Friday, July 16, 2010

HRC & Israel & Enough is Enough

So at what point, if ever, do Jewish people in America get angry with Israel? This isn't mean or nasty, I just wonder if there is a point at which many Jewish people publicly (I assume that within their own conversations they are more candid) say enough is enough. Or... is there no wrong Israel can do that isn't justified by the terrible acts done to them in history.
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I have a parallel.
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Ed and I have long supported Gay (LGBTQ) causes. But we have stopped, in the main. We still are big supporters of the Trevor Project - which provides a suicide prevention hot-line for youth. And we still support "The Task Force" (NCLTF), because I like the work they do at the local level and their support of imperiled young people.
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But HRC, The Legal Fund, nope. First, they did shit all to support marriage in California (it still burns me up that a majority was allowed to vote to take away rights of a minority - no one was allowed to vote on inter-racial marriage!).
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Second, the HRC blindly supports President Obama because he is better than the alternative. To which I call bullshit. He is better than the Republican Alternative - but that doesn't give him a free pass. It wasn't interracial civil-unions.
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Point is, there was a tipping point for me that said, "Despite the good this group does, I no longer can believe in it."



Which brings me to Israel. Is there nothing that Israel does that cannot be explained by anti-Zionism by their supports? (And before you say the comparison isn't fair - let me say I have complained about the USA violations of civil rights and foreign, useless wars, tons! so it isn't a nationalistic thing - I still freaking LOVE this country).
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Israel in the last 5 years has attacked Lebanon and the Gaza Strip to stop rocket attacks - then went further and killed tons of non-combatants. It has destroyed homes and then refused to let in materials to rebuild them. It has consistently violated it's own promises with regards to building on the West Bank. I could go on, but my point isn't to list a litany of issues that I have with Israel - my main question is this. Is there any point at which Jewish people in America utter any criticism?
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And it is important because we (Americans) supply Israel with it's international cover at the UN, we annually supply AID worth billions of dollars (at a time when we are cutting off un-employment AND running a deficit). We supply hi-tech weaponry AND continue to even after the Israeli government has been proved to steal our secrets with spys! In overlooking or justifying EVERY SINGLE THING Israel does, we are encouraging behaviour that isn't in our own best interests as a country or a people.
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Is there any line that Israel cannot cross?