Bravo! I especially like the acknowledgment that all the settler-colonialists in the USA need to “go back where they came from.” It’s rare that you can get a Leftist to recognize the full impact of her ideas.
How about an acknowledgment that the particular pre-Columbian Indians who immediately preceded the European colonialists were themselves settler-colonialists, and so on back to and including the aboriginals?
Thank you for the historical perspective. This needs to be repeated on multiple venues to counter the disinformation that informs the minds of so many. I wonder who has helped so many anti-semitic college professors to attain their positions in prestigious institutions. Could this be a long term plan of oil money to corrupt the minds of our younger generation?
In 2019, Adi Schwartz and Einat Will, two liberal Israelis, published _The War of Return: How Western Indulgence of the Palestinian Dream Has Obstructed the Path to Peace_. I reviewed a pre-U.S. publication copy and my only suggestion was to include some maps for those of us not familiar with Israel’s geography. It is an excellent work and definitively puts to rest any question of the Israelis leaving Israel. I highly recommend it.
Your section titled “Of Poets and Pessimists” put me in the mood to listen to Franz von Suppe’s “Poet and Peasant.” (If you’ve never heard it played by mariachis, check out the version by Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan.)
I know you have to do these articles, Professor, and they are both interesting and well-written, but lord they make me want to cover my head and sit in the corner for a while. My history professor I mentioned before was right: we *have* gone to hell in a handbasket.
The only problem is that, as the Southern Baptists say, you're preaching to the choir. I'm curious to see if Instapundit picks this one up.
Are you so sure they didnt need to hear it. Possibly this is a form of group reaffirmation, a sort of group strengthening , your writing might be like a cooling salve, to a fresh wound.
I agree "be strong and keep writing." However, would be great to have a shorter version (with link to this one) that can be shared with those who may have the opportunity to share with audiences who might be on the fence and less willing to put in the effort of a "long" read (even though its good).
Didn't need to read this article to understand the justice of Israel's existence and the evil of Hamas. But I have used the evidence Bob marshaled so well to enlighten several people who weren't similarly minded.
Beautiful piece of music Bob. Thanks for the history lesson. My ignorance of the details did not prevent me from grasping the underlying reality. Most fair minded people do understand, but history is old, far away. October 7 was not.
Because of a fairly recent episode in my life I am keenly aware of the reality of "post traumatic stress disorder". I think of the victims and their families whose suffering simply cannot be explained to those who have not been there. I hope those unfortunate souls get comfort from something or someone.
They are all in my mind although I am only part of the way through looking at the photos of the hostages and several steps away from looking at the videos. It may take me longer than I realize, but I will get there.
In the meantime I will continue to enjoy your music (and the accompanying art work).
Glad you enjoyed the music. Those details are important. Important to have in hand. And important to be able to forward something like this to a misguided college kid and then say, "Read this first. THEN we'll talk."
Fantastic article. One more important historical point is that DNA analysis links the Jews to present day Israel and surrounding lands. Jews didn’t migrate to Israel; Jews for the most part originated in and around Israel.
Very true. The DNA has also turned up some other interesting things. There were local groups in (I think) Nigeria and Zimbabwe who claimed Jewish descent--stories of someone wandering out of Israel centuries ago--and DNA tests suggested that the stories were true.
Thank you for this. It’s been really upsetting to see kids in the US so ignorant of all context and history that they think they actually support Hamas, or so misled and confused that they think there is any “justice” in what happened on Oct 7. A dear friend of mine is an Israeli-American descendant of Iraqi Jews, and her grandmother’s family was expelled to Israel with nothing and lived in abject poverty, with all the violence and pain that entails, and now she faces American “friends” who inform her that she is a “colonizer.” I’d call it “absurd” but that word doesn’t express the pain it causes. I also want to add this, which I originally wrote for another publication, but I think it’s important: Over 300,000 Syrians have been killed over the past decade -- but they've been killed by a ruthless dictator with the help of Russia (and Donald Trump, when he pulled US troops out of Syria leaving especially the US’s Kurdish allies vulnerable).
For Syria, the most well-documented on-going genocide in history, incited by a popular desire for democracy (remember the “Arab Spring”?), where whole cities have been leveled and people have been tortured, there aren’t even crickets. It’s silence. Whose lives matter?
One can only conclude that the sudden swell of vehement opinions about Israel and Palestinians is faddish, insincere virtue-posturing against an “enemy” that in the US is seen as akin to “privileged white people” — when in fact Israel is peopled by the children of survivors of massacres, not just in Europe but throughout Asia and Africa as well.
Israel is flawed. So is the US. So is France, Britain, Mexico… there’s no lovely ideal country in the world whose flag isn’t stained by the blood of its history. And there are wars and massacres happening right now: Yemen, Ukraine, Sudan… why aren’t young people organizing in support of the victims of these terrible crimes? Is it because — they don’t even realize it, but — Jews better fit the “villain” profile they’ve long been indoctrinated with?
>> Donald Trump, when he pulled US troops out of Syria
Amy,
Did you conveniently forgot the name of American president who put American troops into Syria? Who authorized 15,000 Syrian's rebels' training? Who drew so called red line for the ruthless dictator and forgot to enforce it when it was violated? Who created Syrian refugees crisis? It was well before Donald Trump came to power.
>> Israel is flawed
I am glad that according to you Hamas is not flawed. You did not mentioned it among multiple flawed entities. According to you Hamas performed its actions flawlessly - tortured, raped, threw babies into ovens, took hostages. It sounds like you support those actions without hesitation or any critique.
You put the lie to those who claim to be concerned about the sufferings of Arabs (in the Arab-Israeli Wars, but can’t be troubled by them otherwise): it is not that a relative few Arabs suffer and die that troubles them, but that not enough Jews do.
Superb reporting. Here is the bad news. Before reading this post, I knew much more about the history of Israel and of forced relocation of the Jews than the smartest 10% of the current US/European street mobs. Now that I’ve been led through the very nasty history of 20th century “colonization,” that gap has widened, and the marches and signs and tweets bother me even more. And none of this makes the least impression on the dunces and the useful idiots who dance to Hamas’ tune. We indeed live in a post-truth society. Identity and emotions trump knowledge and logic.
Ethiopian Jews would go back to Africa, and US colonizers include ADOS? They aren’t indigenous... Would be interesting to read someone explaining how that would work.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. This is the whole Torah; all the rest is commentary. Go and learn it."
Hillel, Talmud, Shabbath 31a
I use that quote a lot.
It is actually not much of the Torah.
Bravo! I especially like the acknowledgment that all the settler-colonialists in the USA need to “go back where they came from.” It’s rare that you can get a Leftist to recognize the full impact of her ideas.
That part is admirable. :)
How about an acknowledgment that the particular pre-Columbian Indians who immediately preceded the European colonialists were themselves settler-colonialists, and so on back to and including the aboriginals?
You're on a brilliant post tear, Bob! I'm going to reread this, and share it.
The only thing you didn't do was make a "Jew-Haul" joke.
Oh Beth!
I'll be she hears "Oh, Beth" a lot. :)
Behave Robert
I told that to Alanna as we drove, and we had a great laugh.
Thank you for this. In Canada many anti semites have crawled out from under their rocks, even in my own rock garden and my heart is heavy.
Montreal here, once again the oldest living evil, raises its head, and spews out hatred, in large part thanks to institutions of HIGHER? Learning.
That's where it usually comes from.
Hopefully, the best antiseptic is sunshine. It's certainly out there now.
Roving bands of antiseptic fanatics are rampaging in the marketplace.
Thank you for this important historical perspective.
And thank you.
Thank you for the historical perspective. This needs to be repeated on multiple venues to counter the disinformation that informs the minds of so many. I wonder who has helped so many anti-semitic college professors to attain their positions in prestigious institutions. Could this be a long term plan of oil money to corrupt the minds of our younger generation?
A lot of sources.
Excellent and informative, Professor. Thank you.
In 2019, Adi Schwartz and Einat Will, two liberal Israelis, published _The War of Return: How Western Indulgence of the Palestinian Dream Has Obstructed the Path to Peace_. I reviewed a pre-U.S. publication copy and my only suggestion was to include some maps for those of us not familiar with Israel’s geography. It is an excellent work and definitively puts to rest any question of the Israelis leaving Israel. I highly recommend it.
Your section titled “Of Poets and Pessimists” put me in the mood to listen to Franz von Suppe’s “Poet and Peasant.” (If you’ve never heard it played by mariachis, check out the version by Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan.)
I just noticed that I have Einat Wilf’s name incorrect in my post
I'll have a look for Schwartz and Wilf. Listening to the mariachi version now, thanks!
Wilf is in a very recent episode of Dan Senor’s Call Me Back Podcast.
I know you have to do these articles, Professor, and they are both interesting and well-written, but lord they make me want to cover my head and sit in the corner for a while. My history professor I mentioned before was right: we *have* gone to hell in a handbasket.
The only problem is that, as the Southern Baptists say, you're preaching to the choir. I'm curious to see if Instapundit picks this one up.
Preaching to the choir is easy.
I wouldn't say this article was easy to write. But I would say that those who read it on this site probably didn't need to hear it.
Are you so sure they didnt need to hear it. Possibly this is a form of group reaffirmation, a sort of group strengthening , your writing might be like a cooling salve, to a fresh wound.
Be strong and keep writing
True, that. I stand corrected.
This is indeed, what it feels like.
Thanks, and I will do so.
I agree "be strong and keep writing." However, would be great to have a shorter version (with link to this one) that can be shared with those who may have the opportunity to share with audiences who might be on the fence and less willing to put in the effort of a "long" read (even though its good).
I plan to produce something like that!
Well, having the details is important.
Didn't need to read this article to understand the justice of Israel's existence and the evil of Hamas. But I have used the evidence Bob marshaled so well to enlighten several people who weren't similarly minded.
Glad to help!
easier
Well, someone's got to write it. National Review and Hot Air picked it up.
I had never heard of this site, until this article was linked in National Review. Thank you for writing it.
And thank you!
I think if you look further through the comments you’ll find that some of the choir take issue. Not something choristers typically do.
Beautiful piece of music Bob. Thanks for the history lesson. My ignorance of the details did not prevent me from grasping the underlying reality. Most fair minded people do understand, but history is old, far away. October 7 was not.
Because of a fairly recent episode in my life I am keenly aware of the reality of "post traumatic stress disorder". I think of the victims and their families whose suffering simply cannot be explained to those who have not been there. I hope those unfortunate souls get comfort from something or someone.
They are all in my mind although I am only part of the way through looking at the photos of the hostages and several steps away from looking at the videos. It may take me longer than I realize, but I will get there.
In the meantime I will continue to enjoy your music (and the accompanying art work).
Glad you enjoyed the music. Those details are important. Important to have in hand. And important to be able to forward something like this to a misguided college kid and then say, "Read this first. THEN we'll talk."
Fantastic article. One more important historical point is that DNA analysis links the Jews to present day Israel and surrounding lands. Jews didn’t migrate to Israel; Jews for the most part originated in and around Israel.
Very true. The DNA has also turned up some other interesting things. There were local groups in (I think) Nigeria and Zimbabwe who claimed Jewish descent--stories of someone wandering out of Israel centuries ago--and DNA tests suggested that the stories were true.
...and that the closest genetically linked people to Israelis are - ta da! - Palestinians
Absolutely Wonderful Writing .
These facts would jar an antisemite out of their narrow minded rage.
It would feel like a slap across the face.
Keep up the good work
Will do, thanks.
Thank you for this. It’s been really upsetting to see kids in the US so ignorant of all context and history that they think they actually support Hamas, or so misled and confused that they think there is any “justice” in what happened on Oct 7. A dear friend of mine is an Israeli-American descendant of Iraqi Jews, and her grandmother’s family was expelled to Israel with nothing and lived in abject poverty, with all the violence and pain that entails, and now she faces American “friends” who inform her that she is a “colonizer.” I’d call it “absurd” but that word doesn’t express the pain it causes. I also want to add this, which I originally wrote for another publication, but I think it’s important: Over 300,000 Syrians have been killed over the past decade -- but they've been killed by a ruthless dictator with the help of Russia (and Donald Trump, when he pulled US troops out of Syria leaving especially the US’s Kurdish allies vulnerable).
For Syria, the most well-documented on-going genocide in history, incited by a popular desire for democracy (remember the “Arab Spring”?), where whole cities have been leveled and people have been tortured, there aren’t even crickets. It’s silence. Whose lives matter?
One can only conclude that the sudden swell of vehement opinions about Israel and Palestinians is faddish, insincere virtue-posturing against an “enemy” that in the US is seen as akin to “privileged white people” — when in fact Israel is peopled by the children of survivors of massacres, not just in Europe but throughout Asia and Africa as well.
Israel is flawed. So is the US. So is France, Britain, Mexico… there’s no lovely ideal country in the world whose flag isn’t stained by the blood of its history. And there are wars and massacres happening right now: Yemen, Ukraine, Sudan… why aren’t young people organizing in support of the victims of these terrible crimes? Is it because — they don’t even realize it, but — Jews better fit the “villain” profile they’ve long been indoctrinated with?
Again, thank you for writing this.
>> Donald Trump, when he pulled US troops out of Syria
Amy,
Did you conveniently forgot the name of American president who put American troops into Syria? Who authorized 15,000 Syrian's rebels' training? Who drew so called red line for the ruthless dictator and forgot to enforce it when it was violated? Who created Syrian refugees crisis? It was well before Donald Trump came to power.
>> Israel is flawed
I am glad that according to you Hamas is not flawed. You did not mentioned it among multiple flawed entities. According to you Hamas performed its actions flawlessly - tortured, raped, threw babies into ovens, took hostages. It sounds like you support those actions without hesitation or any critique.
Pretty sure she wasn't saying that Hamas wasn't flawed. She was just naming nations.
Thanks for all the comments. Glad to be of service.
You put the lie to those who claim to be concerned about the sufferings of Arabs (in the Arab-Israeli Wars, but can’t be troubled by them otherwise): it is not that a relative few Arabs suffer and die that troubles them, but that not enough Jews do.
You are comprehensively right. Thank you!
Superb reporting. Here is the bad news. Before reading this post, I knew much more about the history of Israel and of forced relocation of the Jews than the smartest 10% of the current US/European street mobs. Now that I’ve been led through the very nasty history of 20th century “colonization,” that gap has widened, and the marches and signs and tweets bother me even more. And none of this makes the least impression on the dunces and the useful idiots who dance to Hamas’ tune. We indeed live in a post-truth society. Identity and emotions trump knowledge and logic.
It's a tough slog. But we have to try.
Ethiopian Jews would go back to Africa, and US colonizers include ADOS? They aren’t indigenous... Would be interesting to read someone explaining how that would work.
Maybe there's a manual. :)
This is what the "Long March Through the Institutions" looks like, once their goose-stepping achieves completion.
There is no known antidote of reversal, without a gruesome upheaval.
That.it was allowed to achieve completion here in the US is beyond hearbreaking.
INdeed.
I'm forced to issue this as an aspirational prayer:
Am Y'Israel, Chai!
Good phrase.