Israel/Palestine
In reply to the discussion: 10 Ways Israel Is Just Like Saudi Arabia [View all]oberliner
(58,724 posts)Here are some traits Saudi Arabia and Palestine have in common.
1. Both oppress the non-dominant groups living in their borders. Women in Palestine face political and social oppression, and women's rights are consistently overlooked in favour of national rights. In Palestine, homosexuality is a capital offense. Saudi Arabia oppresses women and gays, too. They both respond to political dissidents in similar ways, using excessive force, arbitrary and indefinite detention, impunity, intimidation, and torture.
2. Palestine and Saudi Arabia have invaded neighboring lands, killing hundreds of civilians. Palestine has been invading and bombing Israel for decades. According to B'Tselem, as of July 10, 2005, 821 Israeli civilians have been killed by Palestinians since the signing of the Oslo Accords. The Saudis have interfered in the internal affairs of neighboring Yemen. In March 2015, they launched a vicious bombing campaign, killing over 6,000 Yemenis, mostly civilians, hitting markets, schools, hospitals, residences and wedding parties, and displacing over 2.5 million people. Both use weapons that have been internationally banned: Palestinians have used suicide bombings against civilians in Israel; Saudis used cluster bombs in Yemen.
3. Religion plays a key role in the politics of both nations. In Palestine, Islamic law forms the basis of the Basic Laws that serve in place of a constitution. Since Islam is the official religion of the PA, Islamic institutions and places of worship receive preferential treatment while Christians face daily discrimination and are treated as second-class citizens. For example in 2012, a group of 50 young Muslim teenagers attacked a Christian residential complex in Bethphage, throwing rocks, smashing cars and windows and injuring several residents. In Saudi Arabia, Mecca is the holiest city for Muslims and the Saudi kingdom considers itself the global center of Islam. Only Muslims can become Saudi citizens and the non-Muslims are treated like second-class citizens.
And so on....
Anyone can play the Medea Benjamin BS game.