While it is quite apparent that PCG constantly vilifies and demonizes the Palestinians what is not quite so apparent is that this simplistic stance regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict also dehumanizes the Israeli Jews.
Israeli Jews are human beings. They are just as beautiful, talented and flawed as any other human being. This is true for the Palestinians as well.
But PCG does not portray Israeli Jews as human beings. PCG simplistically portrays Israeli Jews as a simple caricature. They are the "good guys". They are portrayed in the same way as characters from a movie instead of being human beings. This, in and of itself, dehumanizes Israeli Jews.
Many Jews know about this and do not approve. Although the following quote does not discuss PCG specifically but these words are just as applicable to them as well.
They don't love real Jewish people. They love us as characters in their story, in their play, and that's not who we are, and we never auditioned for that part... (Gershom Gorenburg as cited in Lee Marsden, For God's Sake, Chapter 6, p. 190.)Israeli Jews are just as beautiful, remarkable, awe inspiring and flawed as any other human being.
Also PCG's simplistic portrayal of Israeli Jews might fuel actual anti-Semitic hatred. What's going to happen when PCG members meet Jews, whether Israeli or otherwise, and are disappointed to see that they are human beings like themselves, that they somehow failed a PCG member's overly idealized expectation which the Jews never asked for anyway.
Can the PCG member handle this disappointment? Or will he or she let this disappointment fester and grow into hatred?
Quite awhile ago I came upon this news story.
Now of course it is good that there is peace and good relations between Israel and Vietnam. But PCG members, unless they go outside the PCG information bubble, are never going to read of stories like this. Will they be disappointed? Will their disappointment cause them to overcompensate their previous idealization and hate Jews?The State leader [Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang] added that Viet Nam would support dialogue and peaceful settlement of conflicts, including the Israel-Palestine issue, in line with international law.[Israeli President Shimon] Peres expressed his admiration for President Ho Chi Minh and the achievements made by the Vietnamese people in the fight for national independence, as well as for the country's reconstruction and development.The Israeli President said he wished the country every success with achieving its socio-economic development goals, and to build a rich and strong country. ("Viet Nam, Israel to boost all-round co-operation", Viet Nam News, 2013.)
The way PCG has dehumanized Israeli Jews into some simple caricature is not good. This is true even if the caricature is supposedly positive. Israeli Jews are human beings like any other. Israeli Jews are just as beautiful, remarkable, awe inspiring, complicated and flawed as any other human being.
Yes, one interesting aspect is the rate of agnosticism amongst Israeli Jews. I am sure the PCG imagines the general population as being observant of Torah.
ReplyDeleteEvangelicals regularly go to Jerusalem to evangelize the Jews. They feel that this is important because Jesus stated that He would return when the Jews cry out for Him.
Most culties have no concept of international geopolitics. They somehow never make it past the cliches.
BB