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Les Vitailles's avatar

You could add that 20% of Israeli university students are Israeli Arab, as is the Dean of Undergraduates at the Technion (Professor Hossam Haick). That the Chairman of Bank Leumi, Israel's largest, is an Israeli Arab (Dr. Samer Haj-Yehia). That two Israeli Arabs have risen to the rank of Major Generals in the IDF. And that Israeli Arabs have been represented in the Knesset not only in the Arab parties but also all the secular ones, including Likud and Yisrael Beiteinu.

Because no discussion of Israel would be complete without considering apartheid.

That's how far from reality the discourse has wandered, not that rational argument is of use here. Israel's government really blundered by getting rid of Noa Tishby and Eyal Levy as public advocates.

https://www.eylonalevy.com/

https://www.noatishby.com/

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Diane Steiner's avatar

Exceptionally good essay. I always appreciate the history and biblical references which are so important in understanding Israel and all it encompasses, and the ongoing conflict it has faced for so many years. The '67 Border facts that you wrote about brought to mind what Mossab Hassan Yousef had said awhile back, that if Israel didn't exist, the Arabs would be fighting one another and they know it. Each and every fact was spot on. Unfortunately, those who have been indoctrinated cover their ears and close their eyes to facts. It makes them feel good to believe that the people who have committed barbaric acts on Israel are the "victims." To face up to the truth would mean they are wrong and as evil as those they support. A Columbia student, a Jewish student, who led one of the protests in the spring, is a "leader" in the (wait for it) Jews for Jihad. This is what the West has to deal with, but instead chooses to ignore these Jew haters because "free speech" reigns in the West except for Jews.

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Rebekah Lee's avatar

"Jews for jihad" is an oxymoron. Emphasis on moron.

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Diane Steiner's avatar

You got that right.

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Iuval Clejan's avatar

Maybe he (she?)'s just seeking attention and rebelling against his (her) parents. It's too hard to believe otherwise. Something from a comedy skit.

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Diane Steiner's avatar

It is hard to believe, but then again there are a lot of Jews on the side of the Arabs.

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Iuval Clejan's avatar

One can be on the side of both Arabs and Israelis, to want peace in the region and a good life for everyone. Which means marginalizing Jihadism. Just like one could be pro-German and want to marginalize Nazism, or be pro Japanese and marginalize Japanese racial supremacy. What do you think?

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Diane Steiner's avatar

I agree partially with what you say, but there is too large a population of indoctrinated Arab Palestinians who are all about the hate and murder of Jews. I will marginalize those Arabs. I shop in Arab stores when I visit my son, have taught Arab students, love Middle Eastern cuisine and so on. I would never put hate on those I meet, get to know, and like. Honestly, most people want peace, however, we have seen multiple times that when a peace plan had been finalized, who turned it down? Not the Israelis. Always the Palestinians. Peace cannot be achieved with one side. So, having said that, there cannot be peace and a good life for everyone when one side doesn't want the other (Israel) to have it.

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Sylvan Changuion's avatar

Jews for Jihad? Queers for Palestine? I would laugh if it was not so serious. Makes we want to drop them off in Gaza or Iran and see how that goes. What a pathetic bunch of idiots. I am not even surprised, just so sad at how stupid these people are.

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Diane Steiner's avatar

I agree. It's beyond being absurd. This is the same student who demanded that the protesters be fed because they had signed up for a food plan at Columbia. Mental illness is rampant.

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Airdrome's avatar

When it comes to Gaza I dont even like calling them "Palestinians" as it only serves to further all the bullshit propaganda narratives being perpetuated largely in part by the recently discovered Russian disinformation war on the West.

Remember before October 7th happened when Israel was considering supplying Ukraine with weapons and Russian issued a stern warning saying that Israel would regret it?

Well here we are. In light of the recently discovered vast Russian misinformation campaign in the West, all the dots are starting to connect. The demonstrators sowing discord is precisely the poison pill needed to advance this endeavor.

As far as Israel is concerned, it should have booted out all the inhabitants of the region after 1967 and sent them packing to Egypt and every other country that participated in the attack.

But today Gaza does exist by Israel's grace. So just call them Gazan Refugees instead? Or something else entirely?

Gaza is Palestine as much as Oklahoma is Texas and we need to stop giving oxygen to anything that is trying to destroy us.

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PatriciaFairbank's avatar

I call them Gaza Arabs. Or just Arabs. We have to mute ‘Palestinian’ as an error of language…propaganda.

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Hāns's avatar

...lower case 'p', and speech marks ("so-called")

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Rebekah Lee's avatar

I simply call them Arabs at every turn. E.g. Arabs in Judea and Samaria.

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Miriamnae's avatar

Amen

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Alfred Harder's avatar

Palestinians and their supporters simply can NOT, never have, and never will get along with Facts and Truths! They are an obscene Lie-cult!

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Alfred Harder's avatar

If the UN had a serious look at it, they would be reluctant to push a two state solution, if not advocate for the expulsion of Palestinians from the West Bank, eh?

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Alfred Harder's avatar

Anyone daring to stand in these Palestinian crime syndicate must expect to be gunned down, if not his entire family!

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Alfred Harder's avatar

Just look at the Paraguay/Brazil border. Ciudad del Este used to have a honest, vibrant economy, largely led by a vibrant Jewish community, until Paraguay began to let a bunch of Palestinians in. In No the entire region has been turned into an entirely illicit economy, led by smuggling and Palestinian crime syndicates, having driven out the Jews! Really, really devastation and sad! While I myself had to go into self-exile for other reasons, but I've mixed feelings: should I've stayed in the fight, expecting to die a martyr, or just be glad that I'm no longer there and haven't personally observe the devastation led by Palestinian corruption, in an already corruption saturated nation!

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Iuval Clejan's avatar

You could also add that the initial immigrants to Israel were mostly leftists who wanted to share the land with arabs, the opposite of the colonialists most westerners have as models of immigration to new lands. I don't find the argument that our descendants were there before they were mostly kicked out and left for 2000 years, so they have a right to come back and kick out the current inhabitants in 1948 very compelling. More compelling is that they wanted a place to be safe from persecution, were willing to share land, but the arabs were not very hospitable, to put it mildly, and had to go once they started killing Jews. The intention of both the immigrants and the natives were totally opposite of both the North American and South African models. You could also add, that as is the case whenever danger and trauma abound, Israel became (had to become in order to survive) more rightist in response to the right wing arabs.

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Rebekah Lee's avatar

Excellent history lesson.

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Dix Gary's avatar

Known to the world; accepted by few.

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Mark Akst's avatar

Thank you for setting the record straight in writing.

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Miriamnae's avatar

Miraculous history! 🕎

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Boris Doyle's avatar

God's Love

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PatriciaFairbank's avatar

Thank you for putting all the pieces together. They don’t often reveal themselves but facts are valuable when responding to local antisemites.

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Linda Neal's avatar

While you may have historical accuracy, your claims regarding how Israel has fought this war, however, are wildly inaccurate and undermine the truths you have written here. There is no excuse for the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, and there is also no excuse for the current destruction of Gaza. None.

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Jewish Grandmother's avatar

Sometimes I get discouraged and can’t make myself read your posts, Joshua. Other times, I feel strong enough to read and digest. Every once in a while you write one that is so ‘spot on’, I move the post to my “Israel” file and/or copy and paste it into a document for further consideration and reference. This is one of those, and I’m adding to it some of the informative comments. Thank you, Joshua.

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Sylvan Changuion's avatar

I am so happy that someone else has an "Israel" file. Mine is a Folder

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PatriciaFairbank's avatar

I’m a new reader and have only read this post and the previous one. For what it’s worth I think you are a brilliant writer. You are very valuable.

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TheIgnorantNinja (Don't Laugh)'s avatar

Wow I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.

Holy shit that hurt my brain to read.

Well at least Substack knows what time it is as this publication showed up in the "Today in Fiction" menu. Very appropriate.

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Sheri-Lee Langlois's avatar

I am so sorry, Mr Hoffman, that your writing has perpetuated a stereotype of the Jewish people that is despised by Jews.

You have more awareness of the details of your topic than I however, your sarcasm and belittling attitude removes all your credibility. If you had just removed the nasty parts, I might have believed some of your version of events. Now, I believe none of it. Too bad.

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