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Israelis and Iranians Against War

Joe Gallini | 26.03.2012 11:22 | Anti-militarism | Anti-racism | History

Israelis aren't all like Netanyahu and Knesset extremists like him. Most want peace, not war. On March 24, Haaretz headlined, "Hundreds of Israelis march in Tel Aviv to protest war with Iran," saying: A Ronny Edry/Michal Tamir "Israelis against a war with Iran" Facebook campaign linked anti-war Israeli and Iranian citizens. It inspired protesters after it went viral, saying: "The newspaper headlines tell the tale: The prime minister is trying to legitimize an Israeli attack on Iran, which is expected soon." Another post read: "Most of the Israeli public is opposed to an adventure of this sort that may have catastrophic consequences. Many experts warn of the results an attack on Iran and a declaration of war of this sort may bring. Iran is expected to respond, meaning there would be many Israeli casualties." Quotes from supportive prominent Israelis were added, including former Mossad head Meir Dagan opposing an attack.


An Israeli doctoral candidate posted her photo and cat with a Farsi sign, saying:

"We love you, people of Iran."

Another Facebook photo of a man with his daughter holding a poster, read:

"Iranians, we will never bomb your country, we (heart) you."

Still another was a mock Netanyahu post, saying:

"Iranians I love you. I truly love you. It's my people I hate."

One more said:

"We will not agree to an irresponsible Israeli attack on Iran, leading to a war with an unknown end-date and casualty count. The billions that this war will cost will be paid by us – in health, education, housing – and in blood."

Iranians began responding with peace messages on their own "Israel loves Iran" Facebook page. One read:

"My Israeli Friends
I don't hate you
I don't want War
LOVE PEACE

Another said:

"Dear Israeli Friends and World! Iranians love peace and we hate hate!....and we don't need any Nuclear Power show it.

Still another:

"I’m from Iran and love your idea and your efforts against war and for peace. I am really happy to get to know you and people like you, and hope to find more people like you."

Saturday night, up to 1,000 flooded Tel Aviv's Habima Square. They deplore war and support peace. They chanted anti-Netanyahu slogans and railed against AIPAC.

Perhaps greater numbers will begin expressing themselves publicly.

A February Israeli Democracy Institute (IDI) survey showed most Israelis oppose war. Less than a third of Israeli Jews and Arabs support it. The study's part of IDI's Peace Index series.

A January Jerusalem Report survey showed Israelis mostly fear themselves. Around 60% said their greatest future fear's internal. About 40% worry most about destruction from an outside enemy.

Before Israel's 1948 creation, minority Jews and majority Arabs coexisted peacefully in Palestine. After Israel's War of Independence, that all changed, and more than ever now under Israel's most extremist ever prime minister and Knesset.

They govern more like sociopaths, than leaders. They deplore peace and crave violence. Others also did before them, short of threatening the entire region with potential annihilation if Netanyahu attacks Iran.

Whether his game's more bluster than bombs away isn't known. What's clear is that Israel and Washington both intend regime change by any means, including war. Imagine the potential catastrophe if they follow through and wage one, especially with nuclear weapons.

Doing so means all bets are off. The worst of all outcomes may follow. Regional war may go global. The possibility should rally all Israelis against it. They sit atop a potential time bomb.

Collectively they've got power to defuse it. The reward's too great to ignore, the risk greater than anyone should take. They'll get plenty of regional and worldwide support.

Ordinary people everywhere want peace, not war. Only megalomaniac leaders crave conflicts. It's time to take them on and remove them, most of all in Washington. Humanity depends of it. There may be little time left.

A Final Comment

On March 25, 972mag.com headlined, "Anti-AIPAC signs in Tel Aviv rally against Iran war," saying:

Perhaps growing numbers of Israelis know "AIPAC is not simply a 'pro-Israeli' lobby, but a rightwing group that defends the settlement policy and is currently pushing for war with Iran."

The article featured protesters displaying anti-war/anti-AIPAC signs. One read "AIPAC! DAMN YOU!" Another: "DON'T BOMB IRAN." Still another:

"BIBI & AIPAC
S'ITTIN' ON A TREE
KISSING"

On March 7, Haaretz contributor Boaz Gaon headlined, "AIPAC, buy me!" saying:

"....'lovers of Israel'....have no interest in honing the country’s legal system, particularly on matters of religion and state, nor do they care about narrowing gaps between rich and poor, men and women, or Jews and Arabs. In short, they care little about the prosaic realities of daily Israeli life."

They're the same people wanting war on Iran, whether in Israel, Washington or other Western capitals.

On March 11, 972mag's Mairav Zonszein headlined, "On AIPAC, Obama and the 'pro-Israel' lie," saying:

"For those of us who live here, Palestinians and Israelis alike…We have no say in how the lobby operates and are subject to the whims of its wealthy donors – and yet it has such an enormous impact on our lives, since AIPAC’s power in Congress translates directly into bolstering the Israeli military industrial complex with the help of American money."

It also sways political Washington for war, no matter the potentially devastating consequences. Preventing it is top priority. Risking the alternative is too great a chance to take.

British MP/Stop the War Coalition head Jeremy Corbyn told Russia Today:

"If we let slip the dogs of war, we will all regret it."

Perhaps more than anyone can imagine!

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at  lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

 http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/.

e-mail::  lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net homepage::  http://sjlendman.blogspot.com

Joe Gallini

Comments

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logic attack!

26.03.2012 11:57

Ok, most people may be against war, but they are still pro centralised society.
It's the centralised society that creates a place for people who want power over others. So any socialist anti war movement is doomed from the start.

anarchist

More complicated in THIS case

26.03.2012 13:08

Forget your "standard" analysis here. This is a specific situation where the two peoples have a LONG history of being allies instead of enemies. That makes it natural that many in these two societies are uncomfortable with the current hostility. Look at history. Can you find some time in the last 2500 years or so when the Jews and the Persians have ever been on opposite sides? Have ever fought against each other?

It is the current situation which is unusual.

MDN

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Confusing the race with the nation

26.03.2012 14:08

The commenter above wrote that "can you remember a time when Jews and the Persians have ever been on opposite sides?"

This is a fair statement but 'Jews and Persians" are the races of the people involved while Iran and Israel are the States in dispute. The Islamic fundamentalist government of Iran most certainly does not enjoy the support of the people in Iran and it is incorrect to say that the Israeli government speaks for all Jews around the world.

We often see this blurring of people and countries suggesting that they are one and the same.

Somebody

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The Jews are not a race

26.03.2012 15:03

They are most certainly not a race, they are barely even a religion these days.

ftp

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Posted last week by the same author.

26.03.2012 15:08

Although there is considerable evidence concerning the killing of Communists, Anarchists, Homosexuals and Gypsies by the Nazis, the killing of jews has been widely exaggerated ever since the end of the war.

Many scholars now question if the figure of 'six million' is even vaguely close to the real number. There is documention showing that the death penalty was used for jewish murderers, rapists and bank robbers as was common in Europe during that time but no documentation that shows the 'holocaust' as it is portrayed today.


This is a subject that deserves great analysis and debate because it is often used by Zionist groups to provide justification for Israeli crimes.

Those interested should take the time to read,

'The Hoax of the Twentieth Century: The Case Against the Presumed Extermination of European Jewry by Professor Arthur Butz.

Or review the excellent writings from the respected organisation, the Institute for Historical Review which wrote,

"There is no dispute over the fact that large numbers of Jews were deported to transit camps and relocation centres or that many Jews died or were killed during World War II. A number of scholars have presented evidence, which "exterminationists" have not been able to refute, showing that there was no German program to exterminate Europe's Jews, and that the estimate of six million Jewish wartime dead is an irresponsible exaggeration. The Holocaust – the alleged extermination of some six million Jews (most of them by gassing) – is a hoax and should be recognized as such.

What should be concerning is the practice of shutting off debate of this because the facts as opposed to the story can be worrying to those who have an interest in the story of the Holocaust being accepted. For example Bradley Smith and the Committee for Open Debate on the Holocaust has been oppressed for years.

In 1987, Bradley R. Smith, a former media director of the Institute for Historical Review,founded the Committee for Open Debate on the Holocaust (CODOH). In the United States, CODOH has repeatedly tried to place newspaper advertisements questioning whether the Holocaust happened, especially in college campus newspapers. Nearly all the newspapers have refused to run the adds after pressure from jewish groups.

Bradley referred to his tactics as the CODOH campus project. Bradley says, “What I wanted to do was I wanted to set forth three or four ideas that students might be interested in, that might cause them to think about things or to have questions about things. And I wanted to make it as simple as possible, and to set it up in a way that could not really be debated however the Jewish lobby and pressure groups are now so powerful in the US that is not possible. There are a lot of people with an economic interest in keeping this lie alive"

I hope that here on Indymedia we can have a free, open debate and discussion as to the reality of the Holocaust and the actual numbers (if any) of jews killed.

I welcome comments from those interested in joining the debate.

From the same author (ftp)

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Why the hatred

26.03.2012 16:56

What the hell is it with you and Jews FTP, what did a Jew do to you that makes you hate them so much ?

Antifa

Not a race (and not simply a religion)

26.03.2012 17:49

The Jews are a tribe. That's another form of organization we humans have used besides "the state".

In this case can be confused with the religion Judaism because in common with SOME tribes (but by no means all tribes) there is a "tribal religion" and there are intimate connections between the tribe and the religion ....... What is unusual here (possible causing the confusion) is that while there are also some other big tribes almost all the other tribes with a "tribal religion" are small (ie: normal size tribes).

You cannot join the religion without joining the tribe because part of the conversion ceremony is adoption.

If in the tribe, not practicing the religion doesn't cause loss of membership but switiching to some other religion does, at least eventually for descendents.

The tribe defines membership by matrilienal descent (some tribes are patrilineal, some follow descent rules that aren't unilineal).

MDN

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Easter, let's talk wine and blood

27.03.2012 10:07

@MDN - Interesting bit of writing there. I'd like to add something about one aspect of the joining ritual. Although I'd like to think I'm open minded, this particular "activity" does somewhat leave me feeling very uneasy. You've probably guessed, it's the bris, the circumcision of male infants, where the "Rabbi" removes the foreskin, sucks the bloody penis, then mixes the blood with wine and drinks it. I don't think Hell's Angels even go that far in their rituals. The family of said infant, all collude in this event. It must have some sort of deep psychological effect on all those present. What do you think?

Jewdas

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the pits

27.03.2012 14:27

Now it's rabbis drinking blood. What are the odds that 'Jewdas' has ever attended a bris? Pretty slim, if he thinks anyone drinks any blood.

Any other anti-Semitic canards anyone wants to drop in while Indymedia is having its weekly hate-the-Jews day?

Remember when Indymedia UK wasn't Hate-the-Jews Amalgamated? I do.

Then Roy Bard's obstinate ignorance chased off anyone with the slightest clue about anti-Semitism. And this cesspit is what's left.

And I'll bet Roy Bard can't even find anything anti-Semitic in Jewdas's post.

How 'bout it, Bard?

wow

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ain't it just the Indymedia UK way

27.03.2012 15:04

So anti-Semitic comments are fine. Complaints about anti-Semitic comments get hid.

delighted

tribe / state?

27.03.2012 23:28

I hadn't considered a tribe as being anything like a state, although I haven't ruled it out.

I consider a state to be any institution in a society which has a monopoly on permissible violence. By violence I mean the initiation of coercion of any kind. And initiation as opposed to a necessary reaction. And necessary as in; in defence of some entitlement bestowed by the monopoly.

I note that a new monopoly can only join a cartel by mandated of existing members, otherwise it would break the cartel's monopoly. Forcing a cartel to act in defence of it's monopoly, by effectively defying a cartel, one can for a mandate to join.

Dose the tribe monopolise violence outside of the UN cartel?

anarchist

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They're covering the wrong head

28.03.2012 11:51

Mods, I was trying to expand on MDN's analysis and no way be anti- semitic. The trauma of circumcision is well documented and there are many of us who protest against this violation on the voiceless young.
 http://www.stopinfantcircumcision.org/NoReasonMGM.htm
 http://www.virtualjerusalem.com/judaism.php?Itemid=5298
Please uncover my hidden post - thankyou

Jewdas

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