Israeli Terror Against Families, Even Their Own

From Amnesty International:

"Israel/Occupied Territories: High Court decision institutionalizes
racial discrimination


The decision by the Israeli High Court of Justice on 14 May to uphold a
law which explicitly denies family rights on the basis of ethnicity or
national origins is a step further in the institutionalization of
racial discrimination in Israel.


The "Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law" bars family
reunification for Israelis married to Palestinians from the Occupied
Territories. It specifically targets Israeli Arabs (Palestinian
citizens of Israel), who make up a fifth of Israel's population, and
Palestinian Jerusalemites,(1) for it is they who marry Palestinians
from the West Bank and Gaza Strip.


Thousands of couples are affected by this discriminatory law, which
forces Israeli Arabs married to Palestinians to leave their country or
to be separated from their spouses and children. Israeli military law
forbids Israelis from entering the main population centres in the
Occupied Territories and Israeli citizens cannot join their Palestinian
spouses there, and at the same time Palestinian spouses staying in
Israel without a permit are constantly at risk of being deported and
separated from their families. Thus, Israeli-Palestinian couples would
ultimately be forced to move to another country in order to live
together - an option which is neither feasible nor desirable for
those concerned. In addition, Palestinian Jerusalemites would lose
their residency and their right "to ever live in Jerusalem again if
they move out of the city."

[MaggieL]

Kind of stretching to call this "terror", don'chathink?

Rank discrimination it may be...even inhumane. But terror? Somehow I don't think it rises to the "suicide bomber in the pizza shop" level, or even the "Hellfire from a Predator" level.

Cheapening the word terror has the effect of turning down the heat on those actually comitting terrorism.

Originally Posted by MaggieL

Kind of stretching to call this "terror", don'chathink?

Rank discrimination it may be...even inhumane. But terror? Somehow I don't think it rises to the "suicide bomber in the pizza shop" level, or even the "Hellfire from a Predator" level.

Cheapening the word terror has the effect of turning down the heat on those actually comitting terrorism.

Tell that to the families being torn apart.
We can say terrorize if you like... does that make you feel better?

[MaggieL]

Originally Posted by rkzenrage

Tell that to the families being torn apart.
We can say terrorize if you like... does that make you feel better?

Not really...because the next thing you know we'll be told we're comitting terrorism by refusing to admit the families of illegal aliens. You can't simply call everything you don't like or find reprehensible "terrorism". "violence (as bombing) committed by groups in order to intimidate a population or government into granting their demands"

We're back to playing the "moral equivalance" game...

[BigV]

You're right, of course, but too late. Quit counting at about 20 million.

[BigV]

It's a very...versatile word.

[xoxoxoBruce]

And sometimes make about as much sense.

Israel is intentionally destroying families and you want to toy with semantics?
Typical.

[MaggieL]

Words have meanings, and semantics is important. Otherwise you wouldn't be trying to use semantics as a political tool yourself.

By calling Israeli immigration policy "terror", you attempt to create a moral equivalance between their attempts to defend themselves, and the genuine terrorism they are trying to protect themselves from. You can agree that this particular effort is justified, or not...but calling it "terror" cheapens the word. Being separated from your spouse is terrible. Wondering every second if the bus you're riding in is about to be shredded by thirty pounds of C4 and two thousand steel nails is terror.

Calling this policy "terror" is a propiganda technique, pure and simple. To dismiss criticism of it as "semantics" is disingenuous.

"The slovenliness of our language enables us to have foolish thoughts." --Orwell

[Undertoad]

So, rk, are you in favor of the Right of Return for Palestinians?

Originally Posted by Undertoad

So, rk, are you in favor of the Right of Return for Palestinians?

How do you get that from this thread?
I do not think that people should have been forcibly removed from their homes back in the 40's, no.
But, at this point, I think that is moot... however, concessions must be made and reparations are deserved.
Do I think I would feel like they if I were in their position, yes... I do.
Do I hope I would not be using their tactics... yes, I hope that, but no one is killing my kids from a helicopter or tank and all I have are rocks to throw at them.
After that happening for a while, a LONG while, I can see thinking that they need to know how it feels.
Does that justify it, no... but it also makes it a hell of a lot more than just what the Taliban does.
Palestine needs to have far more consideration than it is being given.
As for this law, it has nothing to do with their being given all of their land back, it has to do with families being allowed to stay together & it is simply legislated racist terror. It is no different than the Jim Crow laws of the Reconstruction.

[MaggieL]

Originally Posted by rkzenrage

it is simply legislated racist terror

We could argue about "racist". "Terror" is unwarranted, and robs your position of credibility.

[Undertoad]

I'm just trying to figure out where you're coming from.

Did you know... that the ruling doesn't apply to women over 25 and men over 35?

Did you know... that the ruling was made in 2002 when Palestinians were in a declared state of war with Israel and many of the entering Palestinians were blowing themselves up in crowded busses and cafes?

Did you know... that an Israeli is not permitted entry at ALL into most Arab states, never mind to marry someone they love?

Did you know... that if you have merely VISITED Israel, you yourself would not be permitted entry at all into most Arab states, never mind to marry someone you love?

Did you know... that Amnesty International has become a relentlessly political organization that selectively ignores torture when it will get them higher donation totals from their donor base?

The More You Know.

Originally Posted by Undertoad

I'm just trying to figure out where you're coming from.

Did you know... that the ruling doesn't apply to women over 25 and men over 35?

Did you know... that the ruling was made in 2002 when Palestinians were in a declared state of war with Israel and many of the entering Palestinians were blowing themselves up in crowded busses and cafes?

Did you know... that an Israeli is not permitted entry at ALL into most Arab states, never mind to marry someone they love?

Did you know... that if you have merely VISITED Israel, you yourself would not be permitted entry at all into most Arab states, never mind to marry someone you love?

Did you know... that Amnesty International has become a relentlessly political organization that selectively ignores torture when it will get them higher donation totals from their donor base?

The More You Know.

Yup, I also know it was only supposed to last a year and has been extended over and over again and now made law to permanently separate those families. So, if you are a certain age your marriage is invalid? That is just stupid, there is no other word for it.
If Israel is going to continue to act like they are taking the high ground in this conflict they have to stop this kind of legislation and let Palestinians back to work and reunite the mixed families, and stop all retaliation actions... until then they are on equal footing with Palestine.

I know that Palestine does a great deal... much of which we would do in their situation. If a superpower came in and removed Americans from a Texas, Southern CA, or FL territory and dumped them into a desert with no rights in tents and them moved their people into their homes and infrastructures, then fired on them it would be total war. Something the US has done several times.
I don't agree with what Palestine is doing or what Israel is doing, they are both equally at fault; well Israel, Palestine and the UN with the US in the forefront.
I do know if someone comes to take my home they will die, if they try to relocate me they will die, if they try to put their kids in the school that my taxes and hard work built the school will burn...
I do not believe I would kill their kids on purpose, but I cannot conceive of their Apaches killing my kids and my neighbors kids as "retaliation" for something someone else did... if so, I may feel that they need to know what it feels like. I hope not, but I honestly don't know that I would not, I can't imagine losing my son... much less like that.

[MaggieL]

Originally Posted by rkzenrage

I don't agree with what Palestine is doing or what Israel is doing, they are both equally at fault...

"Moral equivalance" again.

As long as we're flinging propiganda about, here's a slightly different view of Middle East history.