Israel's good friend Obama...

[CZ60]

Most of you traveled to Israel several times. Some of you live there. A lot of you have family there. Wouldn't you all understand the politics over there way better than me? How is this racist?

I've traveled to France more times than I've traveled to Israel. My family even lived there for 8 months when they were escaping persecution in Egypt years ago. Yet my family knows as much about French politics as it does Zimbabwe politics. 

Lumping "most everyone" on this thread together based on the amount of times we've traveled there? Or have relatives there?

What you said is fine to say to the people that live there, or to the people that follow Israeli politics on a day to day. But assuming "we all" or "most" or " a lot" follow Israeli politics because.....we've traveled there, or have family there?? You have to admit you're stretching it.

Lets see if this helps. "All" is referring to those that traveled there, live there or have family there.

Still a stretch to assume that bec I travel there means I know who's in charge and what they stand for. I get out of the airport, take a taxi to where I need to go, enjoy the atmosphere and whatever else there is to enjoy being there, and I come back. I don't go there to read newspapers.

[Yehuda57]

ETA: I don't know what his remarks about blacks are, but what's racist about using a middle name? If that's your best proof of racism you are grabbing for straws.

You were right about his comment being racist. But JTZ is correct about the racism from that (and other) member(s). The middle name is far from the only thinly veiled racist remark.

[JTZ]

Still a stretch to assume that bec I travel there means I know who's in charge and what they stand for. I get out of the airport, take a taxi to where I need to go, enjoy the atmosphere and whatever else there is to enjoy being there, and I come back. I don't go there to read newspapers.

Did you take my comment as racist or I made assumptions that were not accurate?

[jj1000]

You were right about his comment being racist. But JTZ is correct about the racism from that (and other) member(s). The middle name is far from the only thinly veiled racist remark.

I am going by his apparent logic of Racism only going by the dictionary definition of racism. Also I can only comment on that one post, I don't know the others he's referring to.

"the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races.
prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior."

[jj1000]

Did you take my comment as racist or I made assumptions that were not accurate?

I assumed all blacks had cousins in or travel to Africa, it turns out I was wrong. I'm not racist I made a bad assumption. Is that something you use often?

Or I assumed all Jews were rich, turns out I was wrong. I'm not racist I made a bad assumption.

[CZ60]

Did you take my comment as racist or I made assumptions that were not accurate?

The assumption that bec someone travels there or has family there, knows politics there. It was a masked remark. Unmasked, it's racist. Masked - just plain wrong.

[JTZ]

The assumption that bec someone travels there or has family there, knows politics there. It was a masked remark. Unmasked, it's racist. Masked - just plain wrong.

Do you know how many times on this forum I have been told I don't understand because I don't live there? You know how many times I have been told if I had family there I would look at it differently. So me assuming you would have better knowledge of what is going on there is somehow masked? Do you even hear what you are saying?

[CZ60]

Do you know how many times on this forum I have been told I don't understand because I don't live there? You know how many times I have been told if I had family there I would look at it differently. So me assuming you would have better knowledge of what is going on there is somehow masked? Do you even hear what you are saying?

Loud and clear. So you've been told 20 times. 30 times. 50 times! All by different people. And now that allows you to lump everyone here into one of two categories. Either we have family there, or we live there. I would say a very fair number of everyone on this forum have neither. We've merely visited. But of course, I wake up, go get a cup of coffee and sit and read the israeli newspapers while I'm there.

This has really gone off the deep end. I really hope you can see that you lumped everyone into one bucket of "knowing israeli politics" - anyone who has basically done anything more than look at Israel on a map might fall into your bucket. But then again, it only includes only those that live there and have family there as you just said. Or, maybe you want to change your mind (again) about what you meant by "you all".

If you don't see that, then sleep on it and wake up tomorrow and, after reading the israeli newspapers with a cup of coffee, read this thread again. You might catch something.

[zh cohen]

I'm going to side with JTZ on this one. When I read his comment I understood it to mean that on average, someone who is Jewish is more likely to know about Israeli politics than him.
But I'm not very sympathetic to cries of "racism" in general. It could be that by the standard applied to other comments here, this one was also "racist".

[CZ60]

Not racist at all. He's referring to the members that are engaged on this forum.

Lets see if this helps. "All" is referring to those that traveled there, live there or have family there.

[JTZ]

Loud and clear. So you've been told 20 times. 30 times. 50 times! All by different people. And now that allows you to lump everyone here into one of two categories. Either we have family there, or we live there. I would say a very fair number of everyone on this forum have neither. We've merely visited. But of course, I wake up, go get a cup of coffee and sit and read the israeli newspapers while I'm there.

This has really gone off the deep end. I really hope you can see that you lumped everyone into one bucket of "knowing israeli politics" - anyone who has basically done anything more than look at Israel on a map might fall into your bucket. But then again, it only includes only those that live there and have family there as you just said. Or, maybe you want to change your mind (again) about what you meant by "you all".

If you don't see that, then sleep on it and wake up tomorrow and, after reading the israeli newspapers with a cup of coffee, read this thread again. You might catch something.

Yes you are correct I lumped most here knowing more about Israel's politics the me. I believe those that travel to any place that I haven't would know more about than me. If they have family there and I don't would understand it better than me. That makes it a racist comment? Where was the malice in my comment? Where was I degrading anyone?

[zh cohen]

Who are therefore more likely to have more knowledge of the Israeli politics than someone who does not

[Dan]

I believe those that travel to any place that I haven't would know more about than me.

Do you know more about Polish politics than me

[jj1000]

Do you know more about Polish politics than me

Oh, he's definitely Polish. That's for sure. 

[CZ60]

Yes you are correct I lumped most here knowing more about Israel's politics the me. I believe those that travel to any place that I haven't would know more about than me. If they have family there and I don't would understand it better than me. That makes it a racist comment? Where was the malice in my comment? Where was I degrading anyone?

Not racist - don't mean to throw jj under the bus but I disagree on the racist part. I would say stereotype.