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@Bison
I saw eyebrows' post yesterday and wanted to comment on the whole 'race' discussion - mainly that it's an invented concept, so there are only two factors at play - firstly, does a cultural grouping consider itself a race? Secondly, does a larger national/international community distinguish people of that race. From my point of view, it's a slightly redundant discussion - use 'group' and 'prejudice' instead of race and racism, and there's much less of an issue. I don't think there's any controversy in acknowledging that jews identify as a distinct group, nor that they've been discriminated against on the basis of that identity. I don't think it's productive to debate whether an Arab racial identity is any more legitimate than a jewish one.
On the more pressing issue of Israel and Palestine. Violence is not going to solve this. As one facebook post I saw went: "here comes operation same shit, different name". A repeat of the annual assault on Gaza, with the same outcomes. The only positive I've taken from this, is that diaspora jews, and moderates in the US (who previously swallowed the media line on Israel) are starting to realize quite how horrific the occupation is. http://www.jeremiahhaber.com/2014/07/when-palestinians-live-up-to-israels.html summed up how I felt about the situation.
The only issue I have, as an anti-zionist, deeply irreligious jew (hence my position on identity) is that while I would like to protest, and add my voice to people calling for Palestinian statehood and an end to the violence - I don't want to march alongside people who don't distinguish between jews and zionists, or are making anti-semitic remarks. Nor do I think that Israel is akin to the Nazis, or that it's in any way helpful to demonize them as such. Dialogue is key, and dehumanizing one another only furthers conflict.
There's a big problem with the AIPAC lobby in the US, and how afraid politicians are of criticizing Israel. That's part of the problem too - The Israeli state feels it has almost carte blanche in how it behaves. Completely isolating them would probably cause greater problems though - no matter how much it might feel just.