Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Annals of lefty scholarship: Attacking Israel's army for not raping Palestinians
Israel, unlike any other country in its part of the world, has a whacko academic left in the style of most Western countries. Evidence:
A research paper that won a Hebrew University teachers' committee prize finds that the lack of IDF rapes of Palestinian women is designed to serve a political purpose.
The abstract of the paper, authored by doctoral candidate Tal Nitzan, notes that the paper shows that "the lack of organized military rape is an alternate way of realizing [particular] political goals."
The next sentence delineates the particular goals that are realized in this manner: "In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it can be seen that the lack of military rape merely strengthens the ethnic boundaries and clarifies the inter-ethnic differences - just as organized military rape would have done."
The paper further theorizes that Arab women in Judea and Samaria are not raped by IDF soldiers because the women are de-humanized in the soldiers' eyes.
In other words, the absence of rape is evidence that Israeli soldiers regard the Palestinians as animals. By this absurd logic, more IDF rape would be a precondition to a respectful and durable peace in the region.
Even Israel, which faces more no-win public relations problems than any country other than the United States, would be hard pressed to locate a more idiotic example of "damned if you do, damned if you don't."
2 Comments:
By 
davod, at
Thu Dec 27, 06:10:00 AM:
TH:
"Israel, unlike any other country in its part of the world, has a whacko academic left in the style of most Western countries"
The problem is that a good percentage of Israelis, far more than in the USA, are leftists not just liberals.
By Mystery Meat, at
Thu Dec 27, 12:21:00 PM:
A similar event is recorded in the documentary movie "Eric the Viking."
Suddenly the door bursts open and a wild-looking Viking leaps into the hut. He holds a sword. He looks around wildly and then his eyes come to rest on the girl.
This Viking, I'm afraid, is Erik. We are about to see him in the worst possible light so be prepared. The girl, whose name is Helga, cowers, and looks terrified but resolute.
Erik glances round. Then slowly he advances on the girl, forcing her back onto a chest.Erik holds his sword to Helga's throat with his right hand, while his left hand searches to find the thongs holding up his trousers. He is clearly having difficulties...
HELGA Have you done this sort of thing before?
ERIK Me? Of course! I've been looting and pillaging up and down the coast.
HELGA (looking sceptical) Looting and pillaging, eh?
ERIK (on the defensive) Yes.
HELGA What about the raping?
ERIK Shut up.
HELGA It's obvious you haven't raped anyone in your life.
ERIK Sh!
He covers her mouth with his free hand, and looks round to make sure no one's heard. Then he carries on trying to undo his trousers, but he is now somewhat more than half-hearted about it.
Helga watches suspiciously.
HELGA Do you LIKE women?
Erik is clearly shocked and stung by the insinuation. He stops.
ERIK Of course I like women... I LOVE 'em.
HELGA (pointing out the obvious) You don't love ME.
ERIK No... right... this is RAPE... Mark you, I'm not saying I couldn't get to like you... in fact... well, to be quite honest, I prefer it when there's some sort of mutual feeling between two people...
HELGA What - rape?
ERIK No. It isn't rape then, is it?
HELGA Oh, get it over with.
ERIK (hesitates again) I don't suppose... no...
HELGA What?
ERIK I don't suppose you... you DO like me at all?
HELGA What d'you expect? You come in here, burn my village, kill my family and try to rape me...
ERIK I'll kill you if you say anything about this to anyone.
HELGA (puzzled) About raping me?
ERIK About NOT raping you...
HELGA You DON'T like it, do you?
ERIK Well it just seems a little bit crude, that's all.
HELGA What about the killing and looting? That's just as crude, isn't it?
ERIK Oh well - you've GOT to do them.
HELGA Why? Why have you got to go round killing and looting?
ERIK To pay for the next expedition, of course.
HELGA But that's a circular argument! If the only reason for going on an expedition is the killing and looting and the only reason
for the killing and looting is to pay for the next expedition, they cancel each other out.
ERIK Oh! Stop talking as if we were married!
HELGA Well you started it.
ERIK I just said I didn't feel like raping you.
HELGA And I was just saying that rape is no MORE pointless or crude than all the killing and looting that goes on.
Erik vents of his frustration on the already shattered door.
ERIK Scream.
HELGA Ah.
ERIK Louder.
HELGA Aaagh! Rape!
ERIK (he'd forgotten about that) Oh, thanks
Two more Vikings burst in with eyes blazing. They have the very unfortunate names of Ernest and Jennifer, but it doesn't really matter, for reasons which will become obvious very quickly. They are also slightly drunk.
ERNEST Rape?
JENNIFER Where?
Jennifer the Viking sways and leans against a door post. The marauder's eyes come to rest on Erik and Helga who are standing, fully clothed, about six feet apart. They look slightly puzzled.
HELGA He raped me standing up.
There is a pause. Erik looks up at Helga. Why has she saved his face by
telling this lie? Jennifer the Viking turns to Erik.
JENNIFER You finished, then?
ERIK Oh... yes... I suppose so...
ERNEST Right! Me first!
JENNIFER No! I asked!
Ernest leaps on top of Helga and pins her to the ground. Jennifer joins in. Erik looks stunned for a moment. Then he suddenly leaps to Helga's defence.
ERIK Leave her alone!
<...>
HELGA Thanks for saving me from a fate worse than death.
ERIK I didn't mean to!
HELGA (gasping for breath) Oh, that's all right then... it's the thought...that counts...
ERIK You told them I raped you - why?
HELGA (dying) I dunno... you looked so... so vulnerable...
ERIK Why should you care?
HELGA (dying) Why... should YOU care?
ERIK Tell me your name?
Helga looks up at him, but dies in his arms, without ever saying her name.
