Free Palestine? Number one, Palestine is an historical regional name that was applied to the land of Israel and Judea by outside powers, most notably the Roman Empire. Number two, free them to do what? Kill more Jews? Because that's all they do. They need to be ousted from Israel's land. PM Sharon never should have given into the worldwide pressure to give Israeli land for peace.
Even their fellow Jihadists don't want the Gazan Muslims, which says a lot about the people who voted for Hamas and took part in the Oct. 7th barbaric and savage slaughter of men, women, children and babies.
Palestinians deserve amplification that all they have is lies. The fact is their Charter was drafted in Moscow in 1964. From the 1960s on, Soviet Russia & Communist bloc countries worked with PLO, today Hamas to redefine the Palestinian cause, by calling it anti-imperialism, anti-capitalism a cause that appealed to the Left and the Islamic world. The Leftists, Marxists, Progressive Democrats are against western culture and that Jewish connection to Israel never existed or is irrelevant.
Mizrahi Jews never left, lived in their homeland continuously without interruption, lived as dhimmi, under the different occupying powers. Modern genetics show that all European Jews are 70 % descendent from Middle Eastern genes of 3 thousand years ago and about 30% from European stock. With the destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple came the diaspora, the scattering. Why generations of Jews were born outside of their homeland. The oldest Jewish community on the outside is dated to Rome.
Tens of thousands of Jews wrote historian Flavius Josephus — were sent by ships to Italy as slaves and some Jews fled to Rome to escape the conquest.
Yes, free Palestine ... from Hamas. The Palestinians are subjugated and oppressed, not by Israel but by the hateful ideology of Islamism they are raised in and have internalized. They need to be liberated from Hamas and Islamism for any chance at a good life. Islamism is literally killing them and their children, who are turned into 'martyrs for Islam.'
If they cannot or will not make that change, then they need to leave Israel proper, which includes Gaza and Judea/Samaria. They can establish 'Palestine' in some part of Africa, perhaps - as long as it's out of rocket range of Israel. I think it's the only thing that will work in the end.
Pretending that they will learn to live in peace after a century of terrorism is unrealistic. It's often said that after Oct 7th, the "two-state solution" was off the table. It has been offered since 1947 but rejected many times by the Arab side. Why keep pretending it will work? And yet the West keeps pretending.
We know that Arab states won't take them in because of their history of violence and also to continue to use them as a thorn in the side of Israel, which satisfies the spirit of Islamic jihad. That evil spirit is what influences politics in the Middle East and makes Arab politicians who want to have detente with Israel waver and cave in to it. They are afraid of jihad too.
The entire problem, going back a century, stems from Arab insecurity and Islamic Jew-hatred. They only want to accept Jews who are subjugated, as was the case under the Ottoman Empire. So Zionists brought better technology, modern medicine, agriculture and clean water -- instead of thanking them for all that, the Arabs felt threatened by modernity and reverted to a medieval, tribal, war-like mentality. This was given support first by Nazi ideology and later by Marxism during the Cold War.
As for leftist supporters, the phrase 'useful idiots' comes to mind. As you said, they have no idea what their mindless slogan stands for. If they saw the carnage that a fallen Israel would result in, they would (I hope) be horrified.
But you never know: some of these same people cheered on Oct. 7th, which immediately discredited everything else they say. Some of them cheered on rape and murder and at the same time called for the genocide of Jews with a mindless slogan ("from the river to sea"). They also falsely alleged that Israel commits genocide to justify this outrageous behaviour. Anyone who does all that is an idiot.
Sadly, there are a lot of them in the West who support real evil. Most, I would like to think, are just mindless followers who have no idea what they're supporting. But a few really do relish this wicked ideology and want to see the murder of Jews. They are not interested in conversation. They are using Israel as a scapegoat to demonize it. The motivation for this is unconscious. How this works, based on the work of philosopher René Girard:
Western and global societies face profound internal political, cultural, and moral fractures. Framing Israel as a singular, ultimate source of global evil allows disparate groups to elude complex domestic and geopolitical problems.
Anti-Israel rhetoric creates a powerful sense of moral clarity and solidarity among diverse political coalitions (including Leftists, Muslims, and groypers). Just like the ancient lynching mob, participants feel completely justified, projecting all violence and oppression onto the state of Israel while proclaiming their own absolute innocence.
The scapegoat is chosen for its utility rather than specific guilt; Israel functions as a symbolic vessel. The accusations often rely on sweeping, reductive tropes that treat the nation as uniquely malevolent, making the act of collective accusation far more important than factual proportion.
By transferring society's internal impulse for conflict onto a concentrated external target, the accusers paradoxically claim to champion peace and human rights while participating in a unanimous cycle of ideological hostility.
'Free palestine' in my mind, has one very simple message, 'free palestine of Hamas', but that is not the message the shouters mean.
Much of the world's geopoliticians know that Hamas are a death cult, yet they can't comprehend or have the ability to remove Hamas from power. Same goes for Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Whilst I am sure there are the moderate palestinians who genuinely want peace with Israel, Israel can not afford to take any chances, bearing in mind how many times Israel has offered the Arabs a deal, and vacated Gaza in 2005, only for them to build a terror state.
Only those who live, eat and sleep the region, understand its mechanics.
Whilst it does not help the peace process, it is worth noting that the two state solution already exists .. it is called Jordan. Jordan comprises 60% palestinians and when it was created in 1922, it was formed from 78% of what was British Mandated Palestine.
One 'off the wall' option would be for Israel to take Sinai back from Egypt, and let the palestinians move there.
You might have listened to them, but that courtesy only goes one way. Assuming the Palestine Arabs have no agency is the height of racism, the bigotry of low expectations. Glad to hear you will be more selective with your time in the future.
I've asked perhaps 100 "Free Palestine!" sloganeers what that means to them. Do they envision a "State of Palestine" governed by Hamas or Fatah, and how would such a state be "free" in any sense? What borders? Would Jews be allowed to live there? If they get their own state and continue making war against Israel, would Israel have the right to dismantle their country? None of these keffiyeh cultists ever answer my questions, because they have nothing beyond slogans and buzzwords. In any event, the world doesn't need a terror/welfare kleptocracy.
because "Free Palestine" really means "Israel should not exist"... there is no answer for nation building. The leadership of the Palestinian areas put "Israel should not exist" ahead of building a nation. So there is no solution without change in leadership. They could be offered 100 percent of their current border and a trillion in cash, they wouldn't sign it.
They already get billions. Why should their leaders pursue peace, which might shut off the money spigot?
Israel is the only country which appears in the same sentence as "right to exist." If the conflict were Sunni vs. Shiite or Kurd vs. Sunni, it wouldn't elicit so much as yawn from the West.
Thank you for this thoughtful message. Your position challenges us to stop our knee jerk reaction to every nonsensical/antisemitic comment thrown our way. I agree with you totally, that by constantly responding we are fueling an ‘agency’ the Free Palestine rhetoric does not deserve. In my opinion we are not waging the kind of PR campaign to deal with the level of ignorance in front of us. We need to flood the universe with our own talking points that negates those 3 words without getting involved in conversations that lead nowhere. Communication experts cite that because we are wired toward the negative it takes 17 positive statements to counteract each negative one. I would love to get involved in trying to develop something.
The only road to peace is to annex Gaza, Judea & Samaria. Annexation will allow the IDF to get rid of ALL the bad apples after which, re-education can begin. Anyone who wants to leave ... let your families in the West take you in. No place to go? Get with the program ... no compromise.
You have captured my own frustrations so well as an American Jew who considers myself liberal.you’ve articulated beyond the disrespectful sloganism from people who know next to nothing about the complexities of which you speak. And worse they offer no solutions as if it is there purview to even do so.and where are actual Palestinian and Israeli voices to propose ideas possibilities and action plans? I fear they are never given air time. Not being covered by mainstream media which just feeds the sloganeering. So Thank you, from someone who mostly observes from afar, but has similar reactions. Constantly.
C'est une très bonne introspection. Les gens veulent toujours vous enfermer dans une case : le monde est aussi complexe et riche que l'âme humaine. Si viys existez c'est que vous devez exister. À croire que la politique ne s'occupe pas de gens mais seulement d'idées irréalistes. Tout le monde saigne si on le pique.
Free Palestine? Number one, Palestine is an historical regional name that was applied to the land of Israel and Judea by outside powers, most notably the Roman Empire. Number two, free them to do what? Kill more Jews? Because that's all they do. They need to be ousted from Israel's land. PM Sharon never should have given into the worldwide pressure to give Israeli land for peace.
Even their fellow Jihadists don't want the Gazan Muslims, which says a lot about the people who voted for Hamas and took part in the Oct. 7th barbaric and savage slaughter of men, women, children and babies.
Palestinians deserve amplification that all they have is lies. The fact is their Charter was drafted in Moscow in 1964. From the 1960s on, Soviet Russia & Communist bloc countries worked with PLO, today Hamas to redefine the Palestinian cause, by calling it anti-imperialism, anti-capitalism a cause that appealed to the Left and the Islamic world. The Leftists, Marxists, Progressive Democrats are against western culture and that Jewish connection to Israel never existed or is irrelevant.
Mizrahi Jews never left, lived in their homeland continuously without interruption, lived as dhimmi, under the different occupying powers. Modern genetics show that all European Jews are 70 % descendent from Middle Eastern genes of 3 thousand years ago and about 30% from European stock. With the destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple came the diaspora, the scattering. Why generations of Jews were born outside of their homeland. The oldest Jewish community on the outside is dated to Rome.
Tens of thousands of Jews wrote historian Flavius Josephus — were sent by ships to Italy as slaves and some Jews fled to Rome to escape the conquest.
Yes, free Palestine ... from Hamas. The Palestinians are subjugated and oppressed, not by Israel but by the hateful ideology of Islamism they are raised in and have internalized. They need to be liberated from Hamas and Islamism for any chance at a good life. Islamism is literally killing them and their children, who are turned into 'martyrs for Islam.'
If they cannot or will not make that change, then they need to leave Israel proper, which includes Gaza and Judea/Samaria. They can establish 'Palestine' in some part of Africa, perhaps - as long as it's out of rocket range of Israel. I think it's the only thing that will work in the end.
Pretending that they will learn to live in peace after a century of terrorism is unrealistic. It's often said that after Oct 7th, the "two-state solution" was off the table. It has been offered since 1947 but rejected many times by the Arab side. Why keep pretending it will work? And yet the West keeps pretending.
We know that Arab states won't take them in because of their history of violence and also to continue to use them as a thorn in the side of Israel, which satisfies the spirit of Islamic jihad. That evil spirit is what influences politics in the Middle East and makes Arab politicians who want to have detente with Israel waver and cave in to it. They are afraid of jihad too.
The entire problem, going back a century, stems from Arab insecurity and Islamic Jew-hatred. They only want to accept Jews who are subjugated, as was the case under the Ottoman Empire. So Zionists brought better technology, modern medicine, agriculture and clean water -- instead of thanking them for all that, the Arabs felt threatened by modernity and reverted to a medieval, tribal, war-like mentality. This was given support first by Nazi ideology and later by Marxism during the Cold War.
As for leftist supporters, the phrase 'useful idiots' comes to mind. As you said, they have no idea what their mindless slogan stands for. If they saw the carnage that a fallen Israel would result in, they would (I hope) be horrified.
But you never know: some of these same people cheered on Oct. 7th, which immediately discredited everything else they say. Some of them cheered on rape and murder and at the same time called for the genocide of Jews with a mindless slogan ("from the river to sea"). They also falsely alleged that Israel commits genocide to justify this outrageous behaviour. Anyone who does all that is an idiot.
Every time I see Greta Thunberg or those like her, I want them to be let into Gaza and forced to live there. It would not be long before they'd be crying for help from the IDF to save them. There is a funny skit about this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbfccVBo9tE and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIwvO-DUQNQ
Sadly, there are a lot of them in the West who support real evil. Most, I would like to think, are just mindless followers who have no idea what they're supporting. But a few really do relish this wicked ideology and want to see the murder of Jews. They are not interested in conversation. They are using Israel as a scapegoat to demonize it. The motivation for this is unconscious. How this works, based on the work of philosopher René Girard:
Western and global societies face profound internal political, cultural, and moral fractures. Framing Israel as a singular, ultimate source of global evil allows disparate groups to elude complex domestic and geopolitical problems.
Anti-Israel rhetoric creates a powerful sense of moral clarity and solidarity among diverse political coalitions (including Leftists, Muslims, and groypers). Just like the ancient lynching mob, participants feel completely justified, projecting all violence and oppression onto the state of Israel while proclaiming their own absolute innocence.
The scapegoat is chosen for its utility rather than specific guilt; Israel functions as a symbolic vessel. The accusations often rely on sweeping, reductive tropes that treat the nation as uniquely malevolent, making the act of collective accusation far more important than factual proportion.
By transferring society's internal impulse for conflict onto a concentrated external target, the accusers paradoxically claim to champion peace and human rights while participating in a unanimous cycle of ideological hostility.
In fact, there is no plan because they really mean the eradication of Israel,and the nearly eight million Israeli Jews, so why have a plan?
Thank you for your article Iola.
'Free palestine' in my mind, has one very simple message, 'free palestine of Hamas', but that is not the message the shouters mean.
Much of the world's geopoliticians know that Hamas are a death cult, yet they can't comprehend or have the ability to remove Hamas from power. Same goes for Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Whilst I am sure there are the moderate palestinians who genuinely want peace with Israel, Israel can not afford to take any chances, bearing in mind how many times Israel has offered the Arabs a deal, and vacated Gaza in 2005, only for them to build a terror state.
Only those who live, eat and sleep the region, understand its mechanics.
Whilst it does not help the peace process, it is worth noting that the two state solution already exists .. it is called Jordan. Jordan comprises 60% palestinians and when it was created in 1922, it was formed from 78% of what was British Mandated Palestine.
One 'off the wall' option would be for Israel to take Sinai back from Egypt, and let the palestinians move there.
You might have listened to them, but that courtesy only goes one way. Assuming the Palestine Arabs have no agency is the height of racism, the bigotry of low expectations. Glad to hear you will be more selective with your time in the future.
There are only Palestinian Muslims. No churches!!
Palestinians get along with NO ONE!
Like all Muslims!!
There is a plan. Its the genocide of every Jew in Israel and a Judenrien Palestine.
I've asked perhaps 100 "Free Palestine!" sloganeers what that means to them. Do they envision a "State of Palestine" governed by Hamas or Fatah, and how would such a state be "free" in any sense? What borders? Would Jews be allowed to live there? If they get their own state and continue making war against Israel, would Israel have the right to dismantle their country? None of these keffiyeh cultists ever answer my questions, because they have nothing beyond slogans and buzzwords. In any event, the world doesn't need a terror/welfare kleptocracy.
because "Free Palestine" really means "Israel should not exist"... there is no answer for nation building. The leadership of the Palestinian areas put "Israel should not exist" ahead of building a nation. So there is no solution without change in leadership. They could be offered 100 percent of their current border and a trillion in cash, they wouldn't sign it.
They already get billions. Why should their leaders pursue peace, which might shut off the money spigot?
Israel is the only country which appears in the same sentence as "right to exist." If the conflict were Sunni vs. Shiite or Kurd vs. Sunni, it wouldn't elicit so much as yawn from the West.
Thank you for this thoughtful message. Your position challenges us to stop our knee jerk reaction to every nonsensical/antisemitic comment thrown our way. I agree with you totally, that by constantly responding we are fueling an ‘agency’ the Free Palestine rhetoric does not deserve. In my opinion we are not waging the kind of PR campaign to deal with the level of ignorance in front of us. We need to flood the universe with our own talking points that negates those 3 words without getting involved in conversations that lead nowhere. Communication experts cite that because we are wired toward the negative it takes 17 positive statements to counteract each negative one. I would love to get involved in trying to develop something.
Einat Wilf has a plan. Go and listen to it.
To your point "I hope one day to live there. Israel is part of my Jewish life." Know that we are waiting for you.
The only road to peace is to annex Gaza, Judea & Samaria. Annexation will allow the IDF to get rid of ALL the bad apples after which, re-education can begin. Anyone who wants to leave ... let your families in the West take you in. No place to go? Get with the program ... no compromise.
You have captured my own frustrations so well as an American Jew who considers myself liberal.you’ve articulated beyond the disrespectful sloganism from people who know next to nothing about the complexities of which you speak. And worse they offer no solutions as if it is there purview to even do so.and where are actual Palestinian and Israeli voices to propose ideas possibilities and action plans? I fear they are never given air time. Not being covered by mainstream media which just feeds the sloganeering. So Thank you, from someone who mostly observes from afar, but has similar reactions. Constantly.
C'est une très bonne introspection. Les gens veulent toujours vous enfermer dans une case : le monde est aussi complexe et riche que l'âme humaine. Si viys existez c'est que vous devez exister. À croire que la politique ne s'occupe pas de gens mais seulement d'idées irréalistes. Tout le monde saigne si on le pique.
Y a t il une différence entre arabes israéliens et palestiniens ?
Why??
Nobody wants them!!