Thank you for this reflection. It has sometimes been my experience that theologians and philosophers who are rich in metaphysics have a certain poverty or methodological indifference when it comes to questions of politics and political theology. This and your reflections on the Constantinian Shift demonstrate this does not have to be the case.
A well-structured reflection with poignant anecdotes, Dr. Wood. The continued hegemonic presence of Zionism in American foreign policy circles (and thus in the foreign policy structures of the world) remains utterly bizarre in its disproportion to anything needful in terms of realpolitik - as has been thoroughly illustrated by the likes of John Mearsheimer, Stephen Walt, and Grant F. Smith - and yet moreso in terms ethical; I would propose this bizarre disproportion is the result of the bizarre character of the 20th century, wherein emerged other abnormal (and abnormally homicidal) states, namely the Soviet Union and the Third Reich, and with which the State of Israel emerged together from a common nexus of historical causality. Yuri Slezkine, Ernst Nolte, and Hannah Arendt are helpful here. The good news is such embeddedness in 20th century dialectical processes cannot grant a lasting (or even lastingly intelligible) mandate to the State of Israel in the minds of the young, born without said embeddedness in 20th century dialectical processes. Bad news is the State of Israel is not going quietly into that good night of historically-boundedness and loss of relevance and will continue to drench the soil with the Blood for which the soil cries out, and as we know, to kill one man is to kill all mankind. I pray this Blood speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Genocide: The systematic and widespread extermination or attempted extermination of a national, racial, religious, or ethnic group.
I have no issue with critiquing the IDF and the Israeli government, but calling this genocide is pure rhetoric. A) Hamas isn't a racial religious or ethnic group, and Hamas, not Palestinians in general are the targets here. B) the goal is military victory not ethnic cleansing. If Hamas surrenders, this ends. So let's not call it genocide, because it's not. Jews committed no acts of aggression against Germany, they were in fact the victims of an actual genocide.
That is the only thing here I have any issue with. Of course I also pray for peace, but let's not lay everything on Israel and absolve Hamas. I would love involve you in a dialogue with some of my Israeli friends, not even necessarily for YouTube, but just to talk about it. I think the theological element here gets ignored and we can't continue to pretend it doesn't matter. I still hold you in high regard but the frivolous use of genocide gets a visceral reaction out of me. I respect your view, and I know you stand on principle, I would just ask you take a little more care in trotting out genocide as an accusation.
Thanks for the response. A few vital corrections to your remark. First, I definitely didn't "absolve Hamas." I would have expected a closer read from you. I explicitly list the date, call their acts "heinous," and deny that anyone can justify them. Second, my use of "genocide" is not "frivolous" at all. As I'm sure your'e aware, the charge of ethnic cleansing is an old one (just look at Pappe's book). And as I'm sure you're also aware, it is 34,000+ *Palestinians* who have been slaughtered, not 34,000+ members of Hamas. I'm sure you're also aware that the UN, the IJC ("plausible grounds"), the Pope, and most nations on Earth have either called the ongoing massacre a genocide or at least plausibly on the way to one. Even in my post I don't merely demand a commitment. "or, if you insist, etc. is followed by another description of the horror, one that confirms my main point there just as well. It also surprises me a bit that you don't take the statements of top Israeli officials very seriously--Gevir, Smotridge, Netanyahu, etc., have all made clear statements that in any other case would count as raising worries of impending genocide. And, of course, it's not as if any nation ever comes out and says: We are committing genocide. Who ever has? And yet they have occurred, and many have stood by as they have. Surely we need a little critical distance here, and we should consider the very real possibility that the State of Israel might want to carry out something like genocide or ethnic cleansing or just terror-inducing massacre without trumpeting to the world whose support they are rapidly losing for themselves. So perhaps you genuinely disagree with the label. But I can't at this stage how anyone could call such a worry and label "frivolous."
I will freely confess to a less careful reading than I might have done, because the charge of genocide is one I find especially inflammatory and my response was emotional. Rather than debate back and forth via text, I would prefer to talk this out face to face. I think we definitely inhabitant different information landscapes and are predisposed toward different narratives, and that not going to be sorted in a flurry of text exchanges.
With regards to genocide, and I am trying not to be a brawler here, but the fact - as one academic put it (and shall remain unnamed) - that Israel has made it on to the “Olympic Team” is quite the feat.
I would caution anyone on dismissing wether or not a certain population considers their existence as being threatened.
I question the point of a comment that voices disagreement without the intention of "educating" anyone, and yet is aghast all the same. Yes, I realize the US and Israel systematically doubt the "Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry," the UN, UNRWA, Euro-Med Monitor, Amnesty International, and basically all human rights organizations with the relevant vantage. It's an easy thing to do: simply label this or that organization as a "terrorist front" organization. At that point you can simply say that the numbers are all wrong, since they are generated by terrorists seeking to promote their cause. Never mind that Gaza Health Ministry's numbers from a variety of massacres over the past two decades have always, upon later, independent verification, proved quite accurate. Never mind that the US and Israel have constantly lied about very many things to support their anti-terror campaigns. And not only in the past, as when the US lied about WMDs to invade and decimate at least two countries; Israel has lied or made unproven allegations several times during this very war! Remember when that first hospital was hit by a rocket and they blamed it on a failed rocket launch by Hamas? Turns out, that was wrong. Remember when they claimed that Hamas had extensive subterranean "command and control centers" beneath hospitals, so that this is how they justify bombing hospitals and all other infrastructure in Gaza's 25-by-5-mile surface area, but then they refuse to offer evidence of any of it, even after they sieged and occupied Al-Shifa for over two weeks? We did just uncover a mass grave there, though. That seems to be mostly all there is "underground": the unmarked graves of hundreds of dead Palestinians. Remember when they said Hamas beheaded a bunch of people, said they had video evidence, and then showed only pictures of decapitated corpses with no context? Remember that this is all the same story we ourselves have told to justify very many atrocities in the past three decades--to wit, Israel funds Hamas to keep them at odds with the PLO, then turns on them, something like we did to Saddam, Al-Qadaffi, and very many other dictators we installed for our own interests? They learned it from us. None of this is to say that Hamas is some laudable body--as I said clearly in the piece, I even call October 7 an act of terror, which is something many on the left wouldn't do. Well, I think Israel too has committed massive acts of terror, and I'd say the same in their case. We can generally bemoan the corruption of institutions. But we can't seriously pretend that my choice to give some credit about the numbers to the UN, human rights organizations, the WaPost, Euro-Med, an several international news outlets, is somehow obviously the height of naivety, when your own preference is the United States's and Israel's governments, both of which boast an objective and very well-documented track record of lying about exactly these things to justify their own near-immunity in carrying out crimes against humanity as a matter of course. Such credulity pales in comparison with my own alleged credulity. I make no apologies for that. Sorry to disappoint, then, but I find it far more disappointing to become a generic anti-globalist simply to justify a decades-long occupation, siege, periodic killing, and general terror that I have witness with my very own eyes. I cannot and will not in good conscience do that. We can disagree. But it serves exactly zero purpose to claim emotions on only one side here, still less to imagine that giving uncritical fealty to the US and Israel on these matters is somehow the mark of a mature and educated mind. Nonsense.
Do you still hold to this reviling opinion, 1 year later? It was egregious, sinful, disgusting, wicked, and, in a just world, punishable under international law when you said it, but here I am asking if you still hold to this hasbara-informed genocidal apology?
Looked up the Amos 5:17 reference - There will be wailing in all the vineyards, for I will pass through your midst,” says the LORD. Doesn't seem to be the right verse for the point you were making. Could you check please? I'd really like to have the correct reference. Thanks
Thank you for this reflection. It has sometimes been my experience that theologians and philosophers who are rich in metaphysics have a certain poverty or methodological indifference when it comes to questions of politics and political theology. This and your reflections on the Constantinian Shift demonstrate this does not have to be the case.
Agreed. There’s nothing inherently noble about principled apolticism. Indeed, I rather think the opposite.
A well-structured reflection with poignant anecdotes, Dr. Wood. The continued hegemonic presence of Zionism in American foreign policy circles (and thus in the foreign policy structures of the world) remains utterly bizarre in its disproportion to anything needful in terms of realpolitik - as has been thoroughly illustrated by the likes of John Mearsheimer, Stephen Walt, and Grant F. Smith - and yet moreso in terms ethical; I would propose this bizarre disproportion is the result of the bizarre character of the 20th century, wherein emerged other abnormal (and abnormally homicidal) states, namely the Soviet Union and the Third Reich, and with which the State of Israel emerged together from a common nexus of historical causality. Yuri Slezkine, Ernst Nolte, and Hannah Arendt are helpful here. The good news is such embeddedness in 20th century dialectical processes cannot grant a lasting (or even lastingly intelligible) mandate to the State of Israel in the minds of the young, born without said embeddedness in 20th century dialectical processes. Bad news is the State of Israel is not going quietly into that good night of historically-boundedness and loss of relevance and will continue to drench the soil with the Blood for which the soil cries out, and as we know, to kill one man is to kill all mankind. I pray this Blood speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
- Coltrane F., telosbound
Thank you for this.
Thank you for this ❤️
Genocide: The systematic and widespread extermination or attempted extermination of a national, racial, religious, or ethnic group.
I have no issue with critiquing the IDF and the Israeli government, but calling this genocide is pure rhetoric. A) Hamas isn't a racial religious or ethnic group, and Hamas, not Palestinians in general are the targets here. B) the goal is military victory not ethnic cleansing. If Hamas surrenders, this ends. So let's not call it genocide, because it's not. Jews committed no acts of aggression against Germany, they were in fact the victims of an actual genocide.
That is the only thing here I have any issue with. Of course I also pray for peace, but let's not lay everything on Israel and absolve Hamas. I would love involve you in a dialogue with some of my Israeli friends, not even necessarily for YouTube, but just to talk about it. I think the theological element here gets ignored and we can't continue to pretend it doesn't matter. I still hold you in high regard but the frivolous use of genocide gets a visceral reaction out of me. I respect your view, and I know you stand on principle, I would just ask you take a little more care in trotting out genocide as an accusation.
Thanks for the response. A few vital corrections to your remark. First, I definitely didn't "absolve Hamas." I would have expected a closer read from you. I explicitly list the date, call their acts "heinous," and deny that anyone can justify them. Second, my use of "genocide" is not "frivolous" at all. As I'm sure your'e aware, the charge of ethnic cleansing is an old one (just look at Pappe's book). And as I'm sure you're also aware, it is 34,000+ *Palestinians* who have been slaughtered, not 34,000+ members of Hamas. I'm sure you're also aware that the UN, the IJC ("plausible grounds"), the Pope, and most nations on Earth have either called the ongoing massacre a genocide or at least plausibly on the way to one. Even in my post I don't merely demand a commitment. "or, if you insist, etc. is followed by another description of the horror, one that confirms my main point there just as well. It also surprises me a bit that you don't take the statements of top Israeli officials very seriously--Gevir, Smotridge, Netanyahu, etc., have all made clear statements that in any other case would count as raising worries of impending genocide. And, of course, it's not as if any nation ever comes out and says: We are committing genocide. Who ever has? And yet they have occurred, and many have stood by as they have. Surely we need a little critical distance here, and we should consider the very real possibility that the State of Israel might want to carry out something like genocide or ethnic cleansing or just terror-inducing massacre without trumpeting to the world whose support they are rapidly losing for themselves. So perhaps you genuinely disagree with the label. But I can't at this stage how anyone could call such a worry and label "frivolous."
I will freely confess to a less careful reading than I might have done, because the charge of genocide is one I find especially inflammatory and my response was emotional. Rather than debate back and forth via text, I would prefer to talk this out face to face. I think we definitely inhabitant different information landscapes and are predisposed toward different narratives, and that not going to be sorted in a flurry of text exchanges.
I am actually a little shocked at your choice of institutional authorities in this conflict. The UN? Really?
I could attempt to educate you in areas that are, apparently, outside of your significant expertise but I am so dissapointed that I am emotional.
Nate can do it better.
These cases should be investigated with care, of course, but the fact that Israel is being investigated to begin with, is saying something.
With regards to genocide, and I am trying not to be a brawler here, but the fact - as one academic put it (and shall remain unnamed) - that Israel has made it on to the “Olympic Team” is quite the feat.
I would caution anyone on dismissing wether or not a certain population considers their existence as being threatened.
This was actually intended to be a "reply" to Jordon's comment above directly. Albeit, in support of Nate.
I question the point of a comment that voices disagreement without the intention of "educating" anyone, and yet is aghast all the same. Yes, I realize the US and Israel systematically doubt the "Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry," the UN, UNRWA, Euro-Med Monitor, Amnesty International, and basically all human rights organizations with the relevant vantage. It's an easy thing to do: simply label this or that organization as a "terrorist front" organization. At that point you can simply say that the numbers are all wrong, since they are generated by terrorists seeking to promote their cause. Never mind that Gaza Health Ministry's numbers from a variety of massacres over the past two decades have always, upon later, independent verification, proved quite accurate. Never mind that the US and Israel have constantly lied about very many things to support their anti-terror campaigns. And not only in the past, as when the US lied about WMDs to invade and decimate at least two countries; Israel has lied or made unproven allegations several times during this very war! Remember when that first hospital was hit by a rocket and they blamed it on a failed rocket launch by Hamas? Turns out, that was wrong. Remember when they claimed that Hamas had extensive subterranean "command and control centers" beneath hospitals, so that this is how they justify bombing hospitals and all other infrastructure in Gaza's 25-by-5-mile surface area, but then they refuse to offer evidence of any of it, even after they sieged and occupied Al-Shifa for over two weeks? We did just uncover a mass grave there, though. That seems to be mostly all there is "underground": the unmarked graves of hundreds of dead Palestinians. Remember when they said Hamas beheaded a bunch of people, said they had video evidence, and then showed only pictures of decapitated corpses with no context? Remember that this is all the same story we ourselves have told to justify very many atrocities in the past three decades--to wit, Israel funds Hamas to keep them at odds with the PLO, then turns on them, something like we did to Saddam, Al-Qadaffi, and very many other dictators we installed for our own interests? They learned it from us. None of this is to say that Hamas is some laudable body--as I said clearly in the piece, I even call October 7 an act of terror, which is something many on the left wouldn't do. Well, I think Israel too has committed massive acts of terror, and I'd say the same in their case. We can generally bemoan the corruption of institutions. But we can't seriously pretend that my choice to give some credit about the numbers to the UN, human rights organizations, the WaPost, Euro-Med, an several international news outlets, is somehow obviously the height of naivety, when your own preference is the United States's and Israel's governments, both of which boast an objective and very well-documented track record of lying about exactly these things to justify their own near-immunity in carrying out crimes against humanity as a matter of course. Such credulity pales in comparison with my own alleged credulity. I make no apologies for that. Sorry to disappoint, then, but I find it far more disappointing to become a generic anti-globalist simply to justify a decades-long occupation, siege, periodic killing, and general terror that I have witness with my very own eyes. I cannot and will not in good conscience do that. We can disagree. But it serves exactly zero purpose to claim emotions on only one side here, still less to imagine that giving uncritical fealty to the US and Israel on these matters is somehow the mark of a mature and educated mind. Nonsense.
Do you still hold to this reviling opinion, 1 year later? It was egregious, sinful, disgusting, wicked, and, in a just world, punishable under international law when you said it, but here I am asking if you still hold to this hasbara-informed genocidal apology?
Looked up the Amos 5:17 reference - There will be wailing in all the vineyards, for I will pass through your midst,” says the LORD. Doesn't seem to be the right verse for the point you were making. Could you check please? I'd really like to have the correct reference. Thanks
The word used in Hebrew for “pass through” recalls the Passover.