ACCORDING TO NOAM TIROSH, offering his opinion on the Israel HaYom site (http://tinyurl.com/ybv59rxo ), the Israeli Arabs waving “Palestinian” flags in Rabin Square (where else) are no different than American Jews singing Hatikvah, the Israeli anthem.
But there is a difference.
THE DIFFERENCE IS that Israel is constantly attacked by “Palestinians,” while Israel and the U. S.are not killing each other’s people.
That is a small distinction that Tirosh apparently overlooked.
Before the U.S. got “involved” in World War Two, pro-German groups waved nazi flags with impunity. After the attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, the U.S. declared war on the Axis – Germany, Italy, and Japan – and waving an enemy flag was not acceptable.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, FDR – worshiped by ignorant liberal American Jews – interned thousands of Japanese Americans (http://tinyurl.com/ydbgw6av )– along with a handful of German-Americans and Italian-Americans – because he feared there might be a spy in their midst. Roosevelt also turned away the MS St. Louis (http://tinyurl.com/ycm2yztn ), sending many of its almost 1,000 passengers back to Germany and their deaths because he feared there might be a spy in their ranks.
Most of the Japanese, Germans, and Italians interned by the Democrat president were loyal Americans. Other Japanese, German, and Italian Americans wore military uniforms and served – many dying for it – their country. The less then 1,000 Jews on the St. Louis – refugees begging to be admitted to the U.S. (vs. sneaking in under cover of darkness) – certainly were not enemies of the U.S., and would gladly have gone to internment camps if FDR had made that decision. At the time, the U.S. had thousands of acres of government land available.
While FDR turned away Jews from the U.S., some found refuge in Japanese-controlled areas of the Far East, (http://tinyurl.com/yavafp4c ) this despite Japan being Germany’s ally.
IN ISRAEL, the situation is different.
There are, without a doubt, Arabs in Israel who are proud to be Israelis. There are Arabs in Israel who prefer life in Israel to life in the occupied (e.g., PA) territories.
There are Arabs in Israel’s knesset that actively promote insurrection against Israel and vocally support Israel’s enemies. (Would the U.S. tolerate a member of Congress who openly supported Iran’s grandiose nuclear plans and threats to the “Great Satan”?)
The Rabin Square Arabs were rallying against Israel’s new Nation-State law that declares Israel to be a “Jewish state.” It is less democratic than previous laws and in many ways does indeed make non-Jews if not second class citizens then tolerated residents. It removed Arabic as an official language, but in reality, road signs still will be in Hebrew, Arabic, and Latin characters.
To be candid, there are things I have heard about the Nation-State law (I have not read it) that offend me, but while I hold an Israeli passport, I am not in Israel and I have no say in what the Israeli government does.
Perhaps the Rabin Square event can be equated to politicized athletes who “take a knee” during the U.S. national anthem.
It is insulting to flag wavers (in Israel and in the U.S.), but it was a relatively peaceful demonstration to make a point. (It is interesting to note that Israeli Arabs are NOT conscripted into the Israeli military – they are encouraged to do national service in Arab communities – and that the vast majority of athletes in the U.S. have never served a day in the U.S. military or performed any national service despite an abundance of opportunities (http://tinyurl.com/y6v45ah2 ) of varying durations.)
Belying Tirosh’s comparison, while the politicized athletes “take a knee,” athletes are, as a group, NOT promoting an enemy or even suggesting anarchy. The Rabin Square flag wavers ARE supporting an enemy, and that is the difference.
Standing and singing Hatikvah and facing an Israeli flag is no more disloyal to the U.S. than some religious organization’s flags in churches and parades. There may be little difference between the Rabin Square flag wavers and misguided Americans marching with nazi or klan flags, but only the Rabin Square flag wavers support an enemy state.
Sorry, Mr. Tirosh, there IS a difference.
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