In own Matter

Good evening everybody!

In the light of what is going on in Israel/Palestine today, I’ve found myself on the receiving end of several personal attacks. As usually, such experiences are prompting me into yet more of writing - and thus came into being the idea to ready the following.

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One of most interesting experiences in my 35+, almost 40 years as military analyst, historian, and illustrator (yes, I started very early) is that there is an endless number of people who know exactly what I think – without ever asking for my opinion, or the reasons for the same. Especially so on the internet. The characters in question are, really, so well informed about what do I think, I’m nothing but stunned about their skills in online telepathy. They simply know. Period.

…without even one ever asking: and, Tom, what the heck do you actually think, and why?

There’s no better example for this but the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Apparently, I can analyse and write (quote) ‘fantastic’, ‘unique’ and whatever books about any other conflict; my analyses about the war in Ukraine for example, appear to be highly appreciated.

….but, if I start discussing Arab-Israeli War(s), and then come to such ideas like criticising Israel - and then in the same amount as I criticise ‘Arabs’….oh my: then I’m (quote) ‘an Austrian and everybody knows who was an Austrian’; (quote) ‘disgusting, because I consider them (Arabs) equal to us (Israelis)’; (quote) ‘liar’, and, and, and…. and (the least offensive quote so far) ‘expressing private political opinions’.

OK. Very nice.

Now, rather amazingly, there is still nobody asking me why do I have the opinion about this conflict which I do, nor why am I as critical of Israel as much as I am – and, certainly enough, often more critical about Israel than about Arabs. ‘But’, since I’ve been called such names, I think I have the right to ‘explain’ why, too.

Firstly, and once again: for me, religion, national or ethnic backgrounds simply do not matter. I do not care who thinks is of some sort of ‘higher birth’ (or, worst of all: birth place): actually, I’m so ignorant of such affairs, I regularly do not even think about asking people where are they from. And I do not even talk about ‘races’ when it comes to cats and horses. So, why should I do so about humans? If at all, and as explained in my last post, I despise any kind of racism, extremism, chauvinism: I do find them despicable, and do not want to be in company of – nor even associated with - any people, or groups of people, expressing such or similar opinions. Worst of all, I guess, I’m not jealous, nor judging people: I accept them as they are.

Of course, I’m biased, too. I do have my favourites. Especially sides showing less- or no racism or extremism, for example. And I have a week spot for so-called ‘underdogs’.

That said, I do not think my bias is influencing my work: after all, I’m approaching the Arab-Israeli conflict with the same dose of even-handedness like any other conflict. Means: from my point of view: all wars are absurd, full of ironies, entirely pointless, and – except for family/beloved ones – there is nothing worth dying for. I simply do not see any difference in this regards. Sure, I do respect some people think about some places as ‘holy land’ and whatever else, but that’s not influencing me. I do not care if it’s holy land to anybody, nor if somebody is considered ‘God’s hand-picked’: as said above, I’m finding that despicable. Thus, at most you’re going to experience me commenting such ways of thinking through sarcasm.

Anyway… in the case of Arab-Israeli conflict, my point of view is relatively simple….which is why it might take some time to explain it (that’s like with a wheel: it works, nobody can really explain why).

I’ve been researching this topic for all of 35-40 years of my professional life. Have travelled to the Middle East, but never to Israel. Why not? Because, initially during my research, I was almost exclusively interested in ‘air forces & aircraft’ – and then I’m always most curious about the ‘unknowns’. The topic ‘Israeli air force’ is researched by many and there are thousands of related publications (books, articles etc.): I’ve got dozens of them in my library. However, there were none or next to no publications about ‘Arab air forces’. Really, shouldn’t mean anything more nor less: I simply know no other reason.

Now, the more I read myself into this topic, and the more I’ve published about ‘Arab’ air forces, the more of…. let me call them ‘strange’, even ‘stunning’ things I’ve experienced. For example: hatred for me, alone because I’ve ‘dared’ to do something as ‘disgusting’ as to go researching about Arab air forces…..which only made me curious about ‘more’ and, foremost: ‘why’?

And, thus I’ve started searching for books, articles and other sources of reference about this conflict – and, rather quickly – discovered there are ever more publications describing this war in anything else than the ‘usual way’ it is described.

Thats ‘usual way’ is something like this (and that’s a massively shortened and oversimplified version): the poor survivors of the Holocaust were fleeing, and the noble UN found them ‘a land without people for people without land’, indeed ‘the land of their ancestors’, ‘holy land’ etc. And they all flocked there, and converted a desert into a garden Eden’s, and built one of strongest armed forces of the World, and the best air force in this galaxy etc. …and we’ve got to support them because they’re the good ones, and facing hordes of bad guys: blood-thirsty, fanatic Islamo-Fascist-Arab cut-throats…

Now, I do not recall the exact chronological order, but over the time I run into a number of books explaining an entirely different story. One example I’m going to put ‘at the first place’ is a book I recommend because its geniously simple:

-          Arabs & Israel for Beginners.

….because it is cheap to get from Amazon, can even be read online, simple to read in a matter of few hours: it’s providing really an ‘executive summary’ of everything else I’ve read to this topic, and is excellently substantiated. And the author says, between others: nope, the land was densely populated, and already the first Zionists knew they would have to ethnically cleanse the place to create the Erez Israel…which is why they’ve lied about ‘land without people for people without land’…..and plenty of other things… ‘Aha…. See there’…

Well before that, I run into a number of books by a ‘certain’ Israeli historian, all based on official Israeli documentation:

-          Righteous Victims: A History of the Zionist-Arab Conflict

-          1948: A History of the First Arab-Israeli War

-          The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem (same author again)

What made me particularly curious was that, apparently, the author first described in detail – really: on village-to-village basis - the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians from Palestine, and then was forced to ‘deny’ this or declare it for ‘necessary’….Aha, so…. If Israel is ethnically cleansing people, then that’s ‘OK, since necessary’? Interesting.

The next question was: and why is this tolerated by almost everybody, actually? Think I’ve found the answer in this one:

-          Taking Sides. This is actually something like ‘perfect lecture in US-Israeli relations’ –

…arguably, just in period 1947-1967, but: based exclusively on official US documentation about which nobody cared before, and much of which was re-classified since that book was published, back in the 1980s….(see: ‘aha, unknown!’). That’s when, for example, one can find out that famous Aluf Micky wasn’t shot by accident, as depicted in the movie ‘Cast a Giant Shadow’ (staring, from memory, Kirk Douglas and Senta Berger), but on order from commanders of Haganah. That son of a gun wrote a letter to David Ben Gurion, complaining about ethnic cleansing and corrupt commanders enriching themselves from the loot…. And that’s just one example… That book did left me wondering: what would the USA do if anybody else but the Israelis have assassinated its Konsul General in Jerusalem, or attacked USS Liberty in as savage fashion as the Israelis did… but, you know me: I’m asking lots of unpleasant questions…

At least as interesting was this one:

-          The Six Day War: The Breaking of the Middle East –

…because, although primarily based on Israeli sources, it was mutually confirming Taking Sides. For example in regards of Israeli designs (prepared already before Israel was created) to establish control over not only the entire Palestine, but also over southern Lebanon, at least the Golan Heights in Syria, a good chunk of ‘Transjordan’, and Sinai Peninsula in Egypt; and then establish the country in position of economic- and military hegemony over the Middle East. Regardless the consequences, and no matter what it costs (foremost US- and European taxpayers).

….which, hand on heart: when one is following Israel’s history, is precisely what has happened. At least between 1947 and 1967. Indeed, especially during the June 1967 War, for which Israel – and its supporters abroad – just can’t stop stressing was a ‘pre-emptive affair’.

(Perhaps they actually mean that David pre-empted Shlomo from securing some special piece of real estate on the Golan Heights or the West Bank….? Who can say any more…)

…and that’s not to talk about such hefty works like this one, written by one of leading Israeli historians: The Invention of the Jewish People…

Plus articles like this one: ‘Blowback: How Israel went from helping create Hamas to bombing It’, or an entire series of articles (all by Israeli historians) about the IDF intentionally provoking over 80% of ‘famous/notorious’ border clashes also known as the ‘Water War’ of 1963-1967, published in scientific quarterlies – eventually led to an unavoidable conclusion: sorry, but Israel is, systematically, setting its own hair on fire.

The country is really to blame for launching aggressive wars, for systematic and sustained ethnic cleansings of Palestinians, for summary executions of prisoners of war, for land grabs, for looting, for spreading ethnic- and religious intolerance (actually: blanc hatred), for indoctrinating racism, and for lying without an end….

And there is simply no excuse for all of these misdeeds.

Indeed, there is not even an excuse for all of its supporters – especially in the West, because they (at least those who have the say) are all perfectly aware of what is Israel doing all the times since 1947. With their, wholehearted, support- of morale-, financial, and technical nature.

(…which is not to say that Arabs are all angels. On the contrary: there were, and there still are, at least as many egomaniacs, opportunists, and extremists on the Arab-, as on the Israeli side. Just: they didn’t start this brawl, nor are Arabs responsible for the Holocaust. They’re the victims of repeated Israeli aggressions. Thus, if anybody is supporting Israel because of own bad conscience (and I do not): it’s wrong to blame Arabs for that.)

So am I biased in regards of Israel now?
No doubt: I’m super-critical regarding actions by the government and armed forces of that country.

If that is making me ‘biased’, then please keep in mind: all of the above are works of top Israeli historians or (in two cases) people from the USA. Thus, I would say: I’m at least ‘strongly influenced by Israeli historians’.

….who can say: perhaps they’re all ‘anti-Semites’ and ‘Hitlers’, too…

One way or the other: sorry, any such commentary is not impressing me the least. In worst case, I’m not going to care: I do not want to even be associated with characters of specific, above-described kind. In the best case, I’m going to conclude that anybody expressing such opinions is an ignorant that has never read even single sentence of all the publications listed above, and thus lacks the qualification to comment - but is brazen enough to think he or she has an opinion that matters, which must be impressed upon me.

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So, hope, you all might feel properly informed about my standpoints now, and thus are going to feel prepared for what might follow in the coming days, weeks, perhaps longer. Of course, I’m also going to continue my coverage of developments in Ukraine - i.e. return to the same - in exactly the same fashion like the last 1,5 years.

Thanks a lot for your attention.