all nationalism is superficial...even Israeli
Reader comment on item: The Year the Arabs Discovered Palestine

Submitted by russ (Egypt), Dec 6, 2008 at 08:26

Nationalism has ALWAYS been a response to foreign occupation or threat of it, the desire to solidify identity as a rallying point against an oppressor. Palestinian nationalism shallow? superficial? it sprung up around the same time the Jewish state did in response. Is Israel's nationalistic claim any deeper? They are not the people of the Bible. Proponents of Zionism had no common languange (unlike Palestinians), no land (unlike Palestinians), no singular culture (unlike Palestinians), and many other elements which are usually contingent upon forming a nation-state. Israel is an anomaly in this sense. NO nationalism is inherent: Israeli or Palestinian. It is all constructed, and Israel's happened to have enough money and political sway to win over the Palestinian's nationalist ambitions.

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