Comments on: The Middle East: What would you do? http://www.chrismorris.com/blog/2009/09/the-middle-east-what-would-you-do/ The happy daze of Chris Morris Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:33:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Alan L http://www.chrismorris.com/blog/2009/09/the-middle-east-what-would-you-do/#comment-597 Alan L Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:02:22 +0000 http://www.chrismorris.com/blog/?p=233#comment-597 A book for Christmas reading lists! mdebusk has already made one excellent suggestion (see above), so I thought I'd throw in another one. Much of the difficulty in building peace in the Middle East is bound up in the terms in which the establishment of Israel is perceived. Does the creation of the modern state of Israel predominantly represent: a) the homecoming of a millenia-old people in exile to their God-given promised land? b) a practical geo-political solution whereby a widely-acknowledged (but landless) European nation is granted territorial self-determination in the only (somewhat)-available territory it can substantially argue for (which happens to be outside Europe). c) A colonial project by the Atlantic Powers, intended to establish a beach-head puppet state in the Levant (approximately where the Crusader Kingdom once stood) and to legitimate the new state by populating it with a stateless nation from Europe which reifies that region as its homeland in its national mythos. I tend to favour b), that is, I see the modern state of Israel as a well-intended settlement project with geopolitical pragmatism at its root, regardless of the violence prior and subsequent to the establishment of the state. This book, by appearances, contains a thesis which opposes position a): "The Invention of the Jewish People" by Shlomo Sand http://www.amazon.co.uk/Invention-Jewish-People-Shlomo-Sand/dp/1844674223/ I will be particularly interested to read this, as it takes as its starting point the theories of Nationalism by Ernest Gellner and Benedict Anderson, two scholars (amongst many others) I found influential when writing my MA thesis on the Rusyn people of the Carpathian Region. A book for Christmas reading lists!

mdebusk has already made one excellent suggestion (see above), so I thought I’d throw in another one.

Much of the difficulty in building peace in the Middle East is bound up in the terms in which the establishment of Israel is perceived.

Does the creation of the modern state of Israel predominantly represent:

a) the homecoming of a millenia-old people in exile to their God-given promised land?

b) a practical geo-political solution whereby a widely-acknowledged (but landless) European nation is granted territorial self-determination in the only (somewhat)-available territory it can substantially argue for (which happens to be outside Europe).

c) A colonial project by the Atlantic Powers, intended to establish a beach-head puppet state in the Levant (approximately where the Crusader Kingdom once stood) and to legitimate the new state by populating it with a stateless nation from Europe which reifies that region as its homeland in its national mythos.

I tend to favour b), that is, I see the modern state of Israel as a well-intended settlement project with geopolitical pragmatism at its root, regardless of the violence prior and subsequent to the establishment of the state.

This book, by appearances, contains a thesis which opposes position a):

“The Invention of the Jewish People” by Shlomo Sand
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Invention-Jewish-People-Shlomo-Sand/dp/1844674223/

I will be particularly interested to read this, as it takes as its starting point the theories of Nationalism by Ernest Gellner and Benedict Anderson, two scholars (amongst many others) I found influential when writing my MA thesis on the Rusyn people of the Carpathian Region.

]]> By: Michaela http://www.chrismorris.com/blog/2009/09/the-middle-east-what-would-you-do/#comment-437 Michaela Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:26:15 +0000 http://www.chrismorris.com/blog/?p=233#comment-437 I don't have words or an argument of my own, just these words that I took off amazon.com which reflect how I feel about any drama. The book is apparently by Corrie Ten Boom and called 'The Hiding Place': 'Corrie Ten Boom stood naked with her older sister Betsie, watching a concentration camp matron beating a prisoner."Oh, the poor woman," Corrie cried."Yes. May God forgive her," Betsie replied. And, once again, Corrie realized that it was for the souls of the brutal Nazi guards that her sister prayed.' All sides appear to me to be filled with fear which they often try to disguise as hate. - Michaela I don’t have words or an argument of my own, just these words that I took off amazon.com which reflect how I feel about any drama.
The book is apparently by Corrie Ten Boom and called ‘The Hiding Place’:
‘Corrie Ten Boom stood naked with her older sister Betsie, watching a concentration camp matron beating a prisoner.”Oh, the poor woman,” Corrie cried.”Yes. May God forgive her,” Betsie replied. And, once again, Corrie realized that it was for the souls of the brutal Nazi guards that her sister prayed.’

All sides appear to me to be filled with fear which they often try to disguise as hate.

- Michaela

]]> By: Alan L http://www.chrismorris.com/blog/2009/09/the-middle-east-what-would-you-do/#comment-430 Alan L Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:34:37 +0000 http://www.chrismorris.com/blog/?p=233#comment-430 Avi, thank you for your question. The answer is no - but I would like to very much. One reason I am very curious to visit both Israel and the Palestinian territories is because - you and I never know! - it might even change my the way I think about the Middle East question. I should point out I am open to having my mind changed by rational argument - though, as you can see from my thoughts above, I am fairly closed to having my mind changed by emotional argument. Neither am I persuaded by the idea that "ends justify means" because I am afraid that such a philosophy only leads man to unleash all sorts of inhumanity upon his neighbour in the quest for the "end" his ego desires. At the end of the day we all have 23 pairs of chromosomes. I'm not convinced there are any significant distinctions after that point. Certainly no distinctions worth killing and dying for. Avi, thank you for your question. The answer is no – but I would like to very much. One reason I am very curious to visit both Israel and the Palestinian territories is because – you and I never know! – it might even change my the way I think about the Middle East question.

I should point out I am open to having my mind changed by rational argument – though, as you can see from my thoughts above, I am fairly closed to having my mind changed by emotional argument.

Neither am I persuaded by the idea that “ends justify means” because I am afraid that such a philosophy only leads man to unleash all sorts of inhumanity upon his neighbour in the quest for the “end” his ego desires.

At the end of the day we all have 23 pairs of chromosomes. I’m not convinced there are any significant distinctions after that point. Certainly no distinctions worth killing and dying for.

]]> By: James T http://www.chrismorris.com/blog/2009/09/the-middle-east-what-would-you-do/#comment-429 James T Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:03:08 +0000 http://www.chrismorris.com/blog/?p=233#comment-429 Oh Doogie, stop trying to be right. It's painful to read. James (Not Jewish, not particularly a fan of Israel) Oh Doogie, stop trying to be right. It’s painful to read.

James

(Not Jewish, not particularly a fan of Israel)

]]> By: Doogie http://www.chrismorris.com/blog/2009/09/the-middle-east-what-would-you-do/#comment-426 Doogie Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:24:11 +0000 http://www.chrismorris.com/blog/?p=233#comment-426 Caroline, drop the shrill personal invective, it doesn't help. I have never stated that I know better than others, nor that I know everything. Objectivity will not come from the media, nor from people "on the ground", nor from me, nor from you, nor from anyone posting here. I'll tell you what I think is "Irresponsible!" Caroline, and that is calling the UN anti-semitic because it has condemned acts of barbarity by the state of Israel. The more you discredit the only organisation in a position to steer a path towards peace, the further away you push peace. Perhaps one difference between me and some others posting here is that I want this conflict to end in peace, while others want it to end in victory. Caroline, drop the shrill personal invective, it doesn’t help. I have never stated that I know better than others, nor that I know everything. Objectivity will not come from the media, nor from people “on the ground”, nor from me, nor from you, nor from anyone posting here.

I’ll tell you what I think is “Irresponsible!” Caroline, and that is calling the UN anti-semitic because it has condemned acts of barbarity by the state of Israel. The more you discredit the only organisation in a position to steer a path towards peace, the further away you push peace.

Perhaps one difference between me and some others posting here is that I want this conflict to end in peace, while others want it to end in victory.

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