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Leftists, Islamists and Flags

Reader comment on item: About Those Billboards in Israel ...

Submitted by Dave (United States), Nov 2, 2022 at 21:01

Leftists and Islamists share hatred of Zionism for similar superficial reasons: The identity of Israel as an ethnic-religious (Jewish) state with an exclusionary immigration policy. The difference is what they ultimately envision for Israel.

Leftists are globalists. They dislike the nation-state concept, hence their affinity for open borders and global citizenship. They are cultural relativists, and view the assertion that Western Civilization is superior as racist. Many Jewish leftists reject the idea that Israel should be a Jewish state; they would prefer that it be a melting pot, blind to ethnic and religious distinctions. The argument that the history of persecution of Jews as minorities in other countries necessitates their own state is a weak rationalization for them, a betrayal of their universalist ideals. Your Israeli flag prop merely reinforces their argument that Israel the Jewish State is discriminatory. They reject the ad's implicit assertion that Muslims should respect a Jewish state because they themselves do not.

In contrast, Islamists are not globalists or multiculturalists. They are not looking to transform Israel into a Middle East version of California. They want it to be ruled by Muslims, with any religious minorities left after most of the Jews are expelled to be dhimmis, powerless underlings. If they ruled Israel, chaos would probably reign while the various Islamist militias slugged it out with each other Syria style (or Yemen, Libya or Iraqi style). They would try to impose Sharia law. Women's rights, free speech and other basic rights would go out the window. There would be no democracy. They are not freedom fighters or civil rights activists.

The Israeli flag thing is too subtle. You need to spell out in explicit detail how Islamist statements and actions paint them as the fascists that they are. For example, you state : "In the period May 11-16, 2021, Arab rioters set fire to 10 synagogues, 112 Jewish homes and 849 Jewish-owned cars, plus much looting." Put that fact up there, maybe along with some of their hateful pronouncements. If you want to wrap them in a flag, I suggest the flag of jihad or the ISIS flag. Don't be polite. Go for the jugular. After all, this is war.

Submitting....

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Daniel Pipes replies:

On your final point: Israel is not at war with its own citizens. That is a more subtle matter, so the Israeli flag is appropriate.

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Reader comments (49) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
1VICTORY, and the United States [273 words]DavidNov 15, 2022 17:12288681
4Israel is Likely Loosing the USA, says Dershowitz [205 words]RobertNov 15, 2022 06:38288655
1Had they appointed a person of dark color as prez... [55 words]SallyNov 15, 2022 13:01288655
Armenia is at risk from Islam and must be Israel's natural ally [272 words]PrashantNov 16, 2022 01:49288655
1Azerbaijan–Israel Relations - Excellent! [119 words]Robert BlumenblattNov 17, 2022 17:07288655
on victory, side remarks, predictions, and the need for UNITY [695 words]DavidNov 14, 2022 22:29288635
Pretty sure he's interested [81 words]JeffNov 15, 2022 17:57288632
2Instead of shouting "apartheid": go learn what segregation looked like in South Africa (Maariv, 2019) [1454 words]RobertNov 14, 2022 19:47288629
1Nations United Against Israel (98 UN Countries) [187 words]RobertNov 14, 2022 11:49288613
2To the 98 nations who opposed Israel [102 words]PrashantNov 14, 2022 18:23288613
1Mistake of Calling 'Palestine' a Nation - It is Why the Roman Empire No Longer Exists [86 words]M ToveyNov 14, 2022 18:33288613
Ben Gvir will ask to include in the agreements a death penalty law for terrorists [Arabs who murder Jews in racist motive] [387 words]SalkyNov 14, 2022 02:48288594
1Israeli elections debunk the "Israel=Apartheid" lie [502 words]SallyNov 13, 2022 12:35288565
Palestinan Apartheid Against the Jews in Greater Israel and Palestine [135 words]RobertNov 14, 2022 15:49288565
'Palestinian' Identity Contrived Long Before Current 'Arab' Identity Attempted the Name Appropriation for a Lost Cause [33 words]M ToveyNov 14, 2022 18:58288565
When the children of Arab immigrants came up with Canaanites idea [113 words]SallyNov 15, 2022 02:11288565
32022 6-8 "The Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine" - Ali Shihabi (Middle East Specialist on Saudi Arabia) [81 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
RobertNov 11, 2022 21:17288474
3Ali Shihabi's article makes me smile. [339 words]PrashantNov 13, 2022 03:42288474
Whatever Happened to the Moabites, Edomites, Ammonites? Is It Not Written Who Take Possession there? [149 words]M ToveyNov 14, 2022 01:01288474
1Jewish Exceptionalism, Antisemitism, Zionism [708 words]RobertNov 11, 2022 08:41288456
1Malcolm X "By Any Means Necesary" [363 words]RobertNov 11, 2022 00:05288442
Invoking Malcolm X Not Necessarily A Nexus to Be Made Here - Differing Points of View Over Differing Agendas [110 words]M ToveyNov 14, 2022 14:50288442
Despite Arabs heavily involved in Sex trafficking all over Europe and Hezbollah affiliates laundering money for Jihad NBC TV series goes racist Arabism [59 words]GinaNov 10, 2022 22:35288441
Itamar Ben Gvir was booed at the memorial for Meir Kahana - as he said he "disagrees with all his opinions regarding the expulsion of Arabs and separate sea shores" [240 words]SallyNov 10, 2022 16:17288432
Issues Facing Israeli President Herzog in Forming Decidedly Conservative Government While Facing Democractic Inconsistencies [268 words]M ToveyNov 10, 2022 11:44288425
yes, appreciation [21 words]DavidNov 15, 2022 22:30288425
Ben Gvir: "I am not generalizing all Arabs." (Otzma Yehudit / "J Strength") [141 words]SallyNov 10, 2022 01:26288414
1"Negation of the Diaspora" - A Theory under Zionism [802 words]RobertNov 8, 2022 14:15288365
2"Victory" & The 1967 UNSC Resolutions 242 & 338 [459 words]RobertNov 7, 2022 12:13288331
Misrepresentation of Representation - UNSC Resolutions Never Meant to Bring Peace for Israel - Merely Hudnah Internationally Codified. [358 words]M ToveyNov 8, 2022 14:02288331
2"Israel's Election: What to Think About Religious Zionists, Netanyahu, and Tales of Doomsday" - Elliott Abrams [211 words]RobertNov 6, 2022 23:47288313
1Itamar Ben Gvir: person of color, anti-racist-terror by Arabs [141 words]SallyNov 7, 2022 14:15288313
Missing the Tells of Mismanaged Governance [335 words]M ToveyNov 9, 2022 14:46288313
1"White Lives Matter," Ye & Candace Owens [404 words]RobertNov 6, 2022 12:39288290
Anti-Jewish discrimination in favor of Arabs in Israel : land sales [77 words]NoamNov 6, 2022 02:03288277
1League of Arab States (LAS) - 22 Arab States (members, inbluding the Palestinian Territories) [240 words]RobertNov 5, 2022 23:30288269
3Oy Givalt, Bibi's Back [251 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
RobertNov 5, 2022 14:26288260
Failure of Elected Government To Protect Trusting Electorate from Predatory Bureaucratic Practices - Revenue Stream Too Tempting [485 words]M ToveyNov 7, 2022 11:28288260
with all due respect [606 words]DavidNov 14, 2022 21:24288260
1Self-isolation is the standard operating procedure for Islam [336 words]PrashantNov 4, 2022 00:19288217
Exactly correct [76 words]Ken KatzNov 2, 2022 21:41288182
3"Close Settlement" of Jews in Mandatory Palestine and the Jewish State of Israel [1007 words]RobertNov 3, 2022 13:32288182
Continuing Controversy of Jewish Sovereignty Exceeds Rational Thinking of Intellectual Intrusions into Truth Of Israel's Rights in the Land of Promise [190 words]M ToveyNov 5, 2022 23:36288182
1Leftists, Islamists and Flags [365 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
DaveNov 2, 2022 21:01288180
Re: Flag point [29 words]DaveNov 3, 2022 11:36288180
1Muslim and Leftist nexus is just a marriage of convenience. [417 words]PrashantNov 3, 2022 13:22288180
Marrriages are Never Convenient - Entering into Marriage in the Covenant Relationship It Was Designed to be Serves a Greater Purpose [236 words]M ToveyNov 5, 2022 00:00288180
Seeking Concessions Where Conceding to Truth Can Be Misinterpreted as Weakness of Resolve [138 words]M ToveyNov 2, 2022 14:38288173
4Bibi's Back in the Civilizational State of Israel [204 words]Robert BlumenblattNov 2, 2022 14:04288170

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