RE: The Dilemmas of Jewish Power by Roger Cohenhttp://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/14/opinion/cohen-the-dilemmas-of-jewish-power.html?_r=1&ref=global
Dear Editor,
I applaud and very much appreciate Cohen's willingness to notice the fact that " the manipulation of Jewish victimhood in the name of Israel’s domination of the Palestinians" is wrong and that "the real issue for Jews today is not the challenge of weakness but the demands of power."
However while his approach might appear helpful and compassionate, is it really helpful and compassionate to coerce us all into endorsing and empowering Zionism for Israel in order to grant Palestinians a glimpse of freedom and a temporary reprieve from harsh oppression.
Israel is a state, a modern nation state whereas Zionism is an ideology that happened to help propel that state into being strong. That does not make Zionism's trajectory sane or safe. The demographic argument might appear reasonable, and it certainly is very appealing to people who want to feel good about Israel, but it can not help but continue to lay the ground work for Islamists to convince the naive and the most vulnerable that large families and tribal loyalty are the best way to gain security and power. It also ensures that there will be Israelis who fervently believe that demographics trump justice and equality. Real democracy can't get very far when citizens are motivated to hire and promote their co-religionists rather than the best candidate for the job.
A fully secular two state solution ASAP to once and for all end the cruel insanities, the violence, the bigotry and the religious extremism created by the Israel-Palestine conflict really is the best way forward.
Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab
American Homemaker & Poet
NOTES
The Golden Rule... Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
The Golden Rule... Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
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