Initially, before even watching this video I was irritated at the title. It does not say "a" History of Palestine but "the" History of Palestine, which suggests that this is the one "right" version of Palestine's past. Perhaps this was not the intent of the video to claim its place as the ultimate historical truth of Palestine, or maybe the title "a History of Palestine" was not available. Regardless, the word choice made me leery.
Technicalities in the title aside, I the content of this video not as shocking as when I was first exposed to the these ideas. The removal of the Palestinians from their homes to make room for the Jews strikes me to the core as hypocritical. After years of persecution from the Christians and the Europeans, the Jews, who lived for the most part peacefully among the Arabs, in turn persecute and oppress the Palestinians. What is more interesting is that the Jews now rely on the Europeans and the United States for support against the Arab nations. The very people that persecuted them they turned to for support and the people they lived with peacefully they now fight against.
Another point I would like to touch on that does not have to do with the video but rather one of the comments below the video. This comment said Hitler did us a favor in removing so many Jews from the planet earth because they would have price gouged us all into poverty with interest rates. May I ask who is this person? And how is it that we can still be holding onto stereotypes that started circulating centuries ago? I am not sure if this comment better proves the power of stereotypes to affect what people consider truth or the ignorance that still exists despite all the opportunities for education.
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I, too, noticed and blogged about the "hitler did us a favor" comment in the threaded discussion for the video. Who is this person, indeed? It's amazing the complete drivel that explodes all over the internet. I'm all about connectivity, but at what cost? The web, it seems, is a completely equal opportunity vehicle of communication, and a space where people from all walks of life feel comfortable expressing themselves. Sadly, this means that we must witness and come to terms with the less enlightened who choose to broadcast their opinions to the world.
ReplyDeleteAntisemitism is alive and well, alas. And it is not just the nut jobs who scrawl on internet pages, but responsible people, too. This makes it all the more complex and difficult to talk in critical terms about Israeli policies regarding the Palestinians. The debate within Israel is sometimes more open and broader than that within our country, in my observation.
ReplyDeleteThe internet just magnifies the thoughts that are already out there. It also proves that even in the face of physical evidence, there will always be someone who will find a way to pervert truth.
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