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Wny an Iranian/Israeli alliance won't happen

Reader comment on item: U.S. to Israel: You Decide Nukes in Iran, We Decide Bedrooms in Jerusalem
in response to reader comment: Politics and theology in Iran

Submitted by Fay Voshell (United States), Jul 28, 2009 at 11:46

While I agree a primary characteristic of the Iranian regime is subjection of the people by sheer force of arms and a strict advocacy of a theology which has become resented by the Iranians, I disagree about your basic assumption of the prevailing philosophic/theological views of the Iranian people, at least a far as your thesis that the Iranian people may be ready for an Iranian/Israeli alliance.

Correct me if I am wrong, but your post seems to indicate you believe educated Iranians are largely secularist humanists--sort of like educated Frenchmen? I would dispute that assumption, as I would dispute the possibility that Iranians will not go along with anti-semitism just because they have a unique history not shared by the rest of the Middle East and just because educated people should know better than to embrace the virulence of anti-semitism.

European and some American intellectuals have a tendency to believe reasonable people, once they are educated in the anti-theist branch of the Enlightenment, will tear off the benighted shackles of religion (including the Muslim faith). Devotion to religion is automatically considered backward, and the idea is that progress means embracing the secularist world view which now characterizes most of Western Europe's institutions. Concommitant with this view is that old antagonisms will fade out with proper education and reasoned dialogue.

On the contrary--alas and alack--anti-semitism has been an inerradicable part of human history and eventually appears in every country in which the Jews of the diaspora have resided. Diasporic Jews, no matter how ancient or small the groups have been tolerated only as they have been found useful and persecuted when it was convenient to have a scape goat.

In fact, it has been precisely at those times Jewish communities felt most assimilated and at home in a given host country that they should have been the most wary. Of course, the chief example of this blindness to historicial phenomenon was Western Europe during the 1930s and 1940s. As has so often been noted, Jews were increasingly assimilated into a sophisticated, educated and "enlightened" civilization only to suffer the worst horrors in their long history.

The above are reasons why I do not believe Jews in Persia or in Israel will be regarded very favorably by Iranians even if regime change is accomplished--which I hope and believe it will be.

Best regards,

Fay Voshell

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Reader comments (33) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
The Israelis are taking only a minute portion of what is theirs! [118 words]Jay DuncanMar 30, 2010 01:11170762
Hussein Obama struggles not to deal with Iran untill his mandate is over- so the culpabitility will fall upon others. [78 words]YnnatchkahJul 27, 2009 15:00159350
The New Nuclear Cold War [170 words]Stepehn HughesJul 23, 2009 00:36159183
Israel , and Israel alone should decide how she will survive ! [84 words]Phil GreendJul 19, 2009 03:13159004
Best interest of whom? [18 words]JohnJul 16, 2009 19:24158926
I believe that in the interest of consistency we should order Israel to surrender it's nuclear arsenal. [27 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
GreywulfJul 16, 2009 09:43158913
Weakening Israel [342 words]Fay VoshellJul 14, 2009 11:07158837
Whiny Petulance [108 words]danJul 14, 2009 05:18158826
No difference at all [119 words]Lars NielsenJul 13, 2009 17:22158810
US policy toward Israel is perfectly consistent [332 words]Fay VoshellJul 12, 2009 12:50158780
Ms Voshell is right, but the question is consistent with what ? [245 words]JonJul 15, 2009 06:47158780
Theolgical/political logistics [369 words]Fay VoshellJul 17, 2009 09:47158780
Politics and theology in Iran [313 words]JonJul 21, 2009 17:14158780
Wny an Iranian/Israeli alliance won't happen [394 words]Fay VoshellJul 28, 2009 11:46158780
Fayad, Palestine and the jews. [26 words]stevenLJul 9, 2009 22:27158704
inconsistency [70 words]miriamJul 9, 2009 19:16158699
Mixed messages from Obama adm. officials causing a lot of hot-air. [16 words]M.D.Jul 9, 2009 17:47158692
Foolish preference [79 words]R.S. DavisJul 9, 2009 10:30158662
Green Light means go [120 words]AntiochosJul 9, 2009 09:55158660
no inconsistency [150 words]Pete murrayJul 9, 2009 06:34158652
Yea old double standard ! [123 words]Lou from Queens, NYC, USAJul 9, 2009 00:21158642
Sovereign or Not [128 words]Gilles and Elinore MailhiotJul 8, 2009 19:42158634
US To Israel: You decide Nukes in Iran. We decide bedrooms in Jerusalem. [127 words]DebbieJul 8, 2009 18:20158625
Israel as a vassal state of the US [114 words]Regina DalyJul 8, 2009 15:16158624
Agreed [66 words]Abu NudnikJul 8, 2009 13:21158621
So Israel is being asked/tasked to do the US's dirty work in Iran [664 words]JonJul 8, 2009 12:43158617
Israel's independence [73 words]J. SheffJul 8, 2009 12:37158616
Further elaboration, please [86 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Sheryl RosenbergJul 8, 2009 11:28158613
Iran and her nukes program and no new Israeli settlements [163 words]IsaacJul 8, 2009 11:27158612
Obama's Hectoring & What It Portends For Israel [202 words]Adina KutnickiJul 8, 2009 09:46158608
What's good for the goose, etc. [141 words]Rebecca MouldsJul 8, 2009 09:32158607
Bingo [93 words]Yuval Brandstetter MDJul 8, 2009 01:36158591
Mr. Obama's attitude along with Hillary's one. [140 words]SvetlanaJul 7, 2009 23:14158589

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