Opinion
Israel and Jewish moral narcissists
Lawrence J. Epstein
Published: 05.04.14, 08:45
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1. Tribal affiliation is more than conscience
Jarda ,   Czech Republic   (04.05.14)
Are you surprised that Jews have not been able to coexist with any other culture?
2. Excellent & to the point. Bravo!
tom ,   tel aviv   (04.05.14)
3. or in short: they are THAT MUCH '"good"', that they turn out on the other side of the circle !
(04.05.14)
4. The Idiots among us
eabitbol ,   Thornhill, Canada   (04.05.14)
Bravo ! Well said !
5. Albert Einstein, Hannah Arendt moral narcissists?
Steve   (04.05.14)
Indeed these two prominent Jews and others signed (maybe helped author) a letter to the New York Times comparing former Prime Minister Menachem Begin and his Herut party to Nazis. They wrote, Herut is "closely akin in its organization, methods, political philosophy and social appeal to the Nazi and Fascist parties...." What is the difference between these and other prominent Jews and Judge Richard Goldstone and his report condemning Israel for defending herself?
6. Judaism and Zionism are not the same
Sarah B ,   Tel Aviv/London   (04.05.14)
one is a religious movement one is a nationalist political movement created I the 1930's
7. Moral Narcisism?
Alberto ,   Milano   (04.05.14)
Besides the fact that this sindrome does not exist in Psychology, this article by itself is a genuine testimony of the attitude that mr. Epstein denounces. He is expressing that attitude. The political concept behind it is intolerance and delegitimation of democratic debate.
8. Good article but Epstein is naive
Lee Kaplan ,   Berkeley, USA   (04.05.14)
He still thinks that a lot of these people are really good at heart and mean well; nobody is evil. I have gone undercover to training meetings of so-called Jews who support BDS and the destruction of Israel. These are supervised by Arabs and no matter what proof you show them about something they will insist it's a lie. At the same time they teach an encourage each other to lie, the "end justifies the means". They engage in Groupthink and the mantra is destroy Israel by any means necessary. Yes, they are evil. Sami Awad who slit a Jewish infant's throat is being presented on US campuses as an innocent victim of Israeli "oppression". Despite Awad's confession these phony Jews run around calling for his release. Yes, Mr. Epstein, there are truly evil people, not well-meaning narcissists..
9. "Jewish State" existence at any price, is too steep a price
Steve Benassi ,   Silver Bay, MN USA   (04.05.14)
...if that price means 9 million native Palestinians have to be displaced forever. And entire Arab World has to be bombed into submission for decades. And world has to be threatened with the Sampson Option, nuclear revenge, if Israel is destroyed in a conventional war, or nuclear war. A "Jewish State" at any price, will not stand.
10. There are as many evil intents are there are
BUILD BABY BUILD!!!!   (04.05.14)
degrees of corruption of the soul. Ultimately, there is no friend or foe who can dictate what Israel decides is right for her. If Israel bowed down to every anti Israeli, anti Jewish, anti Zionist, anti semitic whim, there'd be no Israel. The 'world' has proven her combined hostility repeatedly towards the Jewish people by constantly persecuting Jews for their belief in one G-d, their G-d, the G-d of Israel. The "world' tries to inflict the same punitive, unending response to Jews as the 'world' always did, by murdering Jews. Not just murdering Jews but, of course, stealing all their belongings, businesses, homes, all property, and all they could that was once owned by the murdered or scattered Jews, the first grand theft being the land of Israel itself. Israel is unique, the people, the place the name, Israeli - all encompassing, and no other place on earth has been reborn after having been prerecorded in the Book, of her fall and rise again coming together once again as a nation of the heirs of those of us gone to sleep with our fathers. BUILDING IS THE GREATEST TRIBUTE!!
11. Those kind of Jews live in the USA...
Yanky Pipchick ,   Baltimore, MD   (04.05.14)
My Zayde used to call them "The Goyishe Yidden". Dont ever rely on the them. A good knife in the back is what you you will get.
12. moral narcissists
Michael Livingston   (04.05.14)
If this is the kind of argument supporters of Israel are making--and it is not so much an argument as an amateurish psychological portrait of people one disagrees with--the country is in worse shape than I thought
13. MORAL NARCISSISTS OR UTTER HYPOCRITES
EZEKIAL HAIM ,   LONDON   (04.05.14)
I enjoyed reading Lawrence's philosophical analysis of what he calls moral narcissists.I think he is being very kind to those people.I would seriously question whether they are not in fact fully aware of the incongruousness of their believes and are in fact merely and completely hypocritical with hidden agendas aimed at benefiting from their positions.Their loyalties in fact lie completely with their interests rather than Israel's interest and they pretend that they are moral whilst they are completely selfish.It is in other words a cloak.
14. Why you think all Jews have to be aggressive like you?
Ali ,   Ramallah   (04.05.14)
We respect all Jews who are support justice and human dignity
15. Yes, get with the tribe mentality...
TaylorT ,   Earth   (04.05.14)
...I imagine much the same was said from the mouths of certain Europeans in the 1930s. Seriously, time for a reality check. If you want to be part of the civilised world, then act civil. If you want to be a tribal theocracy, then keep acting the way you do--but don't expect the world to see you as anything else but a Bronze Age tribe clinging to ideas that have consistently brought out the very worse in humans. Healthy nations should have a place for people with all sorts of views. By seeking to squelch such views, you're adding another nail in your coffin.
16. Besides Lee Kaplan's cogent
Robert Haymond ,   Teko'a, Israel   (04.05.14)
critique of this article, there is another concern: It is highly generalized, there are no specific examples and no clinical research into the psychology of the individuals who criticizes Israel. The author is simply puffing lots of hot air and Ynet publishes it.
17. What a load of tripe
taxpayer   (04.05.14)
There is nothing self-hating about criticizing the policies of our moronic ineffecutal government that is endangering our country. Given that peace was not on the table with the Palestinians as became clear to all last week - the one objective that the government had to keep in its eyes was not getting blamed for the break down of the talks and have a Plan B for when that happened, The handling of the "settlement freeze has been at best stupid and at worst insane - we announce that we will do a tender and get the flak, we publish the tender documents and get the flak, we call a committe meeting to look at the offers and get the flak - a beaurocratic chain of stupidity for which we detract attention from the real issue - Palesitnian intransigence and not one brick has been lain. There is no plan B =- Bibi is probably waiting for an opinion pole to tell him what he should think. What was wrong with releasing the 24 - and especially the Israeli ones? - pass a law that they cn be let out of jail without a pardon and if the peace talks collpase put them back in prison We needed to be in a position where the Palestinians would get the blame because their intransigence led to the breakdown and we gave them every excuse to walk away and for us to get blamed. BDS is real and is starting to bite = and what does our misgovernment do about it - nothing - The Palestinian moves last week are difficult to attack -the world has had enough with the occupation - for g-ds sake all we need to do is hammer home the message that we will give up the territories for peace - that we are demanding that they recognize Israel as the national home of the Jewish people because that signals that they recognize that we are talking about two people with legitimate claims to the same land - but that without their recognizing our millenia old ties to our land there can be no peace - that is something simple that people can understand. Criticizing this governnent should be the patriotic duty of any Jew to whom Israel is dear
18. Anti Israel Jews
Rick41241 ,   USA   (04.05.14)
It is my humble opinion that these people are basically evil. They turn their backs on their own people and root for our enemies whose only desire is to destroy us. Soros helped the nazis confiscate Jews' properties. Goldstone & Falk have an intense hatred for Israel as do Chomsky and many other Jewish "intellectual". They will do, say and support anything that will hurt Israel and help the Palis. These are not good people. They are evil and should be shunned, not worshiped.
19. "United States" existence at any price, is too steep a price
Steve Benassi ,   Silver Bay, MN USA   (04.05.14)
20. So r west bank right wingers "Immoral Nararcissits"
just saying ,   Israel   (04.05.14)
because really really with: 1. their vile and evil "Price Tag" actions 2. their raving tantrums 3. their deep seeded need to steal money from Israel's coffers for their wild projects 4. their Kvish'ai Okef HaKol (By Pass Roads) their demand that Israel remain borderless unless it takes upon itself the west bank along with over a million Palestinians (don't want them here) they are causing serious damage to the existence of the State of Israel. It will be as Sarah Netanyahu has said: "We'll live here until it burns down. When it burns down we'll move to Europe."
21. CHILDISH ARTICLE
Frank-el ,   Seattle USA   (04.05.14)
This article reminds me of the cheap office politics tactic where one's opponent is slandered as mentally ill. Epstein attempts, in a facile fashion, to justify immorality by painting morality as yet another mental illness in his psudeo-scientific manner. Maybe Freud would buy it but any I don't. Last, read the last line where Epstein's claim-to-fame is advising 2 members of US Congress. A great example of the rot within our political system...and why doesn't this pompous English professor say who they are?
22. Sarah B. (Londonistan?) #6
Steve   (04.05.14)
To the extent Zionism (the Jews return to the land of Israel) accords with Jewish tradition and values can it not also be considered a religious movement?
23. Completely agree with #8 Lee Kaplan
Tracy W   (04.05.14)
Evil does exist, whatever its motivation. And it is a fact that - in spite of so many acts of hate and terror against innocent Jewish civilians some people (Jews and others) choose to side with the perpetrators. The attempt to attribute that decision to personal ignorance or psychological reasons is similar to the leftists' own blaming acts of Arab terror to "hurt Arab pride" or "oppression". Excuses, excuses. We are all responsible for our acts and for what our support for evil - OR OUR SILENCE about it - can help bring about to our societies and to other human beings. Making excuses for evil or remaining silent about it makes us part of it.
24. I think that this article is totally misguided and written
exUK ,   TEL AVIV   (04.05.14)
from a far right entrenched point of view. Both sets of "leaders" are also misguided in many ways.They cannot have 100% of what they might wish for their population;and trying for this has harmed or will harm their cause.Those Jews who want a 2 state solution GENUINELY believe that Israel may harm itself by trying to maintain the status quo,building in West Bank etc.Also,no matter what semantics are used in descriptions of Arabs there,they lived there far longer than the more recent settlers with"G-d given rights,or subsidies from government for housing,to create"facts on the ground".Imagine you were a 3rd generation Arab there.did not choose your parentage or where you were born,and find yourself in an impossible situation not of your own making,and over which you have no control.I am sure that you would be "very angry".The Arabs in Israel MUST be reassured that their citizenship is safe.Only when this is done can we attempt to move forward in negotiations.I am aware of the belief that Abbas "wants it all" But he knows that is not possible.His list of demands is totally unrealistic.But only by drawing a line below past failures and demand can he and we help our populations compromise.Not easy,I know!But we are all people with families to support,and for the majority,they would rather live side by side with us,help to build our houses,work at Sodastream etc. ,than be jobless.When we finally achieve peace and cooperation it will be better for all of us.We must overide extremists on both sides in order to do this,and police our own people so that there is confidence and trust. Finally,if there are "Arabs/Palestinians who support J Street and other people for peace,surely that means that they are partners for peace potentially.and not to be thought of as"sinister".
25. Astonishing arrogance
gp ,   Tel Aviv   (04.05.14)
Quite aside from Mr Epstein's PERSONAL viewpoint on Jews who may oppose israel's actions - he appears to have assumed the mantle of an entirely different profession to the one he trained in. Nowhere is there any indication of a degree in Psychiatry that gives him the right to diagnose a psychiatric condition in terms of anybody's political or social affiliation. I'm not taking sides here, just condemning the conceit of anybody who believes that opposition to the actions of any country is indicative of psychiatric imbalance. That, sir, was a specialization in Soviet Russia. It has no place in modern democratic society and you, as a political advisor, should know better. For this reason alone, this column is a load of hooey and should be treated as such. By all means criticize - after all it's a democratic right (as is - whether one likes it or not - it a democratic right to stand in opposition against ANY country's actions) to do so, but Mr Epstein is no more qualified to write an article on psychiatric disorders than Nigella Lawson is to write on quantum physics. It is ridiculous to suggest that to be a Jew and oppose the Jewish state isn't the result of free thought, but a psychiatric disorder. Putting the shoe on the other foot, would Mr Epstein consider that a Palestinian who disagrees with the actions of Hamas deserves to be condemned by Hamas as a narcissist? The whole concept is simply preposterous.
26. Ali
Rick41241 ,   USA   (04.05.14)
Like hell you do. You don't even know what justice and human dignity are. It is Muslims who keep slavery alive, stone women who were raped, flog women in public, marry of little girls to dirty old men, etc. etc. etc.
27. no. 9 - Jews paid too steep a price for not having a State
Steve Benassi ,   Silver Bay, MN USA   (04.05.14)
28. Arrogant Narcissists who fantasize they are psychiatrists
dan ,   usa   (04.05.14)
What about those Mr. Epstein?
29. Traitors
George Brown ,   New York   (04.05.14)
How about calling a spade a spade? These are traitor - every nation has them, Jews a little more than other nations. And like any traitor they should be forever silenced.
30. not the idiots; the traitors amongst us!
George Brown ,   New York   (04.05.14)
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