David Gaines

Recent Activity

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  David signed the petition | over 1 year ago

  No More Senseless Bicycle Deaths!
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  David commented on the article | about 3 years ago

  Where Is the Progressive Jewish Community Right Now?

  This isn't a court of law; I assume you know how to find the websites for the numerous places/people/organizations to which I've already referred you; and feel free not to refer to me by my last name. It's considered rude, as most kindergartners are aware, and it's not helping to endear me to your propaganda.
  
  As for Mr. Samuelson's claim that there is an absence of "serious protests" from the Israeli left, I suppose that all depends on your definition of "serious" and what constitutes "the Israeli left." Uri Avnery and Gush Shalom are protesting. The Shministim are protesting (www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2008/12/17/support-the-shministim/). Deb Reich is protesting (www.counterpunch.org/reich01022009.html). Hundreds of left wing activists protested right in front of the Defense Ministry last weekend; this was even reported in Haaretz (www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1050470.html). Is that enough protesting? I can keep citing "serious protests from the Israeli left" if you like.

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  David commented on the article | about 3 years ago

  Where Is the Progressive Jewish Community Right Now?

  [[1. The Israel Government does not murder anyone.]]
  
  This is demonstrably false. You are clearly unaware of multiple  firsthand reports to the contrary from Amnesty International, B'Tselem, the Shministim (do you even know what B'Tselem is or who the Shministim are?), Jewish Voice For Peace, and other groups. As you are so fond of saying, merely stating something does not make it so.
  
  [[2. Hamas murder innocent civilians, as a stated cause of their charter.]]
  
  No one here is defending the targeting of civilians, by Hamas or anyone else, as far as I can tell.
  
  [[3. Israel is acting solely in self-defense as would any government faced with thousand of rocket attacks.]]
  
  You refuse to consider the reason why there is an environment/culture/situation that permitted these rocket attacks to occur in the first place.
  
  [[4. Their is no justification for the launching of rockets on civilians, it is pure terror.]]
  
  I'm sure we can all agree on this. And as soon as the IDF ends its humiliating treatment (and worse) of Palestinians, support for the most extreme elements in Palestinian politics will evaporate.
  
  The side issue here is the hilarious sham of "Israeli democracy".......ask Israeli Arabs and even Israeli Jews who happen to be Sephardic, or simply not observant enough, how equal they feel under Israel's democracy. Don't ask Alan Dershowitz or Abe Foxman or whoever runs Hadassah these days.....ask members of minorities who live in Israel, particularly non-Jewish. Ask them how they feel about living in the only country on Earth that allows members of only one religion/ethnic group (to which they do not belong) from anywhere in the world to be its citizens simply by showing up and claiming said citizenship. But I digress.

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  David commented on the article | about 3 years ago

  Where Is the Progressive Jewish Community Right Now?

  [[ I happen to think that Dershowitz does a damn good job of summarizing the case for Israel, and he is a well respected attorney, world wide, on international law.]] HILARIOUS!!  Alan "Where's the nearest TV camera?" Dershowitz, the biggest shill AIPAC and Abe Foxman could possibly have, is probably the last person anyone ought to go to for factual, accurate information regarding what is being done to the Palestinians. I wouldn't trust an attorney who chose to defend both O.J. Simpson AND Claus von Bülow, and thinks legalizing torture is a good idea to boot, as far as I could throw him. As far as your "smelling-of-racism" charge goes, why don't you read the Jewish Voice For Peace website (www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org) and see what Jewish Americans like me have to say in agreement with this position?

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  David commented on the article | about 3 years ago

  Where Is the Progressive Jewish Community Right Now?

  [[ David, What has self defense got to do with the number of casualties on each side?  ]] It has everything to do with it, and my point was fairly obvious. The disproportionate response on the part of Israel should be an embarrassment to Jewish Americans. It is to this one. You seem to think, strangely, that absent Hamas a magical shroud of peace will envelop Israel, even with no change in its own attitude, behavior, or politics. I'm not interested in Israel, i.e. "us", vs. the Palestinians, i.e. "them". Us vs. them is a dead-end, no-win route to follow to solve conflicts like this. There will be no peace without justice, and the liberal Democrats in this country who mysteriously turn into conservative Republicans when the subject of Israel comes up don't get it. Hamas is not responsible for the root cause of why Palestintians are so furious at Israel. Read what the Shministim (if you prefer young people) or Uri Avnery (if you prefer old people) have to say if you're not interested in what the Palestinians themselves have to say.

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  David commented on the article | about 3 years ago

  Where Is the Progressive Jewish Community Right Now?

  The idea that this is only "self-defense" on the part of Israel is hilarious given the ridiculously lopsided nature of this conflict, not to mention the casualties involved:  Palestinians = ca. 300, Israelis = less than 10. And I'm hardly the only Jewish-American who is offended by this.
  
  Michael Ross' nuanced and thorough command of internal Palestinian politics above is fascinating but not particularly helpful. A choice between Hamas and Fatah was no choice at all. It became a matter of what we here in the USA call "throw the bums out" or "the lesser of two evils." I prefer the latter, being a 3rd party supporter myself.
  
  I suggest that people who think the way Michael Ross does and haven't delved very deeply into what is actually going on in the lives of Palestinians living (or, more accurately, trying to live) in Gaza and the West Bank read Mustafa Barghouti's essay here: www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/2008/12/view_from_a_pal/. Also look at B'Tselem, as well as what Jewish Voice For Peace,  and the Shministim whom they support, have to say.

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  David commented on the article | about 3 years ago

  Where Is the Progressive Jewish Community Right Now?

  I'm amazed that Charles Lenchner, given his background, apparently has never heard of Jewish Voice For Peace, the existence (and prominence) of which is the answer to his question:  www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/