Tuesday, December 16, 2008
That's what they call Naim Ateek, anyway. Ateek, as readers here know, is the founder of the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center and a full-time anti-Israel activist. He's got a new book out, and all the best liberal Christians are praising it. In it he accuses Israel "a slow and creeping genocide." I'm fairly certain a slow genocide is in the same genus and species as jumbo shrimp. Dexter Van Zile has the scoop: Have They No Shame? Have They No Decency?
...Rev. Dr. Ateek's assertion that Israel has perpetrated a "slow and creeping genocide" is libelous, contemptible and chimerical. The population of Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip has quadrupled over the past 60 years. The modifers "slow and creeping" do not make Ateek's accusation any less dishonest.
To hide the obscene nature of his charge, Rev. Dr. Ateek tucks it in between a terrible and hostile quote from an extremist Jewish group and a description of Israelis using dogs to attack Israelis. The quote, however terrible, does not represent the opinion of all Israelis toward Palestinians, a fact that Rev. Dr. Ateek himself acknowledges with the phrase "some Zionists." He then asserts that this belief was put into practice "over time."
Exactly how? By allowing Palestinians -- even those responsible for violence against Israel -- into its hospitals during times of conflict? By allowing food and medical supplies into the Gaza Strip while rockets land in Sderot? By according Palestinians standing before its Supreme Court?
This is "genocide"?...
Slow, creeping! Just not the way to do things. At the rate they're going the sun will be a smoldering ember before they're done. For crying out loud already. If they don't speed it up they'll have to come up with a whole new category of extermination. I mean "Extermination by Letting Everyone Die of Natural Causes" certainly doesn't have that deviously Jewish ring to it. And besides, I really don't think it's practical.
(btw - "What Would We Do Without Peace Activists?"
Do you suppose they would let us kill 'em all and find out? Kind of a science experiment sorta thing. Maybe?)
Related.