5.10.2006 | "Jewish perceptions of reality"

There is a piece in yesterday's WaPo that is almost a parody of the sensitive and most likely politically liberal American multiculturalist.  

Given his affiliation as "professor of religion and Jewish studies at George Washington University" there's a good chance that he is also Jewish.

Mr. Eisen's religion might not matter, except for the fact that he comes across as one who must make apologies for Jews wanting their God-given homeland, Israel. And for doing what, for a Jew (or for anyone who recognizes the difference between right and wrong), should be unforgiveable: writing of the moral equivalence of Israel and the millions upon millions of Muslims who have never accepted Israel's right to exist and who adhere to a religion whose stated goal is to have dominion over all who are not Muslims.

One of the weaknesses of those who think both sides to the Israel-Arab struggle are morally equivalent is the excessive importance they place on perceptions.  From  Eisen's piece, this is stated baldly as:

what matters here is Jewish perceptions of reality, not necessarily the reality itself

This is, to say the least, nonsense.  It is willfully stupid, given the history of the Jewish people since the Romans massacred the Jewish population of Jerusalem and destroyed the Second Temple in 70 CE.

In the roughly two millenia since then, Jews have survived as minorities in foreign lands.  Sometimes Jews did well; sometimes they were slaughtered.  But always, until the last 200 or so years, it was at the sufferance of their gentile overlords.  And, until the re-creation of the State of Israel in 1948, Jews had no nation that was theirs.

This is not "perception." It is the harshest kind of reality, a reality of living apart and, often, despised. Any Jew should know this. Any human being should know this.

Arabs have 22 (or 23 if one counts "Palestine") nations, and, as the map shows, somewhat more territory than the Jews.  An hellacious amount more. 
Arabs and Muslims have controlled their destiny, more or less, for centuries.  That they are not very good at governing is neither here nor there.  They've got their nations, and, by happy coincidence, much unearned oil wealth.  Those nations are theirs to run well or ruin. 

Given this geographic and geopolitical imbalance, it can only be weakness of mind that makes a self-hating Jew such as Eisen write this mush:

Muslims have turned to violence because they see it as the only way to defend themselves.

Poor babies, being bullied by a tiny patch of arid land, by a Jewish population that they outnumber by many, many millions. Facts are inconvenient for those who would make equals of good and evil. 

Not that Israel is without sin, or that she should not be held to account for her actions.  Just that Jews have, since their diaspora, have been willing and able to live in peace -- if only they are left in peace.   Muslims have a sacred duty to convert Jews.  Or, if they will not convert, rule over them, with Jews again becoming second class citizens, accepting dhimmi status.   If Jews don't submit willingly to conversion or dhimmitude, they are to be killed. This is the truth of the Koran.

Ignoring this, Eisner, without irony, and, to me, without any surprise at all, concludes:

The ones who respond most positively to my thinking are Muslim clerics.

Shouldn't wonder.  To the Muslims, fools such as Eisner are what the Soviets used to call the "useful idiots" in the West -- those who would help defeat freedom.

| technorati tag | Israel|