Shame. Great shame.
It is impossible to be even vaguely aware of the news and not know that the State of Israel, important member of the International Surfing Association, is currently undertaking a massive military operation against the self-governing Palestinian territory, known as Gaza, to its south.
In response to an uptick in Hamas rockets sailing across its borders, the Israeli Defense Forces have pounded the the densely populated Mediterranean strip from the air, with artillery and a further potential ground invasion in the works.
Many women and children dead. Much destruction of property.
Whole apartment towers flattened etc.
Israel, defending its actions, vows to put a stop to the “terrorist actions,” with Defense Minister Benny Gatz saying, “If the citizens of Israel have to sleep in bomb shelters then Gaza will burn.”
On its face, maybe, a brutally asymmetrical but somewhat sensible argument.
In reality, though, absolutely absurd.
Now, BeachGrit regulars will certainly be aware of my bias. I’ve been to Israel and loved but have spent much more time in Yemen, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and love more. All to say, the argument that the struggle between Jew and Arab is somehow and ancient grudge match, more deeply rooted than any struggle on earth, is patently false.
The troubles began in 1948 with the establishment of the State of Israel and the subjugation of the native Palestinian population.
And imagine, with me, that for the past 72 years the International Surfing Association’s United States and Australia’s subjugated native populations regularly threw dynamite sticks, rocks, etc. at us settlers. Would they be considered terrorists? Likely not, but, most importantly, these subjugated populations don’t regularly throw dynamite sticks, rocks, etc. and why?
Because the United States and Australia have handled their shit. Not always beautifully but handled nonetheless.
Even once-apartheid International Surfing Association’s South Africa, bravely boycotted by Tom Carrol in the 1980s, has handled its shit.
Israel?
While pretending to be a western democracy and plied with billions of yearly U.S. dollars, the proud little country has not even come close to handling its shit, not only failing in its responsibility, but continuing to cast blame on its subjugated, impoverished, alienated, trapped population for bad behavior worthy of decimation.
Squeezing the vice tighter, dreaming fever dreams that it can break the will of a battered people with next to nothing to lose.
It hasn’t worked for 72 years, it won’t work in 72 more, and this vast failure of both responsibility and imagination should be carried with great shame.
The greatest shame.
Man, if there are two things I can’t stand it’s a lack of responsibility and imagination.
Like listening to Joe Turpel describing Mick Fanning getting attacked by a shark in the middle of a heat.
Ugh.
Real socialism exists in our society already. The military is one example.
The Trumpers like to bellow about Trump making peace deals between UAE and Yemen and Morocco and Israel, but who cares?
They’re all a sideshow of a sideshow.
Now if Trump had forged some lasting peace deal between Israel and Palestine – that would have been something.
The solution to this ongoing mess is simple: Put Israel and Palestine into the Octagon.
Let them go at it and get it over with, once and for all.
Winner take all.
Fully televised like The Truman Show and narrated by Anderson Cooper and Tucker Carlson.
That would attract some eyeballs, but butts in seats.
The Just Get It Over With Games.
Gaza Goes Gonzo.
Blood and Sand.
Marketers will do well with it.
The name of the Israeli Defense Minister is Benny Gantz, not Gatz
The USA is not sliding further in that direction. That’s the point. People have been screaming about the same shit for decades. Yet here we are.
So to read between the lines of this ‘article’ its seems that that author is either complaining about all the dudes that swing a bigger dick (which appears to be many) or in some twisted way trying to confess a lifelong hate for all the long boarders and SUPers occupying the line-up with a disproportionate amount of foam and fiber glass.
Nah, with Australians the bad shit is happening at home and largely due to ridiculous crowds. Found them to be fairly well behaved on the road.
ISIS is still alive and bombing , Iran is so pissed at the USA it’s developing nuclear weapons, Afghanistan a horrible loss for all except the Taliban ( Bush started it)…..so now we will all reap the horror of Trumps empty rhetoric…..rember his / USA betrayal of the Kurds!
China gets stronger and is reclaiming it’s lost assets…
France is socialist and so is the USA now!
I would have to say that no country has “handled their shit” ever. Ask any and all indigenous peoples how it has gone with the government that have seized control of their home land. Your stance Chaz seems to be heavily influenced by the terrorist that you spent time with and held the gun to your head in your writings. Peace is there if you want it much like war is. Hawaiians live this daily. Giving into the peace offered generally comes with the loss of most of what means the most to them. If you are going to stand for Hamas and how horrible they are to their own people you should at least appreciate how Israel is willing to stand up for it”s people. Seeing that Muslim countries do not support rights for women, gays, and non muslims I would think your liberal thinking would have you opposing Palestine. It has been hijacked with the help of the UN. Manufacturing conflict in the middle east is good money for someone. Business was bad for the last 4 years. Follow that money.
Simply put – well thought and well done Chas.
I would ask you this – is this all really just a fight over Jerusalem because it is such a revered site for the world’s largest but differing religions? Any insight appreciated.
I think the Jerusalem business could be sorted relatively easily, especially now that Saudi Arabia and Israel are in bed together.
Those clients come with excess baggage.
When you’re taught ideological hate as a child it’s hard to mend those differences as an adult. Not much difference today in the US.
I wonder what Doc Paskowitz would have had to say here…didn’t he once smuggle boards over to Palestine as some sort of cultural exchange?
Dear Chas
What do you mean by ‘sorrting our shit alone ‘?
Does the situation of US or Australia with natives was the same as over here or even GB in north Ireland ???
Lets go back in history
In late 19th century Jews return back to their lost homeland cause everywhere else we were unwanted . The country was a desert .
We start build it and made it to a flourish garden .
There were not alot of natives here then (jews and muslim )but mamy of what now so called Palestinian arrive same time from areas around The Nile in Egypt in seek for work (why ?…casue someone start build the country) ….so many were not natives at all
Anyway in 1948 the UN offer to split the country into 2 states one for each side (the Arabs one was Much bigger) the Jews accept it .
Guess which side didnt accept it?
Guess which side attak next day of our independence declaration with fully armed militaries ??
Back to now days
Hamas is not a legitmate regime they are terror orginization which fund by Iran same as Hizballa in Lebanon .
The average palestian people dont want them but they have no choice .Hamas recived each year Billions of $$ from Katar from the UN from EU ,US . But sadly they are not use it to rebuilt Gaza or make any economic improvements ,they are use it to build rockets .
They want the current situation to stay as it is . They could done much better for those refuge camps in Gaza but they are not doing so .
Why ….?
Cause it will solve the problem and than both sides can go on for better future
But seems they prefer Current situation .
So tell me now who is the rebelien teenager now ??
Belive me that no feet is on noone neck .
On normal days we supply them everything that they need to build their own economic and have their own autonomy same we do in West bank .
In 2005 we left Gaza as they want
Gaza also has a southborder to Egypt ….but the Egyptians decide to close the border . Better to ask them why ?….cause Hamas instead of use this open border in bringing suupliment for better life in Gaza brought weapons and drugs to fight Israel .
The situation has no other solution than live together and let economic do the work .
And yes Israel is the only democracy in this area , you been in Lebanon , Syria ,Yeman
You should know it by yourself .
Asymmetrical is when a bus is bombed in center if town is when a rocket fly from Gaza and land in a middle of quiet neigberhood
Is when someone been stab in the market .
Thats why we had no choice but make this chek points .
Does the aborigins in Australia bomb Sydney ??
Lets wait for better and quiet days
And in my belif no one wants and prefer wars .
Ronny
The “returned to lost homeland” narrative ain’t true though. Early Zionists were just as happy to head to Rwanda. That aside, it is Israel with the resources, Israel with the military, Israel with the billions of dollars, Israel settling land that wasn’t Israel’s to begin with, Israel’s problem to solve.
Chas
If you check you will find that 2000years we pary with our head to Jerusalem . Early Zionist didnt really consider Nothing but Zion and the fact that during 18th centery Jews arrive from Yeman and east Europe same time to Israel with any idea of each other plans .
Israel’s fucked up attitude towards Palestinians is best mirrored by that of its traveling surfers. Bunch of clueless cunts with no respect for humanity, other than theirs.
I was talking to a friend who has traveled a good bit for surf about which nationalities are the most aggressive in foreign lineups and he suggested Israelis are the worlds most grievous offenders of basic etiquette while also being pretty shit at surfing on the whole.
After surfing with a bunch of Israelis in solid Portugal about 30 years ago I concluded they were a pack of arrogant drop-in arseholes on par with Brazzos, who made me look like a blushing violet nice boy by comparison…
Quote British comedian Alexei Sayle ” I always try and think of the psychology of a nation and the psychology of people behind it. Israel seems to me to be like a teenager that’s never been given boundaries, that endlessly indulged by it’s doting parents ‘The West’ and has become a psychopath as a result.”
A very liberal country.
Israel?
Compared to the average Muslim I’d believe so
So you using “liberal” to mean “thinks like me” as opposed to “open for all.”
Like a democrat
You’ve become so damn lazy
The long, earnest, poignant comment has nlace here
What’s the “average Muslim country” ?
Mean, median, mode or range?
They’re all very backward
It looks like the Rottnest hotel is going to have plenty of festivities. Beach barbecues. Rip Curl surf movies on a big screen. Live bands every night. The contest live all day. I wonder if the ghosts of the prisoners will rise from the dead and ruin the fun.
They’ll be dancing on the ceiling!!
You are using asymmetrical incorrectly in this case. Asymmetric warfare is waged by the weaker side since it cannot fight a symmetrical war with its stronger opponent. So in this case the Palestinians and Hamas are waging an asymmetrical war with Israel.
And if the Palestinians wanted peace there would be peace. The Israelis have made 5 offers to the Palestinians and each time they were turned down by the Palestinian leaders. Unfortunately the Palestinian people will never have peace and maybe their own country until they get leaders that have the interest of the people as their goal and not being a pawn is Iran. Same is true of the Iranians themselves who are very vibrant and smart people but are stuck being lead by religious nut jobs who don’t care what kind of damage they do to their country so long as they can continue to wage a religious war. Which is really the problem with this whole thing. Religious wars are unwinnable because there is not logic just emotion
Israel has flipped the asymmetrical script and the offers? They ain’t crafted to be accepted. They are mockable. Again, every other established western democracy has sorted their shit. Why hasn’t Israel? Because the Palestinians are uniquely gnarly? No. Because Israel is uniquely lame.
It’s not Israel’s shit to sort out. Israel is the only truly democratic country in the entire region. They have their shit sorted, the other countries don’t. Until there is a truly elected representative of the Palestinians this will go on and the Israelis will continue to do what they do to protect their country and the Palestinians will continue to suffer.
The real solution to this problem is economic not military. My guess is that the majority of Palestinian people would just like to live in peace and have a good economy and live their lives
Why doesn’t Israel help them sort it out then? Ease blockade to begin with. Israel has foot on neck. Palestinians can’t even begin to do anything economically. And truly democratic is but of a stretch when a massive chunk of the population can’t vote.
Also, it is Israel’s shit to sort out the same way it’s America’s shit to sort a Native Americans, Australia’s shit to sort aboriginals. They are settlers, like it or not.
The blockade is the result of the Israelis trying to protect their country. The Palestinian leadership along with their patrons the Irans don’t even think Israel should exist and have waged numerous wars to try and get rid of Israel. How do you negotiate with that? And there maybe segments of the Israeli population that can’t vote but they still live in much better country than anyone else in the neighborhood.
And while the indigenous people all over the world have been treated like shit, that would have happened no matter who did it. That’s simply human behavior. Its easy to go back and judge what they did in the past by today’s standards but hundreds or thousands of years ago those standards didn’t exist. People have been taking over other peoples land since humans started moving around. In fact the behavior isn’t even unique to humans but happens all over the animal kingdom
Oh I’m not arguing that people don’t/shouldn’t take each other over. I’m saying that Israel has taken over a people in the stupidest way possible.
And you negotiate with a population wanting to take you out by actually negotiating. The problem is solvable and it’s in Israel’s power to solve.
Sorry didn’t mean to drop in on you like that….you just took off so deep and late I didn’t see you there
You mean sort their shit out like the Palestinian government is a terrorist group with their el presidents 16 years into a 4 year term? Or how they just cancelled elections again and used the rocket attacks as a distraction from the aforementioned fact?
Load of bullshit. The Palestinians need to stop being terrorists.
Pretty sure the Zionists invented “being terrorists” back in that 1948 era when they took over the area from a bunch of goat herders.
Pathetic cowards using their own people as shields including woman and children.
“It’s not Israel’s shit to sort out. Israel is the only truly democratic country in the entire region.”
You clearly know nothing and should refrain from commenting
Getting back to surfing – Is Eithan Osborne still intent on representing Israel in the Olympics?
He should be pondering. Do you think he is?
No, I doubt it!