No. of Recommendations: 6
albaby1,
"The settler-colonialist theory of the foundation of Israel - which flattens Jewish history and delegitimizes the rights of the Jews as indigenous people to the area to have a nation - is an anti-semitic belief."
Not even close. Settler-colonialism is an accurate description of the birth of Israel. The promulgation of tropes like "a land without a people for a people without a land" flatten Palestinian history and are an admission of lies to justify the usurpation of Palestinian territory. The Jewish mythology of connection to the biblical territories, ab initio, delegitimizes any other occupants. It is abundantly clear that the lands of Palestine/Israel were neither empty at the time of foundation of Israel nor were Jews, historically, the original nor the only inhabitants of this area. Nor did Israel make the desert bloom, it was already blooming, and it is not a desert. These are further tropes to justify colonization, as nobody was there, and they were not using the land fully anyway. The modern Israeli narrative is full of such justifications.
After years of teaching this narrative, not only to the world, but also in their schools, there are two generations of modern Israelis with disdain for Palestinians, and young Israelis are comfortable inflicting terrible injustice on Palestinians, who are openly referred to as vermin in the Knesset, where extermination is openly discussed. Where is the acknowledgement of Palestinian history, and why are they denied a nation? That doesn't fit with the aims of Israeli Zionists.
The situation is not complicated. Hamas is not the only nor even the principal villain here. The current debacle is the result of European immigrants to the area, setting in motion a long string of injustices without redress, empowered by a belief they are God's chosen. It is incumbent on Israel to understand the horror they have visited on the people of Palestine and make amends. A first step is to acknowledge that they are colonists, and not the 2000 year absent landlords they claim to be.
I am not hopeful, but it is the only road to peace.
