Jan 27, 2006
Hamas & Zionism
I have read the, at this point, eight brief comments to David Beito’s posting yesterday about Hamas’ victory.
For background on Israel, I recommend this piece by Michael Neumann, and have ordered his book. I also suggest this article on the election by Juan Cole.
For identification purposes, I ought to mention that in 1987, as Director of International Studies at Florida Atlantic University, I was also the founding Co-director of the Florida-Israel Institute, and wrote the legislation establishing it, dedicated to promoting education, cultural and economic ties between the two entities.
I was in Gaza in December, 1987, about two weeks before the initial Intifada developed. By my fourth visit to Israel in 1990, it was clear my efforts were over. Florida’s AIPAC leaders were not enchanted with the notion of bringing free market ideas to that essentially socialist/corporatist nation, and so informed the University. At that time about 94% of Israel’s economy was under government ownership or control. Eat your heart out, Fidel!
It is well to recall that Zionism was not only socialist, but in the 1930s a number of such leaders in Israel were enthralled by the ideas of two chaps, one in Italy, the other in Germany, both of whom had come from a national socialist background.
For background on Israel, I recommend this piece by Michael Neumann, and have ordered his book. I also suggest this article on the election by Juan Cole.
For identification purposes, I ought to mention that in 1987, as Director of International Studies at Florida Atlantic University, I was also the founding Co-director of the Florida-Israel Institute, and wrote the legislation establishing it, dedicated to promoting education, cultural and economic ties between the two entities.
I was in Gaza in December, 1987, about two weeks before the initial Intifada developed. By my fourth visit to Israel in 1990, it was clear my efforts were over. Florida’s AIPAC leaders were not enchanted with the notion of bringing free market ideas to that essentially socialist/corporatist nation, and so informed the University. At that time about 94% of Israel’s economy was under government ownership or control. Eat your heart out, Fidel!
It is well to recall that Zionism was not only socialist, but in the 1930s a number of such leaders in Israel were enthralled by the ideas of two chaps, one in Italy, the other in Germany, both of whom had come from a national socialist background.