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May 30th, 2017
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  1. I know a number of Israelis, whether they're family or acquaintances, who have made Facebook posts almost identical to this (albeit perhaps not as well-written). The Israeli-Arab and Moro conflicts have claimed similar numbers of casualties over the past several decades, so it's understandable that they'd feel threatened by foreigners making suggestions that they believe would undermine their security.
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  3. It's also understandable that they'd feel offended when the people making these suggestions had no stake in their security. After all, it's not some American's child who is going to be sent off to the Gaza strip (Israel has a conscript army), or an Englishman who is going to be stabbed on the street. It's an Israeli.
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  5. It's not surprising, then, that they'll make the same argument you've made here. They'll point out that it's not anyone else's job to decide what they need for their own security, and that people who don't themselves have to live under constant threat of attack shouldn't opine as to how they'd balance fear of that threat against other considerations.
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  7. I usually support actions Israel takes for its own security, but I never liked that argument. You don't tell someone he's wrong by telling him that he doesn't get to have an opinion. You explain why that opinion is wrong. Someone who doesn't face the threat of terror every day may not understand how important it is to protect against that threat, or what measures may be necessary to do so. But then that's the argument you have to make. A cogent explanation of your viewpoint is always going to be more persuasive than a refusal to engage at all.
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  9. In fact, it's especially important that people be able to voice dissenting opinions in a situation like this one. When governments take on authority in order to combat a military threat, that increase in authority can easily be abused in the name of security. This is true even when the government is operating in good faith; indeed, it may be especially true then. Dissent is not a threat to safety. On the contrary, it's a necessary check on abuse of power.
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  11. That all said, I am happy and relieved to hear you are safe, and I hope it stays that way. I even asked Strant the other day how you were because I was concerned. But it would also be nice to catch up without doing so by proxy, so I am always on Skype or Facebook if you ever want to chat.
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