Community Purpose
I’ve yearned for a venue where we could speak openly about what’s happening in one of the world’s most contentious regions. My background is German, so you can probably anticipate where the topic ends up when I bring up Israeli politics. That has gotten old for me, and I won’t put up with it in any of the conversations going on here. My people committed terrible crimes, and ever since then, we have been working to make amends. I’ve already seen a description of the Holocaust on Wikipedia that, depending on how you define it, could relate to the deaths of anywhere between 2 million and 30 million people. Never in my life will I debate about math. It doesn’t matter to me if it was 100 or 100 million. It was wrong to murder people, and it shouldn’t happen again anywhere. Story over.
This community must continue to be a place for open discussions; however, I would prefer not to intervene harshly in any conversations that get improper. Unlike the Palestine community on Lemmygrad, this community is different. I won’t favor one side over the others. I like having spirited talks, which is why I started this community. Such talks ought to be educational rather than propagandistic or meant to belittle. I hope to learn more about the situation and hope others do as well.
I expect heated discussions. After all, it wouldn’t be a proper Irish wedding without a small brawl or two. As long as the participants can agree afterward that the choice of whiskey was good, and a good time was had by all.
When posting an item, please utilize a paragraph or two from the article rather than simply the headline to persuade readers to read the entire thing.
Over 100 March in Richmond, VA in Solidarity with Palestine, Clash With Police
Over 100 March in Richmond, VA in Solidarity with Palestine, Clash With Police
https://itsgoingdown.org/over-100-march-in-richmond-va-in-solidarity-with-palestine-clash-with-police/
Report on recent anti-war march in solidarity with Palestine in Richmond, VA. From press release originally posted to the Escalate Network. On Friday, September 13th, a rally organized by the United Anti-Apartheid Movement transformed into a heated march. Demonstrators faced a heavy police presence, resulting in at least one arrest, vandalized police cruisers, and direct...
British Imperialism Didn’t Cause Palestinian Homophobia
British Imperialism Didn’t Cause Palestinian Homophobia — Queer Majority
https://www.queermajority.com/essays-all/british-imperialism-didnt-cause-palestinian-homophobia
Blaming the lack of LGBT rights in Gaza on a century-old British penal code is the saddest kind of Hamas apologia.
[news] Israeli podcasters are laughing about genocide. What would it take to stop?
Israeli podcasters are laughing about genocide. What would it take to stop? | Arwa Mahdawi
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/06/israeli-podcasters-laughing-gaza-genocide-two-nice-jewish-boys?CMP=share_btn_url
It would be unfair to say these guys represent everyone in Israel, so I’m not going to say that. They said it themselves
[news] Sanders Pledges Resolution to Block $20 Billion US Arms Sale to Israel
Sanders Pledges Resolution to Block $20 Billion US Arms Sale to Israel | Common Dreams
https://www.commondreams.org/news/sanders-israel-weapons
Sen. Bernie Sanders pledged to introduce a resolution to block the Biden administration's proposed $20 billion sale of additional U.S. weaponry to Israel.
[news] “They Want Palestine Empty”: Artist in Jenin Blasts U.S. Support for Israel Amid West Bank Assault
Artist in Jenin Blasts U.S. Support for Israel Amid West Bank Assault
https://www.democracynow.org/2024/8/29/west_bank_update
At least 18 Palestinians have been killed and 30 more wounded in the occupied West Bank, where Israel has launched its largest military operation in two decades. Israeli forces have simultaneously raided four cities and refugee camps in the north, with hundreds of soldiers backed by armored vehicles, bulldozers, fighter jets and drones. Much of the violence has been centered on Jenin, a frequent target of raids by Israeli forces, but this latest military operation is the largest since the Second Intifada. Ahmed Tobasi, artistic director at the Freedom Theatre in Jenin refugee camp, says Israel’s tactics are about “punishing the people, punishing the civilians,” with an ultimate goal of ethnic cleansing. “They want Palestine empty from Palestinians.” He also calls on the U.S. public to speak out against continued military support for Israel, saying the killings in both Gaza and the West Bank are only possible because Israel has “the green light from the U.S. government.”
Demonization Blueprints: Soviet Conspiracist Antizionism in Contemporary Left-Wing Discourse [PDF]
https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.26613/jca/5.1.97/pdf
Palestinian Authority Admits Payments to Terrorists Have Cost It Billions of Dollars — In Just Five Years Alone
Palestinian Authority Admits Payments to Terrorists Have Cost It Billions of Dollars — In Just Five Years Alone
https://www.algemeiner.com/2024/08/28/palestinian-authority-admits-payments-to-terrorists-have-cost-it-billions-of-dollars-in-just-five-years-alone/
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah in the West Bank January 31, …
The Palestine/Israel Pulse, a Joint Poll Summary Report | PCPSR
https://www.pcpsr.org/en/node/928
What the Media Gets Wrong About Israel
What the Media Gets Wrong About Israel
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/11/how-the-media-makes-the-israel-story/383262/
The news tells us less about Israel than about the people writing the news, a former AP reporter says.
