Actually, most Jews prior to the establishment of Israel in 1948
considered bith the Stern Gang and the Irgun, headed by Menachem Begin,
to be "terrorist" gangs. In fact, an advertisement that appeared in the
NY Times and signed by many leading Jews such as Albert Einstein,
describing, not inappropriately, Begin as a fascist, proved to be an
embarrassment when Begin was elected prime minister in 1977. It was at
that time, with the need to convince the US public that it was necessary
to continue support of Israel despite Begin's presence, that the notion
of Israel as a "US gendarme in the Midle East" was created. For a
variety of reasons, this rationalization of US support for the Begin
regime was embraced across the political spectrum, despite any evidence
that Israel has ever played this role. In fact, when Lebanon was
experiencing a democratic challenge to its reactionary regime in 1958,
it was the US military and not Israel that stepped in, and in 1991,
during the Gulf "War," Israel was directed to sit on the sidelines.
Again, in 1983, the US sent troops to Lebanon again, to assist an
Israeli-installed government after Israel proved unequal to the task.
Personally, I don't think "terrorist" is necessarily a bad word.
Certainly, the concept of "state terror" as employed by the US, Israel
and Turkey, to cite three examples that come to mind, is a good
description of what those countries are frequently involved in.
Jeff Blankfort
> Date: Sun, 11 Jun 2000 15:48:29 -0400
> From: Marty Jezer <mjez@sover.net>
> Subject: Re: [sixties-l] terrorist???
>
> The word terrorist is subjective, in the eyes of the beholder.
>
> The Brits would have considered the Minutemen terrorists.
> I would consider the South between Reconstruction and the civil war era as
> run by terrorists.
> Israelis thought the PLO a terrorist organization and the Stern Gang patriots.
> The Palestinians thought the Stern Gang terrorists and the PLO patriots.
>
> "Terrorism" is a propagandist term and should be placed (delicately) in
> the trash bin of history.
>
> The Weatherman were more than confrontational, however. I mean radical
> pacifists were also confrontational. I respect (and knew and know) many
> who chose the Weathern route.
> I think they (and SDS as a whole after 69 or 70) must bare some
> responsibility for the destruction of the movement and the rise of the
> right. But that's a larger topic.
>
> Marty Jezer
>
> >Subject: "terrorists"
> >
> >>and I agree, the weather people could hardly be called terrorist,
> confrontationalist definitely ...
>
> - --
> Marty Jezer * 22 Prospect St. * Brattleboro, VT 05301 * p/f 802 257-5644
>
>
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