Long ago I heard a radio program on Sephardic music from Ottoman Turkey. They were singing in Ladino about exile, but it was their exile from Spain (Ferdinand and Isabella period). They weresinging in Ottoman Turkey, and Jerusalem was uner Ottoman rule so they could have gone there., but the exile they remembered was the one from Spain.
Indeed. That reinforces my point that Zionism arises solely out of a need to get out of Europe (or any Arab or Muslim nation) for the sake of personal security, not religious belief.
The words "genocide" and "Zionism" are causing more trouble than they're worth.
"Genocide" is a quirky legal term, carefully drafted to make the victors feel good after WWII without implicating their own (often) awful behavior. It does not mean "worstestest war crime." The ICC indicted Putin for genocide because he is feeding and educating Ukrainian kids. This appears legally correct. As far as Israeli conduct goes, I think that the case for genocide is stronger on the West Bank than it is in Gaza. War crimes remain war crimes, even if they do not fit the quirks of "genocide."
Some folk use "Zionism" to mean "Smotrich-ism," a close cousin to Nazi-ism. Some folk call themselves Zionists because they believe that Israel is a legitimate sovereign nation, albeit one that is badly misbehaving. Such a protean word is not very useful.
Maybe we need to leaflet. If only I could find that old mimeograph machine.
Spam is the new mimeograph.
Accommodation and compromise
determined by people
on the ground
the only solution.
Long ago I heard a radio program on Sephardic music from Ottoman Turkey. They were singing in Ladino about exile, but it was their exile from Spain (Ferdinand and Isabella period). They weresinging in Ottoman Turkey, and Jerusalem was uner Ottoman rule so they could have gone there., but the exile they remembered was the one from Spain.
Indeed. That reinforces my point that Zionism arises solely out of a need to get out of Europe (or any Arab or Muslim nation) for the sake of personal security, not religious belief.
The words "genocide" and "Zionism" are causing more trouble than they're worth.
"Genocide" is a quirky legal term, carefully drafted to make the victors feel good after WWII without implicating their own (often) awful behavior. It does not mean "worstestest war crime." The ICC indicted Putin for genocide because he is feeding and educating Ukrainian kids. This appears legally correct. As far as Israeli conduct goes, I think that the case for genocide is stronger on the West Bank than it is in Gaza. War crimes remain war crimes, even if they do not fit the quirks of "genocide."
Some folk use "Zionism" to mean "Smotrich-ism," a close cousin to Nazi-ism. Some folk call themselves Zionists because they believe that Israel is a legitimate sovereign nation, albeit one that is badly misbehaving. Such a protean word is not very useful.