Our future depends on you. Support The Real News

Comments from Registered Members

(Register or log in to make your comment.)

JayHubbell 2009-01-22

With regard to the debate about Anti-Semitism, new DNA studies reveal that few of those Jews of European origin have a DNA connection to the ancient Jews of the Roman induced Diaspora. The exception is certain family names that relate to the priesthood class (e.g., Levi, Cohen, etc.). Most European Jews are descended from the ancient Slavic kingdom located in what is now the Ukraine whose Tsar forcibly converted his subjects to Judaism. When that kingdom fell it created a new Diaspora into the heart of Western Europe. Latter day Israel is really about a white European project using a cult variant of Judaism, i.e., Zionism, religion as the pretext to invade, colonize and exploit a region inhabited by a true brown skinned Semitic people. Has any non-white person ever held any position of authority in the Zionist regimes of the past 60 years? The fact that so many Jews (both cultural and religious) are declaring themselves to be anti-Zionist may be the way to mitigate the Zionist rac

LiberalChiroDoc 2009-01-15

Had no idea that Israel supported Hamas initially to further splinter the PLO but opposed Hamas after they became too influential. Reminds of how Rumsfeld shook hands with Sadaam in 1982 before the Gulf War 10 years later.

paul 2009-01-14

There has been a comment about my use of the word 'anti-Semitism" in reference to those who hate Jews. The writer is correct about the meaning of the word "Semite" which certainly includes Arabs, and he quotes from Wikpedia on the question to prove his point. He neglects to use the rest of the quote, which goes like this: "The term "anti-Semitic" (or "anti-Semite") usually refers to Jews only. It was coined in 1879 by German journalist Wilhelm Marr in a pamphlet called, "The Victory of Jewry over Germandom". Using ideas of race and nationalism, Marr argued that Jews had become the first major power in the West. He accused them of being liberals, a people without roots who had Judaized Germans beyond salvation. In 1879 Marr founded the ‘League for Anti-Semitism’.”

jeffy5 2009-01-13

jpeterse, I agree with you. I would add that over the years, there have been atrocities on both sides. Having said that, I also believe that although I cannot justify targeting civilians, I do believe that with greater firepower comes greater responsibility. Israel, being a client state of the United States has the greater responsibility in how it uses its firepower, especially since way too many Palestinian civilians are dying. One thing's for sure: if Israel did not have the military backing of the United States, it would have beaten a path to the negotiating table with the Palestinians long ago.

splintellz1 2009-01-13

Simon1435 2009-01-13 The author did not say "Suicide Bombing is not Terrorism" He simply said it's not a good descriptive term and that war is the terrorism of the rich. Please pay attention when you make such strong accusations. Plus Hamas is not equip to be a serious treat to Israel with loyal backing from the USA

jpeterse 2009-01-13

Hamas targets civilians. That is dispicable. However, such words as 'dispicable' and 'terrorist' invite people to forego all further thought, as though understanding the action isn't necessary-it's actually vital. Israel justifies itself on the controlled logic of its advocates. The first step to diplomatically challenging Israel is to challenge this most-challengable logic they use. Much of it's based on the assertion that Israel attempts to minimize civilian casualties, and ostensibly they do. But for all their precision, 45% of the deaths in the war have been women and children. And as for Hamas, if what matters to them in targeting civilians is revenge, then they will attempt to kill as many people as possible, and civilians are far more succeptible than military. Trying to understand the rationale isn't the same as justifying it, it is only shedding light on the problem and possible solution.

jpeterse 2009-01-13

What Margolis said at the end there seems very important: that in his 50 years experience, Arab anti-semitism is only of late becoming a significant force, and that it is tied right to the conflict with the Palestinians. I have to speculate that even if the advocates of intervention in the Middle-East have in the past fabricated the threat of 'Islamist fascism and terrorism' to the 'West', they and the Israelis are perhaps fabricating it into fact. Of course, for all I know there truly is an Islamist phenomenon bred of itself and naturally antithetical to Western culture, but you have to ask: are we letting a bunch of radical ideologues and propagandists create a monster for us to shed blood against? Does the supposed monster hate us for who we are, or for what we do, or is it less simple?

just 2009-01-13

It was hard to get through this whole video - this guy talks complete nonsense.

jeffy5 2009-01-13

Well, it would be hard to say that suicide bombing is not terrorist in nature, but as what was mentioned in this piece, if Hamas was being supplied tanks, sophisticated aircraft, etc. as Israel is being supplied by the United States, they would be able to fight a conventional war, too. As such is not the case, Hamas will do what it can to fight against the Zionist state.

Ira 2009-01-13

Neekoso, I'm aware that the term anti-semitism was used during world war but now it is pointless to use it for Arabs. This should stop or we'll start calling Jews anti-semits too since they are killing Semites.Regarding term chosen nation it is not exclusively Jewish innovation world history is full of chosen nations.Germans as chosen during world war two, British, Americans, recently I spoke with one American who tried to convince me that WASP Americans are God chosen.In Croatia too we have a group of people who claim that Croats are God chosen. I guess every country in this world has the same group of chosen lunatics that unfortunately somehow manage dominate the country. I guess there are two nationalities on this planet people and chosen ones. Nogrentain, 65% genetic commonality with the ancient Jews!!There is no nation on this planet that can say for its self that it is even 30% genetic commonality with original nation they come from. Imagine just the rapes God knows what armies

Nogrentain 2009-01-13

Simon, it's one thing to use suicide attacks against military and government institutions, and another against civilians. Margolis here did say it's horrible against civilians. Suicide attacks in themselves are rare, but do happen in militaries with the only difference being it's the military doing it. Neekoso, Sure technically by itself, anti-semite would include any semitic people, but considering what happened with the Holocaust, its usage came to be used specifically against Jews, and you see a large amount of propaganda being used trying to claim it's really any semitics and therefore Israel is being anti-semitic. The Jews today are more of a pseudo-ethnic group. Over 3000 years ago they were one people, then they assimilated the Canaanites in Eretz Yisrael, then there was a limited amount of intermarriages in Europe after the Diaspora, and now they maintain over 65% genetic commonality with the ancient Jews, which qualifies almost all non-convert Jews from Europe as descen

abrasivepro 2009-01-13

@ gegenwarst 2009-01-13 I too was taken back by some of Paul Jays comments/questions, but I think he was trying to be the average "Western" media journalist, and letting Eric Margolis squash "Western" beliefs about Hamas. Atleast I hope that is the case, because if I see anymore of what you describe as "sympathies with the Zionist cause" this place won't see another dime from me! It would be nice if Paul Jay himself came on here to clear that up for us..

gegenwarst 2009-01-13

Semite: a member of any of various ancient and modern peoples originating in southwestern Asia, including the Akkadians, Canaanites, Phoenicians, Hebrews, and Arabs. Unless Mr. Jay is a true ignorant about the REAL meaning of "Antisemitism" (or perhaps he stealthily sympathizes with the Zionist cause), I can only assert that Paul Jay and TRNN are intentionally distorting the comments of Eric Margolis about Hamas.

neekoso 2009-01-13

Ira-the reason why the term 'anti-Semitic' is the exclusive right of Israel and the Jews, is because the Jewish lobby have used sympathy for the holocaust to browbeat the world into believing it is so. 'Anti Semitic', sounds much worse than 'anti-Jewish', which is why the Jews have adopted this term. In reality, Jews are not a 'race' at all, but simply an Eastern European ethnic group of religious zealots, who happen to believe they are 'gods chosen people'. Belief in bronze age fairy tales and ethnic cuisine does not make an ethnic group a separate race (in fact there is no no scientific justification for the use of the term race, when talking about humanity, there is only one race for us-the human race), nor does it justify the creation of one's own country, especially when it takes place on land stolen from others who lived there first.

Ira 2009-01-13

Why do you keep calling Arabs anti-semitic, aren't they Semites? I quote encyclopedia Britannica Arabia, history of Arabian culture is a branch of Semitic civilization. from Afro-Asiatic languages Historical and cultural background ...From a South Arabian variant of the earliest Semitic alphabet the Ethiopians developed a syllabic writing still in use for the languages of Ethiopia. Maltese uses the Latin alphabet. Two of the later Semitic languages, Hebrew and Arabic, have been the languages of great religions, Judaism and Islam... I don't get understand why are Arabs labeled as anti-semitic since they belong to Semitic group on nations and languages. I come from Croatia that is a part of Slavic group of nations and languages. It would be stupid for example to call Croats anti-slavic since they belong to Slavic group on nations how can then Arabs be anti-semitic?? Jews are not the only Semitic nation, so when you say anti-semitic it refers to all Semites not only J

zic32 2009-01-13

Great reporting. This is the kind of information people need to know about Hamas, not the rhetorical nonsense that we hear in corporate media. The quote "war is terrorism of the rich" also is very important to keep in mind when governments label resistance organizations as being terrorists. Keep up the good job Real news

Simon1435 2009-01-13

What madness is this? How can this author say that "suicide bombing" is NOT terrorism!! OK so we may be biassed in the west and have only part of the story but that does'nt legitimise this type of war (from either side)