There are so many problems with Geoffrey Wildanger’s guest opinion that I don’t know where to begin.
The most alarming is referring to a diplomat as a “propagandist” and a “professional shill” just because he happens to be Israeli. If a Consul General from Palestine or Libya were to talk at UC Davis, would anyone use such terms? Wildanger’s letter is part of a widespread strategy by anti-Israel hate activists to de-legitimize anyone who disagrees with them. Any comment or news article that is pro-Israel, including statements of facts, is called “propaganda” and, thus, should be disregarded, or worse, blindly disbelieved.
Wildanger claims that his group is willing to engage in and have an honest conversation, but if not with Tor or Oren then with whom? If all speakers who are pro-Israel are considered “propagandists” before they even open their mouths, then who are you going to have dialogue with?
Then there is the outright lie that Palestinians have made “tremendous sacrifices” toward coexistence. Please, name one! Coming to Camp David to sign a peace agreement is not a sacrifice, especially if, as Arafat did, one is simultaneously purchasing weapons from Iran and Syria. No sacrifice could be bigger than Israel’s withdrawal from Sinai in 1976, in which Israel gave up two-thirds of its land, the only oil fields in the region – and the energy independence that came with them – and the homes of 7,000 Israelis in order to achieve peace with Egypt. So let no one say Israel does not make sacrifices for peace.
Israel also gave up the Gaza Strip unilaterally in the hopes of making peace and giving the Palestinians a state, making tens of thousands of Jews homeless overnight. The Palestinian response, alas, was a surge in rocket attacks at civilians, most recently being a heat-seeking missile strike against an Israeli school bus carrying children. Hamas still refuses to accept Israel’s right to exist. If the Palestinians actually want peace and co-existence, that should be the first step.
Lastly, there’s the issue of an academic and cultural boycott of Israel. That makes as much sense as boycotting UC Berkeley and The Woodstock Festival to show opposition to the U.S. military. In Israel, as in the U.S., academics and artists are far more likely to be liberal than the average person. The anti-Israel groups on campus here are effectively trying to boycott their Israeli counterparts,including the many Muslim students in Israeli universities. Any boycott of Israel would affect its nearly 20 percent Muslim population as harshly as it would the 75 percent of it that’s Jewish.
For this reason, Al-Quds University in the Gaza Strip does not boycott Israel. Its President, Suri Nusseibeh, himself has come out in very strong opposition to an academic and cultural boycott for the aforementioned reasons. If a Palestinian university in Gaza does not boycott Israel, then how on earth could you justify enacting such a boycott in the U.S.?
Or is Suri Nusseibeh just a propagandist, too?
Matan Shelomi
Entomology graduate student
You know, I already pointed out the immaturity you show in trying to attack me. We all make mistakes, but we don’t all gloat about how right we are and attack the other person so viciously for being wrong when in fact you are the one wrong and the person you attack is correct. We don’t all do that.
The wikipedia article actually answers the points you try to put forth here. It is not disputed that Israel learned a lesson from that attack. Israel clearly bullied the Arab world in the Six Day War when it attacked Egypt, Syria, and Jordan out of the blue. And Israel got away with that. Egypt took their land back and Israel realized that Egypt wasn’t going to put up with more of Israel’s bullshit. It even says in the wikipedia the long-term impact Egypt’s attack had on Israel, who up to that point, had proven itself invincible. Not that you need to get that from wikipedia. You assume you are the only person who reads books at UC Davis. How about The Fateful Triangle. I think you will find that more worthy a source than wikipedia. But, my point is that it is such common knowledge that it is in the opening blurb of the Yom Kippur (or Ramadan) War.
My “warped” mind doesn’t wanna put up with your relentless resorts to ad hominem. In saying my name 3 times, though I assume you are trying to be condescending, you are not actually making your points any more convincing. I don’t know you. I wouldn’t make any assumptions about the warpedness of your mind or your drug habits. I find it very off-putting that you allow yourself to degenerate to this level. And that you are pompous about it to boot.
Kate Kate Kate “then they realized that Egypt-Tang Clan ain’t nothin’ to fuck with in 1973 in the war you mentioned. ” Um Israel won that one. Also I wasn’t talking about Sinai but ya know, that’s fine. Like you said, we all make mistakes.
Standing up to a Bully? By attacking a nation on the holiest day of the year for its citizens? Gee that doesn’t smack of cowardice at all. You’re right it was a big one for the Arab world, it showed exactly how terrified they are of Israel by needing to attack them on the day when most of the nation is in temple.
Your mind is too warped for me to deal with anymore. You seem to glorify evil and cowardice and that’s just sad.
The Six Day War is kind of a biggie to not know about too (lots of real sweet things Israel did there). And the Yom Kippur one is a big one too- especially for the Arab world, standing up to a bully and all..just sayin…
I’m really giddy to see what your response is to this fact, sir readalot. Not because you made an error–we all do this– but because you were so incredibly rude and so sure of yourself– sure that I was spreading lies and that you were a beacon of light shining sweet truth in the darkness of my cracked out deceit. This is quite embarrassing for you. 🙂
Haha you’re so angry. LOL, I’m such a crackpot. That’s a useful term for meaningful discussion.
Even bigger LOL: this NPB major was correct in saying that Israel had Sinai for 6 years. They took it from Egypt in the 6 Day War in 1967 and then they realized that Egypt-Tang Clan ain’t nothin’ to fuck with in 1973 in the war you mentioned.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_Kippur_War
BRB, gotta meet up with the crack dealer.
Straight-talk, you are wrong however on the issue of the UN resolutions. For example the first to call for recognition of the two-state solution #1397 in 2002 was embraced by Israel.
Not that I put much measure in the UN anyway these days. This is the group that condones the murder of homosexuals and no longer considers the act a “hate crime” as of a vote in November 2010.
Straight-talk you at least discuss things that are more relevant, and yes more of the gray area. As someone who usually can discuss both sides (Israel and Palestine) even-evenhandedly since I remain in the middle, I am happy that you at least bring up some more relevant issues (unlike Katelicious who spreads untrue information regarding events over the past several decades with clearly no understanding of the history of the region). If the student respectfully asking a question at the event was removed that is truly a shame. This was the first Israeli/Palestine event I have not been able to attend in a while and I can assure you that is not the norm.
Oh katelicious, what an propagandist ignoramus you truly are.
Land they took from Egypt eh? You completely ignore how that land came to be theirs. Egypt ATTACKED Israel and when Israel managed to successful defend itself despite being attacked on a holy day, they gained that land. Oh and it was 3 years, not 6. The Yom Kippur War was in 1973…they gave up land in 1976. But of course, let’s ignore the actual history and only spread more deception. What a crackpot you are. You previously admitted to not being a History major and you continue to prove it.
GO READ A DAMN BOOK.
Also, the “sacrifice” of Sinai?? Giving up its own land??? Please. That was Egypt’s land. They took it from Egypt for 6 years. Let’s not be misleading and dramatic here if you care so much about arguing rather than putting forth propaganda.
I should have said foreign instead of humanitarian. Of course the foreign aid sent to Israel (unlike to other countries) is not for humanitarian purposes.