Opinion
Case of moral blindness
Isaac Ben-Israel
Published: 22.09.09, 18:55
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24 Talkbacks for this article
1. A disease that Martin Buber and his pals at HU
JMK ,   NYC   (09.22.09)
were part and parcel of and the principal formulators.
2. We need to address the 1st lie
Gee ,   Zikron Yaakov   (09.22.09)
This entire issue is built on one lie after another. It starts with the fact that there is no and has never been an occupation by Israel. The Arabs have no legal claim to our lands. That is what international law states. Until we begin at the starting point we are fighting an up hill battle. We have refute the lies.
3. Simple solution: Pay Arabs to leave.
Chaim ,   Israel   (09.22.09)
About 1,000,000 Jews fled Arab nations for Israel during Israel's birth and shortly after. Worldwide, tens of millions of post war refugees were successfully resettled. "Palestinians" could and should have been successfully resettled decades ago. Judea, Samaria and Gaza have rightfully belonged to Israel for more than 3,500 years. Israel need not rule over hostile Arabs. The solution is very simple. Pay them to leave, as polls show the large majority wish to do so. The Gulf Coast and Canada are their preferred destination.
4. GOLDSTONE A HOLIER-THAN-THOU
LAWRENCE RAP ARTISTE ,   Safed Israel   (09.22.09)
Bastard.
5. truth hurts
(09.22.09)
6. Nonsense
David ,   Montreal, CANADA   (09.22.09)
1. The references to occupation are fals; there was and is no occupation of Gaza (and I'm not referring to the Jews' historical right to this area). 2. What makes the Goldstone report morally blind is the double standard; where is the report on the Russian's war in Chechnya, or the American's in Iraq/Afghanistan, or NATO's in Bosnia, or.... Just the Jews deserve this treatment. Sadly this is nothing new.
7. Richard Goldstone
CJB ,   Johannesburg   (09.22.09)
The only question about this ANC supporter is whether he wrote the report before or after he went to the Middle East
8. and if
susu ,   .....honololo....   (09.22.09)
the intentions the acts the results were evil the report would be funny
9. THE HONOURABLE JUSTICE
LAWRENCE RAP ARTISTE ,   SAFED ISRAEL   (09.22.09)
Dear Justice Goldstone,with due respect. The recent war in Gaza was horrific and brutal no doubt.Innocents were killed no doubt.Thank G-d I did not have to serve in the army here.To give somebody a weapon and order them to kill others is indeed horrible.War is horrible,even I realise that fact.Palestinians are people too and not all bad.But a sovereign nation has a moral duty to protect its citizens from lethal rocket fire.Rather than be an "armchair critic" go live in Sderot to gain a different perspective.Israel stupidly pulled out of gaza and received thousands of rockets in gratitude.Blame Hamas for their deadly provocation which inevitably resulted in a lethal Israeli response (Cast Lead.)WAR IS TERRIBLE INDEED,but do not just blame Israel ...that is the easy and fashionable thing to do.
10. GOLDSTONE IS WORST SORT OF JEW
LAWRENCE RAP ARTISTE ,   Safed Israel   (09.22.09)
11. World public opinion is very much against Apartheid Israel
palestinian ,   dc   (09.22.09)
Israel is only digging its hole bigger and bigger everyday and postponing the inevitable. I highly advise israeli political leaders and generals to admit guilt and surrender themselves to the world court to face justice for their crimes against humanity. World public opinion has now become very much opposed to Israeli Apartheid policies. Palestine is coming.
12. Case of Moral Blindness
Howard Goldberg ,   Los Angeles, CA, USA   (09.22.09)
Mr. Ben-Israel: Your invocation of the deontologist Immanuel Kant in the first paragraph of your article, misrepresents his concept of moral behavior. His major point was that moral acts are not moral if they derive from good intentions. Moral acts must be done because they derive from fixed principles of morality. “For something to be morally good, it isn’t enough that it conforms to the ·moral· law; it must be done because it conforms to the law. An action that isn’t performed with that motive may happen to fit the moral law, but its conformity to the law will be chancy and unstable, and more often than not the action won’t be [ethical] at all.” Fundamentals of the Metaphysics of Morals. Immanuel Kant, 1785 Best regards,
13. #11 - people like you....
Andy ,   ramat hasharon   (09.23.09)
are why Palestinians will always have nothing but misery. You actually think you will destroy the Jewish State of Israel. We will kill all of you before that ever happens if we have to. Or, moron, you can compromise and have a state. Your choice.
14. 7
9.22.09   (09.23.09)
Before
15. moral blindness
marcel   (09.23.09)
Goldstone rationalized and laid low hamas rocket fire and provocation of israel. He also understated hamas use of the civilian population of gaza for rocket fire, ieds and booby traps and deadly russian antitank rockets which killed and maimed israel troops in gaza as it did hundreds in the hezbollah war. He got paid many dollars for his report. So more israelis would have been killed if idf took more precautions in the dead of night to differentiate combatants from civilians as if civilians are so neutral in gaza. Goldstone does not know war first hand, though he knows its effects as prosecutor and judge. In short, he is a beilin moralist. Hamas is content with his mild rebuke while he wants idf to be prosecuted. Yet hamas attacked israel incessantly with its weak leader olmert.So morally, according to goldstone, israel has to prosecute its war criminals. Well what comes around goes around and goldstone and his daughter nicole will be visited with tragedies by God as punishment for such a one sided jimmy carter report. if goldstone had equally investigated hamas alleged crimes , then one could follow the report. He took the job for money and notority. His daughter nicole pathetically tries to lessen the damage saying that goldstone is a zionist and loves israel. What comes around goes around.
16. palestine is coming
marcel   (09.23.09)
No. 11-I'd like to get your views.1) Do you believe that israel stole the land of canaan, that everything that followed was illegal. 2) Do you believe Israel existed and had a 2500 year history till they were expelled by the romans who renamed israel, palatina. 3) Do you agree that there was never a country of palestine with its own government. 4) Do you believe that all jews will have to be kicked out of new palestine except for some of the pre48 jews? 5)Will the jews be slaves of the palestinians. Since you are so certain of israel's end, I thought you could answer these questions. Bear in mind, olmert is no longer PM and he was israel's worst PM ever. Things may not work out the way you think it wil.
17. Sorry, Ben-Israel, but I had to toss your diatribe out
Cameron ,   USA   (09.23.09)
When I start hearing someone start babbling the words "enlightened" & "enlightenment", I no longer consider that patronizing SOB worth considering. You pompous Leftists always, without fail, wind up being your own worst enemy.
18. to palastinian 11
suad ,   jerusalem   (09.23.09)
wqhy to advise let them --fee eldalal ya3mahoon ---
19. #10 the rest are a mix of the bad and the worse
observer   (09.23.09)
20. why philosophize
Israel Israeli ,   Tel Aviv   (09.23.09)
Ben-Israel's biggest mistake is analyzing and philosophiizing over Goldstone's motives. Goldstone is and always was a member of the PLO army. Some people like Arafat and Mashaal used rifles, Goldstone uses words. Goldstone did not write the report because he believed in morality or justive, but because it is his contribution to ending Israel's existence.
21. #9
Marilyn ,   USA   (09.24.09)
Maybe the land itself has always been subject to violence in one way or another, and it might not have ever really known peace. When a pattern is set up and has been going on for a really long time, it's naturally going to be really hard to change. In order to make good attempts at peace, I would say for Israel's government to employ several pacifists in advisory positions.
22. Gaza is NOT occupied
LA   (09.24.09)
23. apologist for immorality
meir ,   TA   (09.25.09)
If the reason that people hate us (as Jews) is because "we rule over another people," (1) wasn't this resolved when nearly all Arab Palestinians became PA citizens? (2) why do so many Arab Palestinians, Sudanese, and others want to get into Israel and obtain citizenship? (3) does that justify Arab terrorism? (4) every country rules over minority groups who would prefer to have their own state; only Israel is condemned. (5) who "occupies" Gaza?
24. About that Palestinian State
GAZTHEARABS ,   JUPITER   (09.28.09)
Fully agree with you Andy, but for one thing. The do not care about life. Let's do them a favour: kill them all and NOT GIVE THEM A STATE. Who needs to ask them? Did they ask questions to the kids in Maalot. HaBa LeHorguekha, Hashkem LeHorgo. It's time we fullfill that prophecy. Amen.
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