Demonizing Palestinians
As we hear the barrage of news reports demonizing the Palestinians for attacking civilians, let's recall our own history here in the US, where we once demonized in very similar language the Native Americans whose land we were appropriating for ourselves. Native Americans were viewed as "savages" (an old word for terrorist) who indiscriminately murdered the European men, women, and children--the "innocent" civilians--who were settling Native American lands. These words from our own declaration of independence perfectly express the sentiment:
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
Looking back, we are now embarrassed at the way we demonized--and cruelly destroyed--Indian lives and cultures. I wonder if the settler-colonialists in Israel will some day look back on their current attitudes and actions with the same sense of shame?
Actually, I doubt most Americans give it a second's though on a monthly basis. And much of what we hear here, admittedly primarily from Israel's right wing and its American repeaters, seems to regard the killing of Palestinians as a desirable - and even enjoyable - thing is itself.
January 1, 2009 12:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
And we looked at the killing of Indians as a noble pursuit, too. Now we look back with a sense of shame at our own brutality. Are we witnessing in Gaza another Wounded Knee?
January 1, 2009 3:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
You don't even have to go back that far, do you? US rhetoric about Palestinians is the same as its rhetoric for Iraqis. Culture of violence, brutal Muslims, if they'd just stop attacking and forcing a response maybe we could get somewhere, etc. etc. etc.
January 1, 2009 1:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, but I think the interesting parallel is that:
1. Like the Palestinians, the Native Americans defended their land by attacking civilian settlers.
2. Like the Palestinians, the Native Americans were demonized by the settlers for these attacks (branded as merciless savages who killed civilians of all ages and sexes without discrimination--much as Palestinians are branded as terrorists targeting civilians today)
3. Today we look back with much greater understanding of the Native Americans and see them as engaged in a legitimate resistance effort against us Europeans who were, after all, taking their land.
January 1, 2009 3:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is an interesting comparison. As the Reverend John Cotton said in his sermon to the departing colonists, (led by Gov. John Winthorpe), in 1630: [paraphrased] It's OK to move into a country not altogether void of inhabitants. Using the example of Abraham and Isaac among the Philistines, he added that they didn't buy that land to feed their cattle, as there was 'room enough'. Obviously at a later date both the colonists and the native Americans decided there wasn't room enough for both to coexist peacefully.
January 2, 2009 9:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Israel has to fight them over there so we don't have to fight them over here. ...er ...or something.
January 1, 2009 3:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Purple State - I agree with what you are saying about the demonization of Palestinians. In my many visits to Israel recently, including the month of November, I can honestly say that attitudes of many have gone way beyond demonization to considering the Palestinians akin to bugs. Something irritating that should be smashed. For example,I went to shul with my niece in Kiryat Arba and heard the rabbi and others call for the outright extermination of Palestinians. To be fair this is not the attitude of most Israelis but I can assure you the number who think Palestinians are human is shrinking fast.
Not to be forgotten is that the demonization of Israelis by Palestinians is probably even worse. We must find a way to turn that around also.
January 1, 2009 7:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, JD, the demonization happens on both sides--and there's a propoganda war accompanying the shooting war in which each side tries to make the other side look completely evil. I hope this example from our own history helps people become aware of how damaging this kind of rhetoric can be and how careful one has to be to avoid being taken in by those who want to demonize their opponents. I can't imagine anyone now describing native Americans as "merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions" but that language is permanently preserved in one of our two most important founding documents.
January 2, 2009 7:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
That's the sense I had yesterday watching the news, when one Israeli was asked if she was concerned for all the deaths and injuries in Gaza. And it honestly seemed like she did not consider them humans - akin to Israelis. That was very, very troubling to me.
January 2, 2009 10:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
What would Jimmy do?
January 2, 2009 12:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think you will find this You Tube video indicative of Israeli and IDF attitudes toward the Palestinians.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q36LIaxXYP0
January 2, 2009 3:47 PM | Reply | Permalink