How does Israel justify this?
This is a tragedy. The denial of all aid to Palestinians is a racist, brutal act that is literally killing people right now.
I recently read a book about the way that each distincit political trend in the US has twisted the tragedy of the Holocaust to justify what it was doing. For example, during the Cold War the "lesson" of the Holocaust was primarily one not against racist, fascist idealogy but against "totalitarianism" which allowed anti-Communists in the US to compare the Nazis to the Soviet Union. Not only was it quite interesting, it gave me a new perspective on a old problem. I have always dismissed the comparison radical extremist Israelis make of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza to Nazis as just completely silly and disingenuous, a lie knowingly told like when Bush compares Sadaam, Chavez, Fill-in-the-Blank with Hitler. I have always thought that they knew better, but that it allowed them to hate them and justify attacking them and it was convenient in that way. Now, I still think it is silly because it is completely unfounded; the Palestinians do not have an agenda to rid the world, or even the Middle East, of Jews. I don't want any comments contesting me on this point. Its simply not true. They don't have the supremecist, violent all-encompassing world view that the Nazis possessed to harm the Jews simply because they are Jews and therefore dangerous, sickly, devious, whatever. They simply do not and any one who says differently is either lying for political gain or is completely misinformed.
However, I have shifted from thinking that most of the Israelis do indeed know better than to believe that Palestinians are Arab Nazis and say it anyway to believing that at least in many cases, these people really honestly think that the Palestinians want to conduct a campaign very similar to the Holocaust AND, unbelievably, that they are capable of doing it at any time. I am starting to think that many of these people do honestly believe they are in danger, eminent danger, of extermination. That does not make the notion any more true, but it is possibly less evil. It allows them to honestly hate Palestinians and lets them do extremely sick and demented things to them that don't make any sense otherwise. Why else would children throw rocks at other children as they are walking to school? Even more, what would make adults who have been educated to do the same thing, to children half their size?
They are obviously deranged, and perhaps they have been driven there by the fear and pain they feel over the Holocaust and they can't help themselves. It makes more sense.Nothing else would let them watch their neighbors slowly die and continue to think it is justifiable and, horribly, desirable.
Punishing Abu Muneer
By Mary Yoder
Abu Muneer, a valuable Palestinian friend to Christian PeacemakerTeams, is in a terrible family and financial crisis. Abu Muneer (whosename is changed for privacy), a Hebron city engineer for the past 27years, also works for the Palestinian Authority (PA) as a wall/settlementconsultant.
He and another 140,000 Palestinians are in positions dependent on US and EU aid for survival.In the January PA elections, Abu Muneer's entire extended family voted, as well as over 80 % of his village. The world praised thePalestinians for their democratic elections. But the US cut off aid to thePalestinians because of the Hamas victory.
Abu Muneer has received no paycheck since February. Although the US could continue to pay the PA through the president, Mahmoud Abbas, it has completely shut off aid money.
Abu Muneer is the sole provider for 15 members of his extended family; four of whom are university students. The cost for them alone is$2,600 per month with $20/day (85 shekels @ 4.45 exchange rate) just for transportation. His family savings are gone. He fears that if someone became sick, there would be no money for medical expenses.
Abu Muneer had six acres of his land confiscated by the constructionof the Separation Wall in 2004. Now in 2006, his remaining two acres will be confiscated by a Palestinian bank as payment for money borrowed two months ago: borrowed to educate and feed his family. In a frightening spiral of debt, Abu Muneer does not know how his family will survive the next several months.
University professors, school teachers, doctors and nurses have received no salary for four months. Abu Muneer also says that the Israeli government took these elections as an excuse to issue three more military orders for land confiscation, annexing more land to Israel.Abu Muneer fears that the increased hardships and poverty will cause a rise in violence. "What if Palestine becomes like Iraq?" he says sadly.
What possible purpose is served by punishing citizens like Abu Muneer - city workers, teachers, doctors and nurses? Is there any goal? Can any of us imagine going to work and not getting paid month after month?
ACT NOW! The US House of Representatives recently voted to discontinue aid to the Palestinians. The vote is coming up quickly in the US Senate under Senate Resolution 2370. This resolution would not only cut off aid to the Palestinians but would also place restrictions on other countries giving aid by using various means of pressure.
Call or send a brief note to your Senator. This only takes a few minutes. To contact your Senator, call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 or visit www.Senate.gov.
Tell your Senator:
· Withholding AID makes it extremely difficult for criticalassistance to reach Palestinian families and children. This does notreflect our national, Christian/religious values and will only lead togreater instability, resentment and even violence
· Withholding AID weakens Palestinian moderates and underminesthe US' ability to remain engaged in peacemaking·
.Withholding AID will not provide the US President with theflexibility required to effectively conduct US policy toward thePalestinians
I recently read a book about the way that each distincit political trend in the US has twisted the tragedy of the Holocaust to justify what it was doing. For example, during the Cold War the "lesson" of the Holocaust was primarily one not against racist, fascist idealogy but against "totalitarianism" which allowed anti-Communists in the US to compare the Nazis to the Soviet Union. Not only was it quite interesting, it gave me a new perspective on a old problem. I have always dismissed the comparison radical extremist Israelis make of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza to Nazis as just completely silly and disingenuous, a lie knowingly told like when Bush compares Sadaam, Chavez, Fill-in-the-Blank with Hitler. I have always thought that they knew better, but that it allowed them to hate them and justify attacking them and it was convenient in that way. Now, I still think it is silly because it is completely unfounded; the Palestinians do not have an agenda to rid the world, or even the Middle East, of Jews. I don't want any comments contesting me on this point. Its simply not true. They don't have the supremecist, violent all-encompassing world view that the Nazis possessed to harm the Jews simply because they are Jews and therefore dangerous, sickly, devious, whatever. They simply do not and any one who says differently is either lying for political gain or is completely misinformed.
However, I have shifted from thinking that most of the Israelis do indeed know better than to believe that Palestinians are Arab Nazis and say it anyway to believing that at least in many cases, these people really honestly think that the Palestinians want to conduct a campaign very similar to the Holocaust AND, unbelievably, that they are capable of doing it at any time. I am starting to think that many of these people do honestly believe they are in danger, eminent danger, of extermination. That does not make the notion any more true, but it is possibly less evil. It allows them to honestly hate Palestinians and lets them do extremely sick and demented things to them that don't make any sense otherwise. Why else would children throw rocks at other children as they are walking to school? Even more, what would make adults who have been educated to do the same thing, to children half their size?
They are obviously deranged, and perhaps they have been driven there by the fear and pain they feel over the Holocaust and they can't help themselves. It makes more sense.Nothing else would let them watch their neighbors slowly die and continue to think it is justifiable and, horribly, desirable.
Punishing Abu Muneer
By Mary Yoder
Abu Muneer, a valuable Palestinian friend to Christian PeacemakerTeams, is in a terrible family and financial crisis. Abu Muneer (whosename is changed for privacy), a Hebron city engineer for the past 27years, also works for the Palestinian Authority (PA) as a wall/settlementconsultant.
He and another 140,000 Palestinians are in positions dependent on US and EU aid for survival.In the January PA elections, Abu Muneer's entire extended family voted, as well as over 80 % of his village. The world praised thePalestinians for their democratic elections. But the US cut off aid to thePalestinians because of the Hamas victory.
Abu Muneer has received no paycheck since February. Although the US could continue to pay the PA through the president, Mahmoud Abbas, it has completely shut off aid money.
Abu Muneer is the sole provider for 15 members of his extended family; four of whom are university students. The cost for them alone is$2,600 per month with $20/day (85 shekels @ 4.45 exchange rate) just for transportation. His family savings are gone. He fears that if someone became sick, there would be no money for medical expenses.
Abu Muneer had six acres of his land confiscated by the constructionof the Separation Wall in 2004. Now in 2006, his remaining two acres will be confiscated by a Palestinian bank as payment for money borrowed two months ago: borrowed to educate and feed his family. In a frightening spiral of debt, Abu Muneer does not know how his family will survive the next several months.
University professors, school teachers, doctors and nurses have received no salary for four months. Abu Muneer also says that the Israeli government took these elections as an excuse to issue three more military orders for land confiscation, annexing more land to Israel.Abu Muneer fears that the increased hardships and poverty will cause a rise in violence. "What if Palestine becomes like Iraq?" he says sadly.
What possible purpose is served by punishing citizens like Abu Muneer - city workers, teachers, doctors and nurses? Is there any goal? Can any of us imagine going to work and not getting paid month after month?
ACT NOW! The US House of Representatives recently voted to discontinue aid to the Palestinians. The vote is coming up quickly in the US Senate under Senate Resolution 2370. This resolution would not only cut off aid to the Palestinians but would also place restrictions on other countries giving aid by using various means of pressure.
Call or send a brief note to your Senator. This only takes a few minutes. To contact your Senator, call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 or visit www.Senate.gov.
Tell your Senator:
· Withholding AID makes it extremely difficult for criticalassistance to reach Palestinian families and children. This does notreflect our national, Christian/religious values and will only lead togreater instability, resentment and even violence
· Withholding AID weakens Palestinian moderates and underminesthe US' ability to remain engaged in peacemaking·
.Withholding AID will not provide the US President with theflexibility required to effectively conduct US policy toward thePalestinians
posted by thankgodforpbr at 6/23/2006 04:44:00 AM
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