Palestinians & Greek Cypriots: Two Different Aproaches to Victimhood

Every ethnic group, just like every individual, has a cross to bear. The "Golgotha" endured by a people can lead to two very different approaches to their victimhood in the face of a national catastrophe. The contrast between Palestinians and Greek Cypriots is instructive. Shlomo Avineri, a professor of Political Science at Hebrew University writes the following:

"Had Greek Cypriots followed the Palestinian example since 1948 - that is, kept the refugees in camps, segregated them from the non-refugee society, and fed their children a daily militaristic message of hatred, revenge, and terrorism - a completely different atmosphere would  permeate the island. The Greek Cypriot example shows that it is simply not true that the occupied have no recourse other than violence and terrorism. Recourse to violence and terror is a moral and strategic choice. The Greek Cypriots chose the path of non-violence; the Palestinians chose the opposite route. There is always a choice, and there are always consequences. Consider what the Greek Cypriot community has achieved - a thriving economy, no one living under conditions of misery and humiliation in camps, membership in the European Union - compared to the catastrophe the Palestinian choice has brought to their own people. Perhaps on the level of public relations, the Palestinian leadership - sacrificing their own people on the altar of propaganda - can bask in their achievement: yet it is their own people who suffer."

Read the whole thing. Hat tip to Demonax for bringing this article to my attention.

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Comments

[Hermes]

It really is sad when Greeks feel the need to fight the propaganda war on behalf of the Israelis whilst they have done nothing, particularly since 1974, to help us. In addition, they have had close military ties with the Turks anf their Lobby in Washington has often been in cahoots with the Turkish one. Also, they have not been forthcoming in supporting the recognition of the Armenian and Hellenic Pontian genocides.

Shame shame shame.

[Hermes]

Note, the Palestinians have not done much for us either, but then again they are not really able to as they do not have a State or an effective Lobby.

Therefore, we should remain neutral.

[Stavros]

The Palestinians have always been their own worst enemies. I see Avineri's article as pro-Greek Cypriot and as such it is welcome. I embrace his point of view.

Hamas and Hizbollah are fanatics cut from the same cloth, their inability to rein in their extremism will ultimately spell disaster for their people.

[Christine Toskos]

The difference between the Palestinians cause and the Cypriot cause, all Cypriots suffer under the Turkish occupation not only Greek Cypriots, is that the Israelis can say that land was first Jewish. Cyprus was Greek even when it was mentioned in the Old Testament. The first barbaric Turk to step foot on our Greek island was no sooner than 1600. Yes, while Constantinople was conquered by the barbaric Ottomans in 1453, Cyprus was under the protection against the Ottoman by the Venetians. The Turkish Cypriots aren't even Turkish. They converted to Islam to avoid paying religion tax to the local Sultan when we were enslaved. That is why there is only 100,000 Turks (Greek Moslems) to 658,000 Greek Orthodox Cypriots. That is why a real Turkish Cypriot's naive language is not Turkish but Greek. A real Turkish Cypriot hates the Turks more than we do for Turkish aggression on our island. They know once Turkish troops and settlers leave Cyprus will be the most wealthiest island in the area. Zito i Kipros. Zito i Ellada. Death to Turkish aggression.