Friday, March 28, 2008
Where the Moderates Are
Here's an interesting review of Army of Shadows: Palestinian Collaboration with Zionism, 1917-1948
...For more than 90 years, Arab radicals have been at war not only with with Zionism, but simultaneously with any Arab voice - Christian, Muslim, Druse or Beduin - advocating moderation and coexistence with the Zionist enterprise. So, where are the moderates?
They are dead - hacked up with axes, riddled with bullets, slaughtered with knives and exploded by bombs. That's where the Arab moderates are. This book chronicles their story from the start of the British Mandate until the War of Independence...
This reminds me of a naive statement by the theater director after that performance of My Name is Rachel Corrie I saw recently (full-length review still on the agenda). It came up in the discussion that these issues (what to do about peace, occupation, etc...) come up in Israel all the time. When it was suggested that the problem was that it was in Gaza that these issues were not discussed, the theater guy demurred -- "We don't know that." Actually, we do. There is no ability in any part of the Palestinian Authority or Hamas -- particularly there -- controlled areas to seriously discuss peace and have it manifest itself on the political level. Yes, there are undoubtedly individuals yearning for accommodation, but whoa be to those who stick their necks out too far or too loudly -- they may find themselves labeled a collaborator, dragged out onto the street and...you know the rest.
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BHG