Thomas Doerfler wrote:
> Am 02.06.2010 um 16:47 schrieb giorgio curti:
>
>> "It is of course true that in Germany any discussion of Israel is much more difficult and everyone tries to tread more carefully, because there is undeniably a unique historic responsibility (you may call it guilt, if you like)." --- My point exactly, and to label pointing this out as an "ad-hominem attack" - as some have - is to completely miss the (historical/cultural) point.
>>
>> "Does that justify denying any German his/her own point of view though?" --- No, of course not, but when that point of view attempts to divert attention from and put responsibility on the oppressed and marginalized, the historical and cultural situation of that point of view needs to be addressed.
>>
>> "In this forum of "critical geographers" different points of views should be allowed." --- Sure, I agree completely, but that suggests the points of view will be 'critical' (I mean this in the widest sense possible). If they are simply ideological reinforcements of and justifications for oppression, there will be a strong reaction.
>
> Dear Giorgio,
>
> thanks that you start to deconstruct yourself: take your last sentence seriously and reflect what you wrote, you may notice the blind spot: there is no "oppression" if you hinder some ships to enter a nation's territory. And you don't think there's no antisemitism in it? Maybe this one helps to cure such pseudo-egalitarian ideologies:
>
> http://youropenbook.org/?q=jews&x=0&y=0&gender=any
>
> The ship of fools was no freedom action, but a great media scoop, as I mentioned before.
>
> th.
Fortunately, not all Germans are thinking like Thomas. Norman Paech, a
72-year-old German pro-Palestinian activist described the events as follows:
" I hurried up and dressed myself and colleagues said to me 'we're under
attack, the Israelis are here'". "The aggression came from the sky, from
helicopters from which soldiers came down by ropes. We waited in the
fore room and saw them carrying an Israeli soldier who looked to me like
he'd had a breakdown. Then the second and third came, but after these
three injured soldiers then I saw a lot – maybe 10 – passengers who were
severely hurt, injured, covered in blood. They were treated in the salon
next to me. One was so badly injured I am sure he must have died soon
after. I didn't even consider going upstairs as it was just too dangerous."
Annette Groth, another German politician, described at a press
conference how she had seen Israeli soldiers outside her cabin, after
they had stormed the ship. "They were shooting without warning," she
said. "It was like war ... They had guns, Taser weapons, some type of
teargas and other weaponry, compared to two-and-a-half wooden sticks we
had between us. To talk of self-defence is ridiculous."
Paech also said he saw no arms being used by the activists. "There were
only two men with short sticks but no knives, iron rods, pistols or any
real weapons," he said. "Throughout our planning of the mission we said:
'no arms, no explosives', we said we'd only resist politically, with
normal means."
best
Ali
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