In his latest post, AngloLibyan describes how he went to the mosque to pray and instead had to listen to a US lecturer offending Arabs (http://anglolibyan.blogspot.com/2007/06/angry-sheikh.html, I advise you to read it - it's interesting). AngloLibyan, arguing that not all Arabs deserve to be "completely written off", wrote, "what about the young & old Arab men that are continuously killed by Israeli soldiers just because they are fighting for their land, what about Arab men that defended Lebanon and other countries too?"
I commented, "I don't understand you, AL. You have a "No to terrorism" appeal on your blog, yet you seem to cite as model Arabs those who are engaged in terror." AngloLibyan replied, "maya.m, from your experience with Arabs I am sure you know that we all believe that the Palestinian struggle and the Lebanese defendeing of their country against Israels vile and unjust aggression is a just cause".
This gave me the idea to start an opinion poll among Arab readers: Do you support Israel, or are you against it? You may take part in the poll by posting a comment.
In this poll, to "be against Israel" means to stand for the destruction of Israel or for its retreat to a territory smaller than the pre-1967 territory. If this is your opinion, please write what, according to you, should happen to the Jewish citizens of Israel.
To "support Israel" means to accept Israel's right to exist as a Jewish national state on a territory equal to or larger than the pre-1967 territory and to defend itself when attacked, like every other state. You need NOT be very happy that Israel exists or be anti-Palestinian. You may want Israel to retreat within its pre-1967 borders and a Palestinian state to be created on West Bank or Gaza, this doesn't disqualify you as a supporter of Israel. It does disqualify you, however, to consider the Palestinians and other Arabs "fighting for their land" something other than terrorists or, at best, hotheads delusioned by peer pressure and generations of misleading propaganda. Please write also how you think the problem with the Palestinian "refugees" should be solved. (I flanked this term by quotation marks because for me, a refugee is a person fleeing from an area of conflict, not this person's grandchild.)
The poll has no deadline, so you may take part in it, no matter when you are reading this. Anonymous comments are wellcome, especially pro-Israeli ones. I don't want people to lose friends because of my poll. If you are commenting anonymously, please write which Arab nation you belong to and, if you are an expatriate, where you live.
If you change your opinion after posting it, you are welcome to post again; please explain what has made you change your mind.
Non-Arab readers may comment also, but their opinions won't be counted. If commenting anonymously, please state that you aren't Arab, so that not to interfere with the poll results.
My working hypothesis is evident from my second comment on AngloLibyan's post: "I know from the Web that there are many Israeli Arabs who support their country (one of them, unfortunately, became known for shooting British pro-Palestinian activist Thomas Hurndall). Some other Arabs also support Israel (http://www.arabsforisrael.com/). You are right that this is a rare opinion. I haven't heard it from any Arab living or staying in Bulgaria. However, I am not sure exactly how rare this opinion is because of the apparent absence of free speech."
Perhaps my presumption about a significant minority of pro-Israeli Arabs is just wishful thinking. However, my experience has taught me that a uniform opinion usually is an artifact of suppressed dissent. It was thought in 1984-89, and still is thought by some non-Bulgarians, that the ethnic Bulgarian majority uniformly supported the forced renaming of our ethnic Turks. In fact, my entire family and most of my friends were against it. However, we didn't speak up, because this would just get us into trouble. But I would take part in an anonymous Web opinion poll, if there were such things at this time.
6 comments:
hello
vous pouvez inscrire votre blog sur jewisheritage.fr
shalom
What a stupid and one - side question question!
I am against israeli killers!!!
I support Israel's existance. I was born in America and learned from an early age that Israeli's and Jews are people like everybody else who have a bright,rich past,bright rich future, solid model citizens of the civilized world. As you can see, I'm of Lebanese descent but never lived in Lebanon where I would probably be exposed to media outfits ruled by Islamists and racialist Arabs, inciting hatred and war mongering. Besides if I'm Lebanese why should I care about Palestinian causes? I see Palestinians as animals and subhumans. As an American citizen
I frown upon the Palestinian people
after watching them celebrate
the acts of terrorism on American
soil, and as a Lebanese of Maronite
backround, I frown upon the Palestinian people after all
the horrors they brought to the
Christian-populated villages of
Lebanon when they settled there
as refuges. The only blame I have
for Israel is that they didn't nuke
Hamas's heads straight up Allah's
ass. For all Palestinians reading
this, your eyes will be black,your
lips will be fat,your fingers will
be swollen,your stomachs will be
bruised,necks and spinal cords
will be bent,your ankles will
be twisted,your feet will be
crushed, but most importantly
your faces will be burnt with
a blowtorch. You filthy monkeys
don't know what you're in for
but I can tell you right now,
it's nothing pleasant.
Travis, I am glad that you support the rights of Israelis to live, but I am deeply troubled by your attitude to the Palestinians. I reject labeling any human being as subhuman. Whatever we may think of the current behaviour of the Palestinians, they are humans, and we must find a way to coexist.
Before you speak about the "current behaviour of the Palestinians" read THE PASSIONATE ATTACHMENT BY George Ball and IT'S EASIER TO REACH HEAVEN by Emma Williams. As for Travis, I am reminded of an old saying, which you might recognize: "Koga stana Mango kalaydjia, koga ti pochernya zadnika"!
Doc Steve, I am glad that the end of your remark can be understood only by Bulgarian readers. I mean, however I may like political incorrectness, and whatever I may think of the current behaviour of the group of people you are referring to... why not leave them alone?
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