15 January 2013
Screenshot of Twitter avatar deemed existential threat to Israel
German rapper Bushido has been accused of calling for the destruction of Israel because he changed his Twitter avatar to an outline map of historic Palestine with the colors of the Palestinian flag and the words “Free Palestine.”
“This map image does not serve peace, but sows hatred. Bushido must immediately remove this from his Twitter page, otherwise he can no longer serve as an example of successful integration,” German Federal Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich demanded in a statement to Bild am Sonntag.
In 2011, Bushido won a “Bambi” award as a role model for “integration,” although the rapper has previously been the subject of controversy, drawing accusations that he has produced homophobic and misogynist lyrics.
“The message of the image is clear: a two-state solution with Israel and a Palestinian state existing in peace is not acceptable,” alleged an overwrought article in Süddeutsche Zeitung. “There is no room for a Jewish state.”
“It is scandalous that a German musician who is so accomplished should question the existence of Israel in this way,” Ruprecht Polenz, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU party and chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the German parliament told the newspaper.
Zionist organizations have jumped on the bandwagon. Drawing attention to Bushido’s ancestry, the World Jewish Congress issued a statement titled “German rapper wipes Israel off the map”:
Bushido, who was born as Anis Mohamed Youssef Ferchichi to a Tunisian father and a German mother, has more than 285,000 followers on Twitter. He has not explained what he meant by posting the map, which is used as propaganda by Hamas and other extremist Palestinian organizations who deny Israel’s right to exist.
Many Zionists have long held that for Palestinians to merely recall the historic fact that their country was unified and that they lived in all parts of it before the 1947-48 Zionist ethnic cleansing and violent partition is illegitimate and hateful.
Any sort of criticism of Israel has been frequently silenced in Germany by reference to the country’s crimes during the Second World War, assisted by many complicit European authorities, whose motivation was to exterminate European Jews.
So it is sadly no surprise that Israel’s actual and ongoing efforts to erase Palestinians from their land – not merely from maps – through relentless colonization of occupied territories and racist laws to “Judaize” the whole country – have rarely caused as much outrage in Germany as Bushido’s Twitter avatar.
Indeed, despite Israel’s flagrant and accelerating efforts to steal as much land as possible in violation of international law, the German government continues to be a staunch ally of Israel, helping to make the Middle East a more dangerous place by providing nuclear-missile capable submarines to Israel.
The only message Israel can take from German complicity and irresponsibility is one of encouragement and support to commit more war crimes against Palestinians and others.
But German politicians, it seems, only find their courage when a rapper changes his Twitter avatar.
Comments
What is Israel?
Permalink Bibi replied on
Perhaps, when the Zionists actually define the boundaries of the land they intend to be 'Israel', people will be able to draw a map of it. Until then, and until Palestinians relinquish their ownership of those parts of Palestine to the Zionists, the whole of Palestine remains Palestine.
"Successful Integration?" Bambi?
Permalink Anne Norton replied on
The idea that "successful integration" is judged solely by the majority -or its self-appointed representatives is very telling. Apparently prominent Germans appear to hold the view that "successful integration" requires ideological conformity on all issues -certainly something which is not asked of those who belong to the majority. Dissent on any issue, it appears, is a privilege permitted only to members of the majority. Bambi, I remember, is the traumatized foal whose mother is shot. That is a rather disturbing name for a "successful integration" award -but it does indicated what is being
demanded.
German officials object to Map of Palestine meme
Permalink Bea Dewing replied on
Has the German Finance Minister ever looked at the back of the Israeli half-shekel coin? The same outline is found there. If it is genocidal to show this image, why is it OK for the Government of Israel to stamp it on their coins? More double standard for the Zionists. Mel Gibson was branded anti-Semitic because he asked a police officer if she was Jewish. If this is anti-Semitic, Israel is the most anti-Semitic country on earth - it's a common conversational opener there.
Gibson -- all the wars in the world
Permalink JeffB replied on
I think you may have missed the 2nd half of Gibson's comment, "F***ing Jews. The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world." Whatever one may think of Israel / Zionists / Jews, I think everyone can agree there are a huge number of wars they have 0 to do with.
'Integration'
Permalink Michiel Sikma replied on
The notion that this makes him a bad example of integration is deeply racist as well, as it makes a presumption about the beliefs of immigrants prior to their reeducation by the German state. We Europeans supposedly know everything better.
The German government is publicly bullying and coercing someone because they don't like his opinion. It's a deeply disturbing affront to freedom of thought and of speech.
bushido.
Permalink colin replied on
if you happen to be german, be very ashamed. to suport palestine is not anti jewish. that is a world wide religion, not a state. isreal is a state which supports zionism which is political.
Criticism of Israel
Permalink Truth seek replied on
The Jewish community throughout the world was outraged when the Nazis sang "Juden - heraus mine fatterland" ( Jews - get out of my fatherland ) and demanded a "Judenrein" ( Free of Jews ) Germany. Today, the right-wing Zionist fanatics through-out Israel are demanding "an Arab-free" Israel. Somewhere, Hitler's ghost is laughing and sputtering his gratitude: "Thank you, my spiritual kinsmen. Your actions are a tribute to my legacy of lethal racism."
Nation versus ....um....a semblance of a Nation
Permalink Rayed Darwish replied on
“It is scandalous that a German musician who is so accomplished should question the existence of Israel in this way,” Ruprecht Polenz, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU party and chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the German parliament told the newspaper.
Existence of Israel? How about the existence of Palestine? Oh, I'm sorry, there is no such thing as a nation state called Palestine. But aren't the Palestinians - who have no official country to call their own - forced to recognise Israel (its illegal colonialist occupier) even though they do not live with a bordered nation?
While the Zionist government of Israeli talks peace it occupies and annexes more of historic Palestine. That is the goal. And we must accept that such a goal is not compatible with the Palestinian goal of an official sovereign state with defined borders.