this post was submitted on 15 Feb 2024
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I have heard this a lot ("Israel's right to exist") and it makes me wonder, why does Israel have a right to exist? This is an honest question and I hope someone can answer it (and not answer with a question, just facts please). A lot of people, including those who ask that question, seem to have low confidence in Israel's right to exist. Like they need other people to confirm it.
Edit: Israel is literally the only country that I have ever heard people talk about it's "right to exist". Why is that?
I suppose you could take that argument and turn it on any country/people and question their right to exist. Looking around at what we've done to this world, it would be pretty easy to make an argument that humans have forfeited their right exist. You are asking for a factual answer to what is basically a philosophical question. Do Jews have a right to live in the Middle East? They are, for most realistic purposes, not allowed in all the surrounding Arab countries. Why not set up Israel in, I don't know, uh, give them Iowa or something? Well, then you get into that fucking weird religious shit that doesn't make any sense to me. I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on why Israel doesn't have a right to exist.
Thanks, that's pretty much the standard answer.
but the thing is, you brought "Israel's right to exist" up.
I never said nor implied that Israel has or doesn't have a "right to exist", and what does my opinion matter on that anyway? I think the "Israel's right to exist" argument is some kind of ad hominem fallacy, like "poisoning the well" or "appeal to motive" or some other discrediting tactic used to defend Israeli exceptionalism. Case in point: this meme (which turned out to be pretty powerful after all)- the response to "is Israel commiting war crimes" is "well you must think Israel doesn't have a right to exist (and therefore you're a bigot so I can ignore you)" which is complete cognitive blindness to the simple idea of investigating possible war crimes. It always goes to ad hominem or whataboutism. For the record I'm not arguing with you, I just wanted to know what you think.