There is no parallel between Native Americans & Palestinians
This post is the result of a comment I made on Jonathan Wolfman's post this morning. For a little context please read his post: http://open.salon.com/blog/jlw1/2011/09/27/israel_and_the_palestinian_authority_at_the_united_nations
It is a frequent parallel drawn... that between Native Americans and what happened here in North America and the Palestinians in the Middle East. It is NOT a valid parallel for several reasons. Not the least of which is that Israel is MUCH more humane than the United States ever thought of being. MUCH more MORAL as well. It is not, and never has been, an "apples to apples" comparison... or even an "apples to oranges" comparison. The difference is, in reality, closer to "Watermelon & Joshua Trees."
A few examples...
First, and probably most important, the official government policy (both stated and unstated) of Israel towards Palestinians has NEVER been "Kill them." This contrasts sharply with the stated official United States Policy with regards to Native Americans which was "Kill The Indian" and to that end a literal genocide was conducted.
When Genocide proved to be either ineffective or too time-consuming against the "Indians" forced integration was tried. Tens of thousands of "Indian" children were forcibly removed from their families, their culture and their religion and forced to "be white." More than 100,000 of those children were murdered while in the custody of the United States government. I see absolutely no evidence, and surely there would be some, the Israelis have forcibly removed Palestinian children from their families, their culture and their religion and forced them to be Jewish. If you know of some evidence of this crime having been committed against Palestinian children at any time in the last 60 years I would like to see it.
Then there is the fact that while Israel has defended themselves against terrorist attacks they have never been the ones to violate the terms of a treaty. Shall I list all of the treaties the United States has made with Native Americans only to either change the terms of the treaty without the knowledge or consent of the people the treaty was with OR violated out of hand within days of ratifying the treaty? Considering there's never been a treaty between Native Americans and the United States which the United States has not been the one to violate (sometimes within hours of signing)...we could be here for a good long time... Consider further the United States has, again without the knowledge or consent of Native Americans, "set aside" all of the Treaties with Native Americans EXCEPT the 1871 Fort Laramie treaty with what you call "the Sioux"and understand Israel has YET to "set aside" a treaty with the Palestinians. The problem is, and always has been, getting the Palestinians to comply with the AGREED UPON terms of a treaty with Israel.
Aparthied? It is the United States which is undeniably guilty of that particular crime today just as they have been guilty of that particular crime since the Declaration of Independence was signed.
It's all very well to sit there smugly declaring the people of another country are guilty of crimes... it's also hypocritical at best for ANY American to sit on their arse complaining about Israel given the history between the United States and Native Americans.
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You put me in mind of the first time I taught abt the Dawes Act. Shattering.
r.
But I don't think the policy of Pan Israel is that much different--an attempt to take over the lands of a people who have possessed them for over 2,000 years and use virtually any means possible to intimidate them and extricate them and occupy those lands.
Judaism in not a religion spread by conversion, which is probably the only reason they have not been forced to adopt the religion, and explains the fact that has not been used.
Fortunately, most of the international community now recognizes this. If you saw the Prime Minister of Turkey last week on American television he challenged the govt. of Israel to supply the figures on the numbers of Israelis killed from rocket attacks by the Palestinains vs. the number of non-hostile deaths among Palestinians. This has gone on in a post Holocaust world for almost 50ty years. Don't you think that's enough?
I know the Israeli RIGHT WING has this one all figured out with their claims of "human shields" but it's just not pulling the weight it used too. And yes the "official policy" has never been genecide but that would be a bit much from the govt. of a people who themselves were the subject of genecide.
It could be your sympathies are with the Native Americans given the incalculable abuse they suffered, and I agree with you wholeheartedly, but one wrong doesn't make the other right, and I am then overwhelmed by your narrowmindedness.
Ben... IF your accusation of being "intolerant" were true think you I would have refrained from committing millions of murders? Perhaps it escaped your notice somehow but I AM Native American... One of those "godless heathens..." a "filthy redskin..." an "injun..."
I LIVED many of the horrors visited upon Native Americans. I LIVED on Pine Ridge the first eight years of my life. That was BEFORE the US Army was ordered OFF the reservation... When I left Pine Ridge I was an EIGHT year old child... Tell me Ben... has a member of the US Army, under color of LAW ever held a gun to YOUR HEAD and threatened to SHOOT you simply because of your race? That very thing happened TO ME on December 1, 1972.
The DIFFERENCE, which appears to escape you, is that the Israelis were LEGAL IMMIGRANTS into what is today Israel... NONE of those who came to North America were LEGAL IMMIGRANTS. You cannot reasonably or responsibly claim that legal immigrant Jews in Palestine are "the same" as the ILLEGAL immigrant Europeans in North America.
I do not see any evidence of the Israelis FORBIDDING Palestinians from practicing their religion... yet in the United States TODAY I am FORBIDDEN BY ORDER OF THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT from practicing MINE freely! I see no evidence that the Israelis refuse Palestinians the right to elect legislators for themselves... and yet in the United States TODAY I AM LEGALLY BARRED FROM ANY CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATION! Shall I continue?
Would YOU react poorly if someone walked into the church, synagogue or mosque you attend (assuming you do) and SHIT in the middle of the floor? Would YOU react poorly if someone walked into YOUR sacred spaces and DESTROYED them in a WILLFUL exhibition of GREED simply because they could? Would YOU react poorly if someone decided YOUR ancestor's remains were something to be dug up and displayed like a trophy? How about if it was YOUR ancestors remains which have been dug up and shoved off the side of a mountain so that some greedy bastard could do OPEN PIT URANIUM MINING where they laid for generations? Let me add... that Open Pit Uranium Mine is STILL OPEN TO THE ELEMENTS MORE THAN FORTY YEARS LATER!
Manifest Destiny was NOTHING OTHER THAN ILLEGAL OCCUPATION JUSTIFIED ON RELIGIOUS GROUNDS! And it is still being used in the United States as justification of criminal acts that take place today.
It is MANIFEST DESTINY which ALLOWS Native American women and children to be RAPED and those crimes to go unprosecuted! THOUSANDS of women and children a year... are RAPED by WHITE MEN and they will NEVER receive any justice because of their RACE and Manifest Destiny.
If I start bombing schools am I justified because of the crimes committed every day against Native Americans or am I a criminal? If I start bouncing rocks off the head of every white person I see am I justified because I am Native American or am I a criminal? If I start throwing Molotov cocktails at buses am I justified because I am Native American or am I a criminal? If I decide to become a suicide bomber and walk into a pizza parlor in Times Square and blow myself up am I justified in my actions because I am Native American or am I a criminal?
I don't advocate violence either way... but I do think it is just plain WEIRD for people to call Native Americans who do the same things as Palestinians (and for the same reasons) "criminals" whilst they call Palestinians "Heroes."
Rated for irreparable truths.