Following last week’s publication in the New York Times and Washington Post of a senior political adviser to Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas, fundamentalist Zionist groups in the US are unhappy:
Several Jewish organizations expressed outrage following the publication of opinion pieces authored by a Hamas figure in two of the US’s most prestigious newspapers on Wednesday.
Both The New York Times and The Washington Post ran op ed pieces by Ahmed Yousef, a senior political adviser to Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas, one of two competing Palestinian Authority prime ministers.
The columns, which didn’t note that Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization by the United States, sparked anger from many groups, including the Anti-Defamation League, which wrote to the Times the following day.
“Ahmed Yousef’s preposterous picture of Hamas as a moderate, peace loving organization committed to a cease-fire with Israel has no basis in reality,” wrote Glen S. Lewy, ADL national chairman.
“The chaos, violence and destruction in Gaza and the looting and dismantling of the security infrastructure and border control facilities that followed shows the real face of Hamas,” he wrote.
Morton A. Klein, the Zionist Organization of America’s national president, called the newspapers’ decision to publish the pieces “appalling,” adding that it was akin to printing an article by Holocaust architect Adolf Eichmann in 1942.
Klein went on to say that publishing columns by representatives of terrorist organizations only served to legitimize their views.
Never one to avoid using the Nazi analogy, it’s amusing to watch these Zionist groups frothing at the mouth. Remember, for them only “moderate” Palestinians should be heard, though ideally not at all. The fact that Hamas is the democratically-elected government of the Palestinians is routinely ignored. And the fact that two pro-Israel publications like the NYT and WPost are accused of endorsing terrorism is hilarious.
How about this as an equation: giving space to Zionists like the ADC merely encourages violence against the Palestinians, perhaps even ethnic cleansing.
I can’t help but feel that this is a strange post. True, objection to the publishing of pieces but Hamasniks is not that clever a move, not least because it contravenes a basic value of liberalism. The Guardian publishes such pieces regularly, and I doubt that many people in Israel would so much as blink if Haaretz were to do the same.
But, then you write, ‘it’s amusing to watch these Zionist groups frothing at the mouth…’ This does seem to tar all Zionists with the same brush. Surely you’d accept that not all Zionists would take the same line as Aipac, or as the Mafdal or Likud for that matter. This lack of clarity is exacerbated in your last paragraph when you write (albeit seemingly by way of provocation), ‘giving space to Zionists like the ADC merely encourages violence against the Palestinians, perhaps even ethnic cleansing.’ Perhaps saying ‘…extremist Zionists…’ might have been more apt. No?
To nail my own colours to the wall: I am a Zionist who spent Friday morning in a fields near Salem and Hawara (SE of Nablus), working with the Rabbis for Human Rights to help Palestinian falachim to work their fields when the settlers and/or army make it difficult for them to do so. Am I to be tarred with the same brush as those you mention? Indeed, are the Rabbis for Human Rights one of, ‘these Zionist groups frothing at the mouth’?
I look forward to your reply,
yours,
Udi Tischler.
You have indeed nailed yourself to a wall. Einstein noted the effects of what Zionism would bring - violence and blood shed, and while emotionally attached to the idea he opposed it.
Ultimately, as a Zionist you support the ethnic cleansing and resulting so far permanent refugee status of the roughly 750,000 now up to 3-5 million expelled Palestinians. That you believe there is a limit perhaps makes you better, but only by degrees, not by kind.
Either we believe in full equality for all people, or we don’t. On one side is the modern democratic state and the other side is fascism and theocracy. When you get right down to it, we of all people should know what it means when people do not have full equality. We of all people should know that a Jewish state, like an Aryan state will never provide that equality.
Not only does a Jewish state make second class or third class citizens out of Palestinians; it also demands religious conformity from Jews. Too much identification with the “other” would spell the end of any Jewish state, and so it must be controlled.
That you work to help Palestinian farmers work their fields is commendable. If only you were willing to live with Palestinians as full equals.
All refugees have a right to return home, and one is not supporting human rights no matter how many Band-Aids one applies unless this most fundamental issue of the Israel/Palestine conflict is supported.
“Albert Einstein- ‘ I should much rather see reasonable agreement with the Arabs on the basis of living together in peace than the creation of a Jewish State. Apart from practical considerations, my awareness of the essential nature of Judaism resists the idea of a Jewish state, with borders, an army, and a measure of temporal power, no matter how modest. I am afraid of the inner damage Judaism will sustain’…
You do raise an interesting argument Udi,
There is a growing consensus among the alternative media that AIPAC and the Zionist lobby in the US has moved further to the right than even the Likud party and are pushing for a more militaristic and intolerant stance than Israel’s leadership is happy with.
Heared?
Have you been taking writing lessons from Andre?
No it isn’t. The Palestinians are getting everything they deserve. Live by the sword, and all that.
What’s a “fundamentalist Zionist” anyway, Antony? Not that I expect you to respond, of course.
Yes it is BenZ. The US government has only aknowledge the 2005 elections and refused to even mention the 2006 elections.
Look in the mirror BenZ. As Edwin explained, they usually support murder and ethnic cleansing, justify everything Israel does in the name of security, re-write history to suit their ideology, deny that Palestinians ever existed, and change the subject whenever Israel is being criticized.
Ring any bells?
Is that the official definition, Andre?
Muslims support murder of Jews and ethnic cleansing (i.e. removal of all Jews from sea to sea, already the case in Gaza). They re-write history to suit their ideology (see also the term “Palestinian” which didn’t exist prior to 1967″.
Does that mean they are “fundamentalist Zionists”? Or does it simply mean you are an idiot.
Err.. Don’t answer that last question.
Incidentally Andre, my question was directed to Antony. He’s very lucky he can hide behind your skirt, isn’t he?
Benz,
Ant’s in Syria, so I am sure he hands more important things on his plate than having to respond to you.
All Muslims or some Muslims? The fact is that the only ones perpetrating the ethic cleansing and wiping a people off the map are Israel.
Another Zionist canard. Excellent example of your Zionist training. Palestine existed long before Israel existed, thus those who lived there were Palestinians and clearly did exist. But conflate away BenZ.
In true Zionist fashion, when stuck with nothing to say, go with the distraction. Excellent example of your Zionist training.
Sure sure… Another handcrafted fine excuse, from Andre the ExcuseMaker.
I might even accept that argument had Antony *ever* responded to any of the numerous pointed accusations of censorship and rewriting posts made by myself and others. But he didn’t. Ever
Must be terribly busy indeed…
Let’s have a look at yet more of Andre’s bullshit, so he doesn’t accuse me of following my “Zionist training” (whatever that is).
That’s a “fact” is it Andre? Is that like the last time you made something up and called it a “fact”?
http://antonyloewenstein.com/blog/2007/06/19/israel-wants-a-bigger-doll-cheque/#comments
Or is it a new kind of “fact”…
Let’s consider it.
Number of Arabs in Israel: About one million.
Number of Jews in Gaza: Zero.
Number of Jews in Saudi Arabia: Zero.
The Palestinian birthrate far, far exceeds the numbers killed, arrested or otherwise relocated by Israel (in spite of ample provocation).
So, care to rethink your “fact” Andre? Of course not.
Canard? Nice word Andre. Did Antony teach you that? What, pray tell is my “Zionist training”? Did I receive it at Zionist University? Or was it more of a Zionist Tafe thing.
Oh really?
When was it founded and by whom?
What were its borders?
What was its capital?
What were its major cities?
What constituted the basis of its economy?
What was its form of government?
Here’s an even easier challenge, if you are “busy” like Antony. Can you name a single Palestinian leader prior to Yasser Arafat.
The term Palestinian was unheard of prior to 1967 but I’m sure you’ll be able to make up another “fact”. Right Andre?
Twice times in one post. You are a broken record, aren’t you Andre? An excellent qualification for blogging here…
I can name a few of Palestinian leaders before Arafat.
1. Haj amin el Husseini - Grand Mufti of Palestine who spend WW2 under the patronage of Hitler and helped Eichmann devise the final solution.
2. Ahmed Shukairy - chairman of the PLO in 1967 who was asked in an interview what would happen to the Israelis if there is a war, said “Those who survive will remain in Palestine. I estimate that none of them will survive.”
These guys along with Arafat and Haniyeh sound much more like Nazis to me!
The right of the Palestinians to return to where they were born is not one that will disappear with the changing of topics and the slander against an entire ethnic group.
The heart of Zionism is reflected in its history.
The discrepancies between the bold claims now being made by Begin and his party, and their record of past performance in Palestine bear the imprint of no ordinary political party. This is the unmistakable stamp of a Fascist party for whom terrorism (against Jews, Arabs, and British alike), and misrepresentation are means, and a “Leader State” is the goal.
In the light of the foregoing considerations, it is imperative that the truth about Mr. Begin and his movement be made known in this country. It is all the more tragic that the top leadership of American Zionism has refused to campaign against Beginâs efforts, or even to expose to its own constituents the dangers to Israel from support to Begin.
The undersigned therefore take this means of publicly presenting a few salient facts concerning Begin and his party; and of urging all concerned not to support this latest manifestation of fascism.
ISIDORE ABRAMOWITZ, HANNAH ARENDT, ABRAHAM BRICK, RABBI JESSURUN CARDOZO, ALBERT EINSTEIN, HERMAN EISEN, M.D., HAYIM FINEMAN, M. GALLEN, M.D., H.H. HARRIS, ZELIG S. HARRIS, SIDNEY HOOK, FRED KARUSH, BRURIA KAUFMAN, IRMA L. LINDHEIM, NACHMAN MAISEL, SEYMOUR MELMAN, MYER D. MENDELSON, M.D., HARRY M. OSLINSKY, SAMUEL PITLICK, FRITZ ROHRLICH, LOUIS P. ROCKER, RUTH SAGIS, ITZHAK SANKOWSKY, I.J. SHOENBERG, SAMUEL SHUMAN, M. SINGER, IRMA WOLFE, STEFAN WOLFE.
New York, Dec. 2, 1948
There is much to tie the racism of the Palestinians in with the racism of the Native Peoples against those who colonised them. Like the United States, Israel wants vacant land. The problem is that those who were born there must be removed and prevented from returning. So we steal the land of the Palestinians, destroy their homes, starve them and keep them in chains. And when one of them gets a hand free we are surprised when they try to hurt us.
Benny Morris perhaps described it best when he said Even the great American democracy could not have been created without the annihilation of the Indians. http://www.counterpunch.org/shavit01162004.html
Carrie.
Which is quite remarkable don’t you think Carrie, when you consider that Arafat was considered the father of the peace process?
BenZ,
What is your point BenZ? I more than proved this point. While you expressed outrage at the evidence that was provided, you failed to produce anything to refute it.
While the land that Palestinians occupy is shrinking by the day. That my friend is ethnic cleansing.
Also, your beloved Israel now has as it’s deputy minister for “strategic threats, a man who openly advocates the removal of all Arabs from Israel.
Oh really?
When was it founded and by whom?
What were its borders?
What was its capital?
What were its major cities?
What constituted the basis of its economy?
What was its form of government?
Sorry to continue from the previous post:
Apparently BenZ, believes no state is valid unless it is blessed by the UN. In other words. what BenZ has just advocated, was the slaughter of Indians and aborigines by the settlers, because neither North Americas nor Australia were recognized by the west as states. Another fine example of soiling yourself in public.
Oh and BTW. Israel has not declared it’s borders either (because that would mean having to stop sterling land) so I take it that makes Israel illegitimate.
Yes I am all to familiar with this Zionist talking point. So I take it that the 1 million or so Arabs that had been loving for centuries in PALESTINE were just an invention right BenZ? Even you can’t be that stupid BenZ. Oh wait…
Edwin,
Why bring up the statement of opposition to Begin from 1948? He wasn’t a leader of Israel then. He was in opposition. He wasn’t a leader of Israel in the ’50’s or ’60’s either and it took until the mid ’70’s for him to be elected, by which time he had moderated his views somewhat and played a part in the first peace treaty with an Arab State. Egypt’s PM Sadat has been a Nazi sympathiser but by the ’70’s had also moderated substantially. The fact remains that they were still right wingers but neither were by any means in the league of the Nazis.
I’m glad you brought up Benny Morris though because he could teach Andre a thing or two about that absurd notion he has that Arafat was in any respect a man of peace.
You did no such thing, as anyone following the link can determine for themself. You are a lost cause, however others can figure it out easily enough.
I’m sure there would even be a few more people piling on you but we all know what Antony does to the comments of new contributors with which he disagrees…