Criticize constructively says... Tom Friedman
You know that criticism of Israel has gone off the deep end when even Tom Friedman says it has (Hat Tip: Gershon D). But there are two kinds of criticism. Constructive criticism starts by making clear: “I know what world you are living in.” I know the Middle East is a place where Sunnis massacre Shiites in Iraq, Iran kills its own voters, Syria allegedly kills the prime minister next door, Turkey hammers the Kurds, and Hamas engages in indiscriminate shelling and refuses to recognize Israel. I know all of that. But Israel’s behavior, at times, only makes matters worse — for Palestinians and Israelis. If you convey to Israelis that you understand the world they’re living in, and then criticize, they’ll listen.Read the whole thing. Of course, what Tom says he does and what he actually does aren't necessarily the same thing.
Destructive criticism closes Israeli ears. It says to Israelis: There is no context that could explain your behavior, and your wrongs are so uniquely wrong that they overshadow all others. Destructive critics dismiss Gaza as an Israeli prison, without ever mentioning that had Hamas decided — after Israel unilaterally left Gaza — to turn it into Dubai rather than Tehran, Israel would have behaved differently, too. Destructive criticism only empowers the most destructive elements in Israel to argue that nothing Israel does matters, so why change?
How about everybody take a deep breath, pop a copy of “Precious Life” into your DVD players, watch this documentary about the real Middle East, and if you still want to be a critic (as I do), be a constructive one. A lot more Israelis and Palestinians will listen to you.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:14 AM
1 Comments:
Most of Israel's critics are dishonest. Its not this or that policy Israel pursues that has them up in arms; its the very existence of the Jewish State itself. And nothing Israel does or doesn't do would ever reconcile them to it.
Post a Comment
<< Home