In Obama's historic speech in Cairo on Thursday, he compared the plight of Palestinians to the racism and inequality experienced by Black Americans in the post-slaver and pre-civil era. He goes on to say that the Palestinians have a legitimate aspiration to have their own state.
Obama was even-handed in his speech, reminding audiences that the Jewish people faced humiliation and persecution for centuries in Europe and were subjected to one of the worst genocides in modern history.
But not everyone was happy with his speech. Some decided to cling to some aspects of it and simultaneously forgetting other parts in order to add legitimacy to their baseless arguements. There were a lot of negative comments floating around after the speech. But the one that stifles me the most is this:
via NYT:
“I understand Palestinian suffering, it is terrible,” said Abraham Foxman, the national director of the Anti-Defamation League. “But it is not on the other hand to the Holocaust.”
But how do you compare suffering?
Does the group that suffers the most deserve a homeland?
Does the group that suffers the most have more legitimate aspirations?
Can you place a numerical measurement on suffering and heartache?
