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A Zionist commentary

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An Israeli corrects misconceptions about zionism on an online forum on the web. One does not need to be a Zionist to recognise and campaign against racism and antisemitism that results from people going too far in online discussion on Israel and Zionism
by Transc3ndent (from Jerusalem) at the forum "above top secret" (edit: Andre Oboler)

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A forum explanation of Zionism

By Transc3ndent (from Jerusalem) at the forum "above top secret" (edit: Andre Oboler)

I would like to clear some things up.

Unlike many of you seem to believe, the "Jews" didn't come to some land named Palestine, killed its people and steal their land.

It wasn't even close to that.

Zionism is a movement according to which the problems of the Jewish people could be solved by creating a Jewish homeland, a state of their own. Since Jews are a race with the same history and religion, a race which suffered perhaps much more than any other race in history - I don't see anything unreasonable in that.

Since the land known as "Palestine" was where the Jews lived according to the bible, and at that time most of the jews were religious (or at least treated their religion with great respect) - creating a Jewish homeland in palestine was what most of them hoped and dreamed for.

Of course - other than few radicals who immigrated to Israel at that time - no one thought about going in there and conquering land. It's absurd. The zionist wanted to achieve their goal legally and politicaly, by asking help from other countries which have some power.

Other than Israel - several other options were examined. Argentina and Uganda, for example, were also places where the Zionists considered creating their homeland (in a legal way, of course).

In the end, though Britain - which at that time basically controlled and owned Palestine - agreed (in what is known as the Balfour decleration) to help the Jews create a Jewish homeland in that area. The decleration also protected the rights of the Arabs living there. (Ed: The Jews and some of the Arabs who lived there became Israeli's. Those that left before the war of 48 when the other Arab Countries tried to wipe Israel off the map... became Palestinians.)

Immigration strarted, and the Jews BOUGHT land from Britain and the arabs who owned it. Most of the land (about 90 percent) wasn't even theirs, and they lived in peace with the Arabs there.

In 1921, however, the Arabs living there suddenly started to kill and murder the jewish immigrants. Perhaps it was because they didn't like the Jews coming there, or perhaps it was because of Arab leaders who incited their people in order to gain power. Either way - Jews were killed before they had even the most primitive way of defending themselves. They were completly reliant on the British governemnt for defense.

Britain, for their part, ignored Jewish claims and chose to restrict the Jewish immigration and the selling of land to Jews. It was done to appease the Arabs, and the Jews couldn't do much to oppose it.

In 1929, however, more murders happened, and more Jews were killed. And again the jews couldn't do anything to defend them selves, and Britain, as a result, restricted them even more.

Those restrictions became more and more serious, and Britain continued to ignore Jewish claims - probably because they didn't want to lost any power in their relations with the Arabs.

In 1936, following a partition plan which the Arabs declined, there was a major uprising and hundreds of Jews where killed. In the following years, however, many Jews understood they couldn't rely on Britain for protection, so Jewish military organizations were formed to protect the Jews from the Arabs. A Jewish homeland was a dream for them, a vision they gave their life for, they felt they were losing it. Some chose to go further and use violance as the Arabs did.

As is tought in Israel schools - these organizations who used violence were terror organizations, killing innocent people. We, in israel, don't adore them much. One of the first acts of the first Israeli government was to arrest them. I think it was a dark period in our history, and fortunately it didn't last long. In the end organizations that committed terror attacks where dismantled. It was understood that they only harmed the creation of a Jewish nation.

During WWII the Jews in Palestine helpled Britain on the logistic side, many Arabs, however, hoped that Germany would win. some famous Arabs in the area even spent time recruiting people for Germany in order to fight for the axis.

During and after the holocaust Britain didn't allow any Jews who managed to escape or survive to enter Palestine. illigal immigration began as a result, bringing Jews illegaly to Israel by boat. Many boats were stopped and sent back. On one occasion a ship was cought in a storm and tried to dock in Turkey, Turkey didn't agree and Britain wouldn't let it dock in Israel. It was forces to continue sailing until it was sunk, probably by a Russian submarine. All its passengers died.

After the war the UN proposed a partition plan, the Arabs, again, didn't agree, and this lead to the 1948 war, which was an attempt by the Arabs to gain control of the area by eliminating the Jews. After the Arabs lost Israel was founded.



How can you say we stole their land, killing people and forcing them out of their homes? We gave our lives for Israel, for a chance to live in peace in our own homeland, away from the suffering the world created for us. And now, when Arabs are brainwashed in schools from their birth and tought lies about Israel and Jews, leading them to murder people in the name of their god simply because thats what they were told to do - you blame *us* for using tanks and missiles to protect our lives?

Israel is the only democratic country in the whole middle east. We are tought in schools to respect the world and its people and strive for peace. The last time there was a rumor an Israeli soldier shot a body of an already dead palestinian girl for no reason - it was the main story in the Israeli media for weeks. There is a new law here now, according to which, medical help will be given to terrosists first if their situation is worse than others, and only after that Israeli citizens will be treated, in case of a terror attack.

And then you go and call us unmoral, evil?

The USA killed more Arabs in a month than we have killed in 56 years of our existance. Russia kills chechen terroirists like they were ants and there are whole massacres in Africa. But when we shoot a missile on a terrorists who killed dozens of Israelis you suddenly blaim *us* of war crimes?

Will YOUR country ever think twice before destroying a house which is used for manufacturing bombs? Will your country ever consider the quality of life of the enemy before building a fence which will save the lifes of hundreds? Well, we do, and you still call us murderers.

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