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I am a Zionist. I support International Law. I don’t believe these are contradictory statements. [1]
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Date: 2023-10-31
Ten days ago I posted this comment as part of a thread in the comments on a diary by hp68 which was called Antisemitism right the hell here. I was responding to another poster obviously but all that matters here is the bolded section.
As an Indigenous person with both American and Canadian Indigenous family let me be clear. The oppression of my people continues. However, that has no bearing on my right or responsibility to oppose other oppressive regimes. Nor does my and my family and Nation’s repression and oppression by the governments of White European Settler Governments mean the average oblivious to Indigenous Rights American cannot comment fairly and accurately on oppression in other places and contexts. I emotionally and psychologically support the State of Israel because I also want my ancestral homeland returned to my people in its entirety. I emotionally and psychologically support the people of Gaza because I have lived my entire life in a slow motion genocide practiced by a powerful State. My support for the right of the Jewish people to have and defend a homeland is not Zionism and my support for the Palestinian people in their quest for the rights and freedoms my white oppressors grant me is not antisemitism. Bluntly, I doubt you sincerely believe that I, my family, and my Nation are oppressed by the American Government and am deeply offended by using my people and our ongoing struggle in your facile and solipsistic argument.
A number of posters, and I’d like to thank in particular zemblan, hp68, and Dfh1, pointed out that my support for the right of the Jewish people to have and defend a homeland is the dictionary definition of Zionism. I stupidly and rudely argued with them. This diary is in part my heartfelt apology to those I argued with in that diary. They were right and I was wrong. I am a Zionist.
I am troubled the the antisemitism here on dailykos and deeply concerned about the explosion in antisemitic incidents around the world. The terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7th was a heinous, despicable, and criminal act. Israel had no choice but to defend itself.
My problem is, as a supporter of International Law, I feel that what the state of Israel has done over the last 24 days is a violation of International Humanitarian Law and violates the part of the Geneva Convention to which Israel is a signatory. Does that change my fundamental support of the state of Israel? Not even slightly.
I am a pragmatic person and I don’t expect Israel, America, Canada, or Palestine for that matter, to be able to avoid the temptations of Tribalism. I simply want to see International Law fairly and equitably used when Nation States violate the law. I would like to see humans move past their bloodlust and need for revenge and look to peace and humanitarianism for solutions rather than to violence and bigotry. I big part of making a change for the better is to consistently enforce International Humanitarian Law.
It makes me deeply sad that I can say with near certainty that not a single person from Palestine or Israel will ever face an International Court despite clear and obvious evidence of violations of International Humanitarian Law. Tribalism marches on unopposed.
[END]
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[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/10/31/2202901/-I-am-a-Zionist-I-support-International-Law-I-don-t-believe-these-are-contradictory-statements?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web
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