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Not anti-Semitism or Islamophobia

Not anti-Semitism or Islamophobia

  • Posted by Maryam Namazie
  • On November 22, 2012
  • 11 Comments
  • antisemitism, Gaza, Islamophobia, Israel

The Right-wing are in overdrive trying to prove how the children killed by Israeli forces in Gaza are fakes.

Their crocodile tears for ‘Muslim’ women and children are only for when and if they are murdered by Islamists; then (and only then), are these part-time ‘champions of women’s rights’ outraged. But if they are killed by US-led militarism or Israeli forces, well they must be fakes!

It’s like those who side with Islamism. They’ll be outraged about the Palestinians killed by Israeli forces but if those very Palestinians, Iranians or Syrians are killed by Hamas, Asad, the Islamic regime of Iran and their brethren, it’s  just propaganda and ‘so-called massacres’…

This is politics devoid of humanity; it’s only concerned with the human being if it suits its interests…

Oh and by the way, criticising the Israeli occupation or attacks on Gaza are not anti-Semitism and bigotry any more than criticising Islamism is Islamophobia and racism against Muslims.

But then again, they are not really concerned with bigotry – just with pursuing their inhuman politics.

 

11 Comments

lotharloo
It's very obvious that neither side wants peace. This is also war by proxy. As long as foreign powers support both sides, the conflict will continue.
Al B. Quirky
The cease-fire agreement says 'Israel should stop ... targeting of individuals.' The IDF were targeting Hamas terrorists, not children. http://dailycaller.com/2012/11/21/obama-pushed-israel-to-accept-egyptian-ceasefire/#ixzz2D5PRaLGn
F
Thank you, Maryam. Also, thanks to dysomniak for the link.
dysomniak, darwinian socialist
A statement from the youth of Gaza:
Fuck Israel. Fuck Hamas. Fuck Fatah. Fuck UN. Fuck UNRWA. Fuck USA!
http://post.thing.net/node/3275
DavidX
Are supporters of Israel happy about civilians being killed? Some probably are, but frankly most aren't, are upset by civilian deaths, and expect the IDF to do whatever they can to minimise it, while preventing jihadist groups from firing missiles into Israel. Are jihadists happy about civilians being killed in Israel? Yes, they're delighted, and that's what they intend to do. In fact, last night, Gazan factions were shooting into the air in joy at their 'victory', and managed to kill another Palestinian! http://www.maannews.net/arb/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=540885 But you conflate the question of attitudes towards civilian deaths in conflict, with the question of *faking* deaths, or lyingly claiming that real deaths are faked. In relation to this issue, the points you make about the "right wing" and Islamists, might similarly be made about you. Remember your horror at the death of Neda? However, you are also a Communist, but although you've spent a lot of time and energy attacking totalitarian Islamist politics, you've little to say about the similarly totalitarian and murderous nature of Communism in practice, wherever it has been tried. So could we not say that you weep "crocodile tears for women and are only for when and if they are murdered by Islamists"? The fact is, they're not crocodile tears. You really do feel outraged by the Iranian regime murdering Neda, and then lying about it - trying to claim that it was a plot, in which she was complicit, as Press TV did. You're right to do so. The lying is what makes it worse. In the recent Gaza conflict, it is clear that a number of civilians died. According to B'Tselem, civilians made up a minority of those killed, which is almost unheard of in conflict: usually they're the majority, particularly where urban fighting takes place. It is also clear that images of dead children have been used to score victories. In a number of cases, Syrian activists (many of them as anti-Islamist as you) have themselves identified the recycling of these images by Hamas and their supporters - a regime which was until recently an honoured guest of Assad. There's nothing wrong with being upset by such fakery - as you were by the lies the IRI told about Neda's death. It is also clear that some Palestinian civilians are being killed by the rockets fired into Israel, 10% of which fall short into Gaza. Because they're being shot, from right within built up neighbourhoods, they do injure and kill people when they fall short in Gaza. There have been two such deaths of children, in circumstances where the IDF has said "we weren't firing there at that time" - notably, in other cases involving civilian deaths, the IDF will typically say "we're investigating how this happened", if there's a possibility those deaths resulted from its own fire. In a conflict where Hamas "wins" by displaying its suffering, it is particularly galling to see Palestinian children killed by Hamas missiles used in this manner: particularly where it is clear that real attempts have been made to keep civilian causalities as low as possible.
Becky
"Oh and by the way, criticising the Israeli occupation or attacks on Gaza are not anti-Semitism" Not necessarily, but in my experience the people who passionately hate Israel, single out its behavior, want it wiped off the map, are almost always motivated by anti-Semitism.
    sumdum
    So in short, people who are anti-Semite are almost always motivated by anti-Semitism ? Nobody here is excusing the behaviour you mentioned. We're just saying legitimate criticism of Israeli politics does not make one an anti-Semite. If it did, then what do you call the opposition party in the Knesset ?
      DavidX
      That sort of careful criticism is clearly fine, but frankly, it is increasingly rare. Although I note that this article is not peppered with the usual diatribes against "Zionism" and "the Jewish Lobby" which characterise many pieces that go well beyond criticising specific Israeli policies. And Maryam is no racist.
Avicenna
My old flatmate once said "They have learnt nothing and everything from the Holocaust". It's utterly tragic and stupid. And the worst bit is the people happy at this kind of war would never ever have to pick up a gun to defend Israel or Palestine.
    Trotsky Fan
    The facti is that the Jews learned from World War Two that if they don't fight their enemies will attempt to exterminate them. And the trouble with that is that this time they may, if they eventually face military defeat, end up taking a large part of the world with them. But what can they do? The know the world would stand by and cry crocidile tears if a Second Holocaust were imposed by an Arab Occupaition of Israel.

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Maryam Namazie