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Monday, March 14, 2011
It's how you say it
Overheard in the hallway at work:
"Of course it's terrible what happened to that family. But those people have to accept some responsibility for what happened to them. Living there was a blatant provocation!"
Funny... if I (a 'right wing settler') were ever to say out loud that I thought the Palestinians were a racist and infantile people, incapable of resisting their most violent and bigoted urges, I'd probably be fired.
But it's apparently okay for a lefty to say that the Palestinians can't help but be provoked to murderous rampages by the mere presence of Jews in their vicinity.
I guess it's not so much what you say, but who you are and how you say it.
Posted by David Bogner on March 14, 2011 | Permalink
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Building houses is a provocation, practically an act of terror. Killing babies is activism. Don't you understand anything?
I think 500 houses isn't nearly enough. 5,000 would be a start. 50,000 would be closer. I think the nearest Arab village to Itamar should be evacuated, razed, and rebuilt as a new Israeli town. If it's all a provocation, then by all means, let's provoke. If it's all stolen land, then by all means, let's steal land. If we're going to be slammed for crimes, we might as well commit them.
Posted by: LeahGG | Mar 14, 2011 3:30:06 PM
I feel you, brother. Life isn't fair. Double standards rankle.
Maksim-Smelchak.
Posted by: Maksim-Smelchak. | Mar 14, 2011 3:31:29 PM
Next time there is an IDF-Palestinian confrontation with Palestinian casualties, try using the same phrase back at this worker. "Coming to the fence/demo/riot was a blatant provocation".
Only in that case it would be true.
Posted by: anneinpt | Mar 14, 2011 3:51:05 PM
David, I've experienced similar stuff, and I hear you loud and clear.
Posted by: Rahel | Mar 14, 2011 4:25:42 PM
Unfortunately.. " you cant fix stupid.."
Posted by: shabtai | Mar 14, 2011 5:02:43 PM
I must be Japanese. I'm having a serious nuclear meltdown right now, just from reading that remark you overheard. Oh, well. What Shabtai says. Besides, at the end of the day, we win. Hashem made certain promises, and He never lies.
Posted by: rutimizrachi | Mar 14, 2011 5:31:56 PM
If you heard that remark and managed to keep your mouth shut, you have far, far more self-control than I do. Usually I'd say that's a good thing, but in this particular instance I'm not so sure.
Posted by: Alisha | Mar 14, 2011 5:47:11 PM
I'd like to see the photos of Gazans celebrating the slaughter. Come what may, the Jews would never do something like that, even if it were Hitler's children slaughtered. After all we've been through, we remain a merciful people. What an affront to reason, that those people think themselves superior to swine.
Posted by: Barzilai | Mar 14, 2011 6:46:40 PM
I see this again and again. There is a certain breed of liberal who confuses condescension with humanitarianism. "Pity the poor natives - they can't help themselves." They're so self-righteous that they can't see their own racism. Don't even bother talking to this guy, David - it's a lost battle.
Posted by: psachya | Mar 14, 2011 8:47:42 PM
Such a stupid comment is in itself a provocation, and as such, deserved a punch in the mouth.
Posted by: ED | Mar 14, 2011 9:41:08 PM
you could have slugged the guy, and then tell him to take some responsibility here -- he provoked you.
Posted by: fred | Mar 15, 2011 12:03:10 AM
Is it possible that saying such a thing is the only way this person can handle the tragedy? If this person had to come face to face with the truth - that the murderer would have done the same thing to a 3-month old in Tel Aviv, then s/he would have to admit they were living a lie. It's a lot to ask someone who is obviously not very mature.
Posted by: nanaloshen | Mar 15, 2011 7:30:20 AM
I suppose your colleague is secular. It's even more painful when someone ostensibly religious, like blogger Harry Maryles, says very much the same thing.
Posted by: Nachum | Mar 15, 2011 8:06:58 AM
What you said.
Posted by: Sarah | Mar 15, 2011 10:36:38 AM
What you said.
Posted by: Sarah | Mar 15, 2011 10:36:39 AM
There are some thoughts that are not expressed, or expressed in the privacy of your home,but are rude and provocative when blurted out at the office, as in this case.
Posted by: ED | Mar 15, 2011 2:50:03 PM
"Living there was a blatant provocation."
Jews have been "living there" for thousands of years. The whole business of Palestinian national identity is a bill of goods that not even the Arabs believe - it's a just a convenient weapon in their attempt to get Jews out of the Umma. Once upon a time, I believed that - even so - the so-called Palestinians deserved a nation of their own, provided that they demonstrated an ability to behave like civilized human beings. But not now. Unless the murderers are handed over, I think the village where they came from should be razed to the ground and the ground salted. And if the Europeans and the idiots of the UN don't like it, screw 'em.
Posted by: Elisson | Mar 15, 2011 5:48:00 PM
That was totally outrageous. The family didn't deserve what happened to them, and that person needed to keep that thought to himself.
Posted by: sheldan | Mar 15, 2011 11:26:53 PM
Did this person see you when they said it. Was it meant as a provocation to you. I have had such things done at work in the U.S., where Jews or Israelis have been deliberately targeted in my presence.
My mother-in-law used to say in Yiddish: (please excuse the bad translation)
Either it's unnecessary or it is useless.
Posted by: Henry | Mar 16, 2011 6:12:40 AM
I would have continued walking down the hallway and as I passed the liberal in question say "God, you're a f-ing idiot".*
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. * this strategy works best if you are the owner/boss of the company. :-)
Posted by: ProphetJoe | Mar 16, 2011 3:31:22 PM
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