Churchill had just stepped down and Chamberlain popped up and dismissively retorted, "Well, to listen to Mr. Churchill, you'd think that Hitler wanted to kill every Jew in Europe." That brought on a general din of laughter throughout the House of Commons.
About forty years ago I spent a summer holiday on the beautiful island of Menorca. I remember sitting in the shade of a local cafe gazing at an idyllic small harbour. The cold beer flowed profusely. As is the case with young revolutionaries, the discussion turned to politics. This time to the Middle East.
My discussion partner informed me that Israel would have to go. I asked him to clarify this remark. He said that Israel was a colonial-settler state impeding the march forward to world socialism. It would have to be destroyed, in the name of a better tomorrow for all humanity.
And the Jews who live there, I asked him, would they have to be killed? Yes, he replied, if it is necessary. So, I said, it is not a question of the size of the country, it is the very existence of the country that is the problem. Yes, he replied.
After that everything turned a bit nasty. I had to be restrained from wringing his neck. It was the first time I had met anybody who advocated mass slaughter in the name of a higher political ideal.
In the years after that I met quite a lot of people in the Netherlands who were not adverse to a bit of genocide if it furthered the goal of world socialism. Mainly during my study of Political Science in Amsterdam: Maoists, Trotskyists and the supporters of Soviet communism. Well you can't make an omelet without breaking eggs, can you?
Mass slaughter is not only something that is advocated for a higher political ideal. It is also promoted for a higher religious ideal.
Hamas advocates the mass slaughter of Jews. Do I hear a "general din of laughter"? Hamas is only against the Israeli persecution of Palestinians?
No, this is not the case. Hamas is against the existence of the state of Israel and will gladly kill any Jew who lives there. Their Charter is quite clear about this:
"Muslims will fight the Jews [and kill them]; until the Jews hide behind rocks and trees, which will cry: Oh Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, come on and kill him!”
Actually the language is quite poetic.
President Jimmy Obama is now facilitating the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. The Brotherhood is the mother/father (I am still having trouble with that) of Hamas.
An Islamic Republic in Egypt will lead to the resumption of the existential wars between Israel and her neighbours. That is one of the attractions of the Brotherhood for the Egyptian people.
About forty years ago I spent a summer holiday on the beautiful island of Menorca. I remember sitting in the shade of a local cafe gazing at an idyllic small harbour. The cold beer flowed profusely. As is the case with young revolutionaries, the discussion turned to politics. This time to the Middle East.
My discussion partner informed me that Israel would have to go. I asked him to clarify this remark. He said that Israel was a colonial-settler state impeding the march forward to world socialism. It would have to be destroyed, in the name of a better tomorrow for all humanity.
And the Jews who live there, I asked him, would they have to be killed? Yes, he replied, if it is necessary. So, I said, it is not a question of the size of the country, it is the very existence of the country that is the problem. Yes, he replied.
After that everything turned a bit nasty. I had to be restrained from wringing his neck. It was the first time I had met anybody who advocated mass slaughter in the name of a higher political ideal.
In the years after that I met quite a lot of people in the Netherlands who were not adverse to a bit of genocide if it furthered the goal of world socialism. Mainly during my study of Political Science in Amsterdam: Maoists, Trotskyists and the supporters of Soviet communism. Well you can't make an omelet without breaking eggs, can you?
Mass slaughter is not only something that is advocated for a higher political ideal. It is also promoted for a higher religious ideal.
Hamas advocates the mass slaughter of Jews. Do I hear a "general din of laughter"? Hamas is only against the Israeli persecution of Palestinians?
No, this is not the case. Hamas is against the existence of the state of Israel and will gladly kill any Jew who lives there. Their Charter is quite clear about this:
"Muslims will fight the Jews [and kill them]; until the Jews hide behind rocks and trees, which will cry: Oh Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, come on and kill him!”
Actually the language is quite poetic.
President Jimmy Obama is now facilitating the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. The Brotherhood is the mother/father (I am still having trouble with that) of Hamas.
An Islamic Republic in Egypt will lead to the resumption of the existential wars between Israel and her neighbours. That is one of the attractions of the Brotherhood for the Egyptian people.
Just don't whine when Israel defends itself.
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