As Lincoln abolished slavery, Israel must abolish occupation

the gap between israel and lincoln is quailitative not quahtitative so there is no way to bridge it>

To believe a movie is a case of the emperor having no clothes indeed.Especially if these people are to be seriously engaged on any level they should at least be intelligent and honest about understanding facts.Things like demographics,trends,attitudes of the time period.Documented historical facts like Lincoln's own words.Here is a wake up call.What do you think most of the soldiers of the northern troops were?Slaves.Do some research.

I am a palestinian from Gaza & want to tell you "Go Forward"

Yes, I remember how African slaves in America talked about driving out all the Europeans/Americans and taking over the entire country; how they fought wars against Americans; how they received billions of dollars in aid money from their bretheren around the world and the UN; It's a perfect analogy.

the whole of Israel is occupied land !!!!!!

twat

Just as some had argued after the US civil war. However one thing is certain: Both Lincoln and Rabin paid the same price for taking a stand on the side of integrity and human rights. For Lincoln, that price was weighed against the infinitely higher cost of doing nothing. My question to your readers is what price will Israel pay if it fails to act in honor of Rabin's sacrifice?

You are 100 percent correct. Excellent article- as usual!

and it is tolerated because it is Ïsael." That situation really breeds resentment and hate that will eventually erupt. The paradox is, as long as Palestinians are peaceful, Israelis won't end the occupation because they are not aware of it. Then if they ask for their freedom, they are told they have to be peaceful. Only occupation in history in which the burden is on the occupied!

You're getting very close Bradley

the difference is, those slaves wanted to be treated as equal citizens; Palestinians do not want to be citizens of Israel, they want something else.

Today I downloaded the documentary from I Tunes, cost: $9. Every Israeli and American family should view this very important reflection on the occupation and the toll it is taking on both Palestinians and Israelis. Viewing this film one can only conclude the Palestinians have a better chance of suffering a Holocaust than choosing to leave their land.

The guy needs to find his inspiration somewhere! Why not the Oscar ceremony? His pedestrian thinking shows how irrelevant he is.

Bravo Mr. Burston, for your courage in stating a truth that many still refuse to acknowledge.

There is no "occupation" except by the translated Arabs. Nothing is fair in war and the spoils of it go to the victor. The next time Israel is attacked, their borders will increase dramatically. What say you then Brad or will you join the Arab coalition?

Sorry to disappoint you. This yahoo is not an Abraham Lincold. He does not come close. So please stop comparing apples to oranges.

The real slavery and occupation, of which Lincoln was an occupier, was never over the blacks, but over the native indigenous. The European and black occupation over the west will soon expire it being removed very effectively by nature itself. The west was never given them. It was given to the Indians. Europe and Africa was given the whites and blacks. But for Yisrael it does not and has never rested on any other but the Holy Land Whom Elohim gave to no one else but The Jew (Semite).

Arab Palestine is on the eastern bank of the Jordan River.

His argument represents a level of dishonesty that causes the world to fear and hate Jews.

This is good and effective medicine that can only be proscribed to and not forced upon the Palestinian patient who supposedly wants to shed his debilitating illness and get better but who doesn't seem to take his Jewish doctor's advice very well.

Exactly what I thought after seeing Lincoln. Israel needs a Lincoln. or a Lin-co-lin.

absurd reasoning. i don't recall in history where the slaves wanted to kill the ones who freed them.

Bradley Burston - in his usual eloquent and poignant way - delineates the tragedy and the onus that all Israelis - no matter if religious or secular, if left-wing or right-wing are faced with and have to take responsibility for and resolve - in a manner that leaves the dignity and rights of both sides intact. The nomenclature used to describe the occupation is irrelevant - suffice it to say, that it is an intolerable, dehumanizing situation for the occupied as well as for the occupiers that has no place in a State that was founded on democratic principles. The time has come to put an end to this calamity that holds both peoples hostage and prevents them from realizing and unfolding their full potential as a society and as a nation.

Actually, just as Lincoln abolished treason, so Israel must abolish treason!

USA ofcourse alread@Y replied by saying that Frau Merkel should not thought nor taught that WH@EVER happened in USA won't to Brazilss Portugease White@Désirée Croes, cos viceversa counts for Brazilians .

So true. every word. Thank you for writing this colum today.

Bulgarian Sophia an Italian for USA must have been picturing the pope saying by the hand of whiter Brazilian Portugease La Esclava Isaura22 Frau und Octavia und Frau und Bruna@Brunas's Bookstores Brazil To tels USA: after all Slavery of Black People in USA, results like in Brazil.

Bradely is really licking the bottom of the garbage can. The Israelis didn't have Palestinians enslaved or buy Palestinians to use as slave labor. There is no parallel between the slavery of the black man and the rejection of the Arabs of Israel and resulting wars. Occupation will end when the Arabs are ready to make peace with Israel, accept Israel as a Jewish state and openly tell their people in their own language that the "heroic struggle" is over.

Bradley and Bob, I'm in favor of abolishing insanity and one salient definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome. Israel has tried on numerous occasions (Barak, Olmert Livini...) to give back upwards of 90% of the territories and, in return, we have received, in turn, unbridled violence including savage suicide bombers, rockets on populated cities and incitement and hatred. So, Bradely and Bob, you can be insane and keep trying, but it's clear the Palestinians don't want peace, unless they receive the entire piece - all of Israel. I prefer to stay sane and alive.

It would take a Martin Luther King to do the job, and Obama isn't quite of his dimension.

Best article I've ever read on Haaretz.

influx to israel as the result of recognizing their "right of return" as emanded by them -and BB

Lincoln didn't free the slaves so much as he enslaved us all to the tyranical US Federal government. Be careful what you wish for, and really, learn American history. Read "Lincoln Uber Alles Dictatorship Comes to America" by John Avery Emison for the real story.

Civil War among Jews- Bradley, your analysis is deeply flawed.

Bravo. Just that. Bravo. And thanks for such a well written article on a theme close to the hearts of us all, in a time of economic crisis where it is clear we are all slaves to Finance, and that slavery too has to end.

A particular rabbi began his talk before airing a documentary film about searching for peace in the Middle East. There's definitely a correlation with the film's message of what discrimination leads to and perhaps not quite "Apartheid" as some suggest, but certainly not a place we're comfortable with as status quo between Israelis and Palestinians. This is one of the hardest subjects to deal with and we can't ignore the realities because we all suffer in the end. btw, just surprised "Lincoln" didn't win best picture.

OK-so you hate israel because it threatens the whole parשdigm of your existence as an American Jewץ' but your propaganda is really disgusting. And you know most people dont read the blog because they dont pay so you put a terrificly horrible headline- with nothung behind it. Fact: Palestinians outside Israel and territories are desperately trying to get INSIDE the west Bank- ask yourself why. lOOK AT THE The World Bank Open Data and see the west banker live better then Arabs anywhere in the country around- Theres no political freedom and even a war between 2 peoples on 1 land- Israel is winning so far / The only place were there is Slavery is in Slavery of obsessive minds to their own anti-israel obsessesion.

If he was a true believer in human rights he should have abolished all the rights of the white colonialists, and give all the land back to it's original and legitimate owners - the native Red Indians (who incidentally are still perseceuted until today), who like the Jews were the original owners before the land was colonialized by many peoples over the centuries including lastly and unfortunately for us the Arabs - Palestinians.