--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Jews are a peculiar people: Things…" description: "\"“The Jews are a peculiar people: Things permitted to other nations are forbidden to the Jews. Other nations drive out thousands, even millions of peopl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/183/eric-hoffer-343_algeria_the-jews-are-a-peculiar-people-things-pe_2940738.jpg" --- # The Jews are a peculiar people: Things permitted to other… ![“The Jews are a peculiar people: Things permitted to other nations are forbidden to the Jews. Other nations drive out thousands, even millions of people, and there is no refugee problem. Russia did it. Poland and Czechoslovakia did it. Turkey threw out a million Greeks and Algeria a million…” quote by Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/183/eric-hoffer-343_algeria_the-jews-are-a-peculiar-people-things-pe_2940738.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/183/eric-hoffer-343_algeria_the-jews-are-a-peculiar-people-things-pe_2940738.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/183/eric-hoffer-343_algeria_the-jews-are-a-peculiar-people-things-pe_2940738.jpg) > ““The Jews are a peculiar people: Things permitted to other nations are forbidden to the Jews. Other nations drive out thousands, even millions of people, and there is no refugee problem. Russia did it. Poland and Czechoslovakia did it. Turkey threw out a million Greeks and Algeria a million Frenchmen. Indonesia threw out heaven knows how many Chinese--and no one says a word about refugees. But in the case of Israel, the displaced Arabs have become eternal refugees. Everyone insists that Israel must take back every single Arab. Arnold Toynbee calls the displacement of the Arabs an atrocity greater than any committed by the Nazis. Other nations when victorious on the battlefield dictate peace terms. But when Israel is victorious it must sue for peace. Everyone expects the Jews to be the only real Christians in this world.”” [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Israel’s Arab refugees are portrayed as perpetual, unlike other nations’ displaced peoples. **In simple terms:** Israel faces a unique refugee issue. Key Takeaway Address refugee integration. Themes politics refugee policy historical narratives Mood critical thoughtful Type analytical controversial When to use this quote - policy debates - humanitarian aid - educational curricula Key Concepts national identity human rights Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do nations have toward displaced populations? - How can historical narratives be balanced? A Different Perspective Complex historical context may simplify nuanced realities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Algeria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/algeria/) [Chinese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chinese/) [Displacement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/displacement/) [Greeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greeks/) [Immigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigration/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Jews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jews/) [Judaism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judaism/) [Nazis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nazis/) [Poland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poland/) [Refugees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/refugees/) [Russia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russia/) ## Related quotes > [“I do not know of anything in modern poetry as violently hostile to contemporary life as was the poetry of T. S. Eliot, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-gabor/i-do-not-know-of-anything-in-modern-poetry-as-violently-hostile-to/) [Dennis Gabor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-gabor/) > [“Only the Jews, of all the nations under Roman rule, had won the right to separate their political obligations from religious ones, to obey…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-pagels/only-the-jews-of-all-the-nations-under-roman-rule-had-won-the-right/) [Elaine Pagels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-pagels/) > [ \[About Jews\] Among other nations, the vital problems are: a good crop, extension of the boundaries, strong armies, colonies; among us, if we wish… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i-l-peretz/about-jews-among-other-nations-the-vital-problems-are-a-good-crop/) [I. L. Peretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/i-l-peretz/) ## More by Eric Hoffer > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [When grubbing for necessities man is still an animal. He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-grubbing-for-necessities-man-is-still-an-animal-he-becomes/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [“We lie the loudest when we lie to ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/we-lie-the-loudest-when-we-lie-to-ourselves/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Our originality shows itself most strikingly not in what we wholly originate but in what we do with that which we borrow from others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/our-originality-shows-itself-most-strikingly-not-in-what-we-wholly/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [The creative mind is the playful mind. Philosophy is the play and dance of ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-creative-mind-is-the-playful-mind-philosophy-is-the-play-and/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [It is also plausible that those movements with the greatest inner contradiction and between profession and practice - that is to say with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/it-is-also-plausible-that-those-movements-with-the-greatest-inner/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [The best part of the art of living is to know how to grow old gracefully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-best-part-of-the-art-of-living-is-to-know-how-to-grow-old/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [“In the alchemy of man's soul almost all noble attributes--courage, honor, love, hope, faith, duty, loyalty, etc.--can be transmuted into ruthlessness. Compassion alone stands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/in-the-alchemy-of-man-s-soul-almost-all-noble-attributes-courage/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [The act of self-denial seems to confer on us the right to be harsh and merciless toward others. The impression somehow prevails that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-act-of-self-denial-seems-to-confer-on-us-the-right-to-be-harsh/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [A nation without dregs and malcontents, is orderly, decent, peaceful and pleasant, but perhaps without the seed of things to come](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/a-nation-without-dregs-and-malcontents-is-orderly-decent-peaceful-and/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Compassion alone stands apart from the continuous traffic between good and evil proceeding within us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/compassion-alone-stands-apart-from-the-continuous-traffic-between/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [There are many who find a good alibi far more attractive than an achievement. For an achievement does not settle anything permanently. We still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/there-are-many-who-find-a-good-alibi-far-more-attractive-than-an/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [A war is not won if the defeated enemy has not been turned into a friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/a-war-is-not-won-if-the-defeated-enemy-has-not-been-turned-into-a/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Man is the only creature that strives to surpass himself, and yearns for the impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/man-is-the-only-creature-that-strives-to-surpass-himself-and-yearns/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [This food-and-shelter theory concerning man's efforts is without insight. The desire for praise is more imperative than the desire for food and shelter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/this-food-and-shelter-theory-concerning-man-s-efforts-is-without/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) [Explore all 658 Eric Hoffer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) ## More Algeria quotes > [Anyone who follows the Middle East and Islamic world in general can't deny it is often a very violent place, that a band of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-engel/anyone-who-follows-the-middle-east-and-islamic-world-in-general-can-t/) [Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/) > [Algeria is what allowed me to accept myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-bourdieu/algeria-is-what-allowed-me-to-accept-myself/) [Pierre Bourdieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-bourdieu/) > [I have seen children shot in El Salvador, Algeria, Guatemala, Sarajevo, but I have never before watched soldiers entice children like mice into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/i-have-seen-children-shot-in-el-salvador-algeria-guatemala-sarajevo/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [Women in the Arab world have a rich history in their active participation in political change from the Algeria revolution against the French occupation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zainab-salbi/women-in-the-arab-world-have-a-rich-history-in-their-active/) [Zainab Salbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zainab-salbi/) > [In a general way, if one cannot attribute to the Jew the whole responsibility of the situation, economic, political, and social, by which Algeria…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-hagel/in-a-general-way-if-one-cannot-attribute-to-the-jew-the-whole/) [Chuck Hagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-hagel/) > [I can say now: all the combatants who participated in the fight for freedom in South America came to Algeria; it's from there that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-ben-bella/i-can-say-now-all-the-combatants-who-participated-in-the-fight-for/) [Ahmed Ben Bella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-ben-bella/) > [I am the son of poor peasants who came at a very young age to live in Algeria. I only recently saw the place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmed-ben-bella/i-am-the-son-of-poor-peasants-who-came-at-a-very-young-age-to-live-in/) [Ahmed Ben Bella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmed-ben-bella/) > [“You think about bathing in the sea – thick as velvet, supple and smooth as a wild animal. You think about swimming naked, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/you-think-about-bathing-in-the-sea-thick-as-velvet-supple-and-smooth/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Algeria, the second-largest country in Africa, has been dogged by terrorism. But while dangers remain, they are far outweighed by the hospitality of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-drinkwater/algeria-the-second-largest-country-in-africa-has-been-dogged-by/) [Carol Drinkwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-drinkwater/) > [“If Algeria introduced a resolution that the earth was flat and that Israel had flattened it, it would pass by a vote of 164…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abba-eban/if-algeria-introduced-a-resolution-that-the-earth-was-flat-and-that/) [Abba Eban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abba-eban/) > [What is the Obama Doctrine? It seems to be one of disengagement, to try to ignore the hot, religious, dry, poor countries from Algeria…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-engel/what-is-the-obama-doctrine-it-seems-to-be-one-of-disengagement-to-try/) [Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/) > [ \[Albert\] Camus' was born in Algeria of French nationality, and was assimilated into the French colony, although the French colonists rejected him absolutely because… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-camus/albert-camus-was-born-in-algeria-of-french-nationality-and-was/) [Catherine Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-camus/) > [In the 1990s, Islamists in Algeria won elections like the Brotherhood did in Egypt. The Algerian military refused to allow the Islamists to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-engel/in-the-1990s-islamists-in-algeria-won-elections-like-the-brotherhood/) [Richard Engel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-engel/) > [In Algeria, I had begun to get into literature and philosophy. I dreamed of writing-and already models were instructing the dream, a certain language…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-derrida/in-algeria-i-had-begun-to-get-into-literature-and-philosophy-i/) [Jacques Derrida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-derrida/) > [ \[Albert Camus\] really did know Algeria. He was an exile from his country, but still living in its language. Solitaire et solidaire. It's not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-camus/albert-camus-really-did-know-algeria-he-was-an-exile-from-his-country/) [Catherine Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-camus/) [Browse all 45 Algeria quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/algeria/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The Jews are a peculiar people: Things permitted to other nations are forbidden to the Jews. Other nations drive out thousands, even millions of people, and there is no refugee problem. Russia did it. Poland and Czechoslovakia did it. Turkey threw out a million Greeks and Algeria a million Frenchmen. Indonesia threw out heaven knows how many Chinese--and no one says a word about refugees. But in the case of Israel, the displaced Arabs have become eternal refugees. Everyone insists that Israel must take back every single Arab. 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