The Romans did not expel Jews from any place but Jerusalem despite the mythology of the Jews. All who left Judea did so voluntarily. In those days Jews meant only Judeans as per Josephus.

See, The Invention of the Jewish People by Shlomo Sand for what really happened. However it is old news. The book does nothing more than put it all in one place. Jewish Israelis have no problem with the book. Only non-Israeli Jews are upset with the truth being published.

Mr Singer's post raises some really serious issues for us non-Jews who are deeply concerned about the actions of Israel.

He wrote;

“"The use of pejorative terms and phrases like "tyranny", "Jewish dictatorship", "war criminal Jews" "Nazis" "Nuremberg", "Zionist nonsense" and "segregated squatter towns" identify you as a Jew-hater”

It is a fact that for many of us the use of the terms above do bring discomfort and most of us have been at pains to avoid them. I think given the horrors of the Holocaust this is an understandable reaction. There are numerous Jewish critics of the actions of the Israel toward the Palestinians who are not shy in evoking Nazi references but while they may well earn the title of 'self-hating Jew' from others of their community we on the outside seem to take the approach that as Jews they have that right. We see a similar sentiment when black Americans use the term 'n_gger' freely amongst themselves but are understandably intolerant of that label from others.

But I am of the growing opinion that we are doing a disservice to ourselves, to the Palestinian people, to the many diaspora and Israeli Jews who are so concerned about the actions of the Israeli government, and importantly to our own memories and reactions to the Holocaust if we forbid ourselves the language that has us labelled by the likes of Mr Singer as a Jew hater.

'Tyranny” is a perfectly appropriate word to describe the actions of Israel at the moment. “Jewish dictatorship” may well be more fraught for many of us but Mr Singer's all encompassing use of the word “Arabs” leaves him with little to complain about. Why shouldn't the use of phosphorus during Operation Cast Lead attract the words 'war criminals' or 'segregated squatter towns' be used to describe many Palestinian villages corralled and stripped of their farmland by growing illegal Jewish West Bank settlements? Indeed why shouldn't the West Bank wall evoke comparisons with the Warsaw Ghetto?

Cont...

Cont...

There were many wrongs committed through the Nazi years but one that has remained a burden for many of us particularly outside Europe was the almost universal lack of assistance given to those who were being persecuted and the lack of any real condemnation of the actions of the Nazis in the pre-war years, some brave Olympians not withstanding.

This is where I have zero time for efforts to de-legitimise the horrors that occurred. We should forever keep that history and those memories current. Further we should be eternally vigilant when others are seen to be engaging in precursor actions and be prepared without fear of favour of evoking that history to condemn brutality and oppression whoever the perpetrators. What better way of keeping it alive?

In the case of Israel many including myself may find the language unseemly, however in comparison to the unseemliness of the occupation there is no contest. We should not let the likes of Mr Singer strip us of certain language nor the powerful legacy of the the Holocaust as a tool for describing and denouncing tyranny.

Lastly we should reject as disgusting and totally self-serving Mr Singer's comment “not someone who is seriously concerned in trying to get any resolution of the conflict other than by ending the right of the Jewish people to self determination in their biblical and historic homeland.”. He wants the lot and would have us believe that by challenging this brutal and dehumanising occupation we are ending a 'right' of the Jewish people. What about the rights of the Palestinian people? Rights that were proclaimed in the very Mandate Mr Singer touts as giving Israel its legitimacy; “it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine”.

Every time the repulsive Mr Singer posts his vile fabrications, we should remember there are Israelis with a conscience. To understand what Israel is doing, read Wikipedia on B'Tselem, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, to be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%27Tselem
Also try this United nations report: http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_settler_violence_FactSheet_October_2011_english.pdf
In the words of former US President Jimmy Carter: "Some Israelis believe they have the right to confiscate and colonize Arab land and try to justify the sustained subjugation and persecution of increasingly hopeless and aggravated Palestinians". There we have David Singer in a nutshell.

To #csteele

You miss the point as usual.

Anyone is free to use whatever language he likes. If that identifies him as a Jew-hater - indeed even a Jew-exterminator - then I also have the right to condemn such person for his views and make it clear I do not intend to have any dialogue or communication with him. I find such vile and ugly views contemptible.

I am happy such racist views are exposed to public gaze. It is a pity that anyone making them does not have the guts to post his real name.

I have never denied that the civil and religious rights of the non-Jewish communities in Palestine were to be safeguarded. Indeed they have been by Israel.

BTW - you obviously have forgotten that I am still waiting for your response to eight questions I put to you.

Stop wimping it and post your answers. I expect better from a man of steele.

To #principles

Well at least you acknowledge that there are "good" Jews in Israel with a conscience as contrasted to repulsive ones like me who make vile fabrications (none of which you have chosen to elaborate).

I find you repulsive whilst you don't back up your claim.

I hope you noticed the following statements in the document issued by the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs to which you referred:

"In 2011, three Palestinians were killed and 183 injured by Israeli settlers. In addition, one Palestinian was killed, and 125 others injured, by Israeli soldiers during clashes between Israeli settlers and Palestinians.

Eight Israeli settlers were killed and 37 others injured by Palestinians in 2011, compared to five killed and 50 injured in 2010."

Loss of death and injury occasioned by both Jews and Arabs is to be regretted. Suffering and trauma is not restricted to one side alone.

Until a solution is negotiated nothing unfortunately is going to change.

Until you change your tack and detail your complaints about anything I have written that you claim is fabricated - I will not respond to you in future

"The use of pejorative terms and phrases like "tyranny", "Jewish dictatorship", "war criminal Jews" "Nazis" "Nuremberg", "Zionist nonsense" and "segregated squatter towns" identify you as a Jew-hater”

While the terms may be disliked they are factually accurate. The Zionists should not be cringing but be proud of their collaboration with the Nazis in the Transfer Agreement which broke the attempted economic boycott of Germany by the Jews. The quote to that effect is on the website of the author of the book by that name who is also Jewish and recognized by Jews as the authority on the subject.

As to their holy holocaust the fact that it is used to justify their treatment of non-Jews and to deflect criticism of that treatment shows it is no more than a good use for dead relatives. The "lessons" of the holocaust are not for Israel to learn, they are only for others to learn so they realize Jews can do no wrong.

Given the despicable usage of it, it is long since passed the time it should have been taken from from them as a weapon. Whatever it takes to do that is legitimate.