Words of the Week, II

by on
Disabled

It’s beginning to look as though I should rename this feature “words of the day.” I’m going to try to remain optimistic, though, and hope that current events will become sufficiently peaceful to allow for less frequent postings–and the end of compilations.

From Nick Dyrenfurth, “Gaza and Israel: Why I Will Not Be Silent,” The Age
“Enough is enough. Ignore the sirens calls of hate. If so inclined, donate to the International Red Cross’ Israel and Gaza Appeal. Get informed. Read and share Shavit’s meditation on his country’s condition. Read and share Izzeldin Abuelaish’s heartfelt plea for peace. This is a Palestinian man who lost his three daughters during the 2008-09 Israeli-Gaza war. Stand up and reject the extremists on both sides. Don’t fall silent when you see the hashtag #HitlerWasRight pop up in your Twitter feed, or when all Palestinians are tarred with the brush of Hamas. Support moderates committed to a two-state solution. As Abuelaish implores, ‘This is a moment in history that must be captured.’

From Jeffrey Goldberg, “Why Is Israel Losing A War It’s Winning?” The Atlantic:
“This is not the first time Israel has found itself losing on the battlefield of perception. Why is it happening again? Here are six possible reasons.”

From Rabbi Donniel Hartman, “The War in Gaza: What I Know and What I Do Not Know,” The Times of Israel:
“I know that our society is at its core a decent and moral one and that our Army is committed to the highest standards of ethics on the battlefield. I know, however, that this does not mean that mistakes and wrongs did not occur. They did and do, and when they do, we demand an accounting from ourselves.”

From Brendan O’Neill, “Is the Left Anti-semitic? Sadly, It Is Heading That Way,” The Telegraph:
“It is not an accident that the three key planks of the Left-wing outlook today – the anti-Israel anti-war sentiment, the shallow anti-capitalism of Occupy, and the worship of those who leak info from within the citadels of power – should all have had issues with anti-Semitism. It is because the left, feeling isolated from the public and bereft of any serious means for understanding modern political and economic affairs, has bought into a super-simplistic, black-and-white, borderline David Icke view of the world as a place overrun and ruled by cabals and cults and sinister lobby groups. And who has always, without fail, been the final cabal, the last cult, to find themselves shouldering the ultimate blame for the warped, hidden workings of politics, the economy and foreign turmoil? You got it – the Jews.”

From David Horovitz, “John Kerry: The Betrayal,” The Times of Israel:
“Whether through ineptitude, malice, or both, Kerry’s intervention was not a case of America’s top diplomat coming to our region to help ensure, through astute negotiation, the protection of a key ally. This was a betrayal.”