That an Archameadean point which makes an objective reality possible does not exist means simply that all we know is based on our perceptions, that nothing exists 'out there' which we can understand in its total, "massive" otherness. If this is so, whatever we know about an entity is constrained, shaped, defined, and deterimined largely by several other entities, conceptions, perspectives, etc., as well as by our individual cognitive abilities (presuming these exist even if one is able to break free of all other constraints). It is this why we would find the above reviews of Kimmerling's "Politicide" varying from those considering it as an excellent diagnosis of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict to those seeing it as outright anti-semetism (though usually the label 'self-hating Jew' would be the choice when the dissident voice is Jewish).Obviously, a 'Palestinian' perspective is missing here.
But even from a Palestinian perspective, there are still many possible readings of the book that correspond to varying levels of analysis and considerations. For example, if the author of the book were Palestinian, he or she may be criticized rather harshly by most Palestinians. The author, however, is an Israeli Jew, which brings us to a second crucial determinant; the predominant Zionist discourse. This hegemonic discourse has systematically rejected and denied the collective Palestinian narrative, even their very identity and existence as such. This discourse, backed up by American Nazi Christians (the next on Hitler's list (would?)have been the Arabs, next on the so called 'Zionist Christians' (is) the Jews- hence Nazi Christians), is so predominant that any other view is automatically relegated to the discourses of dissent- by definition not shared by the collectivity. The book seen through this prism is a giant leap. But do we really have to consider the book as related to the prevaling Zionist narrative? Is this how far can a conscientious objector stray from established (non)wisdom? Isn't the real politicide done by this Zionist discourse and hegemonic culture that set the parameters within which Sharon simply identified his g(l)ory path, and which is the real enemy of Palestinians and Israelis as well, and which should be fought, first and foremost, by Jewish conscientious objectors themselves? If this is true, Kimmerling's book shouldn't be evaluated in relation to mainstream Zionist perspectives. It is not a giant leap.
My more specific contention with the book does not stray from the above argument. Kimmerling seems to blame it all on Sharon. Again, its the prevaling norms and institutions, many of which were already fossilized long before poor Sharon-in-a-coma was born. Consider, just for instance, Jabotinsky's idea of presuming the survival of the Jewish state as contingent on Jewish military power, the iron wall, the garrison state. Sharon's life was dedicated to that ideal, he even started buiding a giant physical wall to complement it. Again, there is the presumption that an Israeli public opinion was at odds with Sharonism, when it is evident in the book that he became (in)famous with every massacre he'd committed. Sharon is but a Zionist construction, and now that he is gone, and now that Zionism is still thrust deep into the very recesses of belligerence and intransigence, a thousand Sharons may lead the way(st).
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