The Shoe That's Actually on the Other Foot

Several decades ago, a couple of guys I knew in public school would say "the only race is the human race".  I don't recall the names but wish I did, so I might track them down and apologize for doubting them.

In the website Science Oxygen, it is suggested that there are seven races: American Indian or Alaska Native; Asian; Black or African American; Hispanic or Latino; Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander; and White. 

This imperfect classification is not quite as bad as others. However, Science Oxygen more accurately notes "racial categories are not reflective of the underlying reality", "race" cannot "be found in our genes" and

Because of the overlapping of traits that bear no relationship; to one another (such as skin colour and hair texture) and the inability of scientists to cluster peoples into discrete racial packages, modern researchers have concluded that the concept of race has no biological identity.

And that is only one thing wrong with the tweet (below) from Mehdi Hasan, who argues

The idea that in a world where Israel is genociding the Palestinians in Gaza, ethnically cleansing them in the West Bank, and blocking their legal right to return the idea that Israel's right to exist is the one we should be concerned about, and not Palestine's, is both ridiculous and, let's be honest, racist.

“Do You Support Israel’s Right to Exist?” Mehdi Hasan FIRES BACK

Mehdi Hasan: I've been debating hardcore Zionists, Israeli supporters of Israel, for years. And the conversation always comes back to one talking point:

“Do you, or do you not support Israel’s right to exist?”

If… pic.twitter.com/HITkx4mJH5

— Jeff (@_Jeffery0) August 15, 2026

If Hasan had any concept of honesty, he'd recognize that Israel is not committing genocide (and there is no such thing as "genociding").  Also, Palestine is a geographical construct and thus, were there even distinct races, discriminating against Palestinians would not be racist."  And if the Palestinians who left Israel in 1948, voluntarily or involuntarily, have a right to return, we'd have to consider that (according to this site) "since 1948, 99% of the 1,000,000 indigenous Jews living in 10 Arab countries plus Iran, were uprooted from their countries of birth- one of the more significant cases of ethnic cleansing in modern history."

Of course, Jews would not return to those countries if given a choice because before expulsion from those lands they were treated much worse than are Arabs/Muslims currently living in the West Bank and far worse than those individuals residing in Israel proper. So much for Hasan's precious right of return for Muslims/Palestinians, and only for them.

It's ironic that Hasan, who supports creation of a Palestinian state, would state "people, individuals have a right to exist. Human beings have a right. Not states, not countries."

Massachusetts, Wyoming, Oklahoma, and a lot of other places would like a word.  Also, this: if countries have no right to exist, neither would a "Palestine". But Hasan believes a "Palestine" should exist, but not Israel, created by the UN General Assembly on November 29, 1947. 

And he believes that "Palestine" should exist at the expense of Israel, which he refuses to say should exist. Israel is "a country with sovereignty, it's on the map," he says, as many Republicans still say when asked whether Joe Biden won the 2020 election: with "he is the President."

Comparison of the Soviet Union to Israel is hideous.  In the wake of a failed coup against Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev, fourteen republics of the Soviet Union declared their independence. Aside from the three Baltic states, they formed with Russia the Commonwealth of Independent States. And now Russia is "only" approximately 6.6 million square miles in size. By contrast, Israel comprises 8,630 square miles.

And in contrast to that, Saudi Arabia covers 868,730 square miles, more than 100 times the size of Israel. However, Hasan doesn't recommend that the Kingdom relinquish any portion of its nation to help its Muslim brothers. Such an accomodation would not sit well with the Saudis, who accept Palestinian Arabs only as guest workers and forbid them from becoming citizens, a far cry from their status in Israel proper. 

Mehdi Hasan has not spoken up about that, however, because his abiding interest is not in a Palestinian state. He does not argue that Gaza should become a Palestinian state. He does not argue that the West Bank should become a Palestinian state.

His interest is in the abolition of Israel. He is not alone in the Muslim community in the West, though unlike most others, his words make it clear that he supports the ethnic cleansing of Mideast Jews.  Quite ironic, but not so surprising.

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