Oy McVey: From the Irv Rubin Bust to the Stern Gang: The Rich History of Jewish Terrorism
This article by Jason Vest in this week's Voice starts off with the American Jewish Committee and the Anti-Defamation League condemning in strong terms the JDL's latest threats against Arab- and Muslim-Americans. Then the article takes a logic-defying turn:
Yet some observers of the current Middle East crisis see more than a bit of disingenuousness and historical irony here. While both the ADL and the AJC have condemned the JDL, they've unequivocally backed Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon's indiscriminate use of force against the Palestinians and the cutting of ties with Palestinian Authority president Yasir Arafat — neither of which is universally seen as a particularly constructive way to slow the cycles of violence across Israel and the Occupied Territories.
In Vest's view, unless they were to also condemn Israel, the AJC and the ADL don't have the bona fides to condemn the JDL -- or any other terrorists, it would seem. Note Vest's curious locution at the end there -- "neither of which is universally seen as a particularly constructive way to slow the cycles of violence." In other words, since some think that Israel's latest actions are not "particularly constructive," therefore all must condemn Israel. I won't get into whether breaking ties with Arafat was a good idea -- although it appears to be having some effect on Hamas. But I hardly see how the ADL and AJC's support of Israel makes their condemnation of the JDL "disingenuous." Did Vest actually read what the ADL has to say on the subject?
Vest then goes on:
But what's even more vexing to others is the apparent inability or unwillingness to discern similarities between the current Palestinian milieu and Israeli operations of 50-plus years ago, which secured statehood from colonialist occupiers.
He then provides a brief history of the Irgun and the Stern Gang and their violence against the British. It's clear that Vest is trying to draw the parallel between the Irgun and the Intifada; what's unclear is what he means by it. Of course Israel doesn't consider the Irgun to be terrorists; today's terrorist is history's revolutionary, but only if they win. By Vest's logic, the U.S. would be "disingenuous" to criticize Al Qaeda, when after all our founding fathers were revolutionaries who committed their own acts of violence. It would also mean that the ADL and the AJC would either have to condemn the Irgun, the JDL, and the Intifadah -- or embrace them all. I'm not sure which choice Vest would have them make.
| History | Israel | Al Qaeda | Jews |
