Obama's moral equivalence of the day
Then we have President Obama's moral equivalence of the day (text also here (Hat Tip: Memeorandum)): Around the world, the Jewish people were persecuted for centuries, and antisemitism in Europe culminated in an unprecedented Holocaust. Tomorrow, I will visit Buchenwald, which was part of a network of camps where Jews were enslaved, tortured, shot and gassed to death by the Third Reich. Six million Jews were killed - more than the entire Jewish population of Israel today. Denying that fact is baseless, ignorant, and hateful. Threatening Israel with destruction - or repeating vile stereotypes about Jews - is deeply wrong, and only serves to evoke in the minds of Israelis this most painful of memories while preventing the peace that the people of this region deserve.Denying the Holocaust is equivalent to denying that the 'Palestinians' have been held in 'refugee camps' by their own people for the last 60 years? Six million systematically murdered Jews is equivalent to people waiting in 'refugee camps' for 60 years because their own people deny them citizenship and land ownership in their own countries? Concentration camps and 'refugee camps' are equivalent? Really?
On the other hand, it is also undeniable that the Palestinian people - Muslims and Christians - have suffered in pursuit of a homeland. For more than 60 years they have endured the pain of dislocation. Many wait in refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza, and neighboring lands for a life of peace and security that they have never been able to lead. They endure the daily humiliations - large and small - that come with occupation. So let there be no doubt: the situation for the Palestinian people is intolerable. America will not turn our backs on the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity, and a state of their own.
The picture on the left is the entrance to Auschwitz. The picture on the right was taken inside Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh's house in a 'refugee camp' in Gaza during the Hamas-Fatah civil wars a couple of years ago. Does anyone really believe the two are equivalent?By the way, if one accepts Obama's formulation, one could legitimately ask the question the 'Palestinians' ask: The Europeans murdered Jews 60 years ago. Why should the Jewish state come from 'Palestinian' lands and not from European lands? But Obama's formulation is wrong. Jews are in Israel because this is our historic homeland and has been for more than 3000 years. Our rights to this land have nothing to do with the Holocaust and everything to do with our Jewish heritage and the fact that God gave this land to the Jewish people 3000 years ago (Christians share the same bible that we do - at least for the first half and know this is true). This is not a 'Palestinian' land.
Does anyone doubt that Obama is going to apologize in Dresden tomorrow and draw a moral equivalence between the Holocaust and the allied bombing that brought about Germany's surrender at the end of World War II?
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:54 PM
2 Comments:
if one accepts Obama's formulation, one could legitimately ask the question the 'Palestinians' ask: The Europeans murdered Jews 60 years ago. Why should the Jewish state come from 'Palestinian' lands and not from European lands?
Precisely. Obama is (deliberately?/unwittingly?) feeding the Arab and Iranian argument for liquidating Israel.
This demonstrates that he is either, 1) hopelessly naive on the historical and religious foundations for a Jewish state, 2) refuses to publicly acknowledge those foundations (presumably so as to not "antagonize" Muslims who have similar claims, or 3) actively seeks to foster and perpetuate existential hatred for Israel.
#1 is unlikely. #2 is more likely and would be consistent with the realpolitik school Obama has embraced. #3 is not inconsistent with #2.
Israel was not founded because of the Holocaust. A reading of Jewish history makes this clear. Of course, I reject the obscene comparison between the Holocaust and Palestinian suffering. The former was a crime; the latter was largely self-inflicted and inflicted in large by the Arabs on the Palestinians. Any honest discussion of the Middle East would have at least mentioned Arab culpability. The picture is not as simplistic as Obama made it appear to be.
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