I find myself a bit sad and frustrated discussing matters with pro israel people on twitter.
I think its great to be able to exchange messages with possibly ordinary people. But the frustrating almost maddening thing is that they don't seem to listen.
Their deep first instinct seems to be, to interpret and re-interpret what is said, into the context of anti-semitism. At that point many of them seem to switch off. I can well imagine that there are some nutters in the world who hate jews. And that convergent with a less than favourable opinion of israel would be these anti-semites.
I feel sorry for the isrealis. Its not as if they don't have enemies who would kill them all. So their paranoia has some basis in reality. And thats the shame of it. They're a democracy which listens more and more to nutters.
They listen to the terrorists in alarm and crack down with enough force that new terrorist recruits are never a problem. They see us on the outside judging, our refusal to understand their tense situation, evidence of our lack of sympathy to them specifically? Which further feeds their suspicion?
This freedom flotilla, raising awareness of this gaza prison. The pro israel people cannot seem to imagine that the flotilla is not full of hamas sympathisers.
The whole thing is really frustrating.
Then we might turn to the Right of Return issue. They will jump to strange conclusions if you say that israels right to exist is tentative without resolution of these issues. Right of return is absolute. So Isreal either needs to cease to exist, or compensate peoples for abandoning that right of return.
I want israel to resolve this right of return issue. So that we can all feel that they are a viable, legit country. But they see any negotiation, a sign of weakness? That a sign of weakness will only invite more terrorism?
And so they're trapped in this frame of mind.
Meanwhile no doubt, our European Union will continue to trade in hopeful friendship with israel. Invite them to our sporting contests and the Eurovision song contest.
Come on Israel, take a step to Europe. And Europe will take ten steps to You.
