Wednesday, March 13, 2019

An open letter to Rep. Ilhan Omar, and my response

On Saturday, March 9, 2019, 1:11:11 AM GMT+2, Buddy Macy wrote:

Dear Congresswoman Omar,

As a member of both the House Foreign Affairs and Education & Labor Committees, you should be overjoyed by this:

And this:

Sincerely,
Bernard Macy



My response:

Mr. Macy,

This is truly so wonderful, and heart warming, and touching.
Some Israeli people have been doing great things for the underprivileged.

I have been writing Wikipedia articles about such projects.
Here is one, still in a draft form:
And another one (Sorry, only in Hebrew for the moment):


Oh, by the way - how is all this related to the brave and honest and truthful statements made by Rep. Ilhan Omar, about Israel's crimes against the Palestinians?

Listening to you guys on the Right, categorizing Rep. Omar's statements as "antisemitism", drove me to conclude that there is no real problem of antisemitism in the world today. Because 95% of all statements that you categorize as such, are 100% legitimate criticism of the Israeli government.

Cheers,
Avner E.

19 comments:

  1. Mr. Efendowicz, you wrote:

    Some Israeli people have been doing great things for the underprivileged.

    And, from whom do you think "some Israeli people" received their financial support for these purely humanitarian projects? Your inability and failure to recognize the Government of Israel's role in these beautiful deeds demonstrates to me that you are brainwashed and/or masochistic and/or suicidal.

    How truly sad...and extremely dangerous!

    Buddy Macy

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mr Macy,

    The Israeli government is made of several departments and offices. (I think that it's very similar in your country). Therefore, it can carry out wonderful projects with one of its branches, while at the same time commit crimes with another.
    I think that they teach this in 7th grade or so. Understanding simple text like the one I wrote to you, which doesn't deny the wonderful deeds, but points out to other faults - they teach this at even earlier grade.
    Therefore, I must deduct, from your inability to understand this simple possibility, that you may have missed a few classes in elementary school, and never made up for it. Too bad, but I must say that it's quite characteristic among Right-wing people.

    If you think that Israel's conduct of the Palestinian population is justified under the constraints and circumstances, then I respect that. Many of my good friends and family members think so, and I may be wrong about that.

    However, your other form of logic, that I am brainwashed and masochistic and suicidal, just because my opinion is different, is also typical of demagogic, conservative, and narrow-minded right-wing persons. (I must say, it also exists among Left-wingers, but to a much lesser extent).

    I sympathize with your intellectual disability.

    Cheers,
    Avner E

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mr. Efendowicz, Israel is a very small country. You don't think that the beautiful deeds performed in Africa were known at the highest levels of government before they were undertaken?

    After careful analysis, your conclusion is "that there is no real problem of antisemitism in the world today." Please tell that to the Jews of Britain, Belgium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...

    Wow!

    Reducing one's words to ad hominem attacks signals a lack of logical, rational ideas about the subject matter.

    Buddy Macy

    ReplyDelete
  4. I understand that it's a complicated issue, so I will elaborate:

    Of course there are terrible incidents of hate crimes against Jews, merely for being Jews. As there are numerous hate crimes against Palestinians, as is summarized for example here:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_religious_terrorism
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Avneref/Jewish_religious_terrorism

    (Since 1978, a total of 66 Palestinians were killed and 220 injured by Jewish terrorists only. Of course, this doesn't include those killed in military operations).

    My point against the categorization of the incidents as antisemitism, are the following:
    1. They are not special against Jews. Minorities of all kinds suffer from hate crimes.
    2. But moreover: hate crimes make a tiny fraction of all incidents reported by mainstream media (mainly the Israeli) as "antisemitism". The vast majority of cases categorized as "antisemitism" - are nothing more than legitimate (albeit sometimes blunt and unpleasant) criticism of the policy and actions of the Israeli government (being so cruel and unjust, and thus deserves such harsh criticism).

    If, for example, a statement (by Rep. Omar) such as "Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel" - is considered antisemitism, and if it's a representative of most "antisemitic" incidents today (as is my strong feeling), then one of the following is also true:
    (1) There is no real problem of antisemitism - just because real hate crimes against Jews are so scarce, compared to the flood of such reports.
    Or - (2) I am an Antisemit. Because this is exactly what I think.


    Cheers,
    Avner E.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Shalom Avner, you wrote: "If, for example, a statement (by Rep. Omar) such as "Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel" - is considered antisemitism, and if it's a representative of most "antisemitic" incidents today (as is my strong feeling), then one of the following is also true:

    (1) There is no real problem of antisemitism - just because real hate crimes against Jews are so scarce, compared to the flood of such reports.

    It is unbelievable that you would write that today, on March 13, 2019! Anti-Semitism is at its highest level since the Holocaust!!! At what point in Germany/Poland in the 1930's would you have said that there WAS a real problem of anti-Semitism? Ask yourself when you would have done something, and what you would have done...if anything!

    You added:

    (2) I am an Antisemit [sic]. Because this is exactly what I think.

    Only you know if you are an anti-Semite. In the past, when you heard reports of horrific terrorist attacks in which Jews were killed, what first came to your mind?

    It does not matter whether or not you are an anti-Semite. What does matter is that your actions empower many haters of Jews and Israel, and they have incited/are inciting those haters to commit more abominable acts. And, appropriately, those acts force Israel to respond. Ironically, your self-perceived goodness and morality actually cause suffering in the average "Palestinian" Arab!

    Most sincerely,
    Buddy Macy

    ReplyDelete
  6. 1. You did not understand my explanation about the ratio between: real hate-crimes, and legitimate criticism of the Israeli government (which I estimate to be ~ 5:95). It seems to me that you did miss a few classes at elementary school, so I will not repeat it, it's pointless.

    2. I am a loyal citizen of Israel. Being an electrical engineer, and therefore an active part of the high-tech sector, which is the main driver of its (for the moment) successful economy (and not thanks to the management by the government) - I contribute to Israel's economy; I pay full taxes, I served 4 years of ordinary and another 11 of reserved duty as a combat officer in the Israeli military, and I raised two boys who also serve in the military in elite units. So, I am not an antisemit.

    If I do empower the folks who work hard to abolish the evil occupation of Palestine, than I am glad about that and I thank you very much for your encouragement. They are not Jews haters - they are justice seekers. I will keep up this work, with your warm words pushing behind!

    Take care.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Avner, your renewed ad hominem attacks aside, the incidence of real anti-Semitism is at its highest level since the Holocaust.

    I guess you don't mind causing the "Palestinian" Arabs pain and suffering...

    If the "Palestinian" Arabs were to receive everything you think they should receive, how long do you think Israel would last? How long would it take for you to move to the United States?

    Thank you for your service.

    Buddy Macy

    ReplyDelete
  8. I think that we would all be much better off if the Palestinians got what they deserved. So nobody would have to move out.

    I truly thank you for this discussion. I think that it helps to clarify the views on both my and your side.

    Cheers,
    Avner E

    ReplyDelete
  9. Well, as the "Palestinians'" goal is the destruction of Israel, that would not likely be the way it would work!

    I recommend this website to you: http://mythsandfacts.org/, for the historical truth about everything Israel-related. It is heavily annotated and utilizes actual signed documents.
    b

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sir, I live in Israel, have a few Palestinian friends (they are real people), and I think that such a statement about the 4-5 million Palestinians is pure racism. Talk about anti-semitism...

    ReplyDelete
  11. Forgive me, the "Palestinian" leadership and a large portion of the population have as their goal the destruction of Israel.

    Enjoy your reading.

    Buddy

    ReplyDelete
  12. Survey results vary significantly, but this one, from July 2014, dramatically supports my claim: https://www.algemeiner.com/2014/07/03/60-of-palestinian-arabs-say-five-year-national-goal-is-to-destroy-israel-video/.

    Enjoy reading Myths and Facts. b

    ReplyDelete
  13. Actually, Myths and Facts is not such a bad website.
    Buy "Myths and Irrelevant Facts" is more appropriate a name for it.

    Regarding the poll from Algemeiner - give a pollster a conclusion - and he/she will provide you with the poll.

    Here is one to the contrary:
    https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2018/12/israel-palestine-gaza-west-bank-east-jerusalem-peace-survey.html

    And another one, from the time before Netanyahu's current term:
    https://www.haaretz.com/1.4679404

    Cheers,
    Avner E.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Why is Myths and Facts irrelevant if it is accurate. The "Palestinian" Arabs claim that the Jews stole their land. M&A rebuts that with the truth.

    Even if it's 10% of the population. imagine living with or near 100,000+ people who want to destroy you!
    b

    ReplyDelete
  15. I'm living with Israelis, of whom 25% voted for Netanyahu. That's even worse... But seriously, most of them also want the Palestinians to drop dead. (although, the vast majority of them won't kill them themselves, I'll give them that).

    And a fact (a real fact, that is) could be 100% accurate, and at the same time totally irrelevant. Such as: the size of my shows is 12.
    What you quoted is not a fact, but an interpretation of facts.

    Cheers,
    Avner E.

    ReplyDelete
  16. The actual documents are not an interpretation of facts.

    ReplyDelete
  17. The actual documents only tell you that there was a war, and Jews won it (more accurately: the Zionists; There are also non-Jews in the Israeli military, and some of them are even Zionists).

    Anything beyond that is an interpretation.
    I grew up believing that the Jews were the good guys.
    But the 1982 war in Lebanon changed my mind.

    Cheers,
    Avner E.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Yet another poll of Palestinians aspiration:
    http://www.geneva-accord.org/mainmenu/palestinian-center-for-policy-and-survey-research-psrpoll

    "When asked about the long term aspiration of the PA and the PLO, 63% said that it is to recover all or parts of the land occupied in 1967, while 28% said it was to conquer the state of Israel or conquer the state of Israel and kill most of the Jews."

    ReplyDelete