I've folded the towels, put the dishes in the dishwasher, and pulled some weeds in the garden.  It hasn't helped, Dana, I'm still furious at your post.  I appreciate that you are trying to remedy your lack of education on the topic, but one book, no matter the author, can not give you or anyone sufficient background on ANY topic that is even mildly controversial  to be taken seriously.  I would think that as a BlogHer CE you would feel some sense of responsibility to research your topic before you wrote the post. 

I was at a meeting of the Jewish Community Resource Center in Sacramento the other day and one of the board members talked about a project she is working on to get high school textbooks revised so that they don't portray a one-sided view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  I thought perhaps this group was somewhat alarmist, but judging from what you say you learned about the Middle East in school, I'd say they're not.  And that's scary, because given that you're an intelligent, educated woman who means well, what can we expect from those people who don't have your background? 

 Like Pam, I am in a lather about this, and I hope you will do some serious research and then a followup to this post.  

By Jane

http://byjane.blogspot.com

And generations of Palestinians "have been born and died on the soil there. Generations have built homes, fallen in love, had babies, seen the world" before Churchill saw this as a solution as to where to put the disenfranchised Jews after WWII. Why could not the Jews then have been granted a homeland in a sparsely populated area in Africa, where conflict would have been less likely to happen?

I haven't read Nennhaus, nor claim to disagree or agree with his ideas. I, however, do not think our treatment of the conflict is sane (or has ever been).

wow. while dana you seem like an intelligent, intellectually curious (young? I'm guessing) woman and I commend you for that, which is why I'm (and apparently lots of others here) are even more disturbed that you took this as a "fact-based book" that gave you "an understanding of the Jewish people."

 I am quite sincere as a Jewish youngish woman myself that I do appreciate you admitting your ignorance in this area and desire to learn, but you could spend a lifetime on this and still not understand it all, some have!)

 I basically agree completely with everything Nerd's Eye said above and I have a feeling (since you're top viewed post on blogher) you're hearing a lot of critiques and "helpful" suggestions, so I'll keep it brief and simply say, please please please read more from left /right/americans/israelis etc etc. etc.

And do keep asking questions and bringing this up so we can all discuss. I certainly don't claim to be an expert myself. Like you, Im embarrassed at how little I know, really, perhaps doubly so because I AM jewish.

But I do know suggesting we gosh-golly just move somewhere else is hurtful and upsetting, not unlike the feeling i got in the pit of my stomach from some youths from a church group with "sharon=hitler" signs they couldn't possibly have understood.

I also know that the basic question you asked in catechism class is at the root of this all and deserves, but doesn't yet have a better answer. Why do they hate each other? Because. We all have a LOT of studying/writing / learning/listening to do before we can hope to come close to understanding.

thanks for thinking about this and taking the heat I suspect you are! 

washy

http://washwords.wordpress.com

washwords.dc@gmail.com

Lara, thank you for the titles.  I haven't read these, but I think all three would offer different perspectives.  I'm definitely going to check these out.

My first instinct said that moving a nation is impossible, yet the way Nennhaus presented it, it seemed like it could work.  I'm glad that Pam gave me some other angles to think about, however.

Thank you, Lara!  I appreciate the link and help. 

Again, I realize I have made a terrible mistake in reading this book.  It was not my intention to cause any harm.  I would never proclaim to know anything about this.  My first instinct was that moving a nation was impossible, ridiculous, but I was trying to understand the reasoning.  I have failed.

I am truly, truly sorry. 

...but your purpose was to beat and punish her, as you tried to do with me and others in your commentary on Rita Arens' Surrender Dorothy.

You can say what you want and I know BlogHer will publish it, but your accusation of BlogHer as anti-Semitic (per the post on your blog that I refuse to link here) is unequivocally wrong and transparently vicious. Because of such cruel intent, I know from many others that any time they see your name on a comment, you are readily dismissed and ignored. I would dismiss you as well but you called me a "pimp" and a writer of "dreck" in your comment at Rita's blog and I'm not going to take that crap.

Back off, Margalit.

Grace Davis

State of Grace

Denise,

Your points are well-taken. However, I'd like to make this analogy:

What if this were about...immigrants? What if this were about...African-Americans?

What if a BlogHer CE said, I don't know anything about this topic, I read this one book, here's the thesis of the one book, could the solution to all our problems related to immigrants or to African-Americans be resolved by this thesis?

The implication is there, if not in Dana's words, certainly in her thoughts.

I agree that Dana's post, in the absolute best light, is one, from her perspective, that tries to say, "Ack! I hate that war stuff!" and to her, without any other knowledge than what she tells us she possesses, that one book's simplistic suggestion struck her - not as overly simplistic but as a possibility.

I cannot speak for other BlogHers, and I am - relatively speaking - pretty new here. But I believe what I hear in the comments is that over time, BlogHer has built up the reputation for its CE's that they would not post this kind of "let's get the party started on this topic" kind of post with so little information. That there is a much greater onus on Dana than maybe on me or other non-CEs.

I am surmising - I am not saying I necessarily feel that way.

Frankly, I am too close to this issue - I grew up as a Reform Jew, my great-grandmother lost her family in the Holocaust, I've been called a Kike, I've gone to a Catholic university, been on Methodist Church missions and lived in Israel for a year working in impoverished neighborhoods (1984-1985). I married a Conservative Jew and we raise our family in a conservative synagogue (for those who don't know - that's a branch of Judaism, not conservative as in Republicans tend to be conservative).

And I differ dramatically on the topic of Israel with many of the people with whom I belong to my synaoguge - because, as it was written in the very first comment here, I don't agree with much of the Israeli gov't.

I also don't agree with the Bush gov't. Or many Republicans for that matter. Maybe we should deport all the Republicans to whichever nations they feel better represents the homogeneity they seem to desire, since this country is only going to get more diverse. (No - of course not! :)

Dana - I'm not familiar with the book you mention, though I do think the idea you say it suggests is absurd. But I don't think you are absurd. I think your post, as a "I wonder if this would work - what do you think" post demonstrates an emotional disconnect to existence and often-written about feelings of many Jews.

I'm curious to know how you came to know of this book you read.

Maybe a better post from a CE that wonders about how there may ever be peace in the one section of the Middle East you've identified (as opposed to the Persian countries) would have been (and of course can still be) to include all that you say about not knowing and THEN, ASK FOR SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW TO READ UP. Tell people that you want to read or learn about all sides - not only the hawkish stuff and not only the kumbaya stuff. Ask people for what they do, ask people for their experiences.

Again, I cannot speak for other BlogHers, but I gather that, like me, many have traveled, many are passionate (okay - pretty much all are passionate) and most if not all value thoroughness when it comes to examining ANY issue - from body image to raising kids to the Middle East.

I love that BlogHer sets an expectation that we will engage even and perhaps most when it is the most uncomfortable. But there are certain expectations too that come with that first expectation.

I don't feel that you owe an apology per se or anything like that - but I understand the outrage 100%.

What I would MUCH prefer would be for there to be an addition, update or further reflection from you about how it is that from the time you left school to the time you picked up the book you discuss, you haven't encountered any other opinions or experiences that would have helped you see why the suggestion to relocate Israelis is untenable.

Is it right for the Sudanese rebels to force the relocation of its people? How do you feel about what Mugabe has done to Zimbabwe and its forced relocation? What about the Katrina victims who've been forced to relocate for any number of reasons?

I cannot imagine any situation in the world about which I would recommend forced relocation. And so I want to understand why it is that you imply that forced relocation might "finally" bring peace.

Peace for whom?

Denise - and all the BlogHer community, I really appreciate this space for conversations. Dana - I really hope you can read what I've written in the way that I'm trying to read and process what you've written. Thank you.

Jill

Writes Like She Talks