Ethnic Cleansing at the Guardian UK
Today there was a piece titled “Ethnic cleansing in the Israeli Negev” in which the author Neve Gordon went way overboard accusing Israel of ethnically cleansing Bedouin from a hilltop shanty town.
But the real story was of the Guardian UK Comment is Free Moderators were conducting a bit of ethnic cleansing themselves. Yesterday I had written a piece long over due titled Zionist – as a Racial Slur in which I illustrate how the word Zionist is being used to hurl abuse at Jews, Israelis and their supporters, and even goes as far as being used as racial slur. A practice long adoped by both writers and commenters in Guardian CIF.
Commenting in a couple of articles that were posted over the past couple of days in the Guardian CIF that more than proved my point, I noticed that many people’s comments were just completely disappearing. Now this is nothing new, my blog was started as a result of Selective Censorship at the Guardian. But what was fascinating is that it was taking place in a blog that was supposedly addressing Ethnic Cleansing. Well it seems that the Guardian was doing a bit of Ethnic Cleansing of its own. Ethnically cleansing those darn Zionists from the pages of their comment section.
I’d say You should be ashamed of yourselves Guardian moderators, but they know all to well what they are doing, and apparently have no problems conducting ethnic cleansing.
Bravo to commenter TheVoiceofIsrael for posting a complete slamdown of the Guardian’s mis-use of the term Ethnic Cleansing, maybe they’ll finally learn something (I won’t hold my breath). In closing, I’d like to post TheVoiceofIsrael’s rebuttle. Until next time:
"Ethnic cleansing"? Assuming this allegation were anywhere near to being true, could Mr. Gordon please explain what the logic would be?
Israeli Bedouin are citizens of Israel -- they serve in the Israel army, they are members of the Knesset (parliament), they serve in Israel's diplomatic corps (one is/was Israel consul in San Francisco), etc. No one is evicting them from Israel, so what would be the logic in supposedly evicting them from one place in Israel in order to move them to another place in Israel? Is that what "ethnic cleansing" is about?
Most of the Bedouin live in the south of Israel, in the Negev, which is mostly desert, and some live in the north (the Galilee). Many still follow a tradition of nomadic life, but most have actually settled in legitimate towns and villages, such as Rahat, Tel Sheva, or Busmat Tab'on. But occasionally, some move to a hilltop in the Negev and start building shanty towns, and then get evicted.
If this is ethnic cleansing, then this must be a new definition of the term.
Personally, I believe that the Bedouin in Israel have been shamefully neglected, similar to minorities in the United States, Australia, and probably most countries in the world. But none of that is an viable excuse. If Neve Gordon called for a demonstration in Jerusalem for more government assistance for the Bedouin I would probably come myself. But as soon as he presents it as "ethnic cleansing" it becomes cheap propaganda.
The Bedouin's plight should not be used as a propaganda tool. They have a very real grievance as do other minorities in many other countries. They deserve (and often get) the support of other Israelis.
As I said, Neve, if you are truly interested in helping tht Israeli Bedouin, drop the propaganda and the cheap rhetoric, and I (and many other Israelis) will join you.
Israeli Bedouin are citizens of Israel -- they serve in the Israel army, they are members of the Knesset (parliament), they serve in Israel's diplomatic corps (one is/was Israel consul in San Francisco), etc. No one is evicting them from Israel, so what would be the logic in supposedly evicting them from one place in Israel in order to move them to another place in Israel? Is that what "ethnic cleansing" is about?
Most of the Bedouin live in the south of Israel, in the Negev, which is mostly desert, and some live in the north (the Galilee). Many still follow a tradition of nomadic life, but most have actually settled in legitimate towns and villages, such as Rahat, Tel Sheva, or Busmat Tab'on. But occasionally, some move to a hilltop in the Negev and start building shanty towns, and then get evicted.
If this is ethnic cleansing, then this must be a new definition of the term.
Personally, I believe that the Bedouin in Israel have been shamefully neglected, similar to minorities in the United States, Australia, and probably most countries in the world. But none of that is an viable excuse. If Neve Gordon called for a demonstration in Jerusalem for more government assistance for the Bedouin I would probably come myself. But as soon as he presents it as "ethnic cleansing" it becomes cheap propaganda.
The Bedouin's plight should not be used as a propaganda tool. They have a very real grievance as do other minorities in many other countries. They deserve (and often get) the support of other Israelis.
As I said, Neve, if you are truly interested in helping tht Israeli Bedouin, drop the propaganda and the cheap rhetoric, and I (and many other Israelis) will join you.
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