Very difficult to comment as there are so many blatancies nobody wants to hear about. Now, we ALL know every point made here is something everyone needs to know, but, if any 1 of 100 stands out, it IS 100.
It’s not so much that Israel HAS the right to tell the world to piss off, it’s more like Israel has been FORCED to tell the world to FUCK OFF.
And, as I say, only slow learners think attacking Israel is ever going to end well for those dumb enough to try.
Joshua Hoffman, this was a tour de force — an omnibus collection of items, with some of which you have already articulated, and many that were revised and redacted for the better. It’s a powerful list that I intend to share and endorse with my small audience of friends around the world. I do hope that these truths, some of which conclude with action items, would enable a viable, effective and humane playbook that would make us all proud! Be well!
I am printing out this essay and making a hundred copies to distribute here.
With regard to the Hezballa deadly attack yesterday on Israel’s ARAB population, I have 2 thoughts. Government spokesmen must publicize the victims were Arabs.
2. After dropping a few bombs on Hezballa territory, SET UP A MILITARY BASE ON THE GOLAN HEIGHTS.
That would be the best revenge and its practical! Not another quagmire.
Didn't scratch the surface: when the San Francisco city council was debating a ceasefire resolution last year, one citizen who had lost five relatives at Kibbutz Be'eri spoke up. The "activists" at the session jeered him and made fun of his loss.
The one great lesson is that the root of the conflict is the desire to kill Jews anywhere, thus the best response is overwhelming force and ignore the complaints.
The other important lesson is that there are dedicated groups with much deeper attachment to Israel than many American Jews and those alliances need to be strengthened:
That said, short lists are always more effective communication: easier to keep in mind Ten Commandments than 800+ requirements on navel oranges from the Dept of Agriculture.
I’d like to talk about item 44, that “Israeli settlements are very much overemphasized”. Josh, they may be overemphasized to some Israelis, but religious ones consider Judea/Samaria crucial territory which should continue to be settled by Jews. Further, the Pallies there support Hamas every bit as much as Gazans do, according to polls. As for Gaza, all bets are off. Clearly the Gazans have shown they cannot govern themselves without waging war on Israelis. Any attempts to “demilitarize and deradicalize” Gaza is a pipe dream that Bibi expressed in his speech to Congress. He compared this project to what the allies did in Germany and Japan post WW2. Bad comparison. The allies had more resources than Israel and were not as hated by the Germans and Japanese as Jews are hated by Palestinians. Even with the help of “regional partners” as Bibi called the Sunni Arab states, Palestinians living in Judea/Samaria and Gaza are a lost cause for deradicalization as long as Iran controls the rhetoric. And no one is talking about taking Iran and its Mullahs out any time soon. I hope and pray that Israelis can finally unite around the importance of not giving away any land to enemies. Torah forbids it. Common sense forbids it. I hope that a new Trump/Vance administration makes the first project of any new alliance the removal of the current Iranian regime.
Regarding #22-- please remember that "progressives" HATE liberals. They probably hate us even more than they hate conservatives, because we are also left of center but refuse to be part of the Radical Left. Extremists engage in purity tests and circular firing squads. Here's one example: "Liberated Ethnic Studies" is a progressive, anti-Western ideology being pushed into public schools by ideologues who also demand (to the surprise of nobody who is paying attention) to "center the Palestinian voice" in a curriculum which is supposed to be about the experiences of minority groups in the US. One of the "points of unity" of the national Coalition for Liberated Ethnic Studies reads "Teachers, schools, and school districts understand the importance of authentic Ethnic Studies, and have sufficient support to withstand attacks from Zionist and other right-wing forces and liberalism...."
And don't forget how the Bernie Bros and Jill Steinians did the same "there's no difference between the two" routine in 2016 that they did in 2000 when they were Ralph Naderites.
Thanks for the exhaustive summary. Quite helpful for this Goy deepening her understanding of the Middle East turmoil. Your summary led me to numerous sources all contributing to a growing foundation of truths.
Point #86 re the NYT losing its way. For the full treatment here's the link to an article in the Economist that details the journey. Be forewarned, it is a long read, but clarifies what's happened to NYT journalism. https://rebrand.ly/q0lwmnt.
You can't seriously believe Europe is more sympathetic to Israel than are Americans. In a post-Christian Europe, there is no strong pro-Israel constituency as there is in America. If Europeans better understand the islamic jihad threat, why do they keep accepting masses of muslim migrants and constantly condemn Israel? At least the GOP here supports Israel.
"Ultimately, a more mutually beneficial relationship would enable the Jewish state to shop on the open market and make military deals with others, including the Europeans, who at least seem to understand the Islamic jihad threat far better than do the Americans. Plus, Israel is more geographically aligned with the Europeans and, in some ways, is the line of first defense against Islamic jihad increasingly spilling over into Europe".
"Yet it is not the blatant antisemitism that so many of us think of when we hear this word. It is covert antisemitism, subliminal antisemitism, disguised as “anti-Israel” or “pro-Palestine.” And this is what makes it hard to detect."
Very difficult to comment as there are so many blatancies nobody wants to hear about. Now, we ALL know every point made here is something everyone needs to know, but, if any 1 of 100 stands out, it IS 100.
It’s not so much that Israel HAS the right to tell the world to piss off, it’s more like Israel has been FORCED to tell the world to FUCK OFF.
And, as I say, only slow learners think attacking Israel is ever going to end well for those dumb enough to try.
Joshua Hoffman, this was a tour de force — an omnibus collection of items, with some of which you have already articulated, and many that were revised and redacted for the better. It’s a powerful list that I intend to share and endorse with my small audience of friends around the world. I do hope that these truths, some of which conclude with action items, would enable a viable, effective and humane playbook that would make us all proud! Be well!
Wow, Joshua! That was a marathon. Thank you so much. I've downloaded it and printed it out. It covers everything!
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.
I am printing out this essay and making a hundred copies to distribute here.
With regard to the Hezballa deadly attack yesterday on Israel’s ARAB population, I have 2 thoughts. Government spokesmen must publicize the victims were Arabs.
2. After dropping a few bombs on Hezballa territory, SET UP A MILITARY BASE ON THE GOLAN HEIGHTS.
That would be the best revenge and its practical! Not another quagmire.
7. Antisemitism knows no bounds
Didn't scratch the surface: when the San Francisco city council was debating a ceasefire resolution last year, one citizen who had lost five relatives at Kibbutz Be'eri spoke up. The "activists" at the session jeered him and made fun of his loss.
The one great lesson is that the root of the conflict is the desire to kill Jews anywhere, thus the best response is overwhelming force and ignore the complaints.
The other important lesson is that there are dedicated groups with much deeper attachment to Israel than many American Jews and those alliances need to be strengthened:
https://cufi.org/
That said, short lists are always more effective communication: easier to keep in mind Ten Commandments than 800+ requirements on navel oranges from the Dept of Agriculture.
I’d like to talk about item 44, that “Israeli settlements are very much overemphasized”. Josh, they may be overemphasized to some Israelis, but religious ones consider Judea/Samaria crucial territory which should continue to be settled by Jews. Further, the Pallies there support Hamas every bit as much as Gazans do, according to polls. As for Gaza, all bets are off. Clearly the Gazans have shown they cannot govern themselves without waging war on Israelis. Any attempts to “demilitarize and deradicalize” Gaza is a pipe dream that Bibi expressed in his speech to Congress. He compared this project to what the allies did in Germany and Japan post WW2. Bad comparison. The allies had more resources than Israel and were not as hated by the Germans and Japanese as Jews are hated by Palestinians. Even with the help of “regional partners” as Bibi called the Sunni Arab states, Palestinians living in Judea/Samaria and Gaza are a lost cause for deradicalization as long as Iran controls the rhetoric. And no one is talking about taking Iran and its Mullahs out any time soon. I hope and pray that Israelis can finally unite around the importance of not giving away any land to enemies. Torah forbids it. Common sense forbids it. I hope that a new Trump/Vance administration makes the first project of any new alliance the removal of the current Iranian regime.
Regarding #22-- please remember that "progressives" HATE liberals. They probably hate us even more than they hate conservatives, because we are also left of center but refuse to be part of the Radical Left. Extremists engage in purity tests and circular firing squads. Here's one example: "Liberated Ethnic Studies" is a progressive, anti-Western ideology being pushed into public schools by ideologues who also demand (to the surprise of nobody who is paying attention) to "center the Palestinian voice" in a curriculum which is supposed to be about the experiences of minority groups in the US. One of the "points of unity" of the national Coalition for Liberated Ethnic Studies reads "Teachers, schools, and school districts understand the importance of authentic Ethnic Studies, and have sufficient support to withstand attacks from Zionist and other right-wing forces and liberalism...."
And don't forget how the Bernie Bros and Jill Steinians did the same "there's no difference between the two" routine in 2016 that they did in 2000 when they were Ralph Naderites.
No. 100 would have sufficed!
101. JOSHUA HOFFMAN WRITES WONDERFUL ARTICLES AND OFFERS SUPERB ANALYSIS (almost) ALL THE TIME. papa j
Thanks for the exhaustive summary. Quite helpful for this Goy deepening her understanding of the Middle East turmoil. Your summary led me to numerous sources all contributing to a growing foundation of truths.
Point #86 re the NYT losing its way. For the full treatment here's the link to an article in the Economist that details the journey. Be forewarned, it is a long read, but clarifies what's happened to NYT journalism. https://rebrand.ly/q0lwmnt.
Blessings! It’s tiring having no voice in mid-America. The ignorance has an odor…
Thank you for your effort in creating this.
You can't seriously believe Europe is more sympathetic to Israel than are Americans. In a post-Christian Europe, there is no strong pro-Israel constituency as there is in America. If Europeans better understand the islamic jihad threat, why do they keep accepting masses of muslim migrants and constantly condemn Israel? At least the GOP here supports Israel.
....................................................................................................................................................................................................................
"Ultimately, a more mutually beneficial relationship would enable the Jewish state to shop on the open market and make military deals with others, including the Europeans, who at least seem to understand the Islamic jihad threat far better than do the Americans. Plus, Israel is more geographically aligned with the Europeans and, in some ways, is the line of first defense against Islamic jihad increasingly spilling over into Europe".
It's actually very easy to detect, at least for me it is.
....................................................................................................................................................................................................................
"Yet it is not the blatant antisemitism that so many of us think of when we hear this word. It is covert antisemitism, subliminal antisemitism, disguised as “anti-Israel” or “pro-Palestine.” And this is what makes it hard to detect."