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Israel's State Terrorism
Washington Report on Middle Eastern Affairs ^ | 6/2/02 | Lev Grinberg

Posted on 06/03/2002 2:27:01 PM PDT by Seti 1

ISRAEL'S STATE TERRORISM

By Lev Grinberg*

What is the difference between State terrorism and individual terrorist acts? If we understand this difference we'll understand also the evilness of the US policies in the Middle East and the forthcoming disasters. When Yassir Arafat was put under siege in his offices and kept hostage by the Israeli occupation forces, he was constantly pressed into condemning terror and combatting terrorism. Israel's state terrorism is defined by US officials as "self-defense", while individual suicide bombers are called terrorists.

The only 'small' difference is that Israeli aggression is the direct responsibility of Ariel Sharon, Benjamin Ben Eliezer, Shimon Peres and Shaul Mofaz, while the individual terrorist acts are done by individuals in despair, usually against Arafat's will. One hour after Arafat declared his support of a cease fire and wished the Jews a Happy Passover feast, a suicide bomber exploded himself in an hotel in Netanya, killing 22 innocent Jews celebrating Passover. Arafat was blamed as responsible for this act, and the present IDF offensive has been justified through this accusation.

At the same time, Sharon's responsibility for Israeli war crimes is being completely ignored. Who should be arrested for the targeted killing of almost 100 Palestinians? Who will be sent to jail for the killing of more than 120 Palestinian paramedics? Who will be sentenced for the killing of more than 1,200 Palestinians and for the collective punishment of more than 3,000,000 civilians during the last 18 months? And who will face the International Tribunal for the illegal settlement of occupied Palestinian Lands, and the disobedience of UN decisions for more than 35 years?

Suicide bombs killing innocent citizens must be unequivocally condemned; they are immoral acts, and their perpetrators should be sent to jail. But they cannot be compared to State terrorism carried out by the Israeli Government. The former are individual acts of despair of a people that sees no future, vastly ignored by an unfair and distorted international public opinion. The latter are cold and "rational" decisions of a State and a military apparatus of occupation, well equipped, financed and backed by the only superpower in the world.

Yet in the public debate, State terrorism and individual suicide bombs are not even considered as comparable cases of terrorism. The State terror and war crimes perpetrated by the Israeli Government are legitimized as "self-defense", while Arafat, even under siege, is demanded to arrest "terrorists."

I want to ask: Who will arrest Sharon, the person directly responsible for the orders to kill Palestinians? When is he going to be defined a terrorist too? How long will the world ignore the Palestinian cry that all they want is freedom and independence? When will it stop neglecting the fact that the goal of the Israeli Government is not security, but the continued occupation and subjugation of the Palestinian people?

As Israelis in the opposition, we are fighting against our government, but the international support that Sharon receives is constantly jeopardizing our struggle. The whole international public opinion must be reverted, and the UN must deploy intervention forces in order to stop the bloodshed and the imminent deterioration. Israelis and Palestinians desperately need the awakening of the international community's public opinion and a reversal in the global attitude. These are needed both in order to save our lives (literally), and preserve our hope in a better future.

* Dr. Lev Grinberg is a political sociologist, and Director of the Humphrey Institute for Social Research at Ben Gurion University


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Israel
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To: David Hunter
First of all, I highly doubt the Isrealies signed any treaties with Arafat in '67 because he was not in charge of the PLO and they were still Trans-Jordanian citizens until the war of '67. That's when the "Palistinians" were born.

As for these tactics, if it was Britian, France or America who had to deal with this kind of BS, the whole place would have been leveled a long time ago. As a matter of fact, Jenin had been destroyed by the British, leveled, in response to a terrorist attack by Arabs. Easy to talk when you're not getting daily bombers killing your children.

81 posted on 06/04/2002 12:56:09 AM PDT by Stavka2
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To: David Hunter
How does blowing up women and children and preaching about the extermination of an entire race help bring peace? There is no peace with Islam, something you all in England will learn soon enough and something we Orthodox have had the great opportunity to learn every day for 13 centuaries. Islam is war and war is the only thing those primitive bastards have ever understood.
82 posted on 06/04/2002 12:58:45 AM PDT by Stavka2
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To: rmlew
Oh, so if Russians are for getting rid of the Taliban, then they must be Soviets, but if Americans are for it, then they must be freedom lovers.

Explain to me, how are you any different from the arab moral equivalists and forked tongued politicians? Do you even see your own hypocracy? Probably not. Or is this just a knee jerk reaction to your general hatred of Russians?

83 posted on 06/04/2002 1:02:24 AM PDT by Stavka2
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To: David Hunter
Being English doesn't make me anti-Israeli.

I guess that depends on what your definition of "anti-Israeli" means. From my POV, the British have a different perspective on "Jewish" issues. I have seen some British humor on Adolf Hitler, for example. I think what seems to appeal to the English sense of humor in that area could be offensive to a great number of Jewish people. Just an observation.

My uncle was a soldier in the British army. He didn't like Israelis because of the terrorism against the British army before they withdrew from Palestine.

Understandable. Your uncle's failure to resent his government for their White Paper policies before or during the Holocaust or their treatment of the Jews prior to their withdrawal illustrates the British POV.

However, my generation is less judgemental, because we are less aware of the British conflict with Zionists.

Menachem Begin once said of the Polish people that they "got their anti-Semitism along with their mother's milk". I am not saying the British people are anti-Semitic by nature. But your perspective is shaped by your environment and upbringing as are all perspectives. Recently, a French pisher made a comment at a British party about Israel being a "sh*tty little country". The English press took it in stride. Right or wrong, it illustrates a mindset.

The problem we have is that, just as the American media are pro-Israel, the British media are pro-Palestinian. Without access to the Israeli side of the story its difficult to make an informed opinion. That's where forums like this come in handy of course.

The question is, why is the British media pro-"Palestinian"? Of course, from my perspective, your press is more anti-Israel than pro-"Palestinian", but that's another subject.

84 posted on 06/04/2002 3:37:37 AM PDT by BenF
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To: David Hunter
No matter how you try to rationalize it David, this Russian Jewish girl is a strange bird...that dream...what's up with that dream?
85 posted on 06/04/2002 4:15:59 AM PDT by KLT
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To: BenF;swarthyguy
Judenrat?

That's it!!!

This lady's a a freaking back stabbing JUDENRAT!!!!.

86 posted on 06/04/2002 4:47:52 AM PDT by AAABEST
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To: David Hunter
Please explain to me why, if the Israelis only want peace, they continue to support Israeli settlers on Palestinian territory? Even though this violates a treaty they signed with Arafat in 1967.

????????????????

There's nothing illegal about the settlements, though Israel has agreed to negotiate their future with Arafat, in Oslo in 93 not 67.

87 posted on 06/04/2002 6:43:16 AM PDT by SJackson
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To: David Hunter
When were the current borders of the Palestinian territories agreed upon then?

They haven't been. They were in an extended process of being negotiated when Arafat began the infitada as a form of "unilateral" negotiation.

88 posted on 06/04/2002 6:47:55 AM PDT by SJackson
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To: BenF
I have seen some British humor on Adolf Hitler, for example. I think what seems to appeal to the English sense of humor in that area could be offensive to a great number of Jewish people. Just an observation.

Unfortunately, I have heard British people make jokes about the Holocaust. But they were members of the British National Party, a profoundly racist and in fact neo-NAZI organisation. I have never heard British people with mainstream political opinions make jokes at the expense of the Jews who were persecuted by Hitler.

I actually had the unpleasant experience of arguing with a member of the National Front (a militant racist/fascist group). This person was espousing the benefits of having a Hitler style dictatorship in Britain. When I asked him about the Concentration Camps, he said that it wasn't important because the people who died "were just Jews". Personally, I found this attitude deeply offensive. I have a great deal of sympathy for the Jewish people, who have been mistreated by their host populations for millenia.

Your uncle's failure to resent his government for their White Paper policies before or during the Holocaust or their treatment of the Jews prior to their withdrawal illustrates the British POV.

My uncle was a common man with a modest education. He was not interested in history, therefore, he may not have been aware of the things you speak of. These events are not publicised by the British government or the British media. I only found out about Britain's bad history for helping Jews fleeing from Hitler after I spent some time reading up on it.

Recently, a French pisher made a comment at a British party about Israel being a "sh*tty little country". The English press took it in stride. Right or wrong, it illustrates a mindset.

Because the British press have publicised stories about Palestinians who have been tortured or killed by the Israelis, then there is inevitably a feeling of suspicion/hostility towards the Israeli government. This can result in people letting anti-Israeli comments pass, but it doesn't mean the people allowing these comments to pass are anti-Israeli.

89 posted on 06/04/2002 7:08:13 AM PDT by David Hunter
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To: Seti 1
What kind of horsesh!t is this? There's not enough hay in it to keep it together!

Would the author consider "state terrorism" the fact that the western powers imposed Arafat's leadership upon Israel and the Palestinian people, and brought him in from exile? In the first 5 years since Arafat's arrival into the territories, more Israelis were killed by terrorists acts than in the 15 years prior to his arrival.

90 posted on 06/04/2002 9:40:20 AM PDT by monkeyshine
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To: David Hunter
This can result in people letting anti-Israeli comments pass, but it doesn't mean the people allowing these comments to pass are anti-Israeli.

Given British history towards the Jews and current attitudes towards Israel, how should British reaction (or lack thereof) to these comments be interpreted?

91 posted on 06/04/2002 9:41:04 AM PDT by BenF
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To: AAABEST
This lady's a a freaking back stabbing JUDENRAT!!!!.

Actually, I have to strongly disagree. The Judenrat could claim that they were forced to betray and brutalize their people by their Nazi masters. This woman has no such excuse.

92 posted on 06/04/2002 9:44:20 AM PDT by BenF
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To: BenF
Given British history towards the Jews and current attitudes towards Israel, how should British reaction (or lack thereof) to these comments be interpreted?

It is a form of ill-advised political correctness. People feel sorry for the Palestinians, due to the media coverage of their situation, and so don't stand up for the Israelis. But don't confuse this with anti-Semitism.

93 posted on 06/04/2002 10:32:11 AM PDT by David Hunter
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To: Stavka2
Oh, so if Russians are for getting rid of the Taliban, then they must be Soviets, but if Americans are for it, then they must be freedom lovers.

Context is everything, my friend.
I was talking about a Russian Jew living in England who opposes Israeli actions but is for anti-Afghan ones. This policy does sound lik ethe Soviets in the 1980's, when they funded Palestinian terrorism while indiscriminately killing afghans.

Explain to me, how are you any different from the arab moral equivalists and forked tongued politicians? Do you even see your own hypocracy? Probably not. Or is this just a knee jerk reaction to your general hatred of Russians?

1. I don't hate Russians. I hate communist and Jews who sympathise with anti-Israel terror.
2. I see no hypocracy. read my statement above and comment 55.

94 posted on 06/04/2002 11:14:38 AM PDT by rmlew
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To: David Hunter
Standard Anti-Israel bias of the British press might also play a factor.
95 posted on 06/04/2002 11:17:07 AM PDT by rmlew
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To: rmlew
I was talking about a Russian Jew living in England who opposes Israeli actions but is for anti-Afghan ones. This policy does sound like the Soviets in the 1980's, when they funded Palestinian terrorism while indiscriminately killing afghans.

I thought she had a Soviet mindset when she first said these things to me. But after I spent more time discussing politics with her, I released she was not at all Communist, or even Socialist. Her politics are right wing and nationalistic, note her opinion on conscription in post 64.

96 posted on 06/04/2002 1:53:09 PM PDT by David Hunter
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To: rmlew
Roger, I get your point. I still don't think she's a Soviet sympathizer just because of her views...especially since there is no soviet union. She might be a bit confused on the arab thing, but that's her problem.
97 posted on 06/04/2002 4:10:44 PM PDT by Stavka2
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To: Stavka2; David Hunter
She is quite confused.
The problem is that where will she get a Zionist viewpoint in the UK?
98 posted on 06/04/2002 6:49:44 PM PDT by rmlew
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To: rmlew
The problem is that where will she get a Zionist viewpoint in the UK?

I will debate the facts with her, which you and your contemporaries have supplied, when she returns from London in a couple of weeks time. If she has any arguments or questions, then I will encourage her to correspond with you.

If she wishes to, then would you be interested in doing this?

99 posted on 06/04/2002 7:17:08 PM PDT by David Hunter
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To: David Hunter
Sure
100 posted on 06/04/2002 7:22:13 PM PDT by rmlew
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