Two People, One Hummus

by

A talk given in Toronto at The Islamic Society of York, Canada 24.2.12

I was asked to talk to you today about the on-going dispute within our ranks between those who support the One State Solution for the Israeli Palestinian conflict, and those who advocate Two States for the two people.

Interestingly enough, this is a topic I hardly comment on, and not because I am short of vision, opinion or ideas, but rather because I do believe that the fate of the people in Palestine and Israel should be decided by the Israelis and the Palestinians themselves. I, for instance, fail to see what qualifies a NYC Jewish academic or activist to determine how people should live in Palestine or anywhere else. Furthermore, I have never seen a Palestinian trying to advise Western solidarity activists how to run their life. I argue then, that our ‘interventionist’ enthusiasm to preach to others on how they should live is actually slightly pretentious.

But the subject is obviously deeper: in spite of the fact Israel is an organic sovereign State — it is already recognised as a one State by the nations, it has a single sewage system, one electric grid, one pre-dial international code – many Western world leaders insist that it should actually be divided into two. But don’t you think that it is pretty unusual for the ‘international community’ to blindly follow the Zionist ideology and draw a racially inspired line between the two people on the land?

So, rather than entering an endless and futile debate here, I propose that we should begin from a point at which we all agree: I presume that we all accept that Israel is currently a one State, yet it is dominated politically and spiritually by an ethnocentric discriminatory political system.

Israel defines itself as the Jewish State and the practical meaning of it is pretty devastating. It is racially driven. Israeli laws favour the Jewish population over the indigenous people of the land. Israel is impervious to universal and ethical thoughts. It is basically set to serve one tribe at the expense of the people of the land.

I would insist that in order to tackle any subject to do with Israel/Palestine conflict resolution we must first understand; what is Israel is all about? Surely, we must ask what the Jewish nature of Israel entails. We should, once and for all, grasp the relationship between Zionism and Jewishness.

Zionism presented itself initially as a Utopian promise to bring to life a new ‘authentic ethical and civilised Jew’; it promised to make Jews into ‘people like all other people’. But the Israeli reality has proved to be the complete opposite of that aspiration. Zionism has totally failed. The Israelis have been proven to be the most unethical collective in the history of the Jews. One may wonder, why, where and when did it all go so wrong? Why did Zionism fail? If Zionism was a unique moment of Jewish reawakening and self-reflection, then why didn’t it provide on its promises? I believe that the answer is devastating. Zionism was doomed from its very beginning, for in spite of its pseudo-secularist agenda, it was entangled with a quasi-religious ideology, and inevitably, it transformed the Bible into a land registry, and turned God into an estate agent. It was the Jewishness of the Jewish State then, that prevailed over the early Zionist utopia. It is the Jewishness in Israel that has lead to ethnic cleansing, segregation, isolation, and ultimately , the resurrection of the European ghetto walls.

In order to contemplate a prospect of a peaceful future then, we must be able to understand the complicated relationship between Jews, Zionism, Israel and Jewishness, and we have to ask whether there is any lucid vision of peace within the Jewish ideological and cultural discourse.

But are we even allowed to ask these questions? I say certainly yes, we must – after all, Israel openly, consciously  and even proudly defines itself as the Jewish State. Its air-planes drop bombs on densely populated Palestinian neighbourhoods whilst decorated with Jewish symbols. Surely then, we are entitled to ask what Jewishness means and what is its role within the Jewish psyche and spirit.

In my book The Wandering Who I have attempted to untangle this knot. I  have tried to understand what is Jewish identity politics all about? I have exposed the continuum between Zionism, Jewish anti-Zionism and some elements within the left. In the book I try to find out, what is the meaning of Jewishness and how is it related to Jewish politics and Jewish political power?

In the last few pages of the book I elaborate on a fictitious peace scenario in which an imaginary Israeli Prime Minister who grasps, pretty much out of the blue, that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can be resolved with just a single statement.

In a press conference, the imaginary Israel PM announces to the world and his/her people:

‘Israel realises its unique circumstances and its responsibility for world peace. Israel calls the Palestinian people to return to their homes. The Jewish state is to become a state of its citizens, where all people enjoy full equal rights’.

Though shocked by the sudden Israeli move, political analysts around the world would be quick to realise that, considering Israel is the representative of world Jewry, such a simple Israeli peaceful initiative won’t just resolve the conflict in the Middle East, it would also bring to an end to two millennia of mutual suspicion and resentfulness between Christians and Jews. Some right-wing Israeli academics, ideologists and politicians join the revolutionary initiative and declare that such a heroic unilateral Israeli act could be the one and only total and comprehensive fulfilment of the Zionist dream, for not only have Jews returned to their alleged historical home, they also have managed, at last, to love their neighbours and be loved in return.

But don’t hold your breath – as much as such an idea is thrilling, we shouldn’t expect it to happen any time soon, for Israel is not an ordinary state and such a scenario doesn’t fit into its Jewish ethno-centric ideology that is driven by exclusiveness, exceptionalism, racial supremacy and a deep inherent inclination toward segregation.

The meaning of it is very concerning. For Israel and Israelis to fulfil the initial Zionist promise and become ‘people like other people’, all traces of ideological superiority must be suppressed first. For the Jewish state to lead a peace initiative, Israel must be de-Zionised – it should first stop being the Jewish State. Similarly, in order for an imaginary Israeli PM to bring peace about, he or she must be de-Zionised first.

As things stand, the Jewish State is categorically unable to lead its people into reconciliation. It lacks the necessary ingredients needed to think in terms of harmony and reconciliation — at present, Israel can only think in terms of Shalom , a term which, in reality, only means ‘peace and security for the Jews’.

But what about world Jewry; can they push their Israeli brothers towards a reconciliation? I don’t actually think  that they can. I recently came across some devastating statistics gathered by the Institute for Jewish Policy Research (JPR). The poll studied ‘The attitudes of Jews in Britain towards Israel’. It revealed that “the vast majority of (British Jewish) respondents exhibit strong personal support for, and affinity with, Israel: 95% have visited the country; 90% see it as the “ancestral homeland” of the Jewish people, and 86% feel that Jews have a special responsibility for its survival.”

Though some Jewish ‘progressive’ voices insist to tell us that Diaspora Jews are drifting away from Israel and Zionism, the JPR report reveals the complete opposite – Nine out of ten British Jews feel close affinity towards a war criminal, ethnic cleanser, racist discriminatory state.

But what about the one out of ten Jew who openly opposes Israel? Is he or she going to speak out and help us to get the message of peace across? I am not so sure either. It is more likely that he or she are going to do any thing they can to prevent us from from talking about Jewishness and the fact that 90% of their brothers identify with the Jewish state. Ahead of my Toronto appearance, the organisers of tonight’s event were subject to endless harassment by various Jewish ‘anti’ Zionist organisations and individuals.   Like their Zionist brothers most Jewish anti Zionist are largely concerned with Jewish tribal matters– they will fight anti Semitism, ‘Holocaust denial’ or any attempt to understand Jewishness from a universal perspective. Yet, as the JPR poll reveals, they will achieve very little within their respective communities.

But the situation may not be totally grim. I am actually slightly optimistic. For more than a while I am convinced that the only people who can bring peace about are actually the Palestinians, because Palestine, against all odds and in spite of the endless suffering, humiliation and oppression, is still an ethically-driven ecumenical society.

So what do we do for the time being – should we fight for one state or two states? I guess that you gather by now that I am a strong supporter of a one State. I would love to see Israel being transformed into a state of its citizens. I would also openly admit that I do realise that this State won’t be a Jewish State. It will be Palestine. It is about time to say it openly–Israel belongs to the past. And yet, I contend that it is the facts on the ground that would determine the future of the region. And what we see on the ground maybe encouraging.

Hummus

Two People, One Hummus

In spite of the, pain, animosity and distrust between the two people, there is one principle both Israelis and Palestinian would agree upon, namely “Two People, One Hummus”. It may sound frivolous, banal or trivial to say that, but it is actually far more profound than just a culinary suggestion. Israelis are gradually becoming the minority on the land. As I once heard Palestinian Ambassador to Britain Manuel Hassassian commenting, ‘Israel has many lethal bombs, the Palestinians have only one bomb, the demographic one’.

Interestingly enough, when Israelis want to feel authentic, they do not speak in Yiddish or Aramaic, they actually swear in Arabic and eat hummus. The meaning of it is simple, deep in their hearts the Israelis know that Palestine is the land and Israel is just a state. When Israelis want to bond with the Zion they actually plagiarise the indigenous people of the land, for deep inside the Israeli knows that the sky, the sea, Al Quds, Mount Olive, the Sea of Galilee, the Wailing Wall, the Arabic language and the Hummus belong to the land. They also grasp that  oppression,  exceptionalism,  supremacy belong to the State — their own Jewish State.

‘Two People one Hummus’ is my image of peace and reconciliation. The Land will Stay forever – the failing Jewish State is already subject to historical research. The two people will dine together — and they won’t just share the hummus: they may even share the pita bread between them.

36 thoughts on “Two People, One Hummus”

  1. Far far far too optimistic Gilad

    I for one, unfortunately, I do not share your optimism.

    The Jewish-Zionist occupiers had more than a century to find their way out of the mayhem and the maze of immorality, injustice, supremacy and sadism. we are talking about five generation here… and what have we got so far? Nothing but utter madness… increasing cruelty…. more degeneration into the abyss of regression and barbarity…. more inclination towards collective paranoid lunacy and fanaticism.

    “67 percent (of israelis) believe that the Jews are the chosen people” ~~ Haaretz

    Unfortunately, this militantism and fanatical ideological supremacy is not confined within the borders of occupied Palestine:

    Just have a look at the way Jewish children have been indoctrinated worldwide as “soldiers of the Rebbe’s army”

    How do you suggest to counteract, to stop, to reverse this madness?

    Changing people’s ideologies is one of most difficult tasks, dear Gilad, you know that and I know it.

    What we are up against is not just material and physical obstacles, for these can be dealt with one way or another. What is most disturbing is that we are up against millennia of ideological indoctrination of supremacy and “chosen-ness”, which drive the fanatic believer to justify their unprecedented levels of destruction and cruelty in the name of their imagined leadership entitlement.

    What I see ahead dear Gilad is HORROR!
    I have warned many times before, but my warnings fell on deaf ears.

    My personal feelings now is that we have reached the point of no return, and any attempts to save those souls (except with God’s infinite mercy) is futile.

    People make choices, and they at the end of the day have to face the consequences of their choices. It is a law of nature. Some call it Karma.

    “And We gave (Clear) Warning to the Children of Israel in the Scripture, that twice would they do mischief on the earth and will become tyrants and behave insolently with extreme arrogance.” (17:4)

    “When the first of the warnings came to pass, We sent against you Our servants of mighty prowess: They entered the very inmost parts of your homes; and it was a warning (completely) fulfilled.” (17:5)

    “Afterwards, we will give you a turn over them, and will grant you an increase of wealth and children; we will give you the upper hand.” (17:6)

    “If you do good, it will be for your own benefit, but if you do evil, it will be against your souls. When the prophecy of your second transgression will come to pass, sadness will cover your faces. They (your enemies) will enter the mosque as they did the first time, they will wipe out all the gains you had accomplished.” (17:7)

    “It may be that your Lord will have mercy on you, but if you revert to transgression, we will counter with retribution. We have designated hell as a final abode for those who conceal the truth.” (17:8)

  3. However pessimistic we are, and I donot read Gilads speach as optimistic, we have to show where the light might be. If we cannot imagine what it could be like, how will we ever recognize it? Or even if we never find it, how can we go on living only with darkness in our minds?

    When I was up to publish my book “Is the world upside down?” some years ago, a friend told me it was only horror and darkness, and that it is not right to leave the reader with all this darkness and distaster without pointing out some possible roads to another world. So I wrote an eplog – a very simple one with many questions.

    Quo vadis?

    http://lassewilhelmson.wordpress.com/2010/01/01/quo-vadis-2/

    PS Some of the articles in the book are translated into English, and are on my blog DS

    • Lasse wrote: ” it is not right to leave the reader with all this darkness and distaster without pointing out some possible roads to another world”.

      Hmm, this reminded me of the recent decision to shut down the @StarvingChild account on Twitter, because it is “reactionary”.

      The account was written by an activist in Zimbabwe who has experience of hunger, and the truth remains that thousands of children die daily through malnutrition. So as horrible as it is to think about it, it seems to me equally horrible not to think about it.

      We must not depress, we must not make people feel hopeless, and frankly the account was doing just that.

      :-(

  5. For sure they stole the Hummus, and the Falafel, and the orchard, and the vineyard, and the the life and the livelihood, and yet, they are not happy…

    Nahida, i guess that you realise that we aren’t that apart on that matter…what I try to say is that if we ever ve peace in Pls, it is the Pls who can lead it…

  8. “Two Peoples, One Future”- NO, BUT NO THANK YOU
    “Two Peoples, One Hummus”- NO, BUT NO THANK YOU

    The very saying “Two people, one future” is a betrayal of every notion of ethics, progress, justice and morality that humanity ever developed.

    It is an open invite to REWARD those who engage in wars of conquest and aggression.

    Calling for the settling of many world Jewry in lands and property they acquired by theft and war crimes is also a crime.

    It is a call to finalize the Zionist project

    There is no future for the occupiers in the land they have colonized by force.

    How can it be fair to give equal Rights for serial killers, and for their victims ?

    Would any of those optimists who think it’s moral to impose such an outcome on Palestinians, would they accept to share their own homes with squatters?

    Forced marriages with rapists are unethical and inhumane.

    We Palestinians, especially Palestinian women, we REFUSE such UNHOLY union.

    We Palestinians, especially Palestinian women, we refuse to embrace our rapists … we reject them with all our hearts.

    And YES, it is SUMUD UNTIL VICTORY

    Palestinians have realized that their future can NOT be materialized with chaining themselves as slaves to the self appointed “Chosen”, “masters”, “Jewish elite”, “bankers” and “financiers”.

    This is called suicide by enslavement.

    We see it happening all around us in the “civilised”, “democratic” and “capitalistic” (or should I say “Cabbalistic”?) world, at the hands of the same “elite”.

    NO …. BUT NO THANK YOU

    Palestinians, who have been steadfast and who have practiced Sumud for over a century do not accept to be forced to embrace supremacists, thieves, murderers, lairs and serial-killers.

    Palestinians can only have a future when they sever every tie with the criminal rapists “Israeli Jews” and fully Liberate their homeland from the occupiers, who have failed during a whole century to behave like normal human beings.

    The Sumud that kept us going for a 100 years will keep us going until the FULL Liberation of Palestine .

    • Reclaiming and demanding the RETURN of YOUR OWN HOME, YOUR STOLEN orchard and YOUR confiscated property is NOT “creating another injustice”.

      Refusing to be enslaved is NOT hatred.

      Calling for justice is NOT “revenge”.

      Aspiring to be FREE is NOT immoral.

      However;
      Pretending that World Jewry have a claim of ownership to Palestine because of heir Jewishness is not only unethical, but it is also aiding criminals.

      Palestine is a tiny strip of land, all humans are welcome to visit, enjoy and celebrate, but only it’s native indigenous rightful owners have the right to live permanently there.

      • But it is somewhat complicated by a number of things I think.

        There were always some Jews in Palestine, although they were a tiny minority before zionism. There are also Mizrahi Jews who left countries in the Middle East and cannot easily return.

        And there are several generations of Jews descended from the incomers.

        An insistence that they all left would delay liberation for a long time I think.

        As I said in a previous comment, for some Jewish Israelis, “it is home. it is all they know, and all they want.”

        I am sure being a South African affects my thinking on this, and I am going to write about that soon.

    • Nahida, once again I understand where you are coming from, but then, please tell us what is your vision. Once we reach the one Palestine stage, what would be the status of the Jews? wouldn’t they be protected in accordance with Islam vision?

      • First, akhi Gilad, before I answer your question I would like to ask you some questions:

        How do you think we would reach the “one Palestine stage”?

        Do you think that we can “reach the one Palestine stage” by fantasizing and day-dreaming while touching wood and having our finger crossed, hoping for a miracle, and praying that imaginary PM would show up ?

        Do you think that BDS is a sufficient tactic and good strategy to put an end to the ever-aggressive Zionist occupation, to stop their genocidal crimes and to dispose of their ideological supremacy?

        Do you think that holding colourful banners, painting faces, and waving roses tied to Palestinian flags in the face of fully armed soldiers would suddenly melt their hearts and make them humbly kneel down and ask for forgiveness?

        Do you think if we ask nicely, and if we use the magical words “please” and “thank you” when we communicate with them, they would wake up one day and realize the wrongs they’ve done, and they would “invite” us back home?

        Do you think if we send them copies of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and explain gently to them that they are not really the chosen and people are equal, they would suddenly weep their past and embrace us with brotherly love?

        With all the sorrow in my heart, horror in mind, and anguish in my soul, I say that I can not for the life of me see that such honourable ways would lead us anywhere with regards to the rapists of Palestine. (and without being presumptuous, I think I know that you agree with me.)

        Hence, my repeated (yet unfortunately futile) warnings.

        I am only a mother, and a grandmother, who have lived on this planet for over half a century, of that period 45-years in exile.

        In other words, I am not on my way in but on my way out. Which means, my chances of seeing significant change in my lifetime are diminishing by the day.

        However, that does not mean that things will stay as they are; everything in this universe, from the microcosm to the macrocosm is a flux:
        An exquisite continuous dance of subatomic particles fluctuating between existence and annihilation.
        A magnificent eternal twirl of galaxies spiraling between the fateful crunch of black-holes and the freedom of an ever-expanding cosmos.

        Every living being itself is a flux, bouncing back and forth between two contradictory states, and constantly alternating between two opposite poles, life and death. every second parts of us die and new parts are born.

        Change is the only stability we can be sure of.

        Hence, history will run its course, and its not up to me or any other human to determine the outcome.

        But one core issue to ponder upon: people, akhi Gilad, do not like to be trodden upon, they do not like to be treated with injustice, cruelty or oppression, they do not like to be treated as inferiors… People can only take it so far, and that much… then, they reach a point where they would rise up and say enough is enough.

        In history, we have myriad of examples of what that means: where are the French occupiers who occupied Algeria for 150 years? Where are the crusaders who occupied Palestine for 200 years? Where is the British Empire now?

        Maybe not in my lifetime, but I have no doubt that Palestine will be Liberated one day insha’Allah.

        People of good will, those who LOVE the world and desire more than anything to foster and protect LIFE, ALL LIFE, not just their own or that of their tribe, people who thirst for justice, truth, peace and freedom have no option but to come together and attend the world, caress its wounds and wipe its tears away, everyone according to their ability and aptitude.

        I am confident that mankind will be provided with the necessary resolve, courage and creativity to rid it self of elitists and exclusivists who strive to enslave, divide and destroy, no matter who they are or where they are. It is part of the ever-evolving organic flux.

        Exclusion and superiority by their very nature are mechanisms of reduction, elimination and destruction, including self-elimination and destruction.

        Sustainable human societies functions in ways that supremacists have no understanding, control or mastery of. Systems of Justice will inevitably re-emerge on the ruins of rotten old ones. With the hard work, dedication, steadfastness, energy, sacrifice and love of those who are sincere, undoubtedly, a more Just system will organically rise from the ashes to replace that which has caused the world so much pain and agony.

        The same intrinsically guided system we see all around us in this fabulous mysterious universe, dancing between utter mayhem to harmonious balance, between frightening chaos to supreme order, and between total annihilation to new creation, the most breathtaking act of cosmic respiration: inhale… exhale…inhale… exhale…inhale… can you hear it breathing?

        It’s the very same marvellous Cycle of Life, that uncontrollably spirals upwards and irresistibly drawn to strive towards perfection; towards the Most Sublime, Most Just, Most Gracious, Most High.

        Sorry for that detraction, I was just a bit carried away :)

        ( why do I have a feeling that a new article might be on it way to being born ! ;) )

        Now, coming back to your question Gilad, “Once we reach the one Palestine stage, what would be the status of the Jews?”

        Or, in other words, what will be the future of today’s terrorists, the “Jewish-Israelis”?

        Undoubtedly, the world community should leave it to the victims who suffered immensely to decide on their future and on the fate of those who participated in oppressing them.

        Only the victims can investigate the fragile alleys of forgiveness or punishment. The victims should have the last say irrespective of what their judgment might be, they should not be vilified, indicted or moralized with, for they have suffered more than enough.

        The emergence of forgiveness and reconciliation requires certain conditions:

        1) Stopping the crime
        2) Admitting of guilt
        3) Asking for pardon
        4) And rectifying the wrong

        None of these conditions are ever considered as an option nor is it likely to be in the near future, amongst that mighty sick racist zionist society.

        It is also a matter of justice that:

        All refugee and their descendents have the unconditional right to come back home, they, the rightful indigenous owners are also entitled to the reinstatement of ALL confiscated (stolen) land and property AND compensation for all their losses over the many years of exile and they are also entitled to Palestinian citizenship wherever they are.

        Palestinians have the ultimate right to choose their vision for their future, of FREE Palestine including the type of government, the writing of constitution, the construction and implementation of their legal and juristic system, which stems from and corresponds to their ethics and reflects and protects their culture.

        It is the privilege of Palestinian to decide who should stay in liberated Palestine and who is not, using the legal procedure of their own choice that is compatible with Universal Human Rights and International Law.

        Any way, I guess I better stop now, will continue if more thoughts come to mind.

        .

        • Dear Nahida

          “The emergence of forgiveness and reconciliation requires certain conditions:
          1) Stopping the crime
          2) Admitting of guilt
          3) Asking for pardon
          4) And rectifying the wrong”

          This is why we want to build a memorial at Deir Yassin

          Paul

          • Dear Paul
            Building memorials is good as an act to remember… It does NOT carry within it the conditions above.
            Jewish-”israelis” were unable to do what is needed to be done, in a hundred years, and they will continue to FAIL in do it.

            I believe that one of the main reasons that prevents them from embarking on a journey of self-reflection and acknowledgment of wrongs, is IDEOLOGICAL. It is what brother Gilad calls “Jewishness” in which people identify themselves with despite the lack of presence of any commonality whatsoever, except their state of mind and the indoctrinated subjective feeling inside those who insist to identify themselves as being Jewish as oppose to being other-non-Jewish, it s the sensation and state of mind that makes them mysteriously feel they are distinctively different from the other without being to identify why.

            This ideological concept I refer to is the bizarre concept of chosen-ness. By whatever interpretation you take that concept, from the mildest form to the most extreme, it carries within it the seeds of supremacy, racism, arrogance, feeling of entitlement, feeling of being part of “nation” with a “purpose”, and allows the person to harbour paradoxical feelings simultaneously: extremely privileged by birth AND perpetually persecuted and victimized by the rest of humanity who out of jealousy cannot help themselves by “hate the Jews”.
            These are serious issues that are very uncomfortable to face, it requires embarking on inner journeys, it requires challenging deep anchored indoctrinated beliefs, it requires hard questioning of one’s most profound identity, history, family and culture.

            Is it feasible and possible to be liberated from such indoctrination, I certainly believe so, that’s why we see some brave people who manage to break away, both you and Gilad are living examples. However, such liberation cannot come from outside, it comes only from within, and my experience had taught me that not many people are willing to do so.

            The fear of breaking away from the tribe leaves one on very shaky grounds. The attacks that they come under and the harassment they endure by the rest of the tribe can be overwhelming and beyond the tolerance of most. Accusations of “anti-Semitism”, “self-hatred” and “holocaust denying being the most experienced, accompanied with utter failure on behalf of the accusers to understand or sense the genuine motivations behind the criticism, namely the sincere desire of wanting to help them see things from a different and fresh perspective.

            Therefore, I agree with Gilad’s conclusion:

            “But i also agree that it won’t happen. Israel is doomed. And as i mentioned many times before. It is Palestinian’s forgiveness Israelis should pray for.

        • Dear Sister
          I ll try to answer briefly,, I am on a tight schedule here,, but thses are indeed very important questions.

          N: How do you think we would reach the “one Palestine stage”?

          G: Any form of resistance to Israeli hegemony (i.e. J supremacy) is acceptable.

          N: Do you think that we can “reach the one Palestine stage” by fantasizing and day-dreaming while touching wood and having our finger crossed, hoping for a miracle, and praying that imaginary PM would show up ?

          G: certainly not. If you read my text, I am saying it clearly. The imaginary PM won’t show up. There is no peace in J culture. I make it very clear, The fate of this land is in Pls hands. (“But don’t hold your breath – as much as such an idea is thrilling, we shouldn’t expect it to happen any time soon, for Israel is not an ordinary state and such a scenario doesn’t fit into its Jewish ethno-centric ideology that is driven by exclusiveness, exceptionalism, racial supremacy and a deep inherent inclination toward segregation.”)

          N: Do you think that BDS is a sufficient tactic and good strategy to put an end to the ever-aggressive Zionist occupation, to stop their genocidal crimes and to dispose of their ideological supremacy?

          G: Certainly not. Solidarity activism in its current stage is an exercise in self love. BDS keeps some activist busy. It keeps some Zionist angry ,, it is a good thing but it won’t break Israel
          Do you think that holding colourful banners, painting faces, and waving roses tied to Palestinian flags in the face of fully armed soldiers would suddenly melt their hearts and make them humbly kneel down and ask for forgiveness?

          G: certainly not. What you describe is a left exercise in self love. But again it keeps some people happy and spreads awareness.

          N: Do you think if we ask nicely, and if we use the magical words “please” and “thank you” when we communicate with them, they would wake up one day and realize the wrongs they’ve done, and they would “invite” us back home?

          G: Nahida, I make it very clear in the piece. I say, it could tk 3 minutes to solve the conflict but the Isr won’t make it happen.

          N: Do you think if we send them copies of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and explain gently to them that they are not really the chosen and people are equal, they would suddenly weep their past and embrace us with brotherly love?

          G: For Zionist and ‘progressives’ the UDOFH is a pretext for a war against Islam

        • And just to make sure what you describe here as elementary conditions
          1) Stopping the crime
          2) Admitting of guilt
          3) Asking for pardon
          4) And rectifying the wrong

          is exactly what i would expect the imaginary PM to do and admit. But i also agree that it won’t happen. Israel is doomed. And as i mentioned many times before. It is Palestinian’s forgiveness Israelis should pray for.
          night night

  10. Chill out!!! Calm down calm down everyone. Who knew that hummus could become so controversial? I was thinking about doing an article myself on peanut butter but I think now I will leave it well alone…

    Ethnic cleansing a load of 2012 Israeli Jews would just be as bad as the orginal Nakba if not worse. Get real! We all just got get along all of us, that means forgiveness on all sides.

    We must break the cycle of hate and revenge.

    • Hello brothers… i am touring here and can’t engage as much as I want.
      One of the things i tried to say in this piece is that Israel, due to its Jewihness, cannot lead any process of reconciliation. The Palestinian can and will when time is ripe. But I made it very clear. Israel belongs to history. The future is Palestine. One Palestine, and I would love to be the minister of Jazz
      peace
      G

  11. “I am sure being a South African affects my thinking on this, and I am going to write about that soon.”
    Hi Roy, just a thought, I take it you’re white and you didn’t live your entire time in Soweto South Africa? When the oppressor is on the back foot, all of a sudden they become all reasonable.
    Yes, I can see common themes between apartheid SA and israel. Jews played a large part in the apartheid in SA.
    “The White man is the master in South Africa,
    and the white man, from the very nature of his
    origins, from the very nature of his birth, and
    from the very nature of his guardianship, will remain master in South Africa to the end.”
    (House of Assembly Debates, 15/3/50 col.3610)
    It doesn’t take much imagination to change a couple of words…
    Looking forward to your post about your experience in SA.

    • “What can emerge from the fiasco of this occupation in its terminal phase, is a return to a status-pro-ante namely the peaceful cohabitation of Muslim, Christian and Jewish Palestinians providing they are related to the inhabitants of Palestine preceding the Zionist invasion, or in addition, providing the future Palestinian Court system will accept the (ex-Israeli) individuals on a case-by-case basis, all of which in respect of future Palestinian Immigration Regulation, PAL Judicial System, International Law, Customary Law, and strict adherence to internationally recognized procedural standards.

      From any angle you look at the question, whether legal, moral or practical, the people (Nation) of Palestine with the exclusion of anyone else, have the inalienable Human Right to the land they verifiably inhabit without interruption since thousands of years.

      The disparate Jewish peoples of “Israel” who came under the banner of Zionism, are occupiers, and what is worse an occupier who has proven to be incapable of gradual humanization and pacific integration in his new environment. In other words, the Jewish-Israeli occupier of Palestine has not gained any right, not created the legal (Jus Voluntarium) and human framework which would have naturally evolved toward integration and unification with the indigenous population. Destruction of biblical villages, destruction of environment, annihilation of a whole indigenous people by means of insane, sociopathic cruelty, breach of every Law in the books, breach of every acceptable standard of human cohabitation, does not create the sine-qua-non conditions to slowly integrate within a foreign land. Therefor, the Jewish occupiers never had, and never gained the right to anything in Palestine, and certainly not the right to decide the fate of Palestinians.

      Reversely, Palestinians have the ominous RIGHT to bring their tormentor to Justice, under a legal framework of their own choice as long as it responds to international standards, as mentioned before. In other words, the fate of the Jewish occupiers will be in the hands of their victims.

      The outlays of such system are straight forward, and fair: Anyone who served in the IDF, anyone who served the Jewish state apparatus, anyone who contributed to the “Israeli” state ‘s operations and strategy, anyone who transferred significant funds to “Israel”, shall be brought to Justice, if and only if prosecution is the Palestinians’ sovereign decision. I trust Palestinians’ astounding sense of Humanity, as their History demonstrate, that ex-occupiers will be prosecuted on a case-by-case basis, allowing them to demonstrate eventual innocence, or to have reformed themselves (like Mr Atzmon very honorably has), or to present Palestinian witnesses to vouch for his/her good behavior during the occupation. On this basis, Palestinians will allow legal status of residence or citizenship, to anyone who deserves it, hence the assurances are strong that some ex-Israelis will stay, but again, this is the sovereign decision of the Palestinians, and no one else’s. There is strong indication that future Palestinian Immigration Policy will be human, i.e. decisions will be taken irrespective of race or religion, just like any normal sovereign State, in stark contrast with the soon to be defunct racist and discriminatory “israeli” policies where “Jews only” could apply!”

      Extremely lucid, amazingly articulate and incredibly beautiful comment…. Thank you Kareem Muhsen for such detailed elucidation
      .

      • I also believe that full ROR is the core of any resolution. Yet, i also know that Israel is not capable to negotiate this elementray right. Hence,the Jewish state must be defeated and it will. But the other meaning of it is that we cannot think of a political resolution of the conflict. We must think in ethical terms and this entails we 1, must bring the ‘Jewish state’ (an expansionist, racist state) down. 2, yet, we must take care of its Jewish population and make them into citizens with equal rights in the new emerging Palestine. 3. we would also have to re-eduacte the Israelis through an extensive process of de-zionification in accordance with universal values..
        This is an attempt to produce an ethical judgment of a complicated situation.

  12. Amicable critic of Gilad Atzmon’s Hummously piece:

    (yeah okay…it became much longer than expected, and i just noticed Gilad’s perfect elucidation. He has my vote to elect him as Palestine’s Minister of Jazz)

    PART 1:
    Mr Atzmon’s piece here, is not exactly the most salient of his otherwise generally pertinent publications.

    Mistaken contentions as well as divergences from his general positions, transpire.

    Is it accidental? Is it a fulcrum point of his political positioning? Do I misunderstand? What?

    I understand the piece is a transcript of a talk he gave in Toronto/CA to a multi-cultural and multi-confessional audience. Had it been a mainly Jewish audience, it could be argued that it was perhaps an attempt, and a clever one, to capture the hypothetically Jewish audience into listening with somewhat positive feelings until the end, where they will be trapped into acceptance of the idea that “Israel” is already a thing of the past, while Palestine is the only chance of peace. But the audience being diverse, every step of the GA’s talk has to be taken with its intrinsic meaning, and not as a rhetorical trick to attract the audience (or reader) toward accepting the conclusion.

    Thus i am obliged to just highlight at least some of the points where Mr Atzmon deviates from his usual position which generally coincide with mine, and point out some of the facts from which he goes astray this time, in fact bowing to a rather main stream narrative, to my disappointment, and objection.

    The hummously humour, (transliterated spelling always takes its own liberty) became an insufficient digestive.

    G.A. was asked to give his opinion on the “One State Solution for the Israeli Palestinian conflict, and those who advocate Two States for the two people”

    Given G.A.’s wit and sharp mind, I am surprised he did not tear apart the question itself in the first place, since:

    - There is no “One State/Two State Solution”, there was, is, and will always be one Palestine.
    - It is not an “Israeli-Palestinian conflict”, it unequivocally is nothing else than an occupation of Palestine by terrorists, namely the Jewish Zionists who call themselves “Israelis”, and who for the time being still gang up under the racist and fascist ideology called Zionism.
    - “Two people” is incorrect also, since there is only one Palestinian People or Nation, while there are many diverse Jewish-Zionist occupiers, of diverse cultural and ethnic background, be it from Marocco, France, Ukraine, Poland, Ethiopa, Germany, Iraq, or wherever.

    The only common denominator of the Jewish-Zionist occupiers of Palestine is the criminal behavior, theft, genocide and wanton destruction of World Cultural Heritage in Palestine aka “Holy Land”, perpetrated in ever worsening grade since almost a century. They have no common culture, no common history, no common ethnicity, no common food, no common language (modern Hebrew is a created language less than 200 years old), even the respective religious rituals are very disparate… The only true commonality is artificial, and notoriously failed, it is the banner of a 19th Century Nationalist project Zionism, they call it “Israel”, and perhaps also some latent paranoia and mass-sociopathy, as G.A. describes in his book.

    Mr Atzmon introduces his series of arguments asserting that “I do believe that the fate of the people in Palestine and Israel should be decided by the Israelis and the Palestinians themselves

    Pardon me? This logically means that GA thinks “Israelis” should decide for the Palestinian’s fate? Are you kidding me?

    Within the context of a Liberation of Palestine, and a practical future, the contrary is true: Palestinians have the full unabridged right, based on International Law and Customary Law, to decide the fate of their tormentors and occupiers. Besides, there is abundant historic precedent to demonstrate the practicality and necessity of this factual approach to the fiasco created by this failed Nationalist Project.

    What can emerge from the fiasco of this occupation in its terminal phase, is a return to a status-pro-ante namely the peaceful cohabitation of Muslim, Christian and Jewish Palestinians providing they are related to the inhabitants of Palestine preceding the Zionist invasion, or in addition, providing the future Palestinian Court system will accept the (ex-Israeli) individuals on a case-by-case basis, all of which in respect of future Palestinian Immigration Regulation, PAL Judicial System, International Law, Customary Law, and strict adherence to internationally recognized procedural standards.

    From any angle you look at the question, whether legal, moral or practical, the people (Nation) of Palestine with the exclusion of anyone else, have the inalienable Human Right to the land they verifiably inhabit without interruption since thousands of years.

    The disparate Jewish peoples of “Israel” who came under the banner of Zionism, are occupiers, and what is worse an occupier who has proven to be incapable of gradual humanization and pacific integration in his new environment. In other words, the Jewish-Israeli occupier of Palestine has not gained any right, not created the legal (Jus Voluntarium) and human framework which would have naturally evolved toward integration and unification with the indigenous population. Destruction of biblical villages, destruction of environment, annihilation of a whole indigenous people by means of insane, sociopathic cruelty, breach of every Law in the books, breach of every acceptable standard of human cohabitation, does not create the sine-qua-non conditions to slowly integrate within a foreign land. Therefor, the Jewish occupiers never had, and never gained the right to anything in Palestine, and certainly not the right to decide the fate of Palestinians.

    Reversely, Palestinians have the ominous RIGHT to bring their tormentor to Justice, under a legal framework of their own choice as long as it responds to international standards, as mentioned before. In other words, the fate of the Jewish occupiers will be in the hands of their victims.

    The outlays of such system are straight forward, and fair: Anyone who served in the IDF, anyone who served the Jewish state apparatus, anyone who contributed to the “Israeli” state ‘s operations and strategy, anyone who transferred significant funds to “Israel”, shall be brought to Justice, if and only if prosecution is the Palestinians’ sovereign decision. I trust Palestinians’ astounding sense of Humanity, as their History demonstrate, that ex-occupiers will be prosecuted on a case-by-case basis, allowing them to demonstrate eventual innocence, or to have reformed themselves (like Mr Atzmon very honorably has), or to present Palestinian witnesses to vouch for his/her good behavior during the occupation. On this basis, Palestinians will allow legal status of residence or citizenship, to anyone who deserves it, hence the assurances are strong that some ex-Israelis will stay, but again, this is the sovereign decision of the Palestinians, and no one else’s. There is strong indication that future Palestinian Immigration Policy will be human, i.e. decisions will be taken irrespective of race or religion, just like any normal sovereign State, in stark contrast with the soon to be defunct racist and discriminatory “israeli” policies where “Jews only” could apply!

    (Part 2 to follow after some arabic coffe, an ARABIC speciality mind you, like Hummous and Maqloubeh and many more delicious things)

    • Dear Kareem

      How did you manage to get from “I do believe that the fate of the people in Palestine and Israel should be decided by the Israelis and the Palestinians themselves” TO “Israelis” should decide for the Palestinian’s fate?

      My articles suggest that
      1. it is not down the Jews in Brooklyn to decide about the fate of Pls
      2. It is down to the people on the land to determine their fate
      3. Israelis cannot lead any process of reconciliation,
      4. Palestinian are the only people who can lead such a move but only when they are strong enough.

      Whether pls would act upon it or not is indeed an open question..

      • Howdy Wanderer,
        (You are currently touring my grounds, while i visit yours ;-) )

        Thanks for the necessary disambiguation.

        Ambiguity in this conflictual matter is one of the numerous diplomatic and politic dilatory methods and deception tricks used as some of the tools to implement and perpetuate the Zionist aims. In the Historic perspective, the catastrophic fiasco that is Palestine’s occupation, is punctuated by an endless string of ambiguous agreements and statements, which are the individual keys used to enable systemic land-grab and conduct egregious genocidal attacks against the indigenous population, while hypnotizing the international public opinion to nod in acceptance for “facts on the ground”

        Ambiguity is a pest also in matters of Resistance and Struggle for Liberation. After all our detractor’s Perception Management poison cooks, take sentences out of context to ensure the public’s view of our position is skewed and totally false. I reckon your own experience, Gilad Atzmon, on the receiver’s end, is extensive.

        That is why we must be careful not to let slip certain ambiguities in our discourse.

        By applying elementary logic, the sentence in contention is ambiguous insofar that it logically implies several divergent meanings, including the one I objected to, namely that Israelis should decide for the Palestinian’s fate. May be I should have also raised other meanings that sentence implies and just as much objectionable, namely that it is for the people of Israel to determine their own fate while in reality it is the victims’ right and courts of justice obligation to decide of the fate of perpetrators of crimes, and not for the criminals to decide for themselves; and there is also the contradiction when you prealably assert that there is “one” state, and yet here you say there is also a “Palestine”… that makes two, not one. So EITHER there is a Palestine, OR there is an Israel, if the count is one, and it is my understanding that your favor the former, Palestine, and that is why I generally agree with you.

        So to answer your question: I didn’t manage anything, except to provoke you to remove the ambiguity you managed to let slip in the said sentence.

        I am glad you clarified, and yet my initial objection remains valid, since your #2 states: “it is down to the people on the land to determine their fate“. If you are saying that it is down to the Israelis to determine the Israelis fate, I disagree fully! Their margin of action is temporary, and knows only one issue, and that is the EXIT door! Failing to run away while they can, will down the road subject them to prosecution in Palestinian Sovereign Courts, as well as Palestinian Immigration Policies that will eventually determine their residency or citizenship in Palestine, or the jail they will rot in, for having killed babies and acted as psychopathic criminals causing death and destruction.

        In fact this same # 2 in your clarification includes again the same logical implication to which I object, namely that Israelis should determine Palestinian’s fate and I just doubt (or hope) you really do NOT mean to say that.

        To be fair your # 2 implies also that Palestinians should determine Israelis’ fate with which I fully agree.

        My point is that when you just say “the people on the land should determine for their own fate” you amalgamate Israeli occupiers guilty of crimes, and Palestinians, and translates as Israelis having allegedly the right to self determination on this land, to which, again, I object categorically. How can you hold the positions you hold and make such a statement, that Israelis have “Rights” to Self-Determination (in what they call Israel)? It defies all common sense and contradicts your previous publications. In fact, it is the same sentence I have read from Zionists or supporters of Israelis! ??? I would hope this is not your position, but it would be preferable to be exempt of such ambiguities.

        Alas, i just read a new comment of yours in this thread (in response to Nahida) where you state your positions more clearly, and i am glad you did because it appears that while our opinions generally concord, and this with the most honorable sense of Justice, i discover in your comment, another # 2 and # 3 with which you go astray from anything i could approve of.

        quote
        “2, yet, we must take care of its Jewish population and make them into citizens with equal rights in the new emerging Palestine.
        3. we would also have to re-eduacte the Israelis through an extensive process of de-zionification in accordance with universal values..
        This is an attempt to produce an ethical judgment of a complicated situation         ”
        end quote

        Re #2
        No way!
        “equal rights” ??? and you call this ethical???
        “we must” not do anything, as it is the Palestinians and only the Palestinians Sovereign Right, to decide what fate their occupiers and tormentors should face. That is the only historical model that is practical. “we” (international community) have the sole obligation to monitor that international norms of Justice are applied, thus no new Crimes Against Humanity are committed, which we have all reason to trust it will not, since Palestinans’ capacity to human, ethical posture is obvious, especially when you consider they kept it even after more than 70 years of oppression and genocide. In fact, Palestinians are capable of forgiveness. But “we must” is not an honorable approach, we have no right to impose anything on Palestinians, and frankly, as an (adoptive) Briton you should be aware that Britain even more than other countries, has serious obligations and responsabilities with regard to Palestine, a fact that will inexorably resurface in future compensation procedures.
        As a side note, it is not the “new emerging” Palestine, it is a return to Historical lineage. Occupation, as well as the subsequent liberation, are nothing but the continuation of the one and only Palestine’s History. The only novelty will be the political form and state apparatus the Palestinians will chose for themselves

        Re #3
        “re-educate” Israelis? “de-zionification”? My goodness, this is about as unpractical and unfeasible as it gets. The problem is one of Jewishness, as you often reckon yourself, and not so much a problem of “Israel” or “Zionism” which are the emanation of the problematic aspects of “Jewishness” that pertain specifically to selfishness, to sense of superiority, even racism, and ease to violence and dishonesty. All of which being related to specific aspects of Rabbinical Judaism, which have hoodwinked the majority of Jews into self-interest, into the search of the singular interest AGAINST the universal, common interest. Excuse me but it is not to the Palestinians who have suffered enough to engage into solving Jewish problems; and moreover it is not to the international community who has enabled the criminal Jewish state to perpetrate its crimes, to force this Sisyphus task onto a people who will have to rebuilt their country! If anything, it is a Marshall Plan equivalent, that will be need for Palestine (and the Middle East) The West, suckedered into wars and bankruptcy by treasonous frequently Jewish networks and helpers of Zion will not be able to develop such massive Plan of reconstruction, so who’s-gonna-pay? If courts have their say, those who have accumulated pharaonic wealth on the back of Arabs and Western countries, will be taxed, and forced into paying compensational monies during centuries to come.
        “re-educate” … Gilad, History is replete of examples of this type of “re-educate” rubbish, and how it always has failed. Remember that the international Jewry seems very adamant in “re-educating” the western world in “never again” Holocaust garbage… and we see how they were themselves “re-educated” don’t we! Or to take it from another standpoint, the “West” has no quality, no ethical credibility with our moral bankruptcy, to “re-educate” anyone. Our “values” are proven to be a sham. If anyone, it would be the Arabs, or perhaps authentic Muslims in some ways, who have better grounds to “re-educate” us, wouldn’t you agree? Consider, after 70 years of oppression and genocide and destruction of their country and lives, Palestinians still carry in their hearts and minds the marvelous features that they had BEFORE the Zionist invaions, when they were the mystifying model of social cohesion and peaceful, sustainable social construct, oozing of the ethics we fail to even understand, whilst “we” have conducted wars, colonized, raped and pillaged half of the world. What a sham. And please spare me the example of formerly nazi Germany, to which the notion of “de-zionification” refers to. Because Germany and the “entnazififierung” (de-nazification) are a whole different affair, were it just for the fact that these were Germans in Germany, and not disparate gangs taking over a foreign country by terrorism and destruction, helped by an international network. Fact is, that before WW2, or more precisely before the 1920s catastrophic economic crisis precipitated by the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was a flourishing heaven of tolerance in Europe, where Jews happened to prosper and intellectually thrive, and the Jewish integration in German culture was so deep that even the gigantic bronze lettering on top of the Reichstag building’s entry, were a gift from a Jewish German Patriot who had fought for HIS country in WW1. Not to insist on the scam the “entnazifierung” was anyway, considering that most nazi judges were reinstated, most state employees were reinstated, most policemen were reinstated (in the west-zone at least), most scientists were transferred unharmed to the USA and USSR, where some of them even conducted experiments (in Fort Detrick for example) more atrocious than what was committed in KZs by some demented doctors.
        So please, spare the Palestinians with this “de-zionization” stuff. If anything, it is the Judeao-centric network of collaborators to the Zionist project, that must be de-zionized, as they basically and literally act as traitors to their respective nations.

        Your plan in #2 and #3 are far from being an ethical solution, as described, and frankly i am tired to hear the false argument that it is a complicated problem, because it is not. We have been hoodwinked to accept that it is complicated, in order to perpetuate the problem. This smoke screen used since decades to overcomplicate a simple matter will not function much longer, exactly like the “anti-semite” or “holocaust denier” accusations won’t work much longer neither. The matter is simple: it is an egregious occupation, that has reached its paroxysm and is accelerating toward its inevitable collapse, which will coincide with a Full Liberation and a gradual return of the indigenous people and their descendants, irrespective of religion of course. It is a practical approach, that takes into consideration the simple architecture of the events, and disregards the multi-layered fake glitter that has been wrapped around it to obfuscate the true hideous nature of the beast.

        In the sense that Israel is over and finished, we agree, Mister future Minister of Jazz. Where i am in disagreement with you, is when you embark in what looks like a mechanism of protection of the Jewish-Zionist or anti-Zionist occupier of Palestine, by trying to push for their remaining there, which ignores the fact that this hypothesis is not feasible, unpractical were it only for logistic, density questions, unresolvable land disputes, etc… and honestly you who know the “Israelis” even better than i do, do you see them handing over the apparatus of power and their weaponry to the Palestinians? C’mon, get real.

  13. hello brothers,,,I think that one thing we shouldn’t learn from the Zios and AZZs is how not to read,,a lot of misunderstandings above, and i wonder why.. why do we attribute to others, things they don’t say..
    deLiberation as opposed to the Zionised PSC or Harry’s Place should be a platform of an open intellectual exchange, we will make it happen..

    peace G

  14. What is hummus, hoummus or houmous? It seems we cannot even agree on the spelling of this Mediterranean chickpea spread, let alone agree on an equitable solution to the Palestine/Israel dilemma.

    What are the core ingredients of Hummus
    Chick Peas
    Lemon juice
    Tahini paste
    Garlic
    Salt + Pepper

    Is it the chickpeas that make hummus so, or is it lemony tang? What about cumin, & garlic? Then there is the Tahini paste, or sesame seeds.

    If we were to remove all the garlic from the Hummus recipe, it would no longer be hummus. Similarly if we were to remove all the lemon juice it would not be hummus. These core ingredients together make the hummus and it can not be without them. There are certain minimum & maximum quantities that are crucial to the mixture, minimum amount of chickpeas, lemon juice and so on….

    So it is with the land of Israel (as it is now called) & Palestine as it was once called. It takes all the ingredients to make it what it is. Zionism has caused a dreadful schizophrenia to descend upon this land I hope one day that this will pass and do so peacefully.

    • If you add:

      750gm of ham,
      67 chillies,
      2 cups of sugar,
      7 large spoons of salt,
      150gm of tomatoes,
      8 eggs,
      4 slices of beef,
      2 slices of chopped salmon
      250 gm of butter
      200 gm of cream
      3 onions
      and a can of tuna

      to a plate of 500gm of a lovingly and deliciously-prepared hummus

      The outcome will nauseate and make sick any one who taste it, smells it, or even looks at it.

      So give us a break and stop kidding us please; the dish is NOT hummus any more

      Please respect the original hummus, protect its authentic recipe and keep its dignity….
      DO NOT DESTROY IT by adding ingredient that does not belong to the dish… please.
      .

  15. “Only the native indigenous rightful owners have the right to permanently live there”.

    So just the same rhetoric that the BNP use in the UK then. Jews out!

    Jews lived in “Palestine” for thousands of years. And all over the middle east – though every Arab country kicked them out (having paused to massacre a significant number of them). So – Jews aren’t allowed to live anywhere in the Middle East! Where should they live? Europe – where millions and millions of them have been slaughtered over the last century? Or the USA, where you constantly complain that they wield too much influence and shouldn’t be allowed to lobby the US government?

    • I don’t know who you are Mr Flange, but from the tone and content of your posts I suspect you’ll soon become overtly abusive and will go.

      But before you go, you should take note of the very justifiable anger expressed here. You should then take it back to your fellow-travellers and hope that they mend their ways before it’s too late.

  16. It is quite possible that some of Roy Bard’s ancestors harmed indigenous South Africans.

    It is also possible that some of Nelson Mandela’s ancestors harmed them too; pastoralist cultures usually do. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons Mandela rejected the hotheads calling for ethnically cleansing white people from South Africa.

    Palestine is different, but it’s too simplistic to refer to the Arabic-speakers as indigenous, and the Hebrew-speakers invaders. And even if it was, anyone born there should have the right to stay, as much as Dutch – or Bantu – South Africans have the right to stay in South Africa. Anyone whose great-great-grandparents were born in Palestine should be able to return. No more Jews should be allowed in until all the Palestinians who wanted to came back. That would be a sane application of current Western traditions. It would be a tremendous step forward if Jews were forced to behave like white South Africans.

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