Missing the Point

Here and right throughout the debate, Hirshfeld seemed to completely miss the point of Carson's statements. Obviously the South Africa connection does not of its own accord deny Israel the right to exist. The comment was to illustrate what Carson feels are some of the undesirable attitudes of the Israeli government.

The context in which Canon made his observations of the attitude of orthodox Jews was one of examining the biblical justification for Israel's existence. If scholars of Judaism reject the idea of a mandate for Israel from biblical times, then it may not be a valid argument. I find it hard to believe that Hirshfeld was unable to grasp these points. In the light of his continual missing of the point, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that he was deliberately avoiding the issue.

He quoted Elridge Cleaver as saying that the Arabs were as racist as the Jews (although what this was meant to show, I don't know). "There are presently ½ million Arab Israeli citizens" ("and how many Palestinian refugees?" someone asked). Carson's claim that Zionist agents were dispatched to burn a synagogue to increase the appearance of anti-Semitism, is a total He" (as no-one produced any evidence for either claim, you can take your pick as to who to believe).

He thought it relevent however to tell us that "Iraq recently executed 12 Jews in front of TV cameras". From this single action we were asked to form two conclusions. Firstly that because Jews were executed, the PLO sympathiser, would stop at nothing to murder innocent Jews (no-one was able to tell us what the dead dozen had been charged with). Secondly that the other Arab states were not democratic, secular or free (a point repeatedly made). It is a moot point just how much one can rely on single incidents to characterise the actions of a group: atrocities have been committed on both sides.

Returning at last to answer the points Canon had made, Hirshfeld said that prior to 1917 70% of the land was owned by the Turks and the British. As Canon had already conceded that Palestine had been dominated by foreign powers from time immemorial, it is hard to see what point Hirshfeld was trying to make from this.