The Palestinians of present-day Israel appears to comprise descendants of Jews converted under duress to Islam. However many of the East European Jews who led the occupation of Palestine following World War 2 are the descendants not of Palestinian jews but of European groups that converted to Judaism. In that case, who has the right to claim Israel as their homeland?
The origin of Palestinians and their genetic relatedness with other Mediterranean populations
ABSTRACT: The genetic profile of Palestinians has, for the first time, been studied by using human leukocyte antigen (HLA) gene variability and haplotypes. The comparison with other Mediterranean populations by using neighbor-joining dendrograms and correspondence analyses reveal that Palestinians are genetically very close to Jews and other Middle East populations, including Turks (Anatolians), Lebanese, Egyptians, Armenians, and Iranians. Archaeologic and genetic data support that both Jews and Palestinians came from the ancient Canaanites, who extensively mixed with Egyptians, Mesopotamian, and Anatolian peoples in ancient times. Thus, Palestinian-Jewish rivalry is based in cultural and religious, but not in genetic, differences. The relatively close relatedness of both Jews and Palestinians to western Mediterranean populations reflects the continuous circum-Mediterranean cultural and gene flow that have occurred in prehistoric and historic times. This flow overtly contradicts the demic diffusion model of western Mediterranean populations substitution by agriculturalists coming from the Middle East in the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition.
Israel Delays All-Out Assault On Gaza Amid Growing International Pressure, As Civilians Flee To South
I think Armstrong is correct when he says we have this war because a war was what somebody or some group needed right now.
ReplyDeleteHowever, my hunch is it was the current Israeli administration, and especially Prime Minister Ben Netanyahu, who need this war, much more than Russia.
In fact, I doubt Russia has much at stake in this war. Putin isn't so stupid as to get involved in two or more wars at the same time.
Netanyahu, not so long ago, looked like he was not only going to be ousted from office due to serious, felony corruption charges, but also heading to jail.
This is just the situation where a good war provides a distraction and makes a "leader" look like a hero. Plus, the public is easily persuaded they can't "change horses in midstream".
Iran and Russia are increasingly strong allies, but it is Iran backing Russia, not vice versa.
I'm outraged Israel is using white phosphorous on the mainly civilian population of Gaza. Of course Israel wants us to believe they are the good guys and the victims of violence, and of course we get suckered in every time. I'm outraged by that, too.
Yes, it seems unlikely that Israel would have had no intelligence warning of the attack by Hamas, and if such intellgence was ignored, then the conflict would indeed appear to be one of choice by Netanyahoo.
ReplyDeleteThe intensity of hatred between Jew and Palestinian as manifest in the brutality of the conflict suggests that the project to create a Jewish homeland in someone else's homeland is doomed to eventual failure.
Either that or the world stands by as Israel murders every Palestinian in the country.
DeleteThat'll show 'em whose country it is!
We'll see.
I noticed yesterday there are 390 members in the US House of Representatives ready to back Israel. Israel appears to be planning to kill all two million people in Gaza.
(Interestingly Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is among the small minority of dissent. This may be the first time I am aware of agreeing with her.)
AlJazeera: This is genocide
DeleteThis dystopian-like horror has been Israel’s ‘end game’ all along: pulverise every square inch of Gaza and its people into dust and memory.
Good, because we are not going to allow this to happen.
Delete