia whether they could openly practice their religion if they were not Muslim. The answer would be a definitive no. Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Wrong Messages in Middle East Politics is owned by . Permission to republish Wrong Messages in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to lawhawk's Middle East Politics topic, please visit the Discussions page. |
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||