In his book How I Stopped Being a Jew (2014), that formidable debunker of Zionist narratives and mythology, Israeli historian Shlomo Sand, writes that:
"We must recognize that the key axis of a secular Jewish identity lies nowadays in perpetuating the individual's relationship to the State of Israel and in securing the individual's total support for it. If, until the 1967 war, Israel occupied a relatively secondary place in the sensibility of Jewish descendants in the West, from that point onward, this little state - which had just given a display of its great strength, even appearing as quite a power - became a source of pride for a goodly number of Jewish descendants. As is well known, any power attracts a mass of followers and comes to constitute, to a lesser or greater degree, a locus of adulation and worship. The image of soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces, svelte and spirited, perched on powerful armoured cars or leaning proudly against jet fighters, serves as an identity card for many new Jews throughout the world. The prestige that this gives has been used to the maximum by the Israeli state." (pp 93-4)
Sand could have been writing about Australian singer/songwriter Deborah Conway, just featured in the Sydney Morning Herald's GoodWeekend magazine:
"Carl Conway's family fled Russia to England after the pogroms around 1900. Deborah Conway's upbringing was not particularly religious - she doesn't believe in God - but the family had Shabbat dinner on Friday night and synagogue visits a few times a year. Over time, though, she has become increasingly passionate about her heritage. Conway and [husband Willy] Zygier ran the Shir Madness Melbourne Jewish musical Festival in 2015 and 2017 and both are avowed Zionists, believing in the development and protection of Israel as a Jewish state. Asked why her passion for Zionism has increased, she says 'I hate bullies and I feel like the world is bullying Israel.' The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement - which aims to end international support for Israel - is, says Conway, 'nothing short of horrendous anti-Semitism.' 'Look, there's no question there are contentious aspects of the Jewish state, but it's the only place in the world where Jews have a state'." (Love of a lifetime, Melissa Fyfe, 2/2/19)
To deconstruct this particularly egregious example of delusional identity politics: here we have a 'secular Jew', with no discernible connection to Palestine/Israel, who swears blind that the Israeli bully is really a victim - of "the world" no less - and maliciously smears as anti-Semites those who demand justice for the bully's Palestinian victims.
Reality couldn't be more twisted. But, to make matters worse, the feature's author, journalist Melissa Fyfe, apparently saw no need to raise an editorial eyebrow, or in any way challenge, Conway's appalling diatribe.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
What ?? The Washington post / smh supporting a bds a style campaign -
Maybe someone should tell them Palestinian lives matter
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/02/palestinian-killed-israeli-checkpoint-occupied-west-bank-190204195612346.html
https://www.smh.com.au/world/middle-east/dear-mariah-carey-and-other-celebrities-stop-going-to-saudi-arabia-20190202-p50vb7.html
For the life of me I do not understand the 'all or nothing' view which cannot conceive of a political solution embracing both the Israeli and Palestinian people. Is it narcissism that fuels this malignant impasse?
Unfortunately, over a century of colonialist, Zionist ideology and practice stands in the way of an inclusive, democratic solution to the Palestine/Israel conflict. A fair and just solution requires the dismantling of the raft of apartheid legislation which underpins the 'Jewish' state and a transition to a unitary, secular, democratic state for everyone who actually lives between the Jordan and the Mediterranean, regardless of sectarian affiliation. This would, of course, include the Palestinian diaspora, but not the Conways of this world.
In response to Anonymous. There is no political solution because the Zionists don't want one. They just want us in the west to go on believing that they are trying to have one. Here is a relatively unbiased account of the Camp David negotiations (there are many biased ones!).
https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/the-blame-shifts-from-arafat-over-failure-of-camp-david-summit-1.321083
The terms put to Arafat were clearly unacceptable. Palestinians have been willing to accept the 1967 borders (already an enormous concession) but the Israelis want it all (preferably without its indigenous people).
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/05/hamas-accepts-palestinian-state-1967-borders-170501114309725.html
https://www.haaretz.com/1.5124848
The problem is that there are now so many settlers within the Palestinian side of those 1967 borders that Israel is incapable of accepting that deal. This has been a deliberate flouting of international law by Israel in order to make the 1967 borders solution untenable. The only remaining fair and feasible result would be a single state with one person one vote. Of course that too is unacceptable to the Zionists as it would destroy the "Jewishness" of the state.
Thanks for the responses MERC & Grappler.
Off topic MERC but important for Australia:
https://thearabweekly.com/turkey-rejects-us-plan-leave-syrian-safe-zone-western-powers
'The Wall Street Journal reported in January that Washington was trying to get Western partners, such as Australia, France and the United Kingdom, to patrol the stretch of Syrian territory along the Turkish border after US troops leave the area. Washington is concerned that Turkey will attack the YPG once US soldiers are withdrawn.
'In his speech, Erdogan said the US plan was not an option. “I repeat: Any proposal except a model for a safe zone under Turkish control, with other countries just providing logistical help, is unacceptable.'
MERC: your coloumn is essential reading in cutting thru the mind numbing propaganda. Waiting on a coffee, saw the Good Weekend next to me, and skimread the interview with Conway. I had no idea she was a stark raving Zionist ideologue. "BDS is horrendous Anti semitism' "Israel is being bullied"!!!! WTF? The inversion of reality by this woman is jaw dropping. Oh, and in future, I'll be boycotting any music by her.
Good to see, Merc, that you are now being cited on a broader stage.
One "Bootleboob" citation at 'off-guardian.org" states in part:
"I haven’t watched the news in Australia for a while because it generally infuriates me but a few months ago I saw a member of our Labor party, Tanya Plibersek, who I actually kind of like as a person, condemn Maduro on television in the same banal, baseless way that basically everyone is now. I was actually quite disappointed but I was not surprised. I don’t believe a lot on the left actually believe stuff like this when they say it. It’s more like self preservation, because the Israel lobby is very strong in Australian politics (our Labor candidates have pretty much been through the same smear campaign as Corbyn).
This is a pretty interesting article:
https://middleeastrealitycheck.blogspot.com/2019/01/kevin-rudds-pm-years.html"
Good for Bootleboob and more power to your bow.
Perhaps someone should draw Conway's attention to the fact that it is also the only place in the world that the Palestinians have a home too!! Sheeesh!!!
Post a Comment