Israel
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Following the eviction of some charming settlers in Hebron, here's a simple test I have for processing statements about Israel's policy with regards to various contested territories. Maybe you'll find it useful.
If the statement contains words like, "homeland", "ancestral", or "traditional", I stop listening because those things don't matter. If it contains a phrase like, "sacred land" or "religious importance", I start listening again, but only so I know what I'm exhaling loudly and rolling my eyes about.
If, on the other hand, the statement talks about laws and treaties and policies and is realistic with regards to the state of the world (for example, there is some land, and there are people in it right now) then I can either agree, disagree, or decide I don't know enough either way. But at least it's a discussion.
God didn't promise anyone anything, ever, because he's made up. Israel is a legal entity, with 100 more nuclear warheads than any of its neighbors, whose existence is based on agreements among people. It's legitimate, for legal reasons. 3,000 year old history is irrelevant. It should defend itself. Only lunatics invoke gods when talking about legal matters.
posted by henry |
12/04/2008 02:42:00 PM|
|
