chenofzurenarrh

Seeing as how Mr. Lesser has seemingly concluded the AMA, I hope you don't mind me tackling some of these as an Israeli (and a grandchild of Holocaust survivors).

To begin from the bottom, I'd like to note that most Israelis would find the comparison of the Holocaust and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict horrific. German Jews weren't terrorists, after all (neither is most of the general Palestinian populace, btw). On the other hand, Israeli blockades of Gaza and the West Bank impede the movement of Palesitians in a way not too dissimilar from that of the ghettos.

I can tell you that racism is rampant in Israel these days, and that many right-wing politicians stoke the flames, especially now during election season. I can also tell you that the same is true in Gaza, where Hamas reigns. A lot of the current conflict is couched in fear of the other side, which both sides are justified in having (and which political leaders on both sides exploit): young Israel was beset on all sides upon its establishment, which fostered the mentality of the Arab world wanting to complete Hitler's mission; on the other side, the very same war of independence (called "Nakba", lit. catastrophe, by Palestinians) led to the exodus of around 700,000 Palestinians (I'm pulling the number from Wikipedia. note that it's debatable, and that the reasons for said exodus are manifold). From there you have more wars, military occupation on one side and terror attacks on the other, and the cycle of violence and fear continues.

The problem right now is that, for each side in the conflict, the demands of the other side exceed what they are able (or are willing) to give. Abbas seems at times like someone Israel might negotiate with, but he's also seen as powerless against the militarist Hamas. Isaac Herzog, should he be elected, would be in a similar position in Israel - hawkish Bibi has the legitimacy to make concessions but not the inclination, as any change to the status quo might impede his political survivability and hurt the interests of his patron, Sheldon Adelson.

Hey, Jeffrey!

I've only just finished reading the Girlfriend Trilogy books. I read Clumsy back in the day, but just got the rest and blitzed through them. It was all wonderful. Thanks so very much.

Since /r/iama won't let me just comment without asking a question, What were some of the autobio comics that inspired you? and what are some of your favorite comics these days?