First, a clarity on definitions: There is religious Zionism, which all Jews from Mizrahi to Sephardi to Ashkenazi and etc. support and has always sought for the reestablishment of the nation-State of Israel on our ancestral Judean lands. There is also political Zionism born out of 19th century European Jewish Enlightenment and socialism that was used as a model for modern Israeli government. The nation-State of Israel is a blend of both, halachic Semitism and Western democracy! Additionally, “nationalism” is the historic answer by the indigenous peoples of this world to the threat and subjugating assimilation of colonizing empires. Israel is not only a refugee nation, but also a return of the indigenous to self-sovereignty on ancestral land.
With this now said ….
What most rankles me about this debate is the obsessive comparison of Jews, an ethno-religious people, to Empires. As if, somehow, we are one of these empires, for having gone back home *involuntarily* as a people! Israel is the world’s only nation that is comprised of a *majority of Jewish refugees* from Islamic and Christian nations.
I’m pretty sure that Jews come from Judea, preserve the ancient literatures of Judea, speak the ancient language of Judea, and pray for the return of Jews to Judea *as a matter of communal daily ritual*. I’m pretty sure!
Let me be more blunt!!! In all my years upon this planet, I have *never* heard a European pray for their return to Africa! Nor a Muslim for a return to Arabia! Nor, even, a Christian for a return to the Levant – nor even for their return to Jerusalem! For peace sake, I’ve never heard a non-Jewish Palestinian *ever* pray three to fives times a day, everyday, to return to Palestine (aka, historic Judea!). Only Jews do this, habitually, as a matter of ethno-religious culture. Why?!
Folks, these debates compare apples to oranges!!! Further, this debate here compares true proselytizing religions – that are determined to overwhelm the world (aka, to conquer) to an indigenous Levant people whose *very existence as an ethno-religious culture and people* is *based* in Judea (aka, Israel!), and is *centered* around Jerusalem!
Yes, the “Arabs” – that did not emigrate to Palestine for a wild *reason* – are just as indigenous as all Jewish people claiming the land as ours. But, how did these indigenous “Arabs” come into existence in Palestine? … Anybody?! … I’m pretty sure that Arabs are from Arabia, a nation that speaks Arabic and created a religion Islam, with Muslim adherents, in the 7th century of this historical Common Era (A.D.). … Wow, let me guess! The indigenous – Jews, Samaritans, Druze, and Bedouins – were assimilated into Arabs by ethnicity and, many, into Muslims by religion!
For any Moslem/Muslim to claim benevolent superiority to the history of *Christianity* upon this planet is a hubris *beyond* Christian perception. They, the white European gentile-created Christians, simply believe that they are perfect and most superior – and that time will eventually prove this to all humankind! But, Islam demands in the Koran that *no gentile* oppress the people “of the book” (aka, the Torah, our ancient Jewish literatures!). Yet, Islam keeps finding a way, just like Christians!
Islam is literally based around the Jewish shema and the Rabbinic Jewish concept of the Jewish national “God.” We are the “watchers” of Koran! But, non-Jews be who they are, especially if they have usurped the Jew, his/her Jewishness, his/her homeland, and decided to replace it! Comparing an ethno-religious people just looking to not be persecuted by other humans anymore – with empires (political or religious!), with colonization, with religious assimiliation into the world,….
Why is Christianity and Islam *so desperate* to eradicate the Jew?!!! And, if not, to prevent the Jew a safe place in this world? Whether in the ancestral Levant or some other assured place?! How many talks do we Jews *need* to have with gentiles, just to be Jews in this world – not under another’s social, political, religious bondage?!!!!! Folks, we wanted and want to live in peace!
Lastly, the Palestinian “Arabs” who really are *indigenous* are Jews and Samaritans in ancestry! Conquested and, yet, ever rejected. Except to fuel the historic hatred for Jews in this world. Just saying the obvious out loud, as usual.
Is Zionism Settler Colonialism? Abdullah al-Andalusi | Joseph Cohen
Personally, I truly believe that every Jew and Arab *Moslem/Muslim* needs to watch this video. Both present to all very good arguments, *based on facts*, that deserve being heard!
Introductions and debate starts 4 minutes and 05 seconds in. Prior is a bit of set up.
Please, if you have a vested interest in resolving the Palestine-Israel conflict, watch this whole debate. And, then, you decide your position.
And, hopefully, you’ll provide ideas and support on how to *resolve* this Arabish-Jewish struggle for self-autonomy *with justice* upon our ancestors’ land!
Friends with thoughts, … you know … please feel free to Messenger me on the side.
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Can you guess? Are these two: Jordanian? Palestinian? Israeli? Iranian? Full-blooded Levantine (think Jewish-Persian)? Levantine with European ad-mixture? Turkish? Identifies as Arab? Identifies as Jewish? Identifies as neither Arab nor Jewish? … I’ll leave this to your thoughts, debates, learned biases and stereotypes, scientific analysis, and disagreements. Have at it.
I’ll also leave you with this: It is true that most Palestinians – whether Arab, Jewish, Samaritan, or Druze identifying – have dark hair and an olive complexion. But the historic Palestinian population also deeply reflects the genetic fingerprints of centuries of invasions by Crusaders, Arabs, Turks, Greeks, Romans, Persians, and Mongols, among others.
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Peace to you – أنتم سلام – אַתֶּם שָׁלוֹם
Yamma Ensemble
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