Comments on: What Is Wrong with These People?

By: Ari Dutka

Ari Dutka — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 12:10:57 +0000

The real Question is: “Has G-d Spoken?” Judaism is the fact that He has, and that the Sinai revelation is the root and ground of objective truth. The propositional discourse of Tanach is eminently understandable, and includes prophecy about the Malchut. The distaste for it’s implications by the majority on this page does not neutralize it’s power. Islam as well, has spoken also in propositional terms that can be understood; on countless occasions, in massive rallies, by ten million voices: “Death to Israel!” This will not change. What is needed is a NEW third way, not the old, dusty Marxian sentiments cloaked in “Tikun”.

By: Richard Silverstein

Richard Silverstein — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 05:55:44 +0000

Utter nonsense. If that were true then no one could criticize any human rights violation in another country until their own was lily white & pure. What you really are angling for is to prevent anyone from criticizing Israel until all human rights issues in the rest of the world are fixed. Nice try, but no cigar.

Israel has profound problems with its own ethnic minorities as well as the Palestinians. Turkey must deal with its own internal problem of denying the rights of its Kurdish population. Israel doesn’t win any medals merely because there may be more conversation about the problem within its society than within Turkey’s.

By: Borg

Borg — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 15:08:06 +0000

I think the point Acai Berri was trying to make is that Turkey lecturing Israel on humanitarian matters rinks hollow until Turkey addresses its own humanitarian issues with the Armenians and the Kurds. Otherwise it looks like a transparent effort to curry favor at home.

Richard, we disagree on many things. You think that if Israel withdraws to the 1967 line, gives back the Old City of Jerusalem, there will be peace. I believe that if Israel did that, the Palestinian appetite would not be satisfied until Israel was destroyed. Given that, there is much more debate in Israeli society over the Palestinians than there is in Turkish society over the Armenians

By: Richard Silverstein

Richard Silverstein — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 02:10:28 +0000

Just to clarify: when I referred to a comment that didn’t conform to my comment rules I was referring to a comment you haven’t seen since I didn’t publish it. That is the only comment of Jeremiah’s I haven’t published & I look forward to publishing more in future.

By: Miles Stuart

Miles Stuart — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 01:22:16 +0000

I agree with Donald. It would have been an excellent response but for the personal invective. I frequently find myself shouting at the radio/television/screen so I understand the anger behind it, but it weakens otherwise strong arguments.
I’ve seen quite a few posts from Jeremiah R so he’s clearly interested. Given how well informed most of the commenters to this site are, I don’t think he’s just propagandising; which would be rather pointless here.
You are more likely to win people over by treating them with respect, however misguided they may be in your opinion.
All that said, the substance of the comment was spot on.

On the substance of the issue (who started it?), there is a clip here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SILJxPTqjAM of Mark Regev being forced to admit that it was Israel which broke the cease fire. It is yet another classic of official Israeli doublespeak.

By: Richard Silverstein

Richard Silverstein — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 22:44:32 +0000

No, LD’s comments are moderated as well, as I wrote to him after his foul outburst. I also wrote an e mail to you which you should read before assuming things that aren’t the case. I’ve noted there the ways in which yr comments don’t conform to my comment rules. So read that msg. then my comment rules & then write comments that conform & you will be published. I’m not talking about having to agree w. me. I’m talking about following the rules, which I’ve developed over long periods of trail & error in order to maintain both civil discourse & semi intelligent discussion here.

As I wrote to you, providing us reams of quotations from Jerusalem Post or other right-wing sources “proving conclusively” that Hamas is evil or a liar or whatever is not my idea of intelligent discourse. Writing individual comments hundreds of words long is also a just plain drag. As I wrote to you, this is not a right-left debating society. I’m not trying to convert you to anything & you shouldn’t try to convert anyone here to yr beliefs.

By: Zhu Bajie

Zhu Bajie — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 10:54:34 +0000

Has she lived in Turkey? Made any Turkish friends? Speak/read any Turkish language? Or is she just an expert in her own mind?

Zhu Bajie

By: Jeremiah R

Jeremiah R — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 05:44:23 +0000

LD hard to keep anything going as you say back and forth because despite the fact that you cursed up and down at me for several paragraphs which I don’t take offense to actually – your comments and others are instantly posted it seems while I have a comment from the 25th that says it is still “Awaiting Approval”….

I’m a pretty civil guy but my opinions don’t fall relatively in line with the blog admin here, as yours and others do, so apparently my comments await “approval” while yours I assume, get instantly posted?