Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Politics Brian Eno Speaks Out On Israel/Gaza
Posted by Eric Grandy on Wed, Jan 7, 2009 at 1:30 PM
It's a tragedy that the Israelis - a people who must understand better than almost anybody the horrors of oppression - are now acting as oppressors. As the great Jewish writer Primo Levi once remarked "Everybody has their Jews, and for the Israelis it's the Palestinians". By creating a middle Eastern version of the Warsaw ghetto they are recapitulating their own history as though they've forgotten it. And by trying to paint an equivalence between the Palestinians - with their homemade rockets and stone-throwing teenagers - and themselves - with one of the most sophisticated military machines in the world - they sacrifice all credibility.The Israelis are a gifted and resourceful people who fully deserve the right to live in peace, but who seem intent on squandering every chance to allow that to happen. It's difficult to avoid the conclusion that this conflict serves the political and economic purposes of Israel so well that they have every interest in maintaining it. While there is fighting they can continue to build illegal settlements. While there is fighting they continue to receive huge quantities of military aid from the United States. And while there is fighting they can avoid looking candidly at themselves and the ruthlessness into which they are descending.
(Via Daily Swarm)
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3
Yeah c'mon Israel.
I mean, the Pali's only been launching their weak little rockets.
Hundreds a day.
For years.
During a 'cease fire.'
I mean, the Pali's only been launching their weak little rockets.
Hundreds a day.
For years.
During a 'cease fire.'
5
@ 3 The only place their rockets seem to reach is Sderot. a city that everyone has left, except the poor immigrant population that doesn't have the means to leave. Israel could evacuate those people at any time for pennies and create a safety DMZ for their people. Am I wrong to be cynical about their motivations? Are they allowing Hamas to attack them to justify destroying Gaza? Is this imperialism?
6
Where would it end? There's always bigger rockets.
This is why we can't have nice things.
If I was in charge, everyone would be out of the damn pool, since they can't play nice.
This is why we can't have nice things.
If I was in charge, everyone would be out of the damn pool, since they can't play nice.
7
brian eno is somehow credible on the subject?
I don't think anyone would expect any other country to sit back and take declarations of war (and yes, a regime attacking a sovereign nation with rockets is a declaration of war) without standing up for themselves. Why does Israel not have the right to defend herself? You wouldn't feel the same if Vancouver started launching rockets into Washington.
@6 why are they not allowed to figure out how to play nice on their own without having someone like yourself who claims to know better how to handle it come in and say, that's it, you can't have it anymore? It's anti-semitic to think that way.
I don't think anyone would expect any other country to sit back and take declarations of war (and yes, a regime attacking a sovereign nation with rockets is a declaration of war) without standing up for themselves. Why does Israel not have the right to defend herself? You wouldn't feel the same if Vancouver started launching rockets into Washington.
@6 why are they not allowed to figure out how to play nice on their own without having someone like yourself who claims to know better how to handle it come in and say, that's it, you can't have it anymore? It's anti-semitic to think that way.
8
he does a better job with producing u2 discs...it's a shame, he's a musical genious but his comments are flawed to say the least.
the palis created their ghetto via hamas terrorism. this is clearly evidenced in the hamas charter. they were content to break the ceasefire.
if castro bros decided to launch rockets into miami, nobody would recognize havana tom am.
i wonder whether eno appreciates the fact that hamas would destroy his family if they lived in gaza...hamas is not looking for peace.
the palis created their ghetto via hamas terrorism. this is clearly evidenced in the hamas charter. they were content to break the ceasefire.
if castro bros decided to launch rockets into miami, nobody would recognize havana tom am.
i wonder whether eno appreciates the fact that hamas would destroy his family if they lived in gaza...hamas is not looking for peace.
9
@8, and most of you here-this is a case of the chicken or the egg. you can start at the modern Zionist movement in the '40's, or go back to Jordan's rule, or even the Old Testament days to find blame.
Ideally none of this would matter as you would think adults could find a way to play nice on the playground. However, organized religion once again rears its ugly head and divides...
Ideally none of this would matter as you would think adults could find a way to play nice on the playground. However, organized religion once again rears its ugly head and divides...
10
I think Eno expressed quite eloquently how a lot of the world feels. Unfortunately, both he, and probably you just for reprinting it, will feel the backlash from people that overreact to the slightest criticism of Israel. The US needs to seriously reconsider it's massive funding of Israel, both financially in these tough economic times when we should be focusing our tax dollars on our own country, and ethically, as we see it funding the deaths and injuries of so many women, children and other innocent victims.
11
A pretty interesting defense of Eno and a call for more musicians to speak their mind: http://flavorwire.com/7355/unpopular-opi…
12
I think the examples of Cuba or Vancouver lobbing rockets at us is missing at least a part of the equation. Wouldn't we first need to begin trying expand the United States populace into those areas?
Honestly though, what do I know (and it's unfortunate that this comments medium will take this statement as a weakness of to attack rather than an invitation to discussion).
Honestly though, what do I know (and it's unfortunate that this comments medium will take this statement as a weakness of to attack rather than an invitation to discussion).
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