10/09/2009

Quote of the Day

Posted by Andrew | Labels: , , ,

"If I were an Arab leader I would never make terms with Israel. That is natural: we have taken their country... We come from Israel, but two thousand years ago, and what is that to them? There has been anti-Semitism, the Nazis, Hitler, Auschwitz, but was that their fault? They only see the thing: we have come here and stolen their country. Why should they accept that?"
David Ben-Gurion to Nahum Goldmann, president of the World Jewish Congress:

1 comments:

Bruce Kratky said...

The historical conflict within the Jewish leadership in 1948 is remarkable. Many of the leaders did not feel that "statehood" was the way to go. Yet, that is the way it went. Now what to do? The Jews are there to stay. There was sound rational for "statehood". That there were opposing positions within the Jewish community does not negate those ideas. Those ideas won the day. And, as a complement to the Jews of then and now, the decision was made with eyes wide open and with public debate.

WW I and WW II loom so large in 20th Century thought and mentality. Millions and millions of people were killed by leaderships of all different stripes to "get what they wanted." There is this desensitizing of all of humanity to the killing of masses. There was this acceptance of force as the tool to make "right." This perspective was held by "All", not just the good guys or the bad guys. It was just the bad guys who forced the issues of violence. WW I was an out of control, runaway political and diplomatic freight train. WW II was, in my opinion, Satanically inspired. Regardless, we still find so much of the world with that mentality. Certainly the US has its fair share. But, can we go back to solve issues moving forward. That is the problem that I see is core in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. How can they move forward? I don't know.

7:35 PM  

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