Why I'm Not Writing About The Six Day War
All around the world, including the blogosphere, everyone's gone crazy this past week writing about the 40th anniversary of the Six Day War. Revisionist historians are coming out of the woodwork like crazy banchies being smoked out by fire. Everywhere, the same thing is being said. The Six Day War was not the glorious victory that everyone claimed it to be. In fact, it was a black mark on history and on Israel. In short, it was very very bad that Israel won the war. Everything bad that has happened since then stems from Israel's victory. Bad. Very very bad. So, why aren't I commenting on it. Well, first of all, there's really nothing to say. Those who say that Israel's victory was bad, Jews and Israeli revisionist historians among them, are simply wrong.
These revisionist historians continue to attempt to hammer home the factually incorrect point that Israel could have simply used to diplomacy and negotiated herself out of war. They say that Israel didn't have to go to war, and the fact that she did proves that she was the aggressor and a colonialist apartheid country in waiting. Of course, history proved this theory wrong in 1973. When Israel decided that it would not repeat its actions of 1967 and not preempt battle, thereby trying to negotiate its way out of war like this historians demand, she almost lost the war and was perilously close to losing her very existence. Of course, these revisionist historians and pseudo-pundits don't like to take the next step and discuss what would have been the consequences had Israel lost the war, either in 1967 or 1973. Best not to go to the place where you would have to admit that the Jews would have all been killed or thrown out of the country in destitution. If you do that, then you have to admit that the Arabs/Muslims are not very peaceful people like you try to claim every single day in your op-ed columns.
So, here's the rub, and this is why I have no interest in rehashing the events of 40 years ago. The ONLY reason that any "historian" or pundit or journalist or politician, this includes Jews and Israelis, makes claims that it was bad that Israel won the Six day War is because they hate the fact that Israel exists. Period. They hate the fact that Israel won the Six Day War so decisively, because in the black holes of their hearts they really believe that the world would be a better place if Israel wasn't in it.
This leads to my theory of why the Six Day War is really such a turning point in the history of the Jews. It's is the event that led the world to be comfortable being Antisemitic again. Bare with me here. Between 1945-1967, the world, especially the West viewed the Jews as mere victims. Having just liberated the Jews from the Concentration and Death camps and witnessing the horrors of 6 million dead Jews by bullet, gas, and oven, the world felt uncomfortable in its Antisemitism. It gave the Jews a country out of guilt. It was a piddling of a country, but it was a good "guilt-be-gone" remedy for the world. Between 1945 and 1967, the world was politically correct in its treatment of the Jews. They were careful to arouse any reminder that they abandoned them in their hour of need. The Jews were weak and needed the protection of the West.
But, the Six Day War changed all that irrevocably. If we can say that any bad came out of the war, it was the transformation of the image of the Jew from one of weakness to one of strength. By virtue of this tremendous victory, it was suddenly OK again for the world to be open and honest about its feelings towards the Jews. With the Palestinians as the perfect excuse, it was again legitimate to call the Jews the reason for all that was bad and evil in the world. It even became fashionable to blame all the world and West's problem on Israel. Islamic terrorism attacking America on 9/11? Well, obviously, it because of America's support of Israel. It became perfectly fine and acceptable to say that if Israel didn't exist, translation: If the JEWS didn't exist, there would be no terrorism or violence or wars. The war in Iraq? Fought for Israel. Therefore, if there were no Israel, there would be no war. If Israel had lost the 1967 war, there would be no Israel, and the rest of the Jews of the world would still be living under the protective PC umbrella of a world still reeling from the aftermath of the Holocaust. Israel wins the '67 War, there is no longer any need to feel any guilt. The Jews are just as bad as the Nazis. They are in the business of apartheid and genocide. The West and the World can maybe in the back of their minds actually feel fine with the Holocaust because the Jews are no different than the Nazis. In fact, had the Holocaust not happened and there had been more Jews settling in Palestine, the JEWS would have committed the Holocaust instead of the Germans.
Of course, this is a sick theory, but look at the history of the West's treatment of Israel since 1967, and how can you make any other conclusion? The only reason that there is any revisionist history about the event is because the West is looking through the lenses of its newly approved Antisemitism in which Israel is the obvious aggressor, and it desired to rule over the helpless and hapless Palestinians.
So, no, there is no reason for me to rehash the events of 40 years ago. I am living in Jerusalem in the state of Israel. That should be enough for you.
Technorati Tags: Israel, 1967, Six+Day+War, America, Britain, Germany, Nazi, Jerusalem, Jew, Palestinian, Antisemitism, Arab, Muslim
These revisionist historians continue to attempt to hammer home the factually incorrect point that Israel could have simply used to diplomacy and negotiated herself out of war. They say that Israel didn't have to go to war, and the fact that she did proves that she was the aggressor and a colonialist apartheid country in waiting. Of course, history proved this theory wrong in 1973. When Israel decided that it would not repeat its actions of 1967 and not preempt battle, thereby trying to negotiate its way out of war like this historians demand, she almost lost the war and was perilously close to losing her very existence. Of course, these revisionist historians and pseudo-pundits don't like to take the next step and discuss what would have been the consequences had Israel lost the war, either in 1967 or 1973. Best not to go to the place where you would have to admit that the Jews would have all been killed or thrown out of the country in destitution. If you do that, then you have to admit that the Arabs/Muslims are not very peaceful people like you try to claim every single day in your op-ed columns.
So, here's the rub, and this is why I have no interest in rehashing the events of 40 years ago. The ONLY reason that any "historian" or pundit or journalist or politician, this includes Jews and Israelis, makes claims that it was bad that Israel won the Six day War is because they hate the fact that Israel exists. Period. They hate the fact that Israel won the Six Day War so decisively, because in the black holes of their hearts they really believe that the world would be a better place if Israel wasn't in it.
This leads to my theory of why the Six Day War is really such a turning point in the history of the Jews. It's is the event that led the world to be comfortable being Antisemitic again. Bare with me here. Between 1945-1967, the world, especially the West viewed the Jews as mere victims. Having just liberated the Jews from the Concentration and Death camps and witnessing the horrors of 6 million dead Jews by bullet, gas, and oven, the world felt uncomfortable in its Antisemitism. It gave the Jews a country out of guilt. It was a piddling of a country, but it was a good "guilt-be-gone" remedy for the world. Between 1945 and 1967, the world was politically correct in its treatment of the Jews. They were careful to arouse any reminder that they abandoned them in their hour of need. The Jews were weak and needed the protection of the West.
But, the Six Day War changed all that irrevocably. If we can say that any bad came out of the war, it was the transformation of the image of the Jew from one of weakness to one of strength. By virtue of this tremendous victory, it was suddenly OK again for the world to be open and honest about its feelings towards the Jews. With the Palestinians as the perfect excuse, it was again legitimate to call the Jews the reason for all that was bad and evil in the world. It even became fashionable to blame all the world and West's problem on Israel. Islamic terrorism attacking America on 9/11? Well, obviously, it because of America's support of Israel. It became perfectly fine and acceptable to say that if Israel didn't exist, translation: If the JEWS didn't exist, there would be no terrorism or violence or wars. The war in Iraq? Fought for Israel. Therefore, if there were no Israel, there would be no war. If Israel had lost the 1967 war, there would be no Israel, and the rest of the Jews of the world would still be living under the protective PC umbrella of a world still reeling from the aftermath of the Holocaust. Israel wins the '67 War, there is no longer any need to feel any guilt. The Jews are just as bad as the Nazis. They are in the business of apartheid and genocide. The West and the World can maybe in the back of their minds actually feel fine with the Holocaust because the Jews are no different than the Nazis. In fact, had the Holocaust not happened and there had been more Jews settling in Palestine, the JEWS would have committed the Holocaust instead of the Germans.
Of course, this is a sick theory, but look at the history of the West's treatment of Israel since 1967, and how can you make any other conclusion? The only reason that there is any revisionist history about the event is because the West is looking through the lenses of its newly approved Antisemitism in which Israel is the obvious aggressor, and it desired to rule over the helpless and hapless Palestinians.
So, no, there is no reason for me to rehash the events of 40 years ago. I am living in Jerusalem in the state of Israel. That should be enough for you.
Technorati Tags: Israel, 1967, Six+Day+War, America, Britain, Germany, Nazi, Jerusalem, Jew, Palestinian, Antisemitism, Arab, Muslim
posted by Olah Chadasha @ 6/09/2007 08:43:00 PM
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10 Comments:
Great, great post.
Excellent post OC. I didn't post anything about the Six Day War either.
Personally I think the turning point was not 1967. The turning point was 1973, when together with the Yom Kippur War the Arabs imposed an oil embargo on states that supported Israel(USA, Western Europe, and Japan).
The minute that gas prices started rising and you had to wait in line at the gas station to get gas, the MSM in the USA started to become critical of Israel. This I remember as a child.
Thanks. Now I get it. That's why NPR can quote Michael Oren and the next day spleen those frisky "settlers." The war legitimized anti-Jewish sentiment again.
Not only legitimized it again but even made it POPULAR.
-OC
Granting that anti-Semitism exists and that all anti-Semites are automatically anti-Israeli, do you really think all opposition to Israeli policies in the West Bank is motivated by anti-Semitism? Plenty of Israelis oppose elements of that policy.
That said, I liked Asa-El's JPost observation that Israel outlasted the USSR.
Given that Israel does get singled out as opposed to, say, China, I don't think anti-Semitism is the cause as much as the fact that leftists have sympathies with third world anti-colonialist nationalisms, which is the most common narrative used against Israel: the whole European colony canard. This, at least, is what I pick up from people around me, and was the core of my position during my anti-Zionist years, though I've since been at paints to refute it here.
Great post Olah. Strategically in 1973 Israel was forced to not make the first strike due to US pressure,(re: defensive mindset) as is clearly coming out in declassified documents. This comparison you have made between the defensive 'first strike' of Israel in 1968, and the reluctance to strike first in 1973 almost cost Israel it's existence. The simply fact is its a matter of intent and geography.
The intent has never been clearer, 'wipe Israel of the map', the geography is now even less, distance wise,(technology) than in 1973, even encompassing the territorial gains Israel made in 1968.
The sad fact is, Olmert is about to hand back the very territory, (the Golan Heights), that our enemies used to fire upon Israel.
Why must we repeatedly make the same mistakes?
The new narrative is 'if only' Israel hadn't done this, or that.
A well written article showing the revisionism that is happening under neath our eyes.
Shalom Aaron
brian, the very fact that these "leftists" spew the rhetoric of apartheid and colonialist towards Israel without any basis on fact or with double standards towards those countries that truly practice those atrocities wreaks of Antisemitism, NOT anti-Israel.
I would never and have never said that criticism of Israel's policies is Antisemitism. If that's the case, I would be an Antisemite as well. No, when the rhetoric against Israel has no basis in fact and full of disgusting double standards, that's when critique becomes Antisemitism. When critique becomes filled with vitriolic hatred, that's no longer simple criticism. That's Antisemitism.
The latest boycott attempt by Britain is NOT simple critique of Israel's policies. If it were, they would be boycotting numerous other nations as well. The very fact that Israel is singled out while other countries that are truly committing the crimes they are being accused of bespeaks of Antisemitism.
Do you see the difference?
-OC
Maybe in Europe, which I don't pay much attention to, but in the U.S. the "apartheid state" crowd seems to be the same people who see Halliburton as cooking up the Iraq War and previously wanted us to divest from Indonesia pending independence for East Timor.
No, you're absolutely correct. Europe is a lot worse in that regard than in America.
-OC
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