Quote by Christopher Hitchens
I went to interview some of these early Jewish colonial zealots written off in those days as mere 'fringe' elements and found that they called themselves or it sounded just as bad in English 'The Bloc of the Faithful.' Why not just say 'Party of God' and have done with it? At least they didn't have the nerve to say that they stole other people's land because their own home in Poland or Belarus had been taken from them. They said they took the land because god had given it to them from time immemorial. In the noisome town of Hebron, where all of life is focused on a supposedly sacred boneyard in a dank local cave, one of the world's less pretty sights is that of supposed students toting submachine guns and humbling the Arab inhabitants. When I asked one of these charmers where he got his legal authority to be a squatter, he flung his hand, index finger outstretched, toward the sky.
Summary
This quote criticizes the actions and ideologies of a group called "The Bloc of the Faithful," believed to be early Jewish colonial zealots. The author questions why they don't simply refer to themselves as the "Party of God," insinuating a more extreme and aggressive stance. The quote also highlights how these individuals justify their actions of taking land claiming it was given to them by God, rather than acknowledging the displacement of others. The author further criticizes the behavior of armed supposed students in Hebron, asserting that they assume authority through a sense of divine right.
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