Tribalism: A Bedouin Approach
June 22nd, 2009Real Story
As a real Bedouin, who still lives in a tiny gathering of a bedouin tribe, I can understand tribalism, I actually feel it as I was grown up a tribalistic one of the old age.
Ages ago, as I was a sophomore at BZU, I got to have a Dutch jewish gf who wasn’t at all tribalistic like lots of her folk, but more of a human sense that was seeking the truth and was still not beguiled by the blinding truth of “ha yeshivot”. Later on she broke away and went on but still not finding the quenching truth that can justify her sense of humanity.
I got to know her when I was still young to understand and analyze, I was still stuttering at the threshold of the realm English Language and couldn’t really manipulate the tough and long linguistic terms we learn… but still the true sense of tribalism was in my blood. I knew, through my ancestors, that we are a unique tribe even among the Bedouins themselves, and accordingly got to keep the pure Bedouin blood running into our veins. Nobody can be a Bedouin but on the base of blood, and his father (at least) must be a real Bedouin. Some Bedouin tribes, up to this moment, never accept their daughters to get married to a “peasant” Palestinian that peasants are second class for them. I knew this, I lived and felt it and saw that it was nonsense at all, therefore, I took a radical way out of this mentality that blinds people and gives them a false feeling of confidence that they are distinct and unique as if they were the “chosen people”
At that time, my radical way out of tribalism was at its early beginnings and I felt it without really knowing what does it mean.
My gf was still astray coming back from Europe to find its roots in the “land without people” to achieve back her tribalism that I was stepping out of. I remember I told her (even without knowing that I was talking of a big and sophisticated “philosophical problem” that is bothering the world) the jews are like us the Bedouins who cant accept others but on blood base. They are really a Bedouin tribe. They follow a book that was written by a tribesman, a leader of a tribe that was roaming Sinai which felt like a tribe to protect itself from the “civilized” Canaanites at that time. The jews, were actually a tribe that invaded the Canaanite Kingdon from the peripheries to swing in slowly to the center of the dying out Kingdom of Canaan. They (just like us, the bedouins) were (actually are) a tribe that never accept the others but on the base of blood. No one can be a jew if not born for a jewish mother (father in the bedouin case) and if there was doubt about it, he got to prove it in a way or another, or pass a long and tiring approach of “yeshivot” and courses that drives him crazy at the end rampaging the land of Canaan, like my x-gf did and succeeded finally to run away (purely jewish) out of here back home to stay years looking for a jew husbands to ensure that her son wont become “geniles” all their like. Finally she succeeded, and got her husband but swung deep in the tribalistic approach that I took a radical way out of!!!!
See, finally there are some similarities between the jews and the Bedouin!!! Funny but sad!!!
Tribalism is a strong feeling of identity to ensure a strong loyalty to a self-esteemed group of people based on blood. In this sense, I am already out after a long path I passed of mental maturity, however, the Israelis are tribalistic after passing a long path of “yeshivot”, seminars, courses and Halacha circles that take them back to the time of Mases “their ancient big sheikh” and finally they got out proud of being one of the “chosen people” who are superior to the gentiles!!! And this is exactly what my x-gf did to ensure her sense of self-esteem as a “pure” jew!!!!
Even as a Bedouin, I can accept any human being to be my friend (actually I got a jew gf) and to share me my house. I accept even the jews to share me my land and to live equals (just humans) in one state for all. Although I was uprooted and alienated and my home was demolished but I still have the human sense to forgive and live in peace with all people…
But, when a tribalistic comes to me and look me down I can never accept him as a human and accordingly will retreat back to my tribalistic nature to protect me from the tribalistic invader!!!!
Tribalism is infectious: All the people used to live here peacefully in one land and culture till the tribalistic Zionism came and poisoned the atmosphere. In all the arab countries there used to be hundreds of thousands jews living successfully and peacefully. Iraq, just 80 years ago used to have hundreds of thousands jews some of them hi ranked in the government and society, singers, musicians, merchants, doctors…..etc What happened in hell?????
The infectious trabalistic Zionism invaded the area and poisoned the minds of people. The new Western tranbalism also accomplished the unfinished job of the Nazis… isn’t Traibalism = nazism = Zionism????
Any way, I took a radical way out of it!!!
Sami, the bedouin.
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I agree with some of what you say but I also think you are generalizing here.
1)tribalism: I don’t think tribalism is only about blood preservation. I think It’s also about living in a community like the Israeli Kibbutz. A Bedouin tribe is pretty similar to it. I think tribalism is an important part of human life that mostly the west is missing out of. I agree that the bad part of tribalism is hating people that don’t belong to your group. The bad thing about Zionism of today (which wasn’t always the case) is that it left out the community part, and strengthened the part about hating others to unify ourselves (the Jews).
I think it’s stupid to hate or love people based on what mother/dad they came from. I think as time passes, people will discover this “value” weakens their people more then it unites them.
2)Identity – I think personal identity is more complicated. Even people who are a part of a community like a Moshav in Israel, feel they are also part of a town, then an area (like, the Galil), then Israel and sometimes the Arab world/Jewish world, and the West/Middle East.
When you say you were taken from your land, who was it that took you our of your land?
Was it me because my mother is Jewish?
Or was it just the right wing?
Or maybe just the person in the car that came by.
It’s our decision in the end.
3)”Traibalism = nazism = bedouinism = Zionism”
It’s true they all share the value of preferring your “tribes” blood. But that doesn’t mean they are the same.
Tribalism – people living in separate autonomous communities.
Nazi ideology – seeking control of all humanity and making it what their vision perceives as right (or in other words, spreading their tribe and eradicating and enslaving all other tribes).
Zionist ideology – Belief that all Jews should live together as a tribe. Then later the part about it being necessarily in Israel, then having a Jewish state in Israel.
Right wing Zionism (still a generalization):
Seeking control of all Israel and making it what their vision perceives as right (or in other words, spreading their tribe and eradicating and enslaving all other tribes in Israel).
Most Israelis do want the tribal part, but don’t hate other tribes and have no problems meeting people abroad, sometimes dating non-Jews. Others don’t like it, but don’t kill or hurt anyone because of it.
Dear Yarden,
That you so much for your deliberate notes,
What i wrote is just a cry of anguish that I feel of alienation on my own homeland uprooted and live just a few kilometers away from my demolished home and devastated memory.
Tribalism is an ideology that is fostered in blood or supported by the blood tie notion. for me there is nothing called “Aam Yezrael” the jewish people; there are groups of colonizers from the coal-black Ethiopian to the snow-white Russian, the Iraqi jews, the Moroccan… and there is nothing genetic ties them but the religion, and this religion is fostered by the racist ideology of Zionism that excludes and annihilates the others (palestinian natives) on their land!!!
within this notion, the israeli jews (the zionists) are very trabalistic and it is not a matter of gene but a segregative ideology that uses the gene “Aam Yezrael” to legitimize its (superiority), its trabalism ie, the jewish people is a unique people “the chosen people” and all the others, specially the palestinians (who have a direct impact) are gentiles and “less human” accordingly!!
First let me clarify I don’t count myself as a Zionist. I feel, just like you, that I am just a person born in Israel and want to live my life peacefully without people telling me how to live, what to believe in and who to love. On the other hand, I have studied Judaism and Zionism to some extent and I believe they are not necessarily the evil you experienced.
For example you should know that Zionism at first wasn’t about starting a Jewish state. Actually, many Zionists argued for a bi-national state with the Arabic way of life as a role model for a true embrace of the land.
Because of many different reasons, Zionism in the end chose the path of Jewish state. I don’t agree with this. I think democracy is the only right way for legitimate government.
Still, even today many Zionists don’t agree with the what the state is doing.
People who disagree with the Jewish state in Israel usually refer to themselves as anti-Zionist, but this is just because of politics.
In the end, nowdays, most Israelis don’t care about Zionism and ideology. The hate for Arabs comes mostly because of terrorists who kill innocent Israelis.
My personal conclusion was that other peoples’ suffering comes back to me so I must try to end it. Others started to hate Arabs.
Bedouins are mostly discriminated against because they are seen as Arabs by most Israelis, and because of the wars and conflicts – a threat.
If it wasn’t for the wars I think Israel would have been a secular state by now.
Hi Sami,
A couple of notes:
You write:
First, Moses is never seen as G-d, just a man who was able to get closer to G-d more than any other (Exodus 33:20-23).
Second, only 8% of Israeli define themselves as ultra-orthodox and 9% are orthodox. Only those groups go to yeshivot, study the Halacha (religious law) and follow it (or at least try to). The feeling of a “chosen people” is something common not just to Jews or Israelis, but to people in other lands as well, such as France, Britain and the United States. The feeling of superiority over gentiles is definitely a prominent feature in Jewish religious thinking. This idea appears many times in the Bible. However, I don’t think it comes from feelings of racism, but rather from the need to justify the enormous number of limitations Jews place on themselves (Mitzvot) in their daily life. Add to that the fact that first the land of Israel was occupied by various regional empires, and then, after the Exiles, Jews were often persecuted (especially in the Christendom), and you get a group of people suffering under the yoke of the Mitzvot and constant persecutions, who want to believe that there’s a reason for all of this. What better reason that saying that we were chosen by G-d to withstand tribulations?
This is related to my third point, and that is the cause of the tribulations, which is defying G-d’s will. For that, G-d has brought misery on the people of Israel and exiled most of them from their land. Throughout thousands years of exile, all those Jews you described- coal-black and snow-white, continued to pray for the day when they can return to their land, to Zion. So this was not just a religion, but a religion with a clear national goal.
I don’t think Zionism is racism/ Nazism because it is not based on that feeling of religious superiority. It is a secular movement that didn’t enjoy the support of the religious leaders and communities in Europe. Another proof of that is the fact that Israel accepted the UN partition plan in 1947, which didn’t give control of Jerusalem to the Jews, meaning, the Jews would be unable to pursue the religious ultimate goal of rebuilding the Temple. When Israel took over the Temple Mount in 1967 it gave away control over it to the Waqf, again, preventing the rebuilding of the Temple.
I agree that there is an incompatibility between Zionism and Palestinian national aspirations. But, since this isn’t based on hatred and racism, this can be resolved, even without giving up on Jewish/Zionist and Bedouin/Palestinian identities.
Elizabeth,
you got the right to believe in what you want to … I am only looking for a human relation between our people based on HUMAN belief, no temple mount, no Eretz Yesrael, no Haam Hayehudi… no nothing…. I dont believe in nothing but in my soul!!!
I noticed Elizabeth, that the new jewish immigrants usually come pure and peaceful, as i have some friends, and after a while in their “promised land” they change dramatically to hate us after a long path of swinging in their jewish tribalism and being poisoned by zoinism….. Can you tell me why all the Israeli society, since decades is heading extremely right and racist, not only toward palestinians in the occupied territories but also toward the Palestinian living inside israel as “hypothetically” citizens? How many racist LAWs are stated and used based on judaism? Look at the Israeli legal system to see how much tribalistic serving the “jewish people” only!!
Why, in God’s sake, every jew on earth not only encouraged but also backed and sometimes forced “in transit air flights” to come to Israel and settle while me, I am the simple expelled bedouin is forbidden to travel just a few kilometers away back to my demolished home… it is not only that, but also I am chased even here in my homeland and my home is demolished over and over again…. just tell me why? Isn’t this racism? What LAW is Israel bound to but a racist one to serve the “Chosen People” while excluding all the others? Just tell me
Israel as a whole, society and state, is “jewish” ie, racist and cant accept the other because simply they are not jewish, not from the “chosen” people!!!
anyway, I took a radical path out of tribalism and cant go back there but to reform the inhuman look toward the others… i am not ready to be dehumanized again!!!
Racism, any racism, is not separate, isolated acts that you face now and then, it’s a coherent ideological system of exclusion, alienation, segregation and dicrimination that you face every second of you life and in all fields. Accordingly, I am bound to fight it with every possible mean not only to set myself free, but also to liberate the the tribalistic occupier from his imprisoned and imprisoning ideology and let him out of his Ghetto to the vast, extensive and inclusive world!!!
Sami, the bedouin.
Sami, It seems to me like we have similar goals but different approaches to solving them.
I don’t think that fighting more will solve the situation in Israel. I truly believe all the fighting did until now is worsen the situation and spread the hate more and intensify it. I believe more fighting will continue to worsen everything here.
I believe the only way to make this a good place to live in for everyone is to reverse this process of spreading hate to the spreading of understanding and mutual respect.
Hate is not an integral part of are identities. That is the main thing we need to understand and spread. An Arab that define himself as Palestinian doesn’t have to hate all Jews and neither does a Zionist Jew have to hate Arabs.
The main issue is Israeli Jews, Arabs, Druze, and Bedouins not knowing each other and talking on day to day basis. This makes it easy for hate spreaders and media to show us the other as an inhuman enemy.
The solution is more mixing, more dialog and less violence.
Dear Sami,
If you don’t look at the larger ideology and perceptions behind actions, it’s easy to misunderstand them. If you disregard the existence of “HaAm haYehudi” (the Jewish people), of course it would seem as if we’re being racist. Even having borders, anywhere, would seem that way.
The new Jewish immigrants, coming from Russia, for example are known to be primarily right-wing voters. Half the votes for Lieberman’s party in this election came from Russian immigrants. It won’t be correct to say that immigrant become “poisoned” with Zionism in Israel, because many of them make the decision to come to Israel out of Zionist thinking. If anything, living in Israel, becoming well aware of the flaws of the political/economic system, makes people less Zionist or even completely disillusioned with it. The biggest Zionists I know actually live in the US.
Israeli discrimination toward Arab Israelis is based, in part, because of marginalization of that society due to fear. Policies in the early decades of the state of Israel prevented Arabs from realizing their potential, hindering development of the community as a whole. But these policies weren’t based on hate and racism, but fear that Arab Israelis are aligned with Israel’s enemies, can’t be trusted, and therefore don’t deserve to get the same benefits Jews get. Another reason, for the current state of Arabs in Israel is bad leadership, which constantly gets elected to the Knesset (parliament), hold about 10% of the seats, but does little to improve the situation of its constituents.
Jews aren’t forced to emigrate to Israel. They sometime arrive because of economic conditions, antisemitic persecutions, but never because they are forced to do so. What power does the Israeli government have over foreign citizens?
Family laws are based on religion for Jews and Muslims in Israel. You need to get a divorce through the religious courts (for example), but it applies to both religions.
House demolitions happen regardless if the person is Arab or Jewish. It’s a question of legality and most Jews choose to follow the legal system. Those who don’t, face demolitions just like any Arab. The building permits, to Palestinians/Israeli Arabs, are limited only in Jerusalem, where there is a clear anti-Palestinian policy, which you might call “racist”. Another laws prohibits construction for Arabs on land that isn’t owned by the Israeli state, but by the Jewish National Fund. Those lands were bought for the purpose of settling Jews in Israel. Arab groups appealed to the Supreme Court, saying that this is discriminating to Arabs, and this discussion is still pending there.
The “law of return” is the basis of the Zionist idea that Jews need to come back to their land and settle it, but it’s not hateful toward Arabs.
Therefore, I’m trying to show that the Israeli legal system isn’t racist, but policies of exclusion and fear of the Jewish population in Israel are. The battle over hearts and minds is the important one, and talking to each other is what will bring change. But it’s hard for any Jew to have a constructive dialog when an ideology he might believe in (Zionism) is compared to Nazism.
Thanks Yarden,
I believe the only way is to have ONE State for all otherwise both of us would keep segregating himself in his own Ghetto and alienating the other as inhuman devil. There is no other way, but reconciliation over our tribalism that devastates the minds before it deepens the hatred. I believe you dont want to live in the Ghetto again at the time I see israel is leading its people to live in their Ghetto of the “Jewish State” isolated geographically and culturally from the surrounding arab world!!!
However,
For Elezabeth it seems that the distance between my way of thinking and yours on one hand, and between your discourse and the the real situation is so vast and unbridgeable. It is so difficult to convince someone who is segregated in his own ghetto of ideology and cant see the other but alien and “other’ and not from “our chosen people”.
We need to liberate ourselves from our own narrow mentality of “we” and the “other” Elizabeth. I am trying to understand and internalize the “other’s” mentality as a peer who worth sharing me my land on a human basis but not to occupy me, oppress me, concentrate me in a camp like that of Gaza and at the end denies me dignified life and speak of HIS “chosen people” on HIS “historic land”…. and blaming me for not being “good enough” to understand his racist mentality and practice!!
So, our leadership is a
and doesnt do much for its electors!!! so, I am to be blamed not the oppressor: Let me tell you Mrs. Elizabeth that Israel since over 70 years (even before its establishment) is “killing” systematically our leadership and the most prominent in intellectuals to prevent us the a healthy and able leadership. Just thirty years ago there was nothing called Palestinian people for them… and even now when it is a fighting reality of a threatening number it is also not a people but aindividuals living there (by chance) for Mr. Netanyahu….
Our leadership is Abu-Jehad (assassinated), Abu-Ammar (assassinated), Ghassan Kanafani (assassinated intellectual), Dr. Azmi Bishara (assassinated politically and alienated)…. you want me to number hundreds of our prominent intellectuals and leaders who were assassinated Literally, politically, culturally…etc since 70 years? … And when there is a leadership it is Irrelevant to peace process (like Arafat for being “terrorist”, and Mahmoud Abbas now for being “weak”). They are just looking for an excuse to withdraw from peace and build their own State of Settlers in the West Bank, to complete the circle and take all historic Palestine!!…. and our leadership is finally “bad” for Mrs. Elizabeth.
Demolition houses: Dear, it seems that you forgot demolishing over 450 towns and villages in the 40s and the constant demolishing is going on (now and here) everywhere in Palestine…. It is a well coherent systematic way of demolishing that “Aam Yezrael” is using to to kill any hope for the Palestinian in a dignified life… just last year I received two notices to demolish my own home and I am waiting for it to be demolished for the third time…. The hell Dear Lady!!
Israel is a racist regime that discriminates in all aspects of our life; education, services, police, army, roads, politics, culture… to keep us servant for their “Aam Yezrael”…. it seems that you dont see farther than your neighborhood lady. Just have a look at Nazereth and Netzeret-Elite to compare and see… look at how they demolish the bedouin houses and huts in the Negev to take their land and stack them in concentration camps, …look at the arab neighborhoods of Haifa, Akko, Jaffa and compare!!!…. Look how they suffocate the Palestinians with over 650 checkpoints and protect the settlers to rampage the West Bank free burning the fields and uprooting the olive trees of the Palestinians… Dont you see that? Or you just see the very “human” zionism”?
Israel is a racist regime with trabalistic ideology in its very “Legal” system, politics, miniseries, polices….. all in all a “very democratic” racist system!! … Israel is for Aam Yezrael and by definition “jewish state” is racist, and I am not ready to recognize a racist regime!! Yes, it is very democratic for the settlers ,,, but the hell with them in the concentration camp of Gaza!!!
This is the tribalism that sees no problem to dehumanize the other and glorify “the chosen people”… open your eyes reverent Lady!!
Sami,
I think you are mixing the occupation, which must end, and Zionism, which is a legitimate national movement that can be compatible with a Palestinians state in the 1967 borders (no “right of return”, though).
I am not saying that the policies of the occupation are moral, and most of the things you described are not justified (except for assassinating terrorists that you call “leadership”). What I’m saying is that those policies stem from fear, and not from hatred or racism. You accuse me of being closed in an ideological ghetto, while you yourself refuse to see Jews as people who have the right to live in a country of their own.
I think I’ll write a post about it, because all my comments combined together, by now, would make up a whole post.
Elizabeth,
No, I dont agree that the jews to segregate themselves in their Ghetto of a “jewish state”, they should get out of their cage they are living in, the cage of both the geographical place and the mentality… just open up and be like all other religions not based of gene!!
Second you oppose the “right to return” at the time you enthusiastically support the “Zchut ha sheva” the right to return for every jew in the world. Why? Isnt this racist and close-minded way of thinking; the jew got the right while me, who was expelled from Ashdod and my home was given to a Russian jew is forbidden and derprived from my right that is garanteed by the International Law and the UN resolutions. Why? just because “Aam Yezrael” doesnt want to see the arabs whom they kicked out and demolished their home and villages come back to reconciliate with history and place?… how about if the Palestinian refugees want to came and reconciliate with israel and forget about the past? suer you would say no!! because you simply prefer your mental and geographical tribalistic Ghetto…. I dont like seeing the Jews in the Ghetto again!!… I want them to be my brothers living on ONE state for us all but not each in his own Ghetto!! I dont see in the West Bank any kind of State but waiting for the coming Bosnia, specially with these fanatic settlers who are armed to teeth… No lady, I am not racist Nazi to put you in the Ghetto again!!!
Dear Sami,
You are correct in saying that Zchut haShiva for Jews is the opposite of the right of the return for the Palestinian refugees. But Israel isn’t saying that the Palestinians have to displaced forever, but that the solution to those refugees from 1948 will be in the future Palestinian state.
There is little credible proof that Palestinians were forced out of their homes, or massacred, except for Dir Yasin. There is plenty of proof that the Palestinians expected the intervention of the Arab nations to succeed in destroying Israel. They left out of fear, because of the war, and thought that they will be able to return to their homes soon. This is also why the Palestinian leadership rejected the UN partition plan in 1947, while the Jews accepted it. The Palestinians weren’t ready to share the land and preferred to wait for Arab victory and have the whole land for themselves.
Not all Palestinians and Israelis are like you. I have no problem with someone progressive like you being my neighbor, but some Palestinians, if he’s my neighbor, given the chance, will kill me. I don’t want them as neighbors. This is why the idea of a bi-national state is a suicide for Israel. All those claiming that Zionists are Nazis should also prefer to have a state of their own, rather than have those “killers” for neighbors.
Dear Lady,
first i am not progressive… I am just a premitive bedouin still roaming the desert with his camels
second, Only Dair Yassin? please dont muck my little head… I only gave you Haifa as an example out of 63, 000 ony 300 remained.. and look at Haifa now to see their homes
http://www.palestineremembered.com
and see in details.
who is oppressing the other and want to kill him?…. please Read Eva’s story: Eva ferraro; an Israeli lady whom I know personally and she’s a writer at this forum
the problem… which you will discover by Eva, is that you are totally ignorant of what is going on here, in this holy land and you are only subject to Hasbara of the government…. I tell you, most of the Palestinians are like me… and I say just like Mahmoud darwish in His poem: I dont hate people, nor steal others. But if I tortured and got hungry, i will eat the flesh of my enimy/// I am am so primitive…beware of me Lady
All the best Lady Elizabeth
the bdouin
Dear Gentelman,
You are progressive in your views about identity, some would even say you’re post-modern in your approach.
I can provide you with links to hundreds of websites that support the Israeli narrative, that says that there was to expulsion. The truth, I think, is somewhere in the middle. I think wikipedia has a good article that covers all points of view: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causes_of_the_1948_Palestinian_exodus
When discussing refugees, we should also remember that hundreds of thousands Jews from Arab lands fled\were expelled following the 1948 war.
Eva doesn’t represent what most Israelis think. If all Israelis were like her, and all Palestinians were like you, we could forget about borders altogether.
All the best, Mr. Sami
The Zionist
Elizabeth.
How on this God’s earth (an earth that the sun looks down on ‘for all people’) –
can you state that the Palestinian diaspora can live in the ‘future Palestinian state’?
Do you know what the future Palestinian state is?
Do you think that it is fair for Palestinians in their own land – small enclaves – where they have no freedom even to drive further than 5 miles (Bethlehem) and almost no access to their farm land because of a large wall – when their actual land is annexed by military?
And what about the settlers inside the West Bank who are taking up a very large part of the Palestinian land?
And what about the armed settlers who are ‘allowed to carry guns’ when the Palestinians are not?
and why are ‘normal peaceful Israelis’ not allowed into the West Bank occupied areas and only armed settlers and military?
If you calculate the actual amount of land that Palestinians actually have access to in the West Bank – it is only 11%.
That is not a Palestinian state.
A state subject to military incursions is also not a Palestinian state.
Gaza also is not a Palestinian state.
Tanya Reinhart (Israeli ex professor at Tel Aviv) herself stated that what is now given the name of ‘Palestinian state’ was created in order to ‘imprison’ the Palestinians – it was not given to give them ‘freedom’.
THe UN states that there is no ‘viable state’ for the Palestinians under the current situation – because you need to have ‘land’ to sustain yourself and to be self sufficient. Palestinians do not have that freedom. They are living in prisons inside their own country.
That is not modern democracy. The peace has to come from Israel.
Everyone knows this fact.
The excuse of the ‘Arabs’ offends all people all over the planet.
Everybody knows that Israel is abusing the rights of the Palestinian people to such an extreme that is the only reason why people are so desperate – they become suicidal.
People who are self sufficient and secure in their lives and future do not feel like they need to bomb themselves.
Even Palestinians themselves are terrorised by the fear that one of their children will become so depressed to want to hurt themselves.
Do you think that is a way to maintain security in a country?
No. If you imprison people in their own homes and allow settlers freedom to go and shoot them with no self defence and blame them for attempting to defend themselves in their own land – then what do you expect?
International law (and normal rational convention) has always decreed that occupying forces are liable and responsible for the welfare of the occupied people.
That means Israel should be responsible for the welfare of all of the people of the occupied territories as equals under democratic principles.
If Israel won the war of 1967 – then why is the West Bank and Gaza denied access to live and work in the rest of Israel and to take part of society in normal conventional ways – rather than the continued racism?
Because the government so desperately want the zionist majority – and that is why the dalia is still maintained today even though there are no pogroms – no concentration camps to flee from.
Did you know that now Russia is actually calling for their citizens to go back, because they are becoming depopulated, you have so many Russian settlers now who have settled in your country just for the economic opportunity?
Is that fair on the actual people who live there?
What are the Russians fleeing from?
They are not, they are just going in the army, to fulfill their racist fantasies.
Your country is built on a brutal military occupation.
That is not the problem of the arab people.
Everyone knows that if Israel gave benefits for all of the occupied people equally, there would be no problem, no conflict.
Why is Israel still inviting people for the dalia, why can’t they allow the Palestinians freedom of movement over ‘all of the occupied country’ – all of Israel was Palestine, pre 1948 – why are the 1967 areas kept separate?