Dodging the Debate

Not for the first time, I’ve noticed how there are certain subjects on which it is nigh on impossible to engage in reasonable debate. The most pressing subject at the moment is the Israeli attacks on Gaza. Yet, anyone exhibiting support or concern for Palestinians in that tiny strip of land is immediately assailed by the kind of accusations and justifications that defy logic, morality and compassion.

In these retorts, the deaths of 16 Israelis from Hamas rocket attacks in the last year is more than justification for a sustained air offensive against an area the size of the Isle of Wight and home to 1.5million people, the deaths of 400 of their number and 2000 injured (at the time of writing). Proportionate and appropriate are unheard of definers. Only Israel’s “right to defend itself” is of importance, the military might of the Israeli Defence Forces, the range of unchallenging political support it receives from Western governments, the highly questionable legitimacy of its territorial claims and its flagrant contravention of international covenants and agreements are neither here nor there, for it is made clear by those who defend its actions that no amount of Palestinian lives will ever equate to one Israeli life. In the face of such irrationality there really is nowhere to go. It’s not even as if those of us who are concerned about Israel’s actions have actively sought out discussion with holders of Israel’s might is right views, unfortunately, it is quite the contrary. Anyone expressing any sympathy or the least care for the plight of Palestinans is homed in on like a heat seeking missile by Zionist apologists and excoriated in whatever media comes to hand.

The assault has a detectable pattern-: response is swift and immediate, for many it is wholly unexpected and thus having been taken by surprise, many are unaware of just how vicious the exchange is going to be. It contains not only Zionist arguments as to why excessive military action is required against the ‘terrorists’ but will accuse the original correspondent of naivety, stupidity, collusion, collaboration and general bleeding heart liberalism- the aim of which is to make the attack personal and thus avoid any engagement in political reasoning for such is not the protagonist’s forte. It is a highly successful strategy and has silenced numerous individuals. It also has a disconcerting similarity to Israel’s strategy against Palestine.