"The other is permanently chained to the past." Islam is living in the 7th-century and unless the so-called "Palestinians" enter the modern world their endless resistance will continue while NOT building a better world for their people who live in squalor by choice.
I think of the flip side being Arab Israelis who are citizens of a COUNTRY they have helped build and have become an essential part of healthcare and hospitality among other areas of Israeli society. Yes, there is prejudice and maybe some legitimate discrimination but they vote in the Knesset, have equal rights and free speech. The average Arab who resides in the State of Israel as a full citizen has on average, the highest standard of living in the Arab world.
Those two words are great and the substack is excellent, but there is another word that separates the two factions. It is JEALOUSY on the part of those who have wasted their lives fighting the successes of not only the Israel of today, but Jews in general. They have been willing to destroy their own lives and that of their children for years because of envy as well as ignorance!
Vanessa, this is one of the most beautiful essays about Israel and her opponents I’ve ever read. It’s another of what I consider “must read “ pieces that have appeared on Substack as you’ve framed the conflict in a way that clarifies basic differences in identities and aspirations of the two sides. It’s an important and irrefutable analysis. I can’t thank you enough.
Vanessa, as you have so clearly explained, ‘independence’ and ‘resistance’ are an excellent choice of words when comparing the path of Israel and the palestinians.
I’d like to add two other contributing factors .. even before 1937, in 1922, Britain gave 78% of the British Mandated Palestine to Transjordan, which became Jordan. These are the very same Arabs of the region, ie palestinian, so some would rightly say, Jordan is the ‘second state’ of any two state solution.
Wars lead to refugees, and from the war of independence in 1948, and from 1967, Arabs found themselves in many different countries. George Deek, from a Jaffa based palestinian Christian family, his family became Israeli, as they did not flee. His cousins that managed to get to Canada became Canadian citizens which was passed to subsequent generations, but any of the Arabs that fled to Lebanon or Syria, have never been allowed to take citizenship or to own land in those countries. They have been badly treated by the like of the UN & UNRWA, and are the only refugees in the world permitted to pass refugee status to subsequent generations. This has compounded their problems, which together with the resistance mentality pursued by their leaders, has only served to intensify their victim mentality.
Thank you for the article. In my view, the Israeli - Palestinian conflict can be summed up as a conflict between those who respect and value freedom and individual rights (Israel) and those who, because they are Islam driven, hate, fear and try to destroy freedom and individual rights (Palestinians). That's why as a non Jew, I support Israel.
“Imagine a Palestinian national movement whose central slogan was not about return, revenge, resistance, or liberation “from the river to the sea,” but something painfully ordinary: We are going to build the most successful Arab society in the Middle East.“
Absolutely outstanding article; nothing left to say except to ask why „The West“ remains to stand on the side of absolutely negative losers and haters. Perhaps emblematic of present and future of the „Free West“.
Disagree 100%. Unfortunately, most people (Jew and non-Jew) are grossly ignorant of history and facts! And, this conflict seems to take up a disproportionate amount of oxygen in the US (politics) and the West!
At the risk of being a little less than tactful (and pardon me in advance); but if most of the people in the 🌎 are like me, after decades and decades of this INSANITY, DEATH and DESTRUCTION, I’ve got 7 words that expresses how the rest of us feel:
“The World is over Israel & Palestine” you write? Then why does this conflict take up so much oxygen in the US (politics) and the West? Why is hating on Israel a litmus test for the democrats?
Brilliant
"The other is permanently chained to the past." Islam is living in the 7th-century and unless the so-called "Palestinians" enter the modern world their endless resistance will continue while NOT building a better world for their people who live in squalor by choice.
I think of the flip side being Arab Israelis who are citizens of a COUNTRY they have helped build and have become an essential part of healthcare and hospitality among other areas of Israeli society. Yes, there is prejudice and maybe some legitimate discrimination but they vote in the Knesset, have equal rights and free speech. The average Arab who resides in the State of Israel as a full citizen has on average, the highest standard of living in the Arab world.
Those two words are great and the substack is excellent, but there is another word that separates the two factions. It is JEALOUSY on the part of those who have wasted their lives fighting the successes of not only the Israel of today, but Jews in general. They have been willing to destroy their own lives and that of their children for years because of envy as well as ignorance!
Vanessa, this is one of the most beautiful essays about Israel and her opponents I’ve ever read. It’s another of what I consider “must read “ pieces that have appeared on Substack as you’ve framed the conflict in a way that clarifies basic differences in identities and aspirations of the two sides. It’s an important and irrefutable analysis. I can’t thank you enough.
Vanessa, as you have so clearly explained, ‘independence’ and ‘resistance’ are an excellent choice of words when comparing the path of Israel and the palestinians.
I’d like to add two other contributing factors .. even before 1937, in 1922, Britain gave 78% of the British Mandated Palestine to Transjordan, which became Jordan. These are the very same Arabs of the region, ie palestinian, so some would rightly say, Jordan is the ‘second state’ of any two state solution.
Wars lead to refugees, and from the war of independence in 1948, and from 1967, Arabs found themselves in many different countries. George Deek, from a Jaffa based palestinian Christian family, his family became Israeli, as they did not flee. His cousins that managed to get to Canada became Canadian citizens which was passed to subsequent generations, but any of the Arabs that fled to Lebanon or Syria, have never been allowed to take citizenship or to own land in those countries. They have been badly treated by the like of the UN & UNRWA, and are the only refugees in the world permitted to pass refugee status to subsequent generations. This has compounded their problems, which together with the resistance mentality pursued by their leaders, has only served to intensify their victim mentality.
Excellent
Thank you for the article. In my view, the Israeli - Palestinian conflict can be summed up as a conflict between those who respect and value freedom and individual rights (Israel) and those who, because they are Islam driven, hate, fear and try to destroy freedom and individual rights (Palestinians). That's why as a non Jew, I support Israel.
Excellent.
“Imagine a Palestinian national movement whose central slogan was not about return, revenge, resistance, or liberation “from the river to the sea,” but something painfully ordinary: We are going to build the most successful Arab society in the Middle East.“
Right on Big Rock Candy Mountain. Lyrics here:
https://genius.com/Harry-mcclintock-big-rock-candy-mountain-lyrics
Absolutely outstanding article; nothing left to say except to ask why „The West“ remains to stand on the side of absolutely negative losers and haters. Perhaps emblematic of present and future of the „Free West“.
Echoing others! Brilliantly written.
"Resistance" also includes "What did our enemies build that we can steal?" Recent rumblings about the crude oil Israel discovered are an example.
Clear, concise,true. You can add intractable victimhood to the Arab side.
Excellent 👌👍
At a press conference on January 18, 2024, Netanyahu said:
“This conflict is not about the lack of a state, a Palestinian state, but about the existence of a state, a Jewish state.”
Outstanding essay, Vanessa Berg! A must read!
Excellent analysis. The article is to long, just make the point and stop. You will likely reach more people. Offered in support.
Disagree 100%. Unfortunately, most people (Jew and non-Jew) are grossly ignorant of history and facts! And, this conflict seems to take up a disproportionate amount of oxygen in the US (politics) and the West!
At the risk of being a little less than tactful (and pardon me in advance); but if most of the people in the 🌎 are like me, after decades and decades of this INSANITY, DEATH and DESTRUCTION, I’ve got 7 words that expresses how the rest of us feel:
THE WORLD IS OVER ISRAEL AND PALESTINE 👌
“The World is over Israel & Palestine” you write? Then why does this conflict take up so much oxygen in the US (politics) and the West? Why is hating on Israel a litmus test for the democrats?
We THE PEOPLE of America would like to know why also. But we especially would like for OUR TAXPAYER 💰to 🛑 being WASTED on Israel’s WARS (all Wars).
Learn from China 🇨🇳!
Then bye, and get off this site. Thank you.