A Snapshot of Linguistic Cynicism on ‘Terrorism’

A quick but illustrative juxtaposition of news tonight, before I start building tomorrow’s page:

Shin Bet chief: Hamas will use terror to thwart talks

and

Likud MKs threaten to withdraw support for budget if settlement freeze extended

Same newspaper, same night. In the first piece, it is clear that any action taken by Hamas is automatically terror, even if directed at Israel soldiers. As pointed out often here, this is not terrorism but a military attack on state actors by non-state actors (though in Hamas’ case, the “non-state” is debatable). But let’s just assume they mean the typical Tel Aviv café attacks of the Intifada. This warning about Hamas’ intentions has within it the assumption that Israel is doing all it can to help along the peace talks. The second piece shows that it in fact does the very opposite.

Hardline Israeli MPs are calling for an end to the (false) settlement freeze in order to pass the budget, just as another round of certainly pointless “peace talks” are to resume. If this happens, it will certainly kill any agreement, and the Likudniks know it. Israel, of course, doesn’t have to do terrorism to be able to build its settlements, because it has achieved terror in totality throughout Palestine. That is, Israel’s terror is a finished product of many decades. None have the power or inclination to challenge the state’s land grabs and colonial project on any level.

Except, you see, for Palestinian “terrorists.” Neat, huh?

51 thoughts on “A Snapshot of Linguistic Cynicism on ‘Terrorism’”

  1. Your first quote does not say what you say it says
    (even though he may have said what you say he says). Not arguing…just nit-picking.

  2. 本站http://www.taoua.com拥有来自淘宝大量商品数据,其中包括,女装,男装,美容,护肤,彩妆,母婴,手机,电脑,美食等!

  3. The rockets exploded near a kibbutz in which the homes and public structures have not been fortified against such attacks, because it is located in an area that is relatively far from Gaza and which has rarely been targeted in the past..
    Gaza terrorists have been attacking Israeli civilian communities on a daily basis in the past week, in what is seen as a reaction to the "peace talks" between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Similarly, recent ambushes of Israelis in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem are also seen as being timed to coincide with the talks. Four Jews, including a pregnant woman in her ninth month, were murdered near Hevron on the eve of the talks in Washington two weeks ago; Hamas claimed responsibility.

    DUH …..couldn't be those rockets ot attacks on civilians …? Gee I guess the Isarelis are not even allowed to complain about it any more huh Sapienza ?

    1. And in your opinion, the Israeli state does nothing to provoke this? History began yesterday with Palestine inhabited and politically ruled by European Jews, with evil Arabs randomly bombing Israeli civilians for absolutely no reason or goal? What happened just before the Gaza war when Hamas was sticking hard to a ceasefire? israel obliterated it.

      None of the extremists wants peace because their existence is based on war against an enemy.

    2. Also, your "Judea, Samaria" and "Hevron" terminology mean you are biased from the get-go. I'm just an anti-interventionist. You have an ethnic or religious bias.

      1. Jermy , jews have been in the land continuously , even after 73 A.D., the land was never "juden rieden " . In fact arabs have been killing jews in Palestine for centuries , not on a mass scale , just only when they got pissed off ..The slaughters in Tel Aviv took place before 1948 . Arabs selling land to jews then killing them only to resell it , had been going on long before 1948 . Hamas sticking hard to a ceasefire ??? Who are you kidding Jeremy ??? I have to laugh when the palestinians demand a return to '67 borders , for it make one wonder , whatr was wrong with the ' 48 borders , and the wars waged before '67 ?

        1. and btw the way Jeremy , those names [ not terms ] are what the jews call those areas , ya know , just like the palestinians with Al Quds , and the geographic designations they give to their towns and cities . Maybe you oughta educate yourself , and READ the Palestinian National Charter , The Hamas Charter , and The Hizbolla Proclaimation . I'm Italian American Jeremy , and I have no bias , just objectivity . YOU are the one with a bias .

          1. Read the Palestinian National Charter , then come back here and try to tell me the extremist dont want peace because their existence depends on war against an enemy .

        2. Mind telling me what any of this has to do with America? Or why we should give away 3 billion dollars a year to Israel?

  4. Rocket attacks , attacks on civilians ….just when any hint of peacetalks takes place….just normal Hamas stuff , eh Sapienza ?

  5. I guess stuff like that wouldn't make the news anywhere else , and reaction to it , just more "finished product " -Israeli terrorism .
    Gee you ain't too biased are ya Sapienza ?

  6. And how dare Netanyahu make such a ridiculous demand , that a starting point be recognition by ther palestinian leaders , of Israel's right to exist ! The nerve of these people eh /

    1. That is a ridiculous demand. What a stupid, bratty, non-starting demand, that an organization built in opposition to your own political entity having booted them out of their own land and setting up shop for the benefit of only your own people should be recognized as legitimate by those very people thrown out. It's complete insanity, and not just that, unnecessary and impossible — which is why everyone demands it for "peace." Because Israel's hardline knows it will not happen, so they don't have to make peace. Voila.

      1. Gee two parties negotiating , one of which is sworn by covenant to destroy the other -by any means , so the other makes as a pre-requisite for any peace deal …that the opponent drops it's stated demand for it's destruction ….hmmm….let me think about this ..HUH ? __Sapienza calls this "ridiculous " ! …." a stupid bratty non starting demand " ????? I guess you vwere not aware of Oslo huh Sapienza ? or even the Road to Peace , or the Quartet …..WHERE were you Sapienza ? Getting your diapers changed ?

        1. Linguistic WHAT ? Tll me Sapienza , you've alreay proven you know nothing of the conflict , other than your bias against Israel , what is someone with your limited knowledge of the subject doing commenting on it ? Do you think the palestinians are serious about their Natiional Charter ? Have you read it ? Do you think that just maybe , they have been acting on it ? Did you know that removing the language in it , was an agreed upon prerequuisite for Oslo , yet never met by the Palestinians ? Even after THREE attempts at bringing it up in the Palestinian National Council ,and three times it was rejected !

    2. This is another good linguistic example. It's not "Israel's right to exist" that is denied, but "Israel's right to exist as a jewish (as opposed to israeli) state" which is opposed.
      Israel defines itself as the land of the Jewish people (As opposed to the Israeli people) and by law distiguishes Jewish citizens from non-Jewish citizens.
      It would be as if the US would declare itself the state of the Caucasian people, and then act surprised when the hispanic, african-american, asians and native americans refused to acknowledge it as such.

  7. Your teeth are showing Sapienza , hope you dont think anyones dumb enough not to see that ? And you're just "building tommorrow's page " ? Yea , I'll bet you are , and I'll bet it's going to be more one side OPINION .

  8. The only "finished product " here is the palestinians usual practice of bombing it's way out of any peace talks . It's od hat chum , dispaly a willingness to talks ,and then …kill some civilians fire some rockets , just o get things moving . Pretty NEAT HUH ?
    You betcha .

    1. Here's a question: are the Palestinians anything but pure evil? Are the Israelis anything but purely just saints? I'd like to see who I'm dealing with here.

  9. <before I start building tomorrow’s page:> It seems you are building your tomorrow's page on today's foundation of bovine scat, and a pretty soft one at that. As for < non-state actors (though in Hamas’ case, the “non-state” is debatable).>… Who else, besides you, sees Gaza strip as State? A State of Chaos, perhaps, Al Capone style?

    1. I said Hamas was a government, and it is. Not up for debate or interpretation. It won an election and is generally obeyed as the authority in Gaza, as much as any government. It runs state ministries and collects taxes. This doesn't mean it controls every inch of its territory, and neither does any other government.

      But you're right, Gaza is a terrible mess of a prison, and can you imagine why? Not because Gazans haven't been allowed to have a real economy in decades. Not because Israel smashed its infrastructure to hell just recently. Surely not because of a non-military blockade — they just opened a mall, they must all be rich and just crying for the cameras!

  10. I see that hasbara agents are out in force this morning. Who else would be obtuse enough to completely misunderstand Sapienza’s point. Or to fail to see Israel for the pariah criminal terror state that it is?

  11. One board squeaks and out come the freaks. Seems that as soon as the debate grows hot against Israeli activities you can count on people who've never been here before suddenly showing up, rappelling onto the AntiWar decks, and shooting anything in sight. Once these Liberty lovin drive-by comments have peppered the lifeboats these masked crusaders vanish into the night until the next go round. Like clock work.

  12. I remember when I first became aware of the persecution of Palestinians by the European colony that is called Israel. My Jewish friend, Deborah, had just spent an extended semester or half-year visit, and like so many Americans who visit Israel and encounter the apartheid state and racism and theft against Palestinian property there, they are horrified. I remember Deb telling me, "Larry, they treat Palestinians in a way that would make Jim-Crow treatment of African-Americans blush." Similarly, the Anglican Bishop of Palestine, who used to live near me, once told me: "I am older than the state of Israel." He then showed me a photo he took of his bombed church. The altar was destroyed, and there were pieces of a US-government provided "smart bomb."

  13. the "brave" arab muslim terrorists murdered a pregnant woman and 4 other
    unarmed civilians

    the idiots call it "divine victory"

    it is comforting to see how the plo is doing hamas

  14. You want peace? Make peace.

    Jacking around trying to take something for nothing isn't making peace. Neither is glorious resistance to the juggernaut. Eventually David will conquer Goliath with much blood shed, or they'll make an arrangement that is beneficial to both.

    America, though, needs to stay out of it.

  15. If only David could "survive" within its legal borders.. By the way, what exactly do you think is the right thing palestinians should do – bend over and spread?

    1. great analogy anacephal , kind of matches you're tag …lol..phonetically speaking . It is indeed amusing to argue this issue with people who are so utterly ignorant of the facts , and so woefully unaware of their own ignorance . Yet so transpareent i your bias .Your contempt for logic and reason is almost facinating .
      But hey , just look at who you are reponding to …lol…Sapienza …one who purposely languishes [ and proudly so I might add ] in his own self-imposed ignorance of the issue , and relies soley on parroted talking points , of which he has no idea of whether they are true or not , due to his own intellectual laziness in researching the issue , and offers this tripe as a valid argument .

    2. Israelm IS within it's legal borders , and has been since 1948 . Attacks by war from it's neighbors FIVE times already , seems to indicate that it is not David who cannot survive within it's own borders .
      Oh , and what do I think is the right thing for palestinians to do ?
      FIRST- stop killing , because invariably Israel will respond , whether you or anyone else likes it or not , and you'll whine not about the provocation , but only about the reaction ./ SECOND they should abolish /remove /revise the words in their own National Charter , which call for and give religious licence to, the Destruction of the State of Israel and the murder of jews .[don't believe it ? read it ]
      THAT is the STARTING POINT , and so it has been with Oslo /The Road to Peace / and the Quartet as the agreed starting point , but not lived upto in the least by the palestinians .

  16. Sapoienza , other than your predisposed bias , you know NOTHING .Hamas obeyed ??? Gaza a prison ???
    LOL….the only reason your twisted piece of ill -literature got posted on this blog , is because you are a sycophant to this blog's like minded views . No, palestinians are not "pur evil " and " Israelis saints " – how juvenile , how absurd – is your manner of thinking .
    Do palestinians REALLY want peace ? Are they REALLY of the intention of a TWO STATE SOLUTION ? If their words have any meaning , the answer to that is a resounding NO .
    You speak out of a selkf-imposed IGNORANCE Sapienza , and ONLY because , those who gravitate to this blog are like-minded biased individuals , as it's author ,– are you not laughed off , lol….but "honored " . What a joke you are Sapienza .

  17. Peace for us means the destruction of Israel. We are preparing for
    all-out war, a war which will last for generations." –
    Yasser Arafat, former leader of the PLO.

    "We plan to eliminate the state of Israel and establish a purely
    Palestinian state. We will make life unbearable for Jews by
    psychological warfare and population explosion. We Palestinians will
    take over everything, including all of Jerusalem." – Yasser Arafat,
    former leader of the PLO.

  18. Peace for us means the destruction of Israel. We are preparing for
    all-out war, a war which will last for generations." –
    Yasser Arafat, former leader of the PLO.

  19. "We plan to eliminate the state of Israel and establish a purely
    Palestinian state. We will make life unbearable for Jews by
    psychological warfare and population explosion. We Palestinians will
    take over everything, including all of Jerusalem." – Yasser Arafat,
    former leader of the PLO.

    "

  20. "We plan to eliminate the state of Israel and establish a purely
    Palestinian state. We will make life unbearable for them by
    psychological warfare and population explosion. We Palestinians will
    take over everything, including all of Jerusalem." – Yasser Arafat,
    former leader of the PLO.

  21. "The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian
    state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of
    Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference
    between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for
    political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of
    a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit
    the existence of a distinct 'Palestinian people' to oppose Zionism…
    For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined
    borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa. While as a Palestinian,
    I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem.
    However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will
    not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan." – PLO executive
    committee member Zahir Muhsein, March 31, 1977, interview with the Dutch
    newspaper Trouw.

  22. So …Sapienza ….is it " a bratty non starter " for Israel to demand that the palestinians recognize it's right to exist ? Seems that question has been arond since BEFORE 1977 , since BEFORE there was even an entity called "palestinian. But why bother with the facts , eh Sapienza ?

  23. Why should the U.S. help Israel? Why get involved in somebody else's fight? I see no reason for America to have ever taken sides in this mess, other then the all-powerful Zionist lobby in Washington. America would have been better off in every possible way without Israel.

  24. Yea Andy , you know those trolls , just throwing the truth , and historical facts around , not caring who it hits .
    Everyones entitled to their opinion , but I take exception to opinions that claim they are based in facts , when in reality ….it simply opinion based in bias and parroted rhetoric . And his own bias is what leads him to believe any counterpoints made must be based in bias . In addition I seriously doubt that Sapienza has done his homework well enough to credibly criticize Israel OR the palestinians for that matter

  25. LOL…is that the standard defense Andy ? oh ….I get it !…. Make a bigoted remark , and simply because the remark is exposed for what it is ….lol….then you what ? "win the argumnent " ??? LOL…..did Lear really think he could do so , and veil it with subtlety ? What a display of ignorance , But I guess in your small minds , the obvious inference , goes unoticed .But only by people of similar mentality as yours .
    " Tim R is back and he is R/T after a long stay in a Kibbutz "

    Not only is that remark an obvious inference to a particular ethnicity , no doubt meant as a perjoritive , but it is irrelevant to the subject matter being discussed and an indicator that the arguments posed have surpassed your intelligence .
    Lear ….you're not as smart as you percieve yourself to be , you do however , have a sycophant in Andy , who will glady reinforce your ignorance .

  26. YOUR QUESTION ? The only "qyestion you've asked , aside from y6our juvenile remarks , was rhetorical ….'why should the US help Isreal …" , and I've answered already Israel is a freind and ally . Israel is not perfect , but right . Why shouldn't the US help a freind an ally , we give billions to her enemies , almost a billion a year to Egypt , we sell arms to Saudi Arabia , we've already donated almost 2 billion to the palestinians , over the years , we've trained and armed their "police force " .
    Why should I take your position ? And be a dupe like you ? You think I buy the sob story of barbarians like you ? I've studied this situation since 1962 , when did you start ? I've been to most countries in the middle east including Israel , Ive talked to arabs muslims ,Israelis , where have you been ? ,and who have you talked to ? I pay attention to what arabs are saying in the middle eastern countries , not the news bites you here , but accurate translations of what they say to one another in arabic , farsi , urdu etc Where and what hgave you been wasting your time and intellect on ?

    1. First of all, why don't you take a lesson in how to write and spell. Your ranting is not an answer at all to my questions. It is an unrealistic assessment that addresses none of my questions. You say Israel is an "ally"? Wrong. In actual point of fact America does not have an alliance with Israel. A "friend"? With a "friend" like Israel, America sure doesn't need any enemies. Just ask the Liberty survivors. The only reason we give money to Egypt is due to the power of AIPAC. America bribed one of Israel's enemies to make peace. I see no benefit to America of this. To intelligent Americans who put THEIR OWN country first, may I suggest the article now on Antiwar.com 'THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH ISRAEL' by John Mearsheimer.

  27. I'd say you spend too much time watching cartoons and following the rantings of idiot internet demagogues , like Lew Rockwell . And judging by your previous juvenile remarks , you can't think for yourself and are easily led by fools . Have YOU read what I posted ? You think those statements by Arafat and other PLO members are false ? Have YOU read the Palestinian National Charter ? The Hamas Charter ? The Hisbolla Proclaimation ? …Do you think they are "just kidding ": ? Do you think they are a false representation of prevailing sentiment ?

    That do it for ya Andy ?

  28. When I first realized that eBook Readers have been already beginning to render the paperback ebook out of date, I grew to become distraught. My novel was all the time meant to be a paperback; a helpful little e-book that would simply fit in a backpack or a handbag. I knew the printing industry was already getting hit onerous however I figured the distinctive tactile act of studying a paperback e book still had a great decade left in it. Vanessa Bassil

Comments are closed.