Here’s some mandatory reading for myvoice and underthedome and everybody else in general.
Myths and Facts about the state of Israel
NYA, you too can benefit from it if you manage to keep your head out for long enough..
Rhia:
I think you too broadly paint a brush when you attribute the rise of the Jews are a race argument to Jews. It is a subset of Jews (typically quite orthodox in their practice) who promote that concept within the Jewish people. NYA suffers the same "broad brush" fallibility when he says the only way to be a Jew is to have a Jewish mother. Even in Israel, this is subject to debate and often arises in the context of the so called right of return and/or automatic citizenship in Israel to all Jews. The orthodox position is as NYA says and stems from the viewpoint that being Jewish is racial and must flow in the blood. Reformists believe that converts are also Jews and should be extended these same rights of return. Under this belief, Jewishness is not a racial blood thing at all but rather one of belief.
Rhia: My first understanding of the word "Semite" was a member of the group of peoples coming from a particular Middle Eastern part of the world dating back to the ancient Babylonians, Assyrians, and Phoenicians. The word had nothing to do with the religious persuasion of the people. If there is a race of Semites, it would include all these people. Popular vernacular has seemed to equate being semitic with being jewish.
Hitler's attempted genocide of the Jews was based upon the belief that Jewishness is a race. Right wing Jew hating groups in America also cling to this belief. As I said, I get pretty wary of all advocates of the "Jews are a race" argument whether it comes from inside or outside the Jewish faith. I think they're up to no good (generally speaking that is :) )
What RU Saying: I share your opinion that the Jewish people (whether you look at them as a race or a religion) have made tremendous advances and other people have something to learn from them. After almost being exterminated as a people just 60 years ago, they have worked their way into positions of power and influence in numbers that are disproportionate to their percentage of overall population. Additionally, what they have built in the desert in just over 50 years is truly remarkable....all the more so since their very existence on that land has been under continuous assault during that period.
PA: Why don't you try to particpate in a discussion instead of posting links to the same tired, old pieces of anti-Israel rhetoric that we've seen too much of over the last couple of years.
PA, learning is a life long experience burying one's head in the books. Only desperate slow people rely on the internet to read up on history.
MV, I am very familiar with that debate. In fact, it is a bigger political challange to Israel than the Palestinian issue. I was talking about racial side of being Jewish, and not necessarily the religious one.
myvoice, I did not say I recognise Jews as a single entity or race despite little facts such as the tribes of Israel or Jewishness comes from the mother. I happen to believe Judaism is basically a religion, no different in its religious nature than Islam or Christianity as you have previously stated.
What I did say was Jews (the Euro-American-Israeli ones) do themselves use the ‘Jewish race’ card and thus most likely the perception of Jews as a single race comes from them than any invented by right-wingers etc. I am sure you are also aware that the idea of ‘Semitism’ linked exclusively to Jews, used and propagated today is no coincidence. It has been deliberately and very precisely used to support the idea of Jewish Race and it continues to be used(abused) that way. In the long run this idea is to the disadvantage of those of the Jewish FAITH itself.
Just out of interest, of what percentage are those Jews who have European descent (incl America and Israel) out of the people who practise the Jewish faith worldwide? And what was the percentage of those Jews who suffered in the Holocaust with respect to the numbers of Jews worldwide at the time?
Rhia, instead of asking these kindergarten questions, why don’t you invest in a book to find out for yourself? Better still, go and talk to a Jew. They don’t bite.
myvoice, those are not 'tired links' but a collection of facts and rebuttals to Zionist propagated myths.
NYA, i'm glad I could introduce you to a better use of the internet.
Rhia, instead of asking these kindergarten questions, why don’t you invest in a book to find out for yourself? Better still, go and talk to a Jew. They don’t bite.
Thanx i will try. But if in the meantime someone could answer my KG q's i will be very thankful.
Wada Saien, this isnt risk. World Empires arent built over night or without resistance. The present era is different from that of empires and royalty. You just cant let any country with power do what it wants. Back even then there were checks and balance. Wonder why there were the crusades? Check the power of the Muslims. There is always a counter balance.
Let the US do what it wants? Right you will be telling me, hey whats wrong with Hitler and the Nazis or Le Pen? If they have the power, in your own words:
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What’s wrong with that? Let dem enjoy … Sit back and watch the dominos effect....I say the world should shut up …
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