For the third time since being on facebook, I have been unfriended (I am told that this is a pretty good retention record, especially for someone who generally puts political material on his page. But I digress….)
The reason is that, over the past two weeks, Billy had put up one post after another bashing Israel without one word against hamas – the terrorist organization which precipitated the current conflict by firing enough missiles and other ordnance into Israel to push them to respond – and which led up to the kidnapping and killing of three teenage Jewish boys, one an American citizen.
The last straw was yesterday, when he put up an attack by noam chomsky, the linguistics professor who has, for many years, been a self-loathing Jew and major-league Israel basher.
Here is what I posted on Billy\’s facebook page:
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Billy – maybe you should take time out from your unrelenting hatred of Israel and support of the terrorist group hamas to do a few things:
-Read the hamas charter, which specifically calls for the obliteration of Israel, the death of all Jews both in and out of Israel, and the rejection of all peace talks or negotiations as a religious blasphemy.
-Then reflect on the fact that hamas is firing its missiles and other artillery from schools and hospitals – thus leaving Israel with the choice of either giving terrorists ongoing free shots at its population, or firing back and being accused by the Billy Samples of the world as murderers. When this happens, it is hamas, not Israel, which generates the dead bodies you see in those pictures.
-Next, think about the fact that the disparity in body counts is because Israel created a defense system to protect its citizens. In Gaza, there are no warning sirens and no bomb shelters (except for the “brave leaders” who go into hiding when the bombs hit). The people are left with nowhere to go and nowhere to hide.
-After that, think about the fact that, unlike the hamas murderers, Israel is warning Gazans about impending bombings. This, to my knowledge is the only time in recorded history that a country gives forewarning of an attack so that the enemy knows to get out of harm\’s way (remember, that warning is seen not just by civilians but by the terrorists launching attacks as well). By contrast, hamas tells – not asks, but tells – Palestinian Arabs to stay right where they are. Who is responsible for the body count when that happens?
-And maybe leave a little time to consider why hamas uses the concrete and steel it could have built infrastructure with, to create a system of tunnels it can shuttle missiles and terrorists through.
-Finally, please note that when Israel – yes, ISRAEL – gave this land to Palestinian Arabs (Israel, ironically, is the one and only country that ever gave land to Palestinian Arabs – a little something that is conveniently forgotten), there was no blockade. The blockade arose because instead of living in peaceful coexistence, Gaza was turned into a firing range to attack Israel daily. The blockade exists only for that reason and, presumably, will be gone if Gaza stops trying to vaporize Israel.
When one of Billy\’s other friends commented that, while he agreed with every one of my points, he disagreed that Billy was an “unrelenting Israel-hater”, I clarified:
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Lloyd – the reference is to Billy\’s commentary about the Israel/hamas conflict. Incidentally, I\’m sorry I didn\’t add in another point for him to think about: the fact that, in World War II about 10 times as many Germans were killed as US citizens. Using the logic of disparate body counts, that would have made nazis the good guys and the USA the oppressor/murderers.
Today, I was in meetings during the morning. But when I got out, there was this message from Billy:
Unrelenting hatred of Israel? Seriously dude. My greatest living deity is Amy Goodman, a Jew, who has championed for Palestinian autonomy for years… goodbye, you were on the borderline with me anyway./
Given the unfriending, I assumed this would leave me no way to respond. But, inexplicably, there still was a space below Billy\’s blow-off, for me to do so. Here is what I wrote (I posted it using a cell phone\’s tiny keyboard, resulting in a number of typos…which, in the interest of keeping this as “clean” as possible, I am leaving as is):
Translation: If you have a left wing Palestintian Arab-sympathetic acquaintance…who happens to be Jewish…that somehow means you\’re not anti-Israel myself. Huh? Are you finished with the people who agree with me too? (NOTE: virtually every other commenter agreed with me, not Billy). Did you bother to read the points I enumerated? My conclusion was reached after teading something likea dozen of your anti-Israel posts…and I stand by it 100%
I\’m still trying to figure out how being in love with someone who, based on her politics and her commentaries, absolutely hates Israel\’s guts – and has felt this way long before the current conflict – proves that he doesn\’t. Maybe you can explain it to me.
Anyway, unless Billy Sample reconsiders (which I am indifferent to), we no longer are “friends”.
How will I face the neighbors…….
