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When describing
the Gaza massacre which is more correct? Israel is responsible or Jews
are responsible? Consider this both a political science test and a test of
political correctness.
Regardless of your opinion of the massacre, whether it was in fact a
massacre or simply meting out righteous justice the country of Israel was
the main player in it. But is it correct to assign the responsibility to the
nation as a whole?
Israel says Hamas, its ostensible target in Gaza, is responsible. Much as a
little boy explains to his mother how the neighbor boy "made me hit him"
Israel declares it had no choice. Yet when we look at Israel we see 20% of
its citizens being against the war. I refer of course to the non-jewish
citizens of Israel.
On the other hand we can look to a recent Anti-Defamation League poll which
found 80% of jewish Americans support Israel's actions in Gaza. Ironically
jewish Americans are split the same as Israelis. As together the Jews of
Israel and the Jews of the United States comprise some 11.5 million of the
world's 13.5 million Jews these constitute an overwhelming majority so Jews
in countries other than these need not be polled as these two countries are
sufficient to address the majority of Jews. News reports from outside the US
indicate their near unanimous support for Israel. The exercise of conducting
an opinion poll is not worth the effort.
So let us examine the situation in Israel more closely. Israel is a
democracy in name only. The Israeli law which removes it from membership in
the league of democracies of the world disenfranchises parties and
politicians which advocate equate rights for all citizens of Israel. In
practice this means non-Jews will have the same additional rights which Jews
now enjoy.
Next we look at its military. While military service is mandatory for all
jewish Israelis it is optional for the non-jewish. Only the Druze as a whole
take advantage of it while Muslims do not.
There is a reason for the difference. As with all Israeli government
institutions the military discriminates against Muslims. Their chances for
promotion are nil save in segregated units. Their chance of rising to a rank
where they might command jewish Israelis is nonexistent -- only one token at
a time is permitted.
Is it honest to blame 100% of Israelis when only 80% are responsible for
Gaza? Is it responsible to include non-Jews as responsible for the massacre
when the people in the military who did it are nearly 100% Jews? Is it not
more honest to say 80% of Israelis and 80% of Jews are responsible?
One argument goes that all citizens are responsible for the actions of a
democracy. The mere acceptance of the process of voting makes one
responsible for the actions of the winner. One cannot claim innocence when
the other candidate wins any more than one can declare losing hands do not
count in poker.
Does this apply to Muslims in Israel? While their political possibilities
are circumscribed by law is this sufficient to absolve them from the
responsibilities which come from playing the game?
The answer is to be found in the response to the assignment of
responsibility to all voters regardless of who wins. Most people reject it
outright. Most people go so far as to deny responsibility for the actions of
the government even if their party and candidates win.
If the losers in an election are not responsible for the actions of their
government then the Muslim Israelis cannot be held responsible for the
actions of Israel. They are the perennial losers disenfranchised from the
fundamental principle of equal rights for all citizens. Responsibility then
falls to the jewish 80% of Israelis who support the war.
What is responsibility? In law it is giving material aid to an action.
Clearly then the Jews of Israel are responsible. It also appears non-Israeli
jewish support for the massacre qualifies as material aid to the massacre.
"We did not do it but we support it," is not a plea of innocence. It is
taking vicarious pleasure in massacre non-Jews.
So when talking about the Gaza massacre it is not proper to blame it on
Israelis. It is proper to blame it on the Jews.
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