There, I said it: Israel is racist and supports apartheid.

[kevyn]

I will be accused of being anti-semitic for writing this (I'm not, I'm anti-zionist, there's a difference), and maybe even someday lined up against a wall and shot for it when the Christian Reich takes over the U.S., but I agree with Bishop Desmond Tutu: Israel is a state founded on racism and apartheid. If anyone has the right to call it Apartheid, Tutu does.

Any state that exists to promote one religion or race over another is wrong. Period. And until Israelis give up this notion of a "Jewish state" and seek a one-state solution, where every citizen is treated equally, with respect, there will never be peace. After all, the Israelis stole the land from the Palestinians (the same way the Americans stole this land from the Native Americans).

My prescription for peace in the Middle East is this: The Israelis must a) stop stealing the Palestinians' land, b) make reparations to the Palestinians for what they have stolen, and c) stop pretending that a make-believe sky-being called "god" gives them the right to be racists and theives. The Palestinians must a) stop the suicide violence, b) adopt a non-violent approach to the Israeli oppression, a la Gandhi, and c) stop pretending that a make-believe sky-being called "allah" gives them the right to be racists and murderers.

Enough is enough. The United States needs to stop supporting Israeli Apartheid.

And it's not anti-Jewish to say so.

Comments

[kevynjacobs.livejournal.com]

The upsetting thing is, pro-Israel activists are actively exploiting that confusion, accusing anyone who is critical of Israel of being "anti-Semitic." It's a pure horseshit accusation, intentionally designed to shut down any discussion or criticism of Israel. Problem is, this tactic debases and demeans the term "anti-semitic," and detracts from the very real prejudice that Jews face.

I, for one, will no longer tolerate the conflation of the terms, nor will I be silent about my criticism of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians, for fear of being falsely labelled anti-Semitic.