The Palestinians' Holocaust: American Perspectives 0977640027, 9780977640027

Citation preview

q

;

:

ca

F

a

>

5

20504

TL

EN

;

;

Ego

S

+

a

vera

5

EE

>

‘

copa

-

I,

x

3

=

;

fo

g

A

1

a H

:

3 PE

> °

BEC -

4 1!

5

vy

cf

©

2

>

tg

pr

American Perspectives [ V O L U M E|] Compiled and edited, with extensive commentary

by M a u r i ’ Saalakhan

© Copyright 1429AH/2008AC M . SAALAKHAN [email protected] First Edition

1429AH/2008AC

AWAKENING PUBLISHING GROUP

ISBN: 0-9776400-2-7

All rights reserved. No part of this book shall b e reproduced, stored i n a retrieval system,

o r transmitted by any means, electronic,

mechanical, photocopying, recording, o r otherwise, without written permission from the author.

Copyright ownership for

all individual

contributions t o this work,

are the sole property o f each contributor.

Responses are welcome. Y o u m a y contact t h e author a t

the following:

AND JUSTICE FOUNDATION, 11006 Veirs Mill Rd., L-15, PMB 298 Silver Spring, M D 20902

T H E PEACE

Tel: (301) 762-9162 Email: [email protected] m

Website: www.peacethrujustice.org

DEDICATION To the People ofPalestine. May the struggle for your God-given rights continue A n d m a y your suffering soon come to a n end.

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

ACKNO WLEDG EMENT S Y begin with thanks t o The Almighty for blessing m e with the perseverance t o finally see this project t o completion. N o book BL h a s c o n s u m e d more o f m y time, energy a n d resource than this book has; i t has been five long years. So much has happened since this journey began — things which have resultedi n more than half of the material that was initially gathered for

the project, b e i n g p u t

aside

until

date, i n favor o f more pressing time-sensitive material. thank m y M u s l i m brothers a n d sisters whose trust and support

a later I

I

have c o n t i n u e d t o rely u p o n . Y o u are genuine partners i n whatever good

comes o u t o f this humble effort. ( O f special

note

is a young brother i n

Patterson, NJ, who made an indelible impression upon me a couple o f years ago. Shukran Akhi.) I m u s t also extend a very personal n o t e o f thanks t o a b r o t h e r whose

editing and typing skills, periodic suggestions, and dogged tenacity in support o f this project has been a very

big help. Thank

you

Br. Shariyf

Abdul-Qabid for all o f your valuable support! A n d last, b u t certainly n o t least, I thank all o f the contributors t o The Palestinians’ Holocaust, Volume 1 , whose perspectives have helped t o

enrich this publication. What ever good comes o u t of it, may i t be a shared blessing for us all....and especially for

Palestine.

the l o n g suffering people o f

5

TABLE OF CONTEN TS Dedication

tetera

Acknowledgements

..........coceiiiiiiniiiiiii

Introduction: I f Americans Knew

3

en

eee

eee

5

ees

P A R T 1: JUDAISM VS. Z I O N I S M

10

ones,

...ooooe

14

oii,

N i n e t e e n t h Century European Roots o f Z i o n i s t Ideology,

Imam Zaid Shakir 15 T h e Education o f a Zionist, Dr. Luise Light 2 1 T h e I n c o n v e n i e n t Truths o f Professor Norman Finkelstein 3 9

Neturei Karta: The Message o f Torah Believing Jews 47

PART 2: THE GOVERNMENT’S CAPITULATION T O ZIONISM The

o.oo

65

teeter,

Political Betrayal o f a n American Ideal

66

O n the Record: Nancy Pelosi 67

O n the Record: Steny Hoyer 74

On the Record: Hillary Clinton 78 O n the Record: Rudolph Guiliani 88 On

the Record: Barack O b a m a

91

On the Record: Ron Paul 99 On the Record: Keith Ellison 102 From Dachau t o Jerusalem t o Nuremberg t o Munich t o Annapolis: Professor Francis A . Boyle

105

PART 3: T H E PROPAGANDA WAR

107

ere

Lying Through Omission, Alison Weir 108

The Manipulations o f the Peace Process Mearsheimer a n d Walt o n

121

the Israel Lobby

125

Tutu Episode: Whither Academic Freedom, Abdi Aynte 128

Speaking Truth To Power 132

PART 4: T H E HOLOCAUST DENIERS

139

..........ccoocoviiiiiininnennn,

The Slow Death of Gaza 140 T h e Message o f President Jimmy Carter

146

The Message of Archbishop Desmond Tutu 153 A Letter t o Janet about Sabra-Shatilla by Dr. Franklin Lamb 160 Special Report: T h e International Solidarity Movement

170

Israel’s Contempt for International Law,

by Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh 173 PART 5: T H E COST T O AMERICA

An Ugly Legacy of the Clinton Administration Israel's Reach i n t o

The Zionist Target Iran

191

……..........crrrrrerrrrerrsersarnnes

Americas Judiciary

192

194

Footprint i n Iraq, Somalia, a n d Sudan

218

214

PART 6: ACTIONS AND VOICES OF RESISTANCE ............... 226 A Statement

from the Christians of Palestine 227

The People Choose Hamas 229

The War O n Lebanon 233 Please Stop! Shariyf D . Abdul Qabid

244

The Enduring Message of Rachel Corrie Official Statements from Hamas

EPILOGUE

ooo

249

253

eect

eee

Will the Real America Please Stand Up! 260

RECOMMENDED READING LIST

en, 260

10

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

INTRODUCTION

[f Americans Knew Y - recently visited T h e National Holocaust M u s e u m i n

the n a t i o n s

c a p i t o l (Washington, DC) for the first time, and was struck A by

the well

documented imagery o f man’s inhumanity t o m a n

which has been painstakingly recorded. I departed

the m u s e u m with

a

flood o f thoughts and emotions, n o t the least of these was the feeling o f b e i n g even more dumbfounded b y

the following

question: H o w c o u l d

the survivors a n d recorders o f such history repeat even greater atrocities

against another people?

M o s t Americans, I choose t o believe, would be shocked a n d outraged t o learn what

the

historical record reveals a b o u t

the

phenomenon

euphemistically known as the "Arab-Israeli conflict,” and h o w they are

subsidizing (through their

taking place in

that part

another wake u p

tax

dollars and silent acquiescence) the carnage

of the world. This book will hopefully serve as

call for m y

fellow Americans.

I n the Orwellian world in which we n o w live, truth often masquerades

the information that y o u are about to read between the covers of this book, let us first have a n u p close and personal glimpse into some o f the official as fiction, and fiction often masquerades as truth. T o better appreciate

propaganda that surrounds this highly contentious issue.

The author visited Boston, Massachusetts, in October 2007, for the

Sabeel Conference that was held a t the Old South Church, one of the oldest a n d most historic religious landmarks in N e w England. During the weekend event, a number of Jewish organizations picketed outside the church; a m o n g the n u m e r o u s handouts was a o n e page leaflet that reads as follows:

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

ISRAEL PHOBIC ANTI-SEMITES O L D SOUTH CHURCH SABEEL

ARCHBISHOP DESMOND T U T U Bp THOMAS SHAW REV NAIM ATEEK NANCY MURRAY, ACLU

UNITED C H OF CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH U METHODIST CHURCH

to

O l d South Church, 645 Boylston St., Boston, is allowing Sabeel h o l d its conference, The Apartheid Paradigm i n Palestine-Israel, on

its property, Oct. 2 6 & 27, 2007. Sabeel, O l d South Church, and the conference participants listed above (and former Pres Jimmy Carter, Harvard Divinity School, higher education, Liberal Christianity, the Boston G l o b e , the mainstream media, the Green R a i n b o w

Party,

divestment efforts, etc,) slander Israel with these false accusations o f ‘apartheid’ and ‘occupation’ for what seems

to

be anti-Semitic

reasons. After all they all should know better.

An apartheid state is o n e i n

which a minority racial group rules over

a racial majority w i t h o u t regard for

the h u m a n

a n d civil rights

of the

majority group. This i n no way describes Israel. There are Arab Moslems

i n the Israeli Knesset (parliament), and Israel is respectful o f the human

civil rights of its minority citizens. I n d e e d , Israel is the m o s t respectful n a t i o n i n the Middle East o f the h u m a n and civil rights o f Moslems. T h e West B a n k is Israeli territory that was forfeited by the Palestinian n a t i o n o f Jordan to Israel after their failed attempt to annihilate Israel and and

ethnically cleanse the Middle East o f Jews i n 1967. Sabeel’s, etc.,

errant

accusation t h a t Israel is immorally and illegally ‘occupying’ the West Bank justifies ‘resistance t o the occupation’ which is code for killing Jews. The abysmal situation that Palestinians find themselves is their own

fault — the consequence of 60 years of trying

to

kill Israeli Jews, push

Israel into the Sea, and allowing themselves t o be used as the anti-Israel

11

12

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

the rest o f the Moslem world b y n o t accepting the final status after 1967, and as they agreed t o i n the Road Map.

propaganda pawns for

Sabeel, Old South Church, Archbishop Tutu, etc., are the Palestinian’s enablers and doing the Palestinians n o favors. This enabling dooms future generations o f Palestinians to a n abysmal future. Shame o n O l d South

Church, Sabeel and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. I t goes w i t h o u t saying that

the arrogance

contained i n this h a n d o u t

is plainly visible for everyone t o see. What may n o t be so evident was the intent behind it. This one page flier, along with the other materials t h a t

were being distributed right outside the church during m o s t o f the three day conference, constituted carefully crafted propaganda targeted for

the

uninformed.

T h e demonstrators instinctively knew that

the

information

that

would come o u t o f this conference from such speakers as the Rev. C a n o n

Naim Ateek, Phyllis Bennis, Professor Anat Biletzki, Diana Buttu, Professor N o a m Chomsky, Professor John Dugard, Professor Farid Esack,

Dr. Jeff Halper, t h e Rev. Dr. Joan M .

Martin, Dr. Nancy Murray, t h e Rt.

Rev. M . Thomas Shaw, Rev. Dr. Donald Wagner, David Wildman, and a

host o f others, would be very damaging their course o f action was t o create

to

their cause. Consequently,

the type o f distraction that could sow

confusion around the FACTS, while they would simultaneously engage i n a very public verbal assault

(behind the well-tuned charge o f "anti-

Semitism") — a n assault intended to p u t the organizers o f the conference i n a crippling defensive posture. Needless to say, i t didn’t work.

In

a d d i t i o n t o t h e aforementioned o n e pager, t h e Zionist

had a small booklet i n their arsenal of disinformation for distribution. The booklet, authored by David Meir-Levy, was titled BIG LIES: Demolishing The Myths o f the Propaganda War Against Israel. What a n interesting read i t was. propagandists also

The introduction, written by David Horowitz, contained the all

too

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

familiar [mis]information on Zionist Israel that the public has been inundated with over

the past six decades:

Israel is the only democracy i n the Middle East t h a t elects its leaders i n free elections and guarantees rights a n d honors those rights. Yet Israel is

claim

to

to

the target

its citizens,

o f those w h o

be fighting for "human rights." There are about a

million and a half Arabs living as citizens i n Israel who elect representatives t o Israel’s parliament a n d w h o have m o r e

r i g h t s t h a n Arab citizens o f any Arab state. Yet Israel i s

the

target o f those w h o claim t o be fighting for "social justice.” Israel’s very c r e a t i o n i s referred t o b y i t s A r a b enemies as

"the

Nakba," or the ‘catastrophe, the clear implication o f which is that Israel should n o t exist. Yet Israel is the target o f those who claim t o support self-determination a n d oppose genocide. Israel was

the victim

— at its very birth — o f a n unprovoked

aggression b y five Arab monarchies a n d dictatorships... (I'm

sure the reader get the drift.) "The Palestinians’Holocaust: American Perspectives’ features a myriad

o f diverse voices, whose individual and collective observations will no

doubt underscore why the plight of the Palestinian people m u s t be seen as a genocide and present day holocaust!

Our hope is

that

this book — in addition

to a

host of other fine

the past few years - will help to advance the type o f o p e n discussion and debate that is l o n g overdue i n America. T h e health a n d welfare o f the global community depends o n it! publications that have been written over

13

Part One

JUDAISM VS.

ZIONISM

"Zionism is n o t Judaism, andJudaism is n o t Zionism; and to be anti-Zionist is

in n o way to be anti-Semitic.

Zionism is a political

movement devoted to the founding a n d advancement o f the state o f

Israel — politically, diplomatically, financially a n d otherwise.

On the other hand, Judaism is a between m a n a n d

religious faith — a relationship

God, requiring n o political

loyalty to any

country. Too often religion a n d nationalism have become mixed up."

— Dr. Alfred M . Lilienthal

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

N I N E T E E N T H CENTUR Y EUROP EAN ROOTS OF Z I O N I S T IDEOLOGY I m a m Z a i d Shakir ne

of the greatest myths created b y the Z i o n i s t movement

"1s the claim that Zionism is a fulfillment o f the historical

4 aspiration of every Jew t o r e t u r n t o Palestine. Zionists Sclaim that this r e t u r n has been kept alivei n the heart of every Jew since the Diaspora which began with the Babylonian Captivityi n 586 BC and

the R o m a n expulsion of the Jews from Palestine i n 1 3 5 A D . T h e Zionists claim that this desire t o return t o Palestine was e m b o d i e d i n the prophetic slogan " n e x t year i n Jerusalem." was finalized b y

However, as writer Alfred L i l i e n t h a l ( 1 9 5 2 ) a m o n g others has p o i n t -

ed out, this slogan has nothing t o do with any particular nation or territory, b u t referred t o the coming Kingdom o f G o d perfect society. Rather than

the nationalistic

that

would usher i n a

interpretation

of Judaism

emphasized by the Zionist, i t has been the integrationists tendency

espoused by the Prophet Jeremiah, which has dominated Jewish history s i n c e t h e B a b y l o n i a n Captivity. His words are recorded i n the Bible:

have causedyou to be carried away the Lord for that city, for i n the peace thereofshall

"And seek thepeace o f the city wherein I as captives a n dpray unto

you have peace” (Jeremiah. 29:6-7). I t is interesting to n o t e that even after Cyprus granted the Jews

of Babylonia permission t o

return to

Jerusalem in 538 B.C. the great

majority chose n o t t o d o so.

the year 2 5 0 B.C., Alexandria, Egypt contained the largest n u m ber of Jews i n the world; m o s t had fled from Palestine. These Palestinian By

Jews w o u l d never return t o Jerusalem. As Judaism spread d u e t o vigorous

Jewish communities, which emerged in Yemen, India, China, Italy and France, never considered migrating t o Jerusalem or proselytizing,

15

16

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

Palestine. Even during the periods o f extreme persecution, such as under

the Romans at various times, and under the Spaniards after the demise o f Islamic rule i n the Iberian Peninsula, there was never a movement to

migrate t o Palestine. The Jews who fled the Spanish Inquisition w e n t

to

other parts o f Europe, to North Africa, and t o other regions o f the Islamic world. T h e purpose

of the preceding passage is t o show that the central idea

o f Zionism, an organized worldwide Jewish migration

to

Palestine, has

precedence in Jewish history. Here we will argue that the emergence of political Z i o n i s m is intricately connected with the development of no

nationalism a n d other political a n d intellectual currents i n 1 9 t h century

Europe. Therefore, Zionism is an integral part o f European intellectual

of non-European lands of this thesis is that the Zionist occu-

and political history, a n d European exploitation and peoples. T h e m a j o r implication

pation o f Palestine has no moral, historical or religious basis. INFLUENCE OF EUROPEAN THOUGHT

ON 19TH CENTURY ZIONIST THINKERS

The movement of political Z i o n i s m began i n earnest d u r i n g the 19th century. This b e i n g the case, i t is inevitable that the ideas of the G e r m a n philosopher G.W.F. Hegel would find there way into Zionist thought. T h e general disenchantment with 1 8 t h century humanism and rational-

i s m , led t o

the romanticism of the 19th century

and a n increasingly

metaphysical approach t o history. These tendencies were best articulated

i n Hegelian philosophy, a philosophy that gave Jewish thinkers a new

which t o view the s i t u a t i o n of their people. One of the first Jewish philosophers t o frame the Jewish question i n

p r i s m through

Hegelian

terms

was the Pole, Nachman Krochmal (1785-1840).

Krochmal’s ideas were best articulated i n his seminal work, Guide to the Perplexed o f Our Time. Following Hegel, and the German nationalist

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

Herder, Krochmal viewed human history as the struggle between

o r collective cultural entities. According t o

spirits, Krochmal, this national spir-

it, the Hegelian Volksgeist, was a t the core of Jewish history. Therefore, Judaism was n o t t o be viewed as a static religious ethic as defined by the rabbinical Orthodoxy; rather i t was t o be viewed as the u n e n d i n g dynami c struggle of a particular national spirit striving t o realize itself i n world history. T h e i m p o r t a n t c o n t r i b u t i o n made b y Krochmal was t o introduce

the

idea o f the Jews as a nation, a Volk, and n o t a religious community. The formative stages

of any nationalism must inevitably i n c l u d e the develop-

ment o f a revolutionary consciousness. I n Zionism, this consciousness was given its greatest impetus b y Heinrich Graetz (1817-1891). Like

Krochmal, Graetz lived i n the German-Polish border area, the intellectu-

al c e n t e r of 1 9 t h century European Jewry. H e w a s also deeply influenced by Hegel, and the historiography of the German Leopold Ranke. This was t o produce in Graetzs writing on Jewish history a dialectical formul a t i o n that viewed pagan society as the cult o f Nature, while Judaism was

its antithesis, a manifestation o f universal spirit. I n this formulation, Judaism entered

the stage of history

"as negative force, a revolt against

paganism’ (Avineri). Adherence t o Ranke’s concrete and objective historical school was to

lead t o Graetz’s describing the clash between these t w o arithmetical forces as a n o n g o i n g concrete historical struggle between

the Jews and other

peoples.

I n this sense, like Feuerbach and Marx, Graetz was "standing Hegel o n h i s head"

by

giving a concrete historical meaning t o Hegel's

metaphysical dialectic

(The Philosophy o f History). Similarly, just as M a r x

the dialectical clash described by Hegel as one o f Groups, o r economic classes, Graetz was t o view the struggle of the Jews as a struggle of the Jews as a group, n o t as a n individual personal struggle t o attain was to view

17

18

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

salvation. I n this formulation, contrary

to

Reform Judaism, individual

salvation is irrelevant, communal fulfillment and survival is the essence o f

the Jewish religion.

the first p r o - Z i o n i s t the political nature o f Judaism, as communal ful-

Hence, Graetz was one o f

thinkers t o emphasize

fillment can only be realized through politics. While this Hegelian elucidation of Jewish history was increasingly gaining acceptance during the latter part o f

the 1 9 t h century,

a n associ-

ated development that would prove critical t o later Zionist ideological constructs

was also occurring. This was the growing association o f Jewish

national life with Nietzsche’s idea o f superior national type o r superior m a n — Ubermensch. T h i s synthesis was best articulated b y essayist

Ahad Ha’am (Asher Ginsberg)

the Zionist

i n his provocative essay "Judaism

andNietzsche. I n 1946, Ha'am w r o t e , "The highest moral aim is n o t the

the human race as a whole, b u t the realization o f a more perfect human type i n the chosen few.” U n l i k e Nietzsche, w h o identified the chosen few as the Aryans, Z i o n i s t followers o f Nietzsche identified these chosen few as the Jews; a people w h o "have regarded their selection advancement o f

as a n e n d t o which everything else was subordinate, n o t as a means t o

the happiness o f the rest o f humanities” (Ha'am 81). T h e powerful influence o f Nietzsche a n d Hegel o n Z i o n i s m was t o

the pacifistic a n d integrationist ideas b e i n g advanced b y Reform Judaism. These t w o philosophical tendencies were buttressed by the influence o f European nationalism o n Jewish thinkers t o create a powerful ideological force that w o u l d eventually redefine Judaism. overwhelm

Both nationalism and a n increasingly powerful socialism heavily

influenced Zionist thought. These latter influences were most evident in the writings of Moses Hess (1812-1875). Hess began his political career as an avowed communist. His intellectual contributions t o the Communist movem e n t were so great that Marx, in a telling comment, referred t o him

as " m y

communist rabbi” (Avineri 37). In 1945, Hess published his provocative

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

work On Capital, which became the basis for Marxs much more publicized Capital. This intellectual aspect o f Hesss work was to lead to his becoming

one o f the fathers o f both international and Zionist socialism. However, Hess is perhaps best remembered for a work that popularized and consolidated

the idea

o f Zionist nationalism, Rome a n d Jerusalem.

I n this work, published in 1862, Hess openly called for the establishment

of

a Jewish socialist commonwealth i n Palestine. T h e Italian nationalist

Guiseppe Mazzini directly influenced Hess’ nationalist vision. T h e most significant aspect o f Mazzinis influence o n Hess was

the idea o f nationalis-

tic universality. This idea articulated by Mazzini posited that an individual belongs both t o his nation that

and to all o f humanity. However, the only way

his humanity can be affirmed is by his belonging t o a specific nation.

Simultaneously,

the only

w a y his national existence can be affirmed is b y

his nation possessing a territorial base; hence, the title of Hess’ work, Rome

andJerusalem. Just as the

conquest o f R o m e a n d t h e unification o f

the Italian

Peninsula facilitated the resurrection o f the Italian national, so would the Z i o n i s t conquest o f Jerusalem a n d t h e i r occupation o f Palestine make

possible

the resurrection o f the Jewish n a t i o n . Hess had given Z i o n i s m its

territorial imperative. The publication o f Rome andJerusalem was thus a

turning point i n the development of political Zionism by making the unification a n d the resurrection o f the Jewish people inseparable from

their establishmen t i n Palestine.

Other 19th century Jewish thinkers such as Alkalai, Kalischer,

Smolenskin and Leo Pinsker would refine and popularize the ideas introduced

by Hess. All of these

thinkers were similarly deeply influenced

the inspiration for Theodore Herzl to energetically engage i n the task o f making the Zionist

b y non-Jewish European scholars and collectively provided

question o n e that Eurocentric world public opinion would inevitably

have to resolve.

19

20

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

Were i t not for

the intellectual currents prevalent i n Europe during the

18th and 19th century, political Zionism would

not

exist, as we know it

today. The ideas of Hegel, Nietzsche, Social Darwinism, imperialism, and colonialism, created a political and intellectual culture i n Europe that rationalized the subjugation o f non-European peoples and the usurpation o f their

of that culture. H a d that culture not existed i n Europe, the pogroms occurring i n Eastern Europe during the 1 9 t h century, the hysteria created b y the Dreyfuss Affair i n France and other events

lands. Zionism was a product

would have been dealt with in the same manner with which Jews had dealt with similar problems throughout the Diaspora. Whatever the specific nature

of that solution might have been, it would n o t have included the call

for a massive Jewish migration t o Palestine. Surely, God knows best.

Thus, it is impossible t o separate political Zionism from its 19th centu-

ry European roots. Far from being a distinct Jewish ideology, Zionism is a secular European ideology utilized b y Jewish activists to rationalize

the

land of the established a n d deeply rooted non-Jewish population o f Palestine. I n this sense, the political consequences o f Zionism differ litde from those of similar European nationalistic ideologies such as apartheid a n d other ideological justifications for t h e s u b j u g a t i o n of usurpation

others.

of

the

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

The Education Of

A Zionist

D r . Luise L i g h t grew

u p i n a h o m e w i t h strong Zionist traditions. M y uncle was

: an official of the Zionist Organization of America and made )

§ many trips

to

Israel. When i n New York, m y

aunt

and uncle

were frequent visitors t o o u r home, especially around holiday t i m e where

dinner celebrations always ended with the singing o f Hatikvah, the Israeli n a t i o n a l a n t h e m . O n those occasions, they w o u l d dazzle us with their stories

of experiences i n the H o l y

Land.

M y mother was a lifelong member o f Hadassah,

the organization that

raises funds for Israeli hospitals a n d medical research, a n d I was expected t o carry o n that tradition when m y mother passed

had returned t o California because of a family

My

N e w York after m y father's early retirement t o

thyroid c o n d i t i o n , i n order for m y brother and

m e t o have a Hebrew education. W e schools where w e spent half

in

from the scene.

both

were enrolled i n parochial

the day i n Jewish studies, a n d the other half

the required English ones. During summers, 1 was packed off t o camp where we spoke, ate and

even played baseball i n Hebrew. W e fought color wars that had us setting u p watch towers for n e w settlements i n

the dead of night

w i t h o u t being

detected, a n d w e went o n n i g h t treks u p hillsides t o p l a n t o u r

flag a t the

summit. W e role-played pioneers establishing the homeland, a n d w e were expected t o b e brave, tough, a n d fluent i n Hebrew. O u r Israeli counselors

w o u l d ridicule us when w e d i d n ' t measure u p t o their expectations.

the songs and dances of the first Israeli settlers from Eastern Europe a n d learned t h e m well enough t o demonstrate them for Israeli y o u t h , w h o had never heard o r seen them, preferring the latest international p o p hits. I fully expected to make "aliyah" t o Israel when I W e were taught

finished college, just as my cousin Zippy had done. While this was n o t

21

22

The Palestinians Holocaust

t h e goal m y parents held for me, everything I knew a b o u t Israel drew m e

in, almost irresistibly. As I collected money for the Jewish National Fund, a weekly school assignment, passing around the pale b l u e t i n boxes

that

were ubiquitous in Jewish neighborhoods, I imagined myself planting trees bought w i t h money I collected around n e w settlements i n Negev,

the

the s o u t h e r n wilderness.

My older brother was a terrorist. At fifteen, he joined the ranks of the smallest a n d most radical o f the three underground groups committed t o

chasing the British o u t o f Palestine and creating the Jewish State. Known as t h e Stern Gang, o r more formally, Fighters for

the Freedom

o f Israel

(FFI), they were specialists i n assassinations and surprise attacks on Arab and British foes. They competed for money and a t t e n t i o n with

the Irgun,

the oldest o f the three resistance groups, and Haganah, the largest and t h e least radical o f the three.

I t was rumored that t h e Stern G a n g was responsible for t h e assassin a t i o n o f General Allenby o n t h e streets o f L o n d o n . H e h a d been i n

charge o f British forces i n Palestine, and was hated for torturing captured Jewish prisoners. T h e group also was implicated i n car bombings, terror-

i s t attacks o n British barracks and revenge k i l l i n g s o f Arab leaders. M y brother's

job was

t o raise funds from

the Jewish communities

o f the

Eastern seaboard a n d collect armaments that were later trans-shipped t o

Israel.

this because m y basement of a small

W e knew about explosives i n the

father found boxes o f guns and apartment

building he

owned i n

Brooklyn. Confronting m y brother, he ordered h i m to remove these illegal

and dangerous contents from the building within 48 hours or he would call i n the police. T w o days later, t w o toughs appeared a t the door o f our apartment, asking for my father. They threatened his life i f he didn't forget he knew about

the guns and explosives, allowing them to be removed when “the boys" were ready. My father was terrified and followed orders.

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

M y b r o t h e r sometimes confided i n m e about h i s work. I idolized h i m

as a

hero of the Jewish people, although the real impact o f his bloody

work was obscured by the haze o f m y romantic n o t i o n s about Israel. O n e

day, my brother called me into his room and told me he needed my help. He said he was running a fever and might be t o o sick t o bike a package o f nitroglycerin over

the George Washington Bridge the next morning, I f

he couldn't do i t , he told me, I might have t o take his place. I told h i m I was prepared, r e m i n d i n g h i m that I was trained as a scout a t C a m p

Cejwin. M y eyes filled with

tears

o f pride. I n the end though, my broth-

er decided t h a t he couldn't let his kid sister take that risk and although sick, h e managed t o carry o u t the task himself.

At

seventeen,

just shy o f his high school graduation, my brother left

school a n d worked his way t o Brazil o n a freighter, washing pots b i g e n o u g h for h i m t o s t a n d i n . H e

of

jumped ship in Rio

a n d was taken i n

by the

Jewish community there. T h e n e x t t h i n g w e k n e w military g o v e r n m e n t of Brazil had thrown h i m in jail a n d was consideri n g either t h r o w i n g away the key o r kicking h i m o u t o f the country. M y members

the

parents, through the efforts o f N e w York's Congressional delegation and a satchel

of money,

arranged for h i m t o

be flown

to Miami

by a Brazilian

general. There, h e was m e t b y m y parents a n d various U.S. officials w h o

were prepared t o arrest h i m . Fortunately, that d i d n ' t h a p p e n for reasons

never clear to me.

I didn't see much of my brother after t h a t . He was drafted and s e n t t o fight i n

the Korean W a r where he was made a n explosives expert and spent

much of his time dismantling bombs that failed t o explode. When he finished his army s t i n t , h e enrolled i n college u n d e r the G I Bill, and then i n graduate school where h e earned a doctorate i n clinical psychology. I was p l a n n i n g m y college career while m y b r o t h e r was g e t t i n g ready

for graduate school. I wanted t o g o t o a small liberal arts college s t r o n g

i n literature and writing, my areas of interest, but my parents offered m e

23

24

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

a different

deal. If I

would agree t o g o t o

the City

University

of N e w

York, which offered a free college education, I could have a year abroad, all expenses

paid, i n the country o f m y

the end, I accepted u p the chance t o visit

choosing. I n

the deal a n d chose t o g o t o Israel. I c o u l d n ' t pass the Jewish homeland. I t was the refuge where Jews c o u l d feel safe, protected by o u r

own

Jewish army. For hundreds o f years, Jews had been thrown o u t o f countries o r proscribed i n

what careers they c o u l d pursue. I n

Europe, they had

been targets o f pograms, disenfranchisement, and bigotry for hundreds o f years. T h e Holocaust showed us that w e were n o t safe anywhere, even i n

the countries where once w e had prospered a n d were socially successful. M y maternal grandfather had been a p r o m i n e n t toymaker with a large factory near B e r l i n . H e had been given the title of Baron by the Kaiser for services t o the State. B u t when h e fled the Nazis a n d came through Ellis Island, grandfather Louis left everything behind, his title, his business, his home and lands, and became a simple, poor tailor i n

Richmond, Virginia. I t was

of a world

the H o l o c a u s t

that w o k e

up American Jews t o the cold reality

prejudiced against them. W e felt morally committed t o Israel

as a safe haven where Jews could live i n peace, n o matter h o w our social

and political conditions changed o r turned against us.

Given a time-honored commitment t o civil rights a n d h u m a n digni-

ty, i t n o w seems odd to m e that i n the many discourses and orientations

the h o m e l a n d had been seized from its Arab owners w h o were driven off their lands to make way for the State o f Israel. Arabs became known as the enemy of the people of Israel. They s t o o d

I received about Z i o n i s m , i t was never mentioned that

in the way of Israel's return who

did not

to

its birthright and historic home. Those

flee their homes a n d remained i n Israel were t o l d that they

c o u l d live i n peace

with

their Israeli neighbors, with

the

rights a n d

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

privileges accorded t o Israeli Jews, including the right

to run

for

Parliament, attend the University, and receive social, medical and

economic benefits.

the terrible conditions o f were herded i n t o temporary

A t college, I started t o read more about Palestinian refugees w h o

fled Israel

and

camps i n neighboring Arab lands. B u t when I asked m y aunt and uncle,

the Z O A "dignitaries" about that, I was cautioned that even asking such questions could tag m e as anti-Semitic, someone w h o

was i m p l i e d that questioning

dangerous. I was warned t o

the actions

of

hates the Jews. It

the Jewish

State could

be

be careful.

Though disturbing, this advice about being careful was lost o n m e i n

the whirlwind of activities getting ready for my trip t o Israel. I was going t o attend

the H e b r e w

University

during m y

junior year

a t college a n d

study Biblical archeology with my childhood hero, General Yigal Yadin,

the

father

of

Israeli archeology, famous for h i s work throughout

the

world.

STUDIES I N THE PROMISED LAND T h e 1 0 - d a y ocean voyage o n a n Israeli steamship would be the bright

line between m y old, soft life in America and a new life as a potential

had lived through the siege of Jerusalem during the Israeli War of Independence, a n d wrote a n award-winning b o o k a b o u t i t , w a s g o i n g t o pick m e u p a t the p o r t i n Haifa and drive m e t o her home near Tel Aviv, where I would stay until the start of classes a t the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. T h e ship was small by ocean liner standards and most o f the passengers were older couples a n d business people. A t 1 8 , I was the youngest Israeli immigrant a n d settler. M y cousin Zippy, a heroine w h o

passenger o n board, a n d a n object o f intense curiosity o r so i t seemed.

Walking around

the deck

for exercise, I usually picked u p companions-

older m e n w h o followed me, questioned me, tried t o make small

talk,

25

26

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

w i t h unsmiling, business-like demeanors. I found t h e m unnerving. T h e

m e n were humorless and unattractive, b u t they stuck t o m e like flypaper,

making my daily walks o n the ship deck unpleasant. One afternoon, as I attempted to elude an uninvited follower, a d o o r opened and a hand beckoned m e i n . I hesitated, n o t wanting to jump from the frying pan i n t o the fire. B u t a distinguished looking older gentleman i n a white uniform, with a w a r m smile and a European accent

his face and said, "Don't worry, I don't mean you any harm." I searched found n o

malice i n i t so I

entered the room. H e was

the ship's chief engi-

neer, a courtly gentleman from Italy. H e told me that he saw h o w uncomfortable I w a s a n d t h o u g h t

he c o u l d

offer m e a p o r t i n

the s t o r m . W e

sat

o n opposite couches a n d talked a b o u t our lives a n d interests. H e offered m e a yogurt, a n d ate o n e with m e . M y visits with Aldo became a n enjoy-

able habit. A t about the same time each day, I stopped b y for a n h o u r o f yogurt a n d small have seemed so

talk with Aldo. I t was all q u i t e innocent, b u t i t m a y n o t t o the crew a n d passengers w h o , from that p o i n t on,

stared at m e a n d whispered w h e n I walked by.

O n e morning, when I returned t o m y stateroom after breakfast, I

heard a knock o n the door. I asked w h o i t was, and a man's voice answered,

the ship's

purser. I opened

the d o o r

to

find a tall, muscular

m a n i n a n officer's white uniform. H e pushed m e i n t o the r o o m a n d

down on the bed, shut the door, and proceeded t o lower his pants and get o n top o f m e . This fool was g o i n g t o rape m e ! I t struck m e as com-

pletely incongruous and hilariously funny that i t should be a n Israeli officer who should be attacking me! I started laughing hysterically. He told m e t o shut up which made m e laugh even harder. That did it. Suddenly,

he sprang u p , unable t o c o n t i n u e . M y

laughter

had disabled h i m . H e let

himself o u t , slamming the door behind him, which I bolted. H e never

tried i t again, thankfully, but I kept as low a profile as possible for the

remainder of the trip.

The Palestinian s’ Holocaust

I recognize d m y c o u s i n portside. She was

tall b y Israeli standards . W e

hugged, she put my belongings i n her car, and we drove off. As I stared o u t at

the hills o f the Carmel

the car window, tears p o u r e d why I was crying but the tears never

range through

d o w n m y cheeks. I d i d n ' t k n o w

stopped the entire time we were driving, and I never figured o u t why. Savyon, the suburb i n which my cousin lived with her family, was a

The air was redoplaying soccer i n a

community o f terracotta homes i n a park-like setting. l e n t w i t h citrus a n d honeysuckle, a n d

kids were

n e i g h b o r ' s yard. I t was a b u c o l i c scene that might have been i n central

Florida or Flagstaff, Arizona. At

the time, o n e o f t h e most affluent communities i n Israel, Savyon

was established i n 1 9 5 4 . M y cousin's h u s b a n d , a retired army colonel,

civil engineer, and a member of the diplomatic corps, had helped t o p l a n the community. I h a d expected s o m e t h i n g m o r e rough a n d ready, more like the p i c t u r e s o f kzbbutzim 1 had seen in magazines. B u t i t was a pleasant place

to

learn about Israeli morés, brush up on m y Hebrew,

and prepare for m y studies

at

the university.

The Hebrew University, built into the hills of Jerusalem, was part of the dream of early Zionists, and i t was established with the State of Israel.

the w a r of independence, the original campus o n M o u n t Scopus was cut off from Jewish Jerusalem, and subsequently, a n e w campus was b u i l t i n southwestern Jerusalem at E i n Kerem. This was the campus I would attend. From there, you could see Arab villages and olive orchards that had been deserted b y their owners after the war, and n o w were occupied b y Israeli artists and craftspeople. T h e two campuses o f the university were reunited in 1967, after the Six-Day War, with the original M o u n t Scopus campus once again made the main one. During

My

first day i n Yadin's class i n archeology was unforgettable.

Classrooms were designed i n

the European style, with

a separate entrance

for teachers at the head o f the classroom and another for students at the

28

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

back. All o f us students were seated waiting for the entrance of the great Yadin. The door a t t h e front of the room shook slightly, then stopped moving. A m o m e n t later, a tall, bald man i n tweeds raised a window and

climbed into the room. Without pausing a beat, he walked t o the podiu m , opened a file of n o t e s and began his lecture. The first thing he told us, i n a deeply resonant voice, was that

if w e

took

his class because

we

admired old, beautiful objects, we should leave now. There is n o room in archeology, he said, for antique hunters. The work is hard, tedious and unexceptional. M o s t o f

the objects

w e would

deal with

would

be

unremarkable, a n d w e would consider ourselves lucky t o find anything a t

all, much less anything o f value. I t felt as i f he was talking directly

to

me.

I also had enrolled i n a seminar o n Egyptian hieroglyphics, but the world-famous scholar listed as

the

teacher was s p e n d i n g a year o n

sabbatical i n England and his research assistant, a large, tall woman who

looked like a sturdy kibbutznik, would be teaching the seminar. I was the only o n e w h o had enrolled, a n d the contempt with which the w o m a n treated me made me feel this was n o t going

to

work

out

well. I bailed,

and signed u p for a class i n poetry, instead.

I was friendly with Israeli a n d Palestinian students as

well as others

from Nigeria, South Africa, Britain, Belgium, Holland, France, Brazil,

Chile, and elsewhere, all with their own unique story of why they had come t o study i n Israel, some for adventure, others because i t held a spe-

cial significance

in

their lives.

W e formed a n informal gourmet society,

sharing the pennies w e h a d t o spend o n food and o u r culinary skills.

A sizeable number o f Palestinians were enrolled i n

the university, a n d

everyone got along well with each other. Later, i t would be claimed that i t was at tables i n

the cafeteria

of

the university

P a l e s t i n i a n Intifada was plotted. The only plots I

that plans for

the first

was aware of a t the time

the secret ingredients i n the fragrant feasts prepared for o u r m o n t h ly, low-budget d i n n e r parties. I t was from these culinary adventures that were

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

[ learned t o cook and love vegetables.

A fellow student from the New York area, a writer like myself interested i n archeology, and I decided to travel s o u t h during o u r two-week,

mid-winter school break. W e planned to

take a

bus

from Tel

Aviv to

Beersheba, and then hitch a ride t o Eilat, the southernmost tip of Israel o n the Red Sea. I wanted t o visit Petra, the red city built by the Nabateans, a n Arabic people w h o withstood the invasions o f Rome, the Crusaders, and the Byzantines. Built i n 6 0 0 B C as a n impregnable fortress with colonnaded tombs and temples carved i n t o towering sandstone cliffs, Petra was the Donnybrook

of all invaders w h o sought t o conquer Palestine. Ultimately,

invading armies would abandon the site as place t o conquer and

hold. Petra

too remote

and difficult a

is two hours north o f the

Gulf

of

Aqaba, o n the Jordanian side. Although Israelis often snuck across the

border t o explore the place they called, 7he Red Rock, and lived

to

tell

about i t , i t was dangerous t o g o there without Jordanian permission.

A t the boisterous bus station i n Tel Aviv, we found the one

to

pails, Arab women holding chickens o r babies, and o l d m e n with milky eyes w h o crunched sunflower seeds incessantly a n d threw the empty shells o n the floor. T h e shells scrunched underfoot as people got o n the bus and made t h e i r w a y t o a n o p e n seat. T h e old vehicle huffed a n d puffed a n d shuddered as i t snaked through the southern wilderness to the bus depot i n Beersheba a n d got o n , sitting among workers with lunch

Beersheba, four hours away.

I t was dusk when we disembarked i n a desolate area without a sign or kiosk to guide us to

the local

y o u t h h o s t e l , o u r destination that

evening. A friendly truck driver off-loading produce to a smaller vehicle

suggested that w e l o o k for someone at the central market, a kilometer o r

so from where we were. He asked us how long we were going t o be i n Beersheba and we replied, just overnight, then on t o Eilat. H e told us his

29

30

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

next stop was Eilat a n d h e could give us a lift. H e suggested t h a t w e l o o k

for h i m i n the bus depot around n o o n the n e x t day. W e agreed to meet

him. Walking toward

the central market i n the direction the truck

driver

indicated brought us t o a Bedouin encampment, where m y companion,

her, heading which was right in the middle o f a

Leah and I lost sight o f each other. I kept walking and looking for

losing sight of where I was

field o f camels, some sitting on the ground and others i n various stages o f rising awkwardly like a creaky boat on a sea o f sand, their spindly, long,

shaggy, dirt-caked legs awkwardly bending space t o their will. They towered over m e and I panicked but kept walking through the crowd of shaggy, smelly beasts. I found a B e d o u i n w o m a n sitting i n

the o p e n i n g o f

a tent, dressed all i n black with chains o f gold coins stretched across her face, ear t o ear, from her chin up

to

her eyes. She was feeding a baby

at

her breast. I signaled t o her that I was looking for water. She called i n t o the t e n t and a

child brought o u t a leather pouch and showed m e h o w t o

drink from it. Reluctantly, I did, realizing that I felt a whole lot better after I drank

the water. I thanked h e r a n d started walking,

this time, away

from the camels. Leah, m y travel-mate, was wandering around the market buying fruit

and cheese for our journey. She had a vague idea of how t o find the Youth Hostel that was in a residential part of t o w n o n the other side of the market. W e started walking away from the market toward o u r destination. As the sun set, I had the creepy feeling t h a t we were being followed. I looked back and saw a car a few lengths behind us, and a small knot of m e n , alongside the car. When they saw us looking back at t h e m , o n e o f them whistled at us, and more m e n seemed t o b e joining them. Now, there was a crowd o f m e n and several cars inching along b e h i n d us. I pinched m y c o m p a n i o n ' s a r m a n d said, " N o t i c e anything? We're

only women o n

the street.

I don't

like the feel of this. I

the

t h i n k we're i n

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

the o n l y public place i n sight, a n d walked in, selecting a table i n the middle of the room with a clear view through the large pane glass window i n front o f the shop so w e could observe the crowd outside. Several m e n came i n and sat at tables around the periphery of the r o o m , making a giant circle around us. When w e were entirely surrounded, the m e n started table-hopping a n d whispering t r o u b l e . ” W e spotted a n o p e n café,

t o each other, a n d w e were trapped l i k e roaches i n a n a n t

hotel.

Leah suddenly grabbed m y arm, and said, sotto vocé, " D o n ' t look

now, b u t there's a character i n a beret and trench coat parading u p and

down i n front o f the café.” She looked terrified. Suddenly, the man i n the trench coat a n d black beret entered a n d made a beeline for o u r table. Very precisely, i n clipped Hebrew, he whispered i n m y ear l o u d enough for Leah t o hear, "The car is waiting. I n exactly o n e m i n u t e y o u will get u p a n d march with m e o u t the d o o r a n d get i n t o the car.” M y jaw dropped and I looked a t h i m as if he were crazy. Leah was irate. She started

to

say, " I will

not

follow you

out to

a car” then stopped. "Listen," I

said to her, I t h i n k he's trying to help us. I d o nt know what's going o n

but those other guys don't look nice or friendly. He looks kind." He shook his

head confirming

what I was saying. I started getting up. " I ' m

g o i n g t o take a chance o n h i m and I suggest you d o , too."

We both followed him o u t of the café. On the street, he grabbed each o f us firmly by a n a r m a n d started walking briskly away from the cars and mob behind us. "Where are you going,” he asked? We told him we were headed for the Youth Hostel but we had n o idea where it was. I asked him, "Who are those men, and why are they following us?" H e explained, "They're workers from

W h e n they come

to

the copper

m i n e s i n Dimona.

town, after n o t seeing a woman for weeks, they are

desperate for companionship. A n d y o u are

the o n l y

ones available, it

seems.

Leah blew, "What do you mean available? We're

not

available t o

31

32

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

them, what are they going t o do, kidnap us?” "Precisely,"

he replied. "They want

t o kidnap y o u a n d use y o u

sex. I saw you were i n trouble so I decided t o

help you.

for

I ' m with the

Israeli secret service. I happened t o pass by a n d saw what was happening.”

As w e walked arm and arm, some o f the m e n from D i m o n a called o u t t o him, and one came up t o him with his wallet out, trying t o buy us from him. Fortunately, he didn't agree t o trade us t o the highest bidder j u s t yet. Now, w e were really scared. Why weren't w e warned h o w dangerous this trip was going t o be? I t never occurred t o us that w e h a d t o protect ourselves, n o t just from Arab terrorists b u t from Israeli ones, too.

When we reached the Youth Hostel, there were no lights on, and m e n were hiding b e h i n d trees w h o

o u r protector, marched into

called o u t

the office and

t o u s as w e passed. Manny,

found

the manager

asleep i n

the next room. H e quickly told h i m what was going o n a n d urged that he protect us if the m e n came asking for us. The manager pooh-poohed the whole situation, saying we were just wimpy American girls blowing things o u t

the facts! H e n o sooner finished his rant then guns walked i n t o the office, demanding that w e b e turned

of proportion

four m e n with

to

over t o them.

Now, the manager bolted into action, grabbing an automatic weapon

from behind a cabinet and screamed at them t o back off a n d clear out! H e w a s n ' t g o i n g t o let these excuses for m e n tell h i m what t o d o . H e t o l d them he w o u l d n ' t hesitate t o blow their heads off a n d they knew a n d w e k n e w he m e a n t i t . H e escorted u s t o o u r r o o m s a n d suggested w e take turns sleeping t o make sure w e weren't bothered by anyone, and he would stand guard, too.

There was a t least one more attempt

to

kidnap us that night, but

heroes kept the kidnappers a t bay with their guns drawn. Why m e n from copper mines so crazed that all they could t h i n k of

o u r two were

was acquiring sex slaves? I t t o o k m e forty years t o learn

the answer.

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

The copper mines i n Dimona were i n reality Israel's secret nuclear facility, which in 1960 was just being built with the help of the French government. T h e workers at

the facility might

have suffered some low-

level radiation exposure, which has been associated with uncontrollable sexual urges. B u t this gang-like attempt to snatch us

off the streets

and

use us for sex was outside the pale o f civilized behavior! Obviously, we

the first ones t o be accosted this way! I n the morning, we headed back t o the bus depot, having decided

weren't

i t wasn't safe for u s t o spend any more t i m e i n Beersheba. T h e m o b knew

where w e were a n d probably w o u l d n ' t s t o p trying t o snatch us.

would get better

They

i t with each failed attempt and ultimately, with so

at

many joined i n the project, they would succeed. We spotted our friend, Yossi, the truck driver loading his truck. Before w e approached h i m , w e stopped t o argue whether traveling with h i m was a good idea o r would i t mean buying i n t o more trouble.

Considering that he wasn't from Dimona or Beersheba, that he had a schedule to keep, and there would be two o f us r i d i n g with h i m , we decided h e would b e a safer choice than

n i g h t before. W e I

the Beersheba gang w e m e t the

hailed Yossi and he waved us over.

straddled the

gearbox next t o Yossi a n d Leah sat next t o m e .

The

bumpy ride was blessedly uneventful until, halfway t o Eilat, Yossi fished

his window with one hand, while driving with the other. I asked him what h e was d o i n g , and h e answered, laughing, that h e was practicing his marksmanship because i t always pays t o be prepared. Did he t h i n k w e o u t a rifle

from b e h i n d the b e n c h

seat a n d proceeded t o s h o o t o u t

would r u n i n t o any trouble, Leah asked h i m ? " I never t h i n k about trouble,”

he replied.

" I t ' s n o trouble i f y o u ' r e ready.” I c o u l d n ' t decide

if Yossi was a good guy o r us

one o f the tribe o f bad guys w h o had terrified

the night before. By the time we reached Eilat it was pitch-dark, a moonless night

33

34

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

w i t h o u t street lights. W e asked Yossi h o w w e c o u l d find the Youth Hostel,

the b u s terminal for information a n d pointed us i n t h a t direction. We walked gingerly in the dark through sand we c o u l d n ' t see underfoot. I wondered if there were scorpions a r o u n d but quickly released the thought. There wasn't anything we could do but find a safe place to stay for the n i g h t . Ten minutes later, w e were i n front o f and he suggested walking t o

the bus station b u t i t was closed and n o one was around. Outside, behind

the station w e

found a kiosk w i t h magazines a n d newspapers, l i t b y o n e

flickering incandescent b u l b that h u n g d o w n over t h e proprietor's

head.

Yevgeny, the proprietor, was a short, fat, bald m a n with a black patch over o n e eye. H i s good eye was large, r o u n d , a n d b l o o d s h o t , a n d h e appeared sweaty and disheveled. H e c o u l d have marched r i g h t o u t o f

the

he h a d a m a p that w o u l d get us t o the youth hostel. H e t o l d us that n o one w o u l d be there this late, b u t he knew a place where w e c o u l d find a r o o m for the night. pages o f Dostoevsky novel. W e asked h i m i f

I t was Shula the Seamstress’ place. She rented o u t a room, sometimes,

he t o l d us, a n d pulled o u t a p h o n e from a lower s h e l f a n d started t o dial. H e talked into the phone i n Russian for a m o m e n t , then hung up. "She said a r o o m

is available.

She doesn't charge m u c h . T h e r o o m is

simple

and clean, and i t has t w o beds.” H e scribbled a n address a n d a name o n a piece

of paper

a n d handed i t t o us. " H o w d o w e

find h e r place, I

asked?” Yevgeny drew a map.

"It's simple. Walk i n this direction for about 20 minutes and look for building 73. They all look alike so you have

number o n the door. Then go up

to

to

look for the building

the third floor t o apartment #6. Do

you have a flashlight?” We did. Building 73 was one o f dozens o f concrete, slab buildings, each six stories high and jutting o u t o f the sand i n anonymous rows, silhouetted against

the dark

s k y l i k e sentries. I n o r d e r t o find # 7 3 w e h a d t o

walk

past t w o l o n g rows o f b u i l d i n g s a n d shine o u r flashlights o n every front

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

door. Finally, we found the right building and walked up

to

the third

floor apartment # 6 . Across the threshold was a large mangy dog, w h o

muttered a low throaty growl when he saw us. Tentatively, we reached

the beast, w h o w e promptly named Cerberus, and rang the doorbell. _ T h e woman w h o opened the door wore a colorful kimono robe, her frizzy red hair i n riotous disarray. "Are you from Yossi," she asked? W e nodded. She chased the big dog off the doormat and beckoned us i n . "Come. over

I'll show you the room." The main room was spacious but spartan, stacked

with piles of shells of dresses o n the floor near a large sewing machine. She showed us t o a small bedroom with a hanging red bead curtain serving as a door. Inside the room were t w o neat cots, a sink and two chairs. The room looked clean and more inviting than Shula's space which was neither tidy nor

particularly clean, from what we could see. Shula quoted a price of 5 dollars a night for the room, and asked us how many nights we planned t o stay. I replied two nights. She asked for payment u p front, showed us the bathroom,

asked what time w e wanted t o wake up. Leah said w e would probably sleep i n . Shula warned us that w e would hear her sewing machine i n the morning and i t might wake us. D o n ' t worry, I told her, w e can sleep through anything, we're so tired. I t was true. The m i n u t e w e hit o u r pillows, w e were o u t for the night. A t about seven i n the morning, I woke u p when Shula's phone rang, and bolted upright i n bed. Shula was talking t o someone o n the phone. I heard and

her say i n Hebrew, "Yes, the Americans came. They're here now, and staying for two nights. C o m e tomorrow. You can surprise them when they're sleeping. H o w m u c h for them? G o o d .

Yes, I agree.” I prodded

for h e r t o listen but make n o sound. She heard the they could take us the next night, and looked as horrified

Leah a n d m i m e d

woman say t h a t

as I felt. W e quickly rose, took o u r things, and set off, planning never t o return

although we said nothing and smiled t o our innkeeper, as we left.

After a day of sightseeing anda ride in a glass bottom boat over the

35

30

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

coral reefs t o see the spectacular tropical fish a n d sea creatures i n

the R e d

Sea, the boatman drove us to the Youth Hostel which was perched high

hill over the Port o f Aquaba a n d the R e d Sea. T h e view was spectacular. W e paid for a night a n d asked for lodging near the front door, so w e would b e alerted by sounds o f approaching cars o r other nois-

o n a steep

es i n the n i g h t i n order to protect ourselves. W e t o o k turns sleeping a n d

keeping watch. Around midnight, Leah shook me awake. A car was coming up the h i l l a n d g e t t i n g louder m i n u t e b y m i n u t e . W e heard muffled voices o f several m e n a n d footsteps u p t o

the front

door. I whispered t o Leah t h a t

this was getting pretty old, and I was good and tired of it. I fished around i n m y backpack for the folding knife I used t o c u t open oranges, and p u t o n m y army surplus camo jacket. " L e t m e talk t o t h e m , b u t back m e up, Leah. D o y o u see anything heavy y o u can use i f w e need t o protect ourselves?” She h a d b o u g h t a glass paperweight i n a craft place a t the p o r t , which she c o u l d use i f she needed t o fight someone off.

Feeling more angry than terrified, I held my flashlight i n one hand,

and the open, large folding knife i n the other. As the m e n outside banged o n o u r door, I opened i t a crack. A swarthy, short, p o t - b e l l i e d m a n was

standing i n front o f me. I shined the light i n his eyes, startling h i m , a n d

held the knife blade in

the

beam of light. Then I told him in my best

Hebrew, " I f you take another step over this threshold, I will

cut

your

throat from ear to ear.” H e m u s t have believed m e because h e s h u t

the

d o o r abruptly, and a moment later, w e heard the m e n scurrying off i n the

car and the car noisily hurtling down the hill. Although we continued t o

that. To this day, I have no idea if our experiences in Beersheba and Eilat were

take turns guarding the front door, n o o n e else bothered us after

usual or unique. Israeli friends I told about them laughed them off, as if they

couldn't have happened and I was imagining things. But n o t the case.

that

is certainly

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

ZIONISM REDUX Today, I n o l o n g e r identify w i t h Z i o n i s m t h a t celebrates arrogant,

deadly abuse o f power, the k i n d practiced b y o f Israel's unprovoked attacks against Syria are consistent w i t h

the State o f Israel. Reports

the people

the belligerence I

o f Gaza, Lebanon a n d

myself experienced o n a m u c h

smaller scale, forty years ago. I understand that Israel will

do anything to

get what i t needs, whether i t is m o r e secure borders, greater military prowess, more political control over allies, o r a larger

land mass.

I t 1s a picture that Naomi Klein, in her new book, The Shock

Doctrine; The Rise o f Disaster Capitalism, calls, "the standing disaster apartheid state - a n economy that expands markedly i n direct response t o escalating violence.” I m m u n e t o political instability, Israel is n o w a model for

the globalist agenda a n d governments like o u r o w n are eager

t o emu-

late i t a n d enjoy b o o m i n g prosperity as they escalate brutality against enemies a n d wage wars against

the hapless

residents o f territories they

occupy illegally. I n t h e last t w o decades, Israel's parlay o f guns a n d caviar has made i t ' s economy o n e o f

the fastest

growing a n d m o s t robust i n

the world.

Peace n o l o n g e r m a t t e r s t o a g o v e r n m e n t l i k e Israel's, whose economy

floats o n

the market

for anti-terrorism technologies. Israel's h i g h tech

firms a n d global security companies d o m i n a t e these markets as more countries strive to t u r n themselves i n t o impenetrable fortresses, l i k e Israel.

I t i s a recipe for w a r

of the type the B u s h Administration

proposes,

an endless, global war o n "terror." I t is a philosophy that breeds slaves and masters, and herds the "surplus” poor into slums behind walls o f steel, stone and concertina wire, so they c a n n o t interfere with the "freedom" of

the markets

iron-fisted control.

t o e x p l o i t workers a n d keep

the populace

under

37

38

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

Twenty-first century Z i o n i s m has matured i n t o neo-colonialism a n d

this n e w colonialism has n o room for human rights o r

the survival

and

dignity of ordinary people. It is as dangerous as i t is despicable and inhumane. B u t people all over the globe are waking u p and becoming wise t o

the power plays of the elites, and they are beginning t o take back their communities, rebuilding and healing them, and making them more resilient.

T h e great struggle

of the 21st

century is n o t

the race

to

the top of a

golden pinnacle b y a privileged minority, b u t a social a n d spiritual movem e n t sweeping u p

all i n i t s path. Examples are the democracy movement

led b y Buddhist priests i n Burma, compasinos i n Bolivia and Mexico, the micro finance m o v e m e n t i n India, and the peace m o v e m e n t i n Palestine a n d Israel.

the people are r i s i n g , a n d n o power o n earth will stop them for l o n g . When the people are united, they take back their power. I t is just a matter of time. Despite missiles, bombs, bullets a n d floods

DR. LUISE LIGHT is a

nutritionist a n d a former director o f dietary guidance

a n d nutrition education research i n the

U.S. Department o f Agriculture, a n d

senior nutritionist a t the National Cancer Institute. She also worked o n programs

with

the American

Red Cross,

the American Cancer Society a n d the

for the original Food was distorted by the cozy relation-

American Heart Association. She was responsible

Pyramid Guide but says the information ship between USDA a n d thefood industry, a relationship she describes i n her 2005 book, "What t o Eat; The 10 Things You Really Need t o Know t o Eat Well a n d B e Healthy." You can reach Dr. Light o n her website, www.luiselight.com, by email, [email protected] om.

The Palestinian s’ Holocaust

THE INCONVENIENT TRUTHS OF PROFE SSOR N O R M A N F I N K E L S T E I N Quer the years, Professor Norman Finkelstein has become a lightning rod for Zionists i n America. H e was recently forced o u t o f his posi-

tion a t DePaul University — not due to any deficiency i n

his schol-

arship, o r popularity among students a t the DePaul campus, b u t as a result o f the inconvenient truths

he has shown

the courage to tell

The following are

notes that the author took a t a M a y

lecture delivered

by

16, 2006,

Professor Finkelstein a t the University o f

California-Irvines Student Center Crystal Cove Auditorium, titled

"Obstacles to Peace: Israelis or Palestinians.”

n his excellent address a t U C l - I r v i n e , Professor N o r m a n

Finkelstein of DePaul University laid -

ment

out a

compelling argu-

on the so-called Arab-Israeli conflict, outlining what he

termed, ‘ t h e historical a n d documentary record, the diplomatic record,

and the human rights record.” Finkelstein argued that there is little

to

be

controversial about regarding this tragic saga; however, once the issue reaches

the public

arena

i t i n s t a n t l y becomes controversial.

Finkelstein went o n t o n o t e how, " T h e vast preponderance o f the controversy i s fabricated i n o r d e r t o deflect a t t e n t i o n from

the actual

documentary r e c o r d , ” a fabricated record with a p o l i t i c a l agenda i n m i n d .

H e n o t e d h o w the World Court issued a n advisory o p i n i o n o n arating

opinion

sep-

of its legality, and how the advisory the so-called final status questions w i t h i n the

"Wall" i n Israel, i n touched u p o n

the

terms

moribund "peace process.”

O n the "borders" question the World Court determined t h a t the West B a n k a n d Gaza were o c c u p i e d territories i n t o t a l . (They were n o t even "disputed territories.)

39

40

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

On the question of the "settlements," Finkelstein noted that Article 49 [Geneva Accords] says no, and the World Court agreed; "they are illegal.”

On the question of East Jerusalem, the World Court decided that it wasn’t complicated a t all. "The West Bank, including Fast Jerusalem, is occupied territory."

The

"Wall" was also determined illegal under international law. T h e

wasn't even close among the 15 judges that sit o n the World Court: 14 t o 1. Finkelstein also noted t h a t the World Court’s opinion included "six separate opinions.” The one dissent was from the U.S. judge; but even he did n o t write a full dissent. H e made declarations i n which he expressed his agreement with m a n y o f the p o i n t s made b y vote

his 1 4 colleagues o n the World Court.

the audience o n h o w the "Arab-Israeli conflict.” What occasioned

Professor Finkelstein shared information with

he first became involved i n

his interest was Israel's invasion o f Lebanon i n June 1 9 8 2 . Jews Against the

he became involved i n . His belief in the adage that "Politics should be informed by the heart and the mind, is what led him t o study Zionism. Finkelstein referenced a book that he came across in 1984, titled “From Time Immemorial,” by Joan Peters. The central thesis of this [then] widely acclaimed book was that "Palestine was empty until the c o m i n g of the Jews,” and that it was their migration t o this ancient land that "caused the desert t o b l o o m . " H e noted that while m a n y o n the left dismissed the book as Zionist propaganda, i t was widely acclaimed and endorsed by the Jewish establishment at the time of its release. Finkelstein went o n t o note h o w he proceeded t o undertake his painstaking demographic study o f the information contained i n the Israeli Massacre i n Lebanon was a group that

books v o l u m i n o u s charts a n d notes. H e recounted his euphoria u p o n

discovering, at 1 : 3 0 i n

the m o r n i n g ,

a

fake n u m b e r

i n a demographic

study. "Discovering the hoax is every scholar’s eureka,”

he noted.

But

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

the hoax came at a price. T h e professor n o t e d that i n the 1970s the edifice o f his belief system came crashing down, and h e vowed never t o allow himself t o be blind sided intellectually again. discovering

I n response t o the "hoax," Finkelstein wrote a manuscript t i t l e d

"The

Protocols o f Joan Peters." He spoke a b o u t

the resistance

that

he

encountered because "major institutions” had invested their names a n d reputations i n

the shoddy hoax. I t

wasn’t until a couple o f years later, after

a well known Israeli authority also exposed i t as a hoax, that

received

the discredit

that i t deserved.

T h e main t h i n g that that

the M i d d l e

the book

the professor stated he has learned since

E a s t conflict

then

is

" i s n o t very complicated a t all; it’s pretty

straight forward." H o w D I D THE PALESTINIANS BECOME REFUGEES?

Prof. Finkelstein dealt with the popular myth concerning "the Arab radio broadcasts,” and then he proceeded t o deal with the reality. H e

1980s several Israeli historians began looking i n t o the h i s t o r i c archives, a n d t h e n o n e announced (to be followed by another) t h a t t h e Palestinians were " e t h n i c a l l y cleansed,” i n a "premeditated n o t e d h o w i n the

ethnic cleansing.” H e noted further that a book by Shlomo Ben Ami, a former Israeli Foreign

Minister, t i t l e d "Scars o f War, Wounds o f Peace,”

affirmed the fact that "the ethnic cleansing o f 1948" was intentional.

THE HUMAN RIGHTS QUESTION Professor Finkelstein noted that Occupied Palestine is one o f

m o s t heavily m o n i t o r e d territories i n

the world,

the

and further, that " a

huge b o d y o f documents" have been produced b y a varied number o f o r g a n i z a t i o n s . H e t h e n proceeded t o outline h o w h u m a n rights

law/reports/studies can

be subjectively

skewed, b u t h o w ‘ o n

the major

issues regarding Israel and Palestine,” there are few differences o f view (in terms

of findings).

Since September

2000 - starting p o i n t for the latest

41

42

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

"intifada" - there have been three times as m a n y Palestinians killed as Israelis. Israel, he argued, has been guilty o f excessive, i n d i s c r i m i n a n t a n d

intentional targeting o f civilians; a n d

while Israel publicly labels the

killing o f civilians a "mistake," a n d considers them "collateral damage,” a t the e n d o f the day, i n t e n t ( o r the lack thereof) makes n o difference when so many civilians are b e i n g killed.

Finkelstein cited a 1989 vote in the United Nations that was 151 t o 3 in condemnation o f Israel (with the three dissenting votes being Israel, the United States and Dominica). H e proceeded t o draw laughter from the audi-

when he cited other votes that have come against Israel in the U N in recent years, i n which, along with its perennial ally (the US), the only other votes in its favor were from a few small countries that few i n the global community have ever heard o f - including one that appears to b e o n the verge o f ence

disappearing due t o global warming. H e humorously noted

happens, and Israel loses this largest contributor

to

vote

that once this

i n the U N , i t might accuse the US - the

global warming - o f "anti-Semitism."

THE H A M A S CONTROVERSY Finkelstein noted h o w the powers-that-be are pressuring

Hamas to

renounce violence and accept Israel. But Israel has never been made

to

even

acknowledge "the rule of law" with respect t o "borders" and "other related matters,” which were long ago codified in international law. "Recognition,"

"should go both ways." This has been Hamas’ position, and he stated his emphatic agreement with Hamas o n this point. he correctly opined,

THE REFUGEE CONTROVERSY

He cited a book by a Jewish writer by the name of Benny Morris, who

opined that the annihilation of the indigenous population of America was a good thing, and that the ethnic cleansing o f Palestine was also a good thing,

the creation of the State of Israel." H e also cited well known law professor w h o has dismissed Israel’s

"because i t made possible

Alan Dershowitz,

a

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

ethnic-cleansing policies as nothing more than a "fifth rate moral issue."

"The Right o fReturn,” Finkelstein opined, is

not

a complicated issue

the imminent anti-Zionist M I T professor, N o a m Chomsky, w h o holds the belief that, politically, the return under international law. B u t then h e cited

is n o t going to happen. Consequently, h e feels that it's immoral to raise unrealistic hopes and expectations among

the Palestinian people.

T H E ILLEGITIMATE DIFFERENCES

Finkelstein noted

that

the "mystifying of the conflict” (making it

m o r e complicated than i t really is) - is actually a n attempt " t o get y o u t o d o u b t y o u r o r d i n a r y moral j u d g m e n t " o n such issues as collective p u n -

ishment, etc. H e then proceeded t o n o t e h o w the Apartheid S o u t h African model is comparable t o what's been g o i n g o n i n O c c u p i e d Palestine. According to

Ha'aretz (a major Israeli publication), he noted, "Even Ariel Sharon

admitted that w h a t h e was trying t o create i n the West B a n k was analogous t o what was attempted i n S o u t h Africa w i t h the infamous Bantustans. I n Righteous Victims, Professor B e n n y Morris also spoke o f

"the

fear

of

t e r r i t o r i a l d i s p l a c e m e n t ” a m o n g the Palestinians, as

the

factor that motivated their resistance. T H E EXPLOITATION OF THE HOLOCAUST

what Finkelstein terms, "the holocaust uniqueness issue” — meaning Jews have suffered m o r e than anyone else, a n d consequently s h o u l d n t b e held to the same moral standards as everyone else. There is also the claim o f "the n e w a n t i - S e m i t i s m . " (The A D L p u t o u t a b o o k b y the same title i n T h e m a i n innovation w i t h i n the Z i o n i s t agenda has been

1 9 7 4 . ) T h e 1970s musical "Jesus Christ Superstar,” and M e l Gibson's

more r e c e n t movie ( " T h e Passion o f the Christ") have been cited as examples o f

the n e w

anti-Semitism. H e also spoke a b o u t the "political cor-

rectness o n campuses,” t h a t belies

the a l l e g e d

c l a i m s o f g r o w i n g anti-

43

44

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

Semitism a t colleges and universities.

Professor Finkelstein labeled The Case For Israel, by Alan Dershowitz,

of the book were lifted from Joan Peter’s discredited book (that "Dershowitz a complete fraud from start t o finish. H e n o t e d that large parts

plagiarized a fraud”).

The real challenge has been i n publicizing his findings o f Dershowitz's

( i n various forms) out

he encountered e n o r m o u s opposition from Dershowitz, but eight m o n t h s have elapsed with-

book. N o t

o n l y has

a single mainstream review o f his book. "Everyone i n the media

knows what to d o ; what t o say; a n d what n o t t o say when i t comes t o Israel.”

H e noted h o w Dershowitz, while arguing that Israel’s h u m a n rights record is superb, "never cites one major human rights organization i n his end notes” t o support this argument. " T R U T H I S O N O U R SIDE," h e

declared. Israel’s position on international law is that i t doesn’t agree with

the rest of the world’s

interpretation

of i t .

A n o t h e r interesting observation that

the

professor m a d e

i n his

thought-provoking address is that Israel, i n h i s opinion, is merely useful to

the neoconservatives, b u t that they have n o real interest i n Israel.

"Israel has become nothing more than a useful tool" for the neocons’ real interests.

As a Jew, he noted, there is no place i n the world where he’s felt less anti-Semitism than i n Palestine. H e noted that

volunteers w i t h

the

20 t o 30 percent of the

International Solidarity Movement

activists w h o come i n t o

the

(non-violent

territories to provide a buffer between

Palestinians a n d Israeli soldiers) are Jewish.

One member o f the audience raised an excellent question during the Q & A period, concerning the principle o f the acquisition o f territory

why this p r i n c i p l e 1967 a n d n o t 1948? T h a t

taken b y force, a n d

applies o n l y to t e r r i t o r y taken

by Israel

was

in

the o n e

q u e s t i o n that

the

The Palestinian s’ Holocaust

professor appeared t o have a little initial difficulty with - finally noting, Israel was the only country given this exception by the UN. O n the issue o f intellectual bravery (or the lack thereof) in academia, Professor Finkelstein noted, "Most professors are pitiful cowards w h o will sell

their souls for an invitation t o a conference,” or for a grant. Overall it was an excellent evening o f thought-prov oking discourse organized by the Muslim

Student Union (MSU) o f UC-Irvine. I'm glad that I could be a part o f it. A FEW CLOSING THOUGHTS

Regarding Finkelsteins reference

to

Apartheid South Africa, John

Dugard, a South African law professor teaching in the Netherlands, made some interesting points i n a November 2 9 , 2 0 0 6 , commentary titled

APARTHEID: Israelis adopt what South Africa dropped. H e begins his thought-provoking commentary with the following words: "Former President Jimmy Carter's new book, ‘Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid,

is igniting controversy for its allegation that Israel practices a form o f apartheid.

As a South African and former anti-apartheid advocate w h o vis-

its the Palestinian territories regularly t o assess the human rights

situa-

the U . N . H u m a n Rights Council, the comparison to South African apartheid is of special interest t o me." tion for

After recounting the salient features of South African Apartheid, Dugard notes:

Israel's o c c u p a t i o n o f the Palestinian territories has m a n y features o f c o l o n i z a t i o n . A t the same t i m e i t has m a n y o f

the

worst characteristics

of

apartheid. The West Bank

has

been fragmented into three areas — north (Jenin and Nablus), center (Ramallah) and south (Hebron) — which increasingly

resemble the Bantustans o f South Africa.

‘http://www.aje.com/opinion/content/opinion/stories/2006/11/29/1129 edcarter.html

45

46

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

Restrictions o n freedom o f movement imposed

by a rigid permit

system enforced b y some 5 2 0 checkpoints and roadblocks resemble,

well beyond, apartheid's "pass system.” A n d the security apparatus is reminiscent o f that o f apartheid, with more than 10,000 Palestinians i n Israeli prisons and frequent allegations o f

but in

severity go

torture and cruel treatment. M a n y aspects o f Israel's occupation surpass those of the apartheid regime. Israel's large-scale destruction o f Palestinian homes,

leveling of agricultural lands, military incursions and targeted assassinations of Palestinians far exceed a n y similar practices in apartheid South Africa. N o wall was ever built

to

separate blacks

and whites. Following the worldwide anti-apartheid

movement,

one might

expect a similarly concerted international effort united i n opposition to

Israel's abhorrent treatment o f the Palestinians. Instead one finds

a n international community divided between

the West and the rest

the world. T h e Security Council is prevented from taking action because of the U.S. veto and European Union abstinence. And the of

United States and the European Union, acting in collusion with the United Nations and the Russian Federation, have in effect imposed economic sanctions o n

the Palestinian people for having,

by democratic means, elected a government deemed unacceptable

the West. Forgotten is the commitment end to occupation, colonization and apartheid. to Israel and

At the time

o f this writing

to putting a n

John Dugard served as a Special Rapporteur

(reporter) on Palestine to the United Nations Human Rights Council

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

N E T U R E I K A R T A : T H E MESSAG E OF TORAH BELIEVING JEWS

follows is a n open letter that was written by Rabbi Dovid Weiss to Rabbi Scheer o f Columbia University-Ne w York, i n response to a n attack that questioned the legitimacy o f What immediately

Neturei Karta as a representative Jewish communitylorg anization.

The letter addresses a number o f very important issues which would benefit the reader to know.

Following this document are other pieces o f information which we also believe to be o f value. It is imperative that the reader be aware

that there are many Torah believingJews (as well asJews who would describe themselves as non-religious) who are animatedly opposed to the Zionist State o fIsrael. We encourage the reader to visit Neturei Kartas website for more information on this very important issue W W W . nkUsA. org .

A n d now, without any further comment, we present Rabbi Dovid Weiss - American spokesman for Neturei Karta International. A LETTER FROM RABBI DOVID WEISS “eture: Karta, an international organization o f Orthodox

the subject of a scathing denunciation i n the October 1 1 t h i s s u e of the Columbia Daily Spectator. I n an essay titled"Neturei Karta Misleading” the author, Rabbi Charles Scheer, described the group as offering a "frightening message.” I t "disgraced Judaism" a n d "show(ed) n o compassion for their fellow Jews." ~ Jews opposed t o Z i o n i s m , was

Indeed, the good Rabbi concludes his fiery comments by exclaiming, "Shame!" and "praying that he can find forgiveness in (his) heart for the abusive message” o f the Neturei Karta.

47

48

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

H e does offer those bearing this "appalling message” some

hope.

Despite their having "belittled o u r campus by their presence,” he will "pray that they learn to love their fellow Jews even when they disagree with

them." Clearly in the person of the Columbia University Jewish chaplain, "love" o f one’s opponent has some strange means o f articulation.

the expressions o f affection i n the article there are a few arguments offered as well, t o which we n o w t u r n our attention. Nonetheless, between

T h e Rabbi's critique seems t o revolve a r o u n d four p o i n t s . 1) T h e Neturei

the "vast majority o f Torah leaders” is false. 2 ) They distort the views of those Jewish leaders cited in their literature. 3) They a r e a very small group a n d " u n i q u e a m o n g the Jewish people world wide." 4) They don't care if Jews are killed. Let us examine each of these Karta’s claim t o represent

claims with dispassion.

First, although the good Rabbi made quite a show o f refusing t o accept

the leaflets

a n d booklets offered b y Neturei Karta representatives

when they visited Columbia during the October 5th vigil (perhaps, i n the

spirit o f loving his fellow Jew even while disagreeing?), he apparently managed t o surreptitiously acquire a n d read a t least t w o leaflets, as

his

their v i s i o n , they (Neturei Karta) falsely claim that t h e ‘vast majority of Torah leaders’ are o p p o s e d t o a modern Jewish state." Unfortunately h i s c i t a t i o n is truncated a n d thus falsified. The full text i n question reads: "Zionism was greeted with staunch and passionate opposition by the vast majority of Torah leaders a t the time of its inception.” We will soon address the state of Torah opinion today. Clearly our reference was t o the state of affairs a t Zionism’s i n c e p t i o n , a r o u n d the t u r n of the last century. And, w e challenge Rabbi Sheer t o deny t h a t those s u p p o r t i n g Z i o n i s m , as represented by the early M i z r a h i movement, were direct q u o t a t i o n attests.

"Lo

support

anything more than a tiny segment o f observant Jewry. Further, w e are

quite sure

that

the Rabbi would also grant

that

the early Agudath Israel

The Palestinian s’ Holocaust

of the "vast majority o f Torah leaders" was passionate” in its opposition t o Zionism. The good Rabbi apparently limited himself t o reading the leaflets we handed o u t . Would he have read the booklets as well he would n o t have fallen prey t o the distortions he offers of the position of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, the nineteenth century German leader. Rabbi Sheer contends that R a v Hirsch’s opposition t o Zionism m o v e m e n t , which w a s composed

was based o n his desire t o see Jewry "involving itself within its host countries.” This is certainly true. However, i t is only a partial truth. Rav

"the people of Israel must never again attempt t o restore national independence b y its o w n power." I n his view this was "prohibited Hirsch also wrote

to

us.’ I n Horeb, Rav Hirsch’s

master

work on the commandments,

he asserts, "(The Torah) forbids u s t o strive for the reunion o r possession of the land by any but spiritual means." B y focusing solely o n R a v Hirsch’s depiction o f the positive tasks and hopes o f exile, Rabbi Sheer is able t o posit, "We c a n n o t presume that he w o u l d h o l d similar n o t i o n s i n o u r post-Holocaust era.” This n o t i o n is

of ( o r quoting) selective parts of R a v Hirsch’s those partaking of, what w e m a y see i n retrospect as, myopic

tenable o n l y i f o n e is aware teachings,

hopes for Europe.

His other quotes show that h i s opposition t o Z i o n s i m

of the intrinsic terms o f Jewish exile. Assuredly those terms c a n n o t change over the years. Rabbi Sheer a d m i t s t h a t o u r reference t o Rabbi Elchanan was first a n d foremost rooted i n its violation

Wasserman, a world renowned Torah leader, as a staunch anti- Zionist is correct. I n order t o somehow get a r o u n d

this fact he tells u s

that

Rabbi

Wasserman's son was his (Rabbi Sheer’s rebbe) and that the younger Wasserman w o u l d have been "appalled at

the message

and presence

of

Neturei Karta o n m y campus." O f course, what Rabbi Simcha Wasserman has t o

explained.

do

with

the

citation

of his

fathers views is never

49

50

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

the t i m e the Rabbi got t o his second paragraph o n the Wasserman matter he had b e c o m e confused by h i s o w n d i s t o r t i o n . H e writes, " T h e reference by Neturei Karta to Rabbi Simcha Wasserman a n d other sages By

is presumptuous, deceptive or irrelevant.” O f course, we have never made reference to Rabbi Simcha Wasserman, rather to h i s father, w h o Rabbi

Sheer admits was a staunch anti —Zionist.

As t o "other sages" Rabbi Sheer leaves us in the dark as t o who he is referring t o . F o r the m o m e n t w e have o n l y Rabbi S h e e r s s p e c u l a t i o n t h a t R a v Hirsch would have changed his m i n d today i n accordance with the good Chaplain’s views. We o n the other hand stand by what Rav Hirsch actually wrote time and time again, including his description in a well known letter o f Z i o n i s m as " n o small s i n . ”

I n addition, our booklets, which the good Rabbi refused t o touch, offer extensive quotes with sources covering a diverse selection o f early 2 0 t h c e n t u r y Torah leaders r a n g i n g from B r i s k ( m i t m a g d i m ) t o

Lubavitch (Chasidim), all vehement i n

their rejection o f Zionism.

As far as the size o f Neturei Karta there is n o w a y to posit a membership figure as there is n o formal organizational structure anywhere i n the world. Nonetheless, i f Rabbi Sheer is claiming that Jews who oppose the

of the Jewish state are a minor, ‘unique’ sect, this clearly of some degree of ignorance of Jewish demographics i n the Holy

very existence

speaks

Land and around the world. A m o n g those groups i n the forefront o f anti -

Zionism w e find Satmar, with probably close to seventy thousand

follow-

ers across the globe, Toldos Aharon and Avroham Yitzchok with t e n s o f thou-

all those w h o accept the halachic authority o f the Beis D i n Zedek o f Jerusalem, the Kasho and Nitra movements and settlements here i n America, the huge educational system of Torah V’Yirah in Meah Shearim i n Jerusalem and various Brisker yeshivas throughout the Holy City. We may also add the Viznitz-Monsey Hasidic group, whose Rebbe is sands;

profoundly anti-Zionist and most Williamsburg based Hasidic groups i n

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

America. T h e list could g o o n and o n .

Rabbi Sheers claim that

the state of Israel are smaller i n number "than Jews affiliated with Columbia" certainly bodes well for o n campus Jewish activities. Incidentally, i t is worth n o t i n g , all the above mentioned anti-Zionist groups refuse t o accept any moneys dispensed b y the Israeli state. I n addition t o these overt anti-Zionists there is the Agudath Israel Thus,

those o p p o s i n g

world m o v e m e n t which was also opposed (in m o s t o f its factions) t o the establishment

of a n Israeli

state. P o s t - 1 9 4 8

the Agudah leaders (as best

expressed i n R e b Reuven Grozosky's Beyos HaZman) concluded that,

given the states existence, i t was best t o work through it

to

further Torah

of the Israeli population that favors this position is e n o r m o u s . T h e y have n o use for the symbols of Z i o n i s m (the flag a n d national anthem are meaningless t o them) a n d they strenuously avoid military service. I n fact, what most distinguishes them from the antiZionists is that the latter refuse t o benefit from the Israeli government, while the non-Zionists are quite content t o accept the states largess. interests. T h e segment

I n o u r view this non-Zionist position has its moral inconsistencies.

Nevertheless, i t is clearly n o t a Zionist position and left t o its o w n devices would never have produced a state

of Israel.

H e n c e , Rabbi Sheers claim, that opposition t o Z i o n i s m is a fringe persuasion amongst observant Jews, i s demonstrably i n error.

We suspect

well aware of all the above facts a n d can offer n o w h y he would wish t o conceal them from his readers.

that Rabbi Sheer is

explanation as t o

the good Rabbi claims that w e " s h o w n o compassion for fellow Jews." W e realize that he is referring t o the recent violence, Lastly,

our

but

before discussing that question, a few facts need b e n o t e d . T h e hundreds o f thousands o f anti a n d non-Zionist Jews i n the Holy Land a n d around

the world are well known for their extraordinary acts o f chesed (kindness) towards

all Jews. T h e

scurrilous charge that Neturei Karta adherents are

51

52

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

not

given t o

" c o m p a s s i o n for

t h e i r fellow Jews" i s l a u g h a b l e a n d

damnable.

Once again we think

that

the good Rabbi knew all this. He knows

that t h e demonstrators a t C o l u m b i a t w o weeks ago w o u l d b e t h e first

of need. W h a t motivated his wild accusation of " n o compassion"? Simply stated the Rabbi w a s irked by the fact that Neturei Karta chose t o show sympathy for Palestinian dead. t o assist any Jew i n a t i m e

O f course, i t is a tragedy when a Jew is killed. But, i t is also a tragedy

when any human being and especially children are killed. And i t is particularly troubling when they have been killed by one’s o w n people. I t is

the s i t u a t i o n demands the p e o p l e of the Torah step i n and proclaim t o the world that this is n o t the work of Jews imbued with the spirit of o u r faith. precisely a t such a moment, t h a t

Rabbi Sheer, i t is very easy t o offer support for yet another pro-Israel demonstration. O n

the other hand i t requires real moral courage t o stand

with those w h o have been wronged b y your o w n people. T h a t , w e

suggest is

true

kiddush Hashem (sanctification o f G-d’s name). There is

a t i m e and a place t o offer sympathy for one’s o w n . T w o weeks past was

the t i m e

t o seize

the m o m e n t

t o offer k i n d n e s s t o

the O t h e r .

W e are

disappointed that you did n o t wish t o join us!

the good Rabbi b y the recent scenes of brutality emanating from Ramallah late last week. T h e b u r n i n g of synagogues o n the West Bank is condemnable by all m e n of good will, Jewish and Palestinian. B u t n o n e o f this relates t o the question of whether Jews should participate i n a vigil for Palestinians o r whether i t is somehow evil t o condemn brutality o n the p a r t of the Israeli government. Rabbi Scheer was angered b y o u r proclamations of universal morality, yet, a t r o o t there 1s a m o r e b a s i c issue between u s . I t c o n c e r n s the nature of Jewish exile a n d redemption. W e are as traumatized as

H e describes o u r position as based u p o n the n o t i o n that the

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

the Jewish people from the l a n d a t the t i m e o f the R o m a n . was a p u n i s h m e n t by G o d for the sins of the Jewish reader is seemingly t o believe that this is a radical n o t i o n

"dispersion o f conquest . .

people” T h e

u n i q u e t o Neture: Karta. I n reality, i t is basic Judaism, enshrined

the ages i n o u r holiday prayer service, "Because of our sins w e were exiled from our land." T h e Rabbi further asserts "while Jews have been praying for return t o the land of Israel since the Roman conquest, world conditions for such a throughout

return always m a d e i t impossible t o i m p l e m e n t . ” Here w e arrive finally a t

the crux o f the matter. Was i t

"world conditions" which Jews for over two

thousand years saw as preventing their return o r was i t a lack o f Divine intervention? Where does Rabbi Scheer find i n

the

vast literature o f

exilic Jewry, including hundreds of selichos prayers (where exile as punishment

is a frequent theme) any attribution o f exile

Surely, what Rabbi Scheer has fallen prey t o is of

the traditional

to

"world conditions”

the emotional transformation

Jewish understanding o f exile into a secular belief i n

geopolitics and material power. Perhaps, Rabbi Sheer reveals m u c h a b o u t h i s perspective when

he

the second paragraph o f his essay that w e "disgraced Judaism” a n d t h e n i n the very next sentence s o m e t h i n g quite different. " T h e y disgraced my Judaism." Maybe i t is the self assurance t h a t "my Judaism" a n d "Judaism" are o n e a n d the same that needs t o b e reflected upon. writes i n

Indeed, this reflection m a y help us t o really "love o u r fellow Jews even

when (we) disagree with them." O R T H O D O X JEWISH ATTITUDE T O T H E "HOLOCAUST

(International Conference "Review o f the Holocaust", Teheran Dec. 1 1 - 1 2 , 2 0 0 6 ) Speech delivered b y Rabbi Aharon C o h e n o f Neturei

Karta. Honourable friends, peers a n d colleagues. W e are gathered

here t o

53

54

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

discuss a n d consider from m a n y angles a tremendously p r o m i n e n t issue

from among the tragic events of the 2nd World War. The issue which has become known as the ‘Holocaust. As is known this issue revolves a r o u n d the policy and actions adopted by Nazi Germany against the Jewish People. This is of course i n the context of t h e i r m u c h wider murderous activities at that t i m e . M y a i m is t o try and give y o u the Orthodox Jewish approach t o this matter.

the illustrious organisers of this colleagues and myself the opportunity

Firstly let m e express m y gratitude t o valuable event for granting m y

to express o u r views o n this matter, and we consider this opportunity a

very great privilege. I and my colleagues are what is known as Orthodox Jews, that is Jews w h o endeavour t o live

their lives entirely according t o the age old Jewish

religion and way of life known as Judaism. We are here under the banner

of the g r o u p

k n o w n as N e t u r e i Karta w h i c h i s n o t a separate m o v e m e n t

of the philosophy expressing the o p p o t o the idea known as Z i o n i s m — the secular form a sectarian S t a t e i n Palestine. A s i s well

o r organisation, b u t propagators sition b y O r t h o d o x Jewry nationalistic movement t o

the Holocaust have become very m u c h intertwined over the years a n d the Z i o n i s t s make a great issue of the H o l o c a u s t in order t o further their illegitimate philosophy and aims. I wish t o talk

known, Z i o n i s m a n d

briefly about both o f these topics and their connection.

feel duty t o

W e p u t effort into attending occasions such as this because w e

that w e have both a religious

and religion based humanitarian

spread o u r message as m u c h as possible. Consequently I pray that o u r discussions a n d c o n c l u s i o n s a t t h i s conference

will b e correct a n d

true in

every aspect.

briefly for everyone present, because of of the Holocaust, the fact that Judaism a n d

I w o u l d l i k e firstly t o recap

the subject totally different

its relevance t o Z i o n i s m are

a n d diametrically o p p o s e d concepts.

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

Judaism is an age old G-dly way of life going back thousands of years full of moral, ethical and religious c o n t e n t . Zionism is a comparatively n e w — a little over o n e h u n d r e d years — secular nationalistic concept

be said that sadly there are religious groups among the Jewish People who have b e e n affected a n d infected by the Z i o n i s t nationalistic philosophy a n d have ‘bolted’ Z i o n i s m o n t o Judaism, incorrectly a n d falsely against the teachings of Judaism as handed down through the generations. Judaism teaches that although the Jewish People were promised the Holy Land, n o w known as Palestine, this was o n l y subject t o certain c o n completely devoid o f ethics a n d morals. Although, i t must

ditions, basically that w e had

to

maintain the highest of moral, ethical

a n d religious standards. O u r religious teachings a n d literature — o u r

Torah — are replete with warnings that i f these c o n d i t i o n s were n o t

fulfilled then the Jewish People would be dispersed in a divinely decreed exile.

This is what took place. T h e conditions were not fulfilled to the required

degree and the Jewish People were dispersed to the four corners o f the globe,

as history confirms. Right up divinely decreed exile i n

to

the present day the Jewish People are in a

which we

are required to be loyal citizens o f the

countries i n which w e find ourselves, and w e are prohibited under oath from

trying to force o u r way out o f the exile

by the

efforts o f o u r o w n

hands.

We are also prohibited under oath from trying t o form a State of our own i n Palestine. T o contravene these prohibitions would constitute a rebellion against

the wishes of the A-Imighty and w e are warned o f dire consequences

o f making any such attempt. T h e philosophy o f

the secular movement of Z i o n i s m

totally ignores

the clear Jewish teachings outlined, a n d because o f this, Zionism was condemned right from its inception by the great Jewish

a n d transgresses

Religious authorities. Furthermore, Z i o n i s m right from its inception completely ignored

59

50

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

the fact that

there was a n indigenous population i n Palestine comprising

mostly Palestinians, a n d the Zionists have followed a policy o f depriving

the Palestinians o f their hope for self determination o n the l a n d they had occupied for centuries, deprivingthe Palestinians o f their homes,

livelihoods a n d lives. So committing a shocking contravention o f religion based humanitarian

justice.

Judaism however, preaches compassion a n d consideration for

the

the lives o f every fellow man. It will of course be clear from the above firstly that the Zionists do n o t represent the Jewish People as a whole, and furthermore that anti-Zionism is t o be applauded and n o t t o be confused with the ancient bigotry of antiSemitism. Something which w e k n o w is very well appreciated here i n the Islamic Republic of Iran where the Jewish community lives peacefully with full civil rights and has done so for thousands of years. Now one of the pillars of justification for Zionism is the e v e n t of the property a n d certainly

Holocaust, with the Zionists claiming that the Jews m u s t have a State o f

they claim) the events o f the Holocaust ‘Never Again’ i s their slogan. So I would like t o set

their o w n i n order t o prevent (as ever b e i n g repeated. out

the Orthodox Jewish view on the Holocaust. Firstly, the facts. There is n o d o u b t whatsoever, that during World

W a r 2 there developed a terrible a n d catastrophic policy a n d action o f

genocide perpetrated b y Nazi Germany against the Jewish People, confirmed b y innumerable eye witness survivors a n d fully documented again a n d again. I personally was spared

the worst

effects o f

because I was living i n England, which thankfully was

not

the War occupied

and m a n y m a n y others lost countless perished u n d e r the Nazi r u l e b y intentional

b y Nazi Germany. However, I friends a n d relatives w h o

murder a n d genocide. Three million Jews i n Poland, more t h a n half a million i n Hungary, m a n y tens o r hundreds o f thousands i n Russia,

Slovakia, France, Belgium, Holland and more. T h e figure o f six million

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

wish t o dispute this actual figure, b u t the crime was just as dreadful whether the millions (and there were millions)

is regularly quoted. O n e m a y

o f victims numbered six million, five million or four million. The method o f

murder is also irrelevant, whether i t

was

by gas chamber (and

there were eye witnesses to this), firing squads o r whatever. T h e evil was

the same. I t

would be a terrible affront t o

the memory o f those w h o perished t o belittle the guilt of the crime i n any way. However, t h e O r t h o d o x Jewish teaching a n d attitude i s that the perpetrators o f a crime, although fully guilty a n d responsible for their actions, w o u l d never have succeeded i n their evil unless the A-lmighty wished it. So,

to

that

extent

the victim or victims have of course t o

the evil, b u t i f this proves impossible, then they have t o accept the will of the A-Imighty. Our teaching is t h a t part of the decree attempt t o avoid

o f exile divinely imposed upon us, is that i t is n o t the task o f the Jewish

People t o bring o u r persecutors t o justice. That is the task of the AImighty. Our task is t o accept the will of the A-lmighty and t o strive t o improve ourselves, removing from our behaviour the deeds that m a y have been the cause o f our suffering. That has been

the Jewish attitude during

all the l o n g h i s t o r y of Jewish suffering. I n n o w a y can w e have the audacity t o , as i t were, try t o prevent

the

will o f the A-Imighty and assume that w e are capable o f preventing such a

thing from happening again. That would be heresy. T h e Zionists, with their secular p o m p o u s approach behave i n

philosophy a n d dare t o say ‘Never Again’. They have the audacity t o think t h a t they can prevent the A-Imighty from repeating a ‘Holocaust’. This is heresy. Furthermore, as w e all know, they compound the wrong of this p o l icy b y i m p o s i n g themselves i n a m o s t cruel a n d harsh manner o n the complete opposition t o t h i s

Palestinian People.

I

must

add that the use by the Zionists of the Holocaust t o further their

57

58

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

aim of a sectarian State is the height of hypocrisy, when one bears in mind that the Zionists turned each stage o f Nazi oppression to their o w n advan-

further the aim of forming a State. In the thirties when the Nazi policy was t o expel the Jews from Germany, it is well documented h o w the Zionists cooperated b y working together — yes together - with the Nazi authorities t o evacuate ‘suitable’ Jews i.e. young healthy pioneer material, tage, t o

from Germany t o Palestine. Then during the war when the killing was proceeding, i t is again well documented h o w their attitude was one of callousness, n o t helping when they could, even though they were able to. They needed the suffering and the deaths in order t o be able t o push for their State when the war would end. Finally, after the war they turned the whole issue of the Holocaust and the pity and sympathy i t evoked into almost a n article of faith in order t o ensure, as much as possible, the acquisition o f their

another Holocaust, when i n fact Zionism predated the Holocaust by decades. They then proceeded to justify their atrocities against the Palestinians i n order to further their cause. T o s u m u p , the O r t h o d o x Jewish view is that yes there was a State. Claiming that Zionism was there i n order to prevent

Holocaust t o a terribly significant degree whatever that was. B u t i n n o

w a y can i t b e used t o justify

the illegitimate

a n d criminal cause a n d

of Z i o n i s m . My friends I wish to end with the prayer that the underlying cause of strife a n d bloodshed i n the Middle East, namely, the State known as ‘Israel’ be totally a n dpeacefully dissolved. To be replaced by a regime fully i n accordance with the aspirations o f the Palestinians. When Arab a n d Jew will be able to live peacefully together as they didfor centuries. actions

May we then merit the time when the glory of the A-Imighty will be revealed to all and all, m a n k i n d will be a t peace w i t h each other.

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

Talk prepared b y Rabbi Yisroel Feldman

of Neturei

Karta International

for the International Conference t o review the Holocaust, December 11-12, in Tehran, Iran.

With praise t o the Almighty, may my words find favor in His eyes. [ want t o b e g i n with gratitude and great respect t o g o v e r n m e n t i n general a n d t o

the

the I r a n i a n

Honorable Supreme Leader,

Ayatollah Khamenei a n d t o H i s Excellency, President M a h m o u d Ahmadinegad. M u c h has a n d will b e said at this conference concerning

of

European Jewry d u r i n g

the

the debate

Second World War. I a m neither a

scientist n o r a professional h i s t o r i a n a n d a m n o t capable o f r e s p o n d i n g t o

m a n y of the questions discussed here. What I propose t o d o though, is t o speak a b o u t

the morality

the morality of what happened t o European Jewry, of u s i n g their fate as a n explanation for other political

and and

cultural activites.

of the details of what was d o n e t o the Jews of Europe, there is n o doubt that they were treated brutally and that this brutality included all men, women and children. The Jews N o matter h o w w e m a y debate some

were physically attacked a n d murdered. T h e i r possessions a n d homes were taken.

They were shipped across Europe like animals jammed i n t o

cattle cars with little or no food and water. Millions died. And many o f these were defenseless women a n d children. These are facts. T h e worldwide

Jewish community is by and large

descendents

of those

who

survived this horrible hell. It would probably lend much credibility t o those who wish t o study the destruction of European Jewry i f they would clearly condemn these actions committed d u r i n g the holocaust. There is n o moral justification for what was done.

59

60

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

However, there i s also n o moral

justification for

u s i n g these events

t o dispossess a n d occupy another people w h o have nothing whatsoever

do with w h a t w a s done i n Europe. Let Europe m a k e amends for what took place i f they so desire, n o t the Palestinians. Plus, i t is o u r belief that i t is n o t the appropriate role for Jews when they live i n exile amongst the nations t o adopt any position o f antagoto

n i s m towards any o t h e r peoples o r nations. W e believe that Jews are

called u p o n t o lead b y example b y serving as a positive r o l e model for all

of public policy. Z i o n i s m violated m a n y tenets o f the Jewish faith. I t sought t o d e n y the metaphysical reality of Jewish exile a n d the D i v i n e command that w e live at peace with other peoples. I t s cruelty towards the Palestinian was of mankind, not

as dictators

a n d is notorious.

The founder of Zionism, Theodore Herzl, wrote i n his diary that he felt

the existence o f anti-Semitism was a healthy thing because this would make Jews mistrust the other nations o f the world and come r u n n i n g t o the state h e wanted t o create for them. H e s a w fit t o even cultivate this a n t i - S e m i t i s m

and some of the Zionist leaders refused t o participate i n attempts t o rescue European Jews from the horrors of the inferno of Europe because i t suited their o w n purposes t o d o so.

The advent of Zionist ideology, even before the creation of the state, m e t with tremendous opposition from great Jewish leaders w h o saw i n Zionism two

major problems: One, that the Jewish people had been commanded n o t

and leave exile by force, but rather t o live peacefully as subservient loyal citizens wherever they would reside. A n d secondly, that w e had similarly been forbidden from assuming ownership of the land. That these things have come t o pass and that they have been achieved through the wide scale oppression of another nation is absolutely i n dissonance with Jewish faith and law. t o try

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

The great Rabbis who witnessed the birth of Zionism predicted that

the Holy Land to this development as the foremost

this movement w o u l d b r i n g terrible catastrophes u p o n and u p o n

the world, and m a n y refer

reason for the holocaust itself. The Rabbis saw Zionism as a horribly rebellious p h e n o m e n o n and

felt that by embracing

Zionism

the Jewish

people was invoking the Divine wrath, and in fact, i n our time, it is clear that Zionism has created untold tragedy. Throughout the centuries Jew and Muslim lived side by side amicably, but those times predated the Zionist era. T h e s i t u a t i o n is s u c h that w e need a miraculous salvation from what Z i o n i s m has wrought.

What is

most

important, though, is that when approaching the all-

i m p o r t a n t topics o f Z i o n i s m a n d the holocaust, that w e keep o u r balance a n d moral clarity. What was done t o

the Jews a n d t o other European peo-

ples, such as the Poles and Gypsies, was a great evil. I f its parameters need t o b e explored, let them b e freely explored, b u t all

the while realizing that we are exploring the reality of an evil deed. This is the delicate clarity that is so needed w h e n approaching this sensitive issue. Similarly, when studying Zionism we need t o always distinguish

between Zionism and Judaism. Between those caught i n its grasps and those actively committing acts o f Zionist aggression; Between Torah True Jews and those w h o have strayed from o u r faith and traditions. These are

the distinctions

that need g o forth from this conference.

They will lend

the ultimate goal o f peace between peoples, the eradication o f all cruelty, and the overall moral and Divine agenda o f all m a n k i n d . M a y G-d be with you. its deliberations credibility a n d add to

On

the morning o f Monday Sep.

24, '07, i n

the Intercontinental

Hotel located a t 48th Street and Lexington Avenue, New York City, anti-Zionist Orthdox Rabbis m e t with Iranian President

61

62

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

Abmadinejad, a n d then participated i n a counter demonstration

Dag Hamerskold To understand why the Rabbis m e t

against protestors o f the Iranian President i n the Plaza a t the United Nations.

with President Ahmadinejad a n d then attended the counter-protest demonstrations (against the Zionists w h o oppose the Iranian President), read the Press Release below.

Rabbis Say Iran Seeks Peace, Respects Judaism -- Calls for True Dialogue With Ahmadinejad N e w York City, September 23, 2007

Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss, spokesman o f Neturei Karta International, issued thefollowing statement on the eve o f the group s

meeting with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad It is always o u r pleasure t o visit with President Ahmadinejad. This

will be the third such meeting, i n addition to o u r many visits to Iran i n

the past. We have each time emphasized t o the Iranian leadership that, despite media hysteria a n d the statements o f some misinformed Jews, w e

have found the Iranian people and their leaders t o be friendly and respectful. Likewise, although we as Jews are

not to

be involved in politics,

(according t o Jewish law, Jewish people are required t o be loyal citizens to

the countries wherein they reside), we have found the Iranian

be a deeply religious man, dedicated based o n mutual respect, fairness and dialogue.

President t o

to a peaceful world,

Judaism seeks peace. Unfortunately, there are some Jews today, influenced by the barely century old, philosophy of Zionism, who feel t h a t the proper Jewish response t o enemies, be they real o r fantasized, i s aggress i o n a n d calls for violence a n d unfortunately attempts t o drag other nations down the path of war.

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

I t i s sad that so f e w have actually attempted t o

speak t o the Iranian

President o r seek the true opinion o f Iranian Jewry w h o live i n peace a n d practice

their faith

throughout that nation. W e have m e t this m a n

w h o has demonstrated t i m e a n d again that

he is

sincerely interested i n

the well b e i n g o f Iran's Jewish community and has deep respect for world Jewry a n d their Torah faith. The Zionist attempt t o socially isolate this m a n and h i s p e o p l e i s immoral and disastrous. Z i o n i s m is a n t i t h e t i c a l t o Torah

beliefs. I t

believes i n creating o u r

o w n sovereign entity which is expressly forbidden due t o the Divine

decree o f exile. This ideology leads t o aggression against nations and is

incarnated in the State of "Israel." This State continually oppresses other people i n the name of Judaism and the entire Jewish people. This movement

has exacerbated anti Semitism throughout the world. President

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad understands this distinction between tradition-

al Judaism and Zionist distortion.

all Jews a n d all mankind. The Torah is the Almighty's blueprint of mercy and justice for all creation. We have followed this model i n our dealings with the Iranian W e view o u r approach t o I r a n as a model for

President and found i n h i m an individual dedicated t o these same ideals. There is much t o be gained by talking and listening, and everything t o b e l o s t b y raising

the rhetoric i n the direction of war.

The grave tragedy of our era is the inordinate power garnered by Z i o n i s m , whose acceptance o f force as

the

o n l y means to reconcile

conflicts has influenced some t o abandon Torah fundamentals. We hope and pray t h a t they t o o will adopt the traditional Jewish approach of dialogue, respect and reconciliation. War is a horrible thing. The dark clouds o f a future conflict are now on

the horizon i n the Middle East. Torah Jewry hopes and prays that this

may yet be averted.

63

64

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

I n conclusion, O u t o f great respect t o the Iranian Nation and

their

leadership w e proudly welcome the Honorable President Ahmadinejad t o New York, WELCOME!

Part Iwo

"A passionate attachment o f one nation for another produces a variety o f evils..."

— [Founding g Washington g Father] President George

66

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

T H E P O L I T I C A L BETRAYAL OF A N A M E R I C A L I D E A L "We hold

these truths to be self-evident that all m e n are created

with certain unalienamong these are Life, Liberty, a n d the Pursuit o f

equal; that they are endowed by their Creator

able rights;

that

Happiness.” YX

hese words constitute one o f Americas m o s t oft-repeated quotes from the Declaration o f Independence. These

À.

words also reveal how far removed we still are from that

"American ideal.”

Another timeless and truly thought-provoking quote comes from the "Father" o f this country — General George Washington, the first president o f the United States. The occasion was Washingtons historic "Farewell Address

to

the U n i o n . " T h e following excerpts were indeed

prophetic: À passionate attachment o f one nation for another produces a

the

variety o f evils, because i t leads t o concessions t o

nation of privileges denied

favorite

others; which is apt doubly t o injure the nation making the concession, both by unnecessarily to

by exciting retaliate in the parties from

p a r t i n g w i t h what o u g h t t o have been retained, a n d

jealousy, ill will and a disposition t o

w h o m equal privileges are withheld... I t gives t o ambitious, cor-

rupted, or deluded citizens (who devote themselves t o the favorite nation)

the facility

to betray o r sacrifice

the interest

o f their o w n

country w i t h o u t o d i u m , sometimes even w i t h popularity.

patriots w h o m a y resist

the intrigues of the favorite

Real

are liable t o

become suspected a n d odious, while i t tools a n d dupes u s u r p

applause a n d confidence o f the people t o surrender

the

their interests.

The Palestinians ’ Holocaust

67

the years, i n a variety o f forums, that there is n o n a t i o n with w h o m America has a relationship that better fits this description than the one our country has with the apartheid-state W e have argued m a n y times over

called Israel! The "evil," o f which Washington speaks, manifests itself i n

all t o see! What follows are a few representativ e examples o f h o w w e came t o where w e are i n this rather unholy alliance with “the only democracy i n the Middle East."

m a n y different ways for

T H E PELOSI ADDRESS TO THE ISRAELI KNESSET

On April 1, 2007, Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivered a major address t o the Israeli Knesset. She discussed America’s commitment to

Israel and the challenges facing the

two

nations i n the

Middle East. Below are her remarks as prepared:

Madame Speaker, Members o f Knesset, Cabinet Ministers, Supreme Court Justices and Honored Guests. Thank you.

Speaker Itzik, I a m deeply honored t o accept your invitation t o address this great democratic

body. I

salute y o u for your achievements as

t h e Knesset's first w o m a n Speaker.

I stand with y o u tonight, conscious o f all that y o u a n d I o w e t o

the

hopes a n d dreams o f generations o f Israeli a n d American women. I think

especially o f Golda Meir, the stateswoman, leader, mother, and grandm o t h e r whose legacy w e b o t h share.

Thank you for the opportunity

to

bring a message from the House

o f Representatives — which we call the peoples house — t o this distinguished body and t o

the Israeli people.

There i s a n unshakable b o n d between America a n d Israel chat grows o u t o f o u r past a n d

the fundamental

values w e share. That b o n d forms

the foundation o f our efforts for peace, for democracy, for human freed o m . T h e b o n d between o u r nations points the w a y t o the future — a

democratic Israel a t peace with her neighbors. That 1s essential for the

68

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

stability that this region desires.

of both

spirit

And

the pioneering,

o u r nations is essential for the future

entrepreneurial

all

o u r citizens

deserve.

the oldest roots o f o u r friendship today. W e stand here in the City of Jerusalem, a home t o the world’s three major religions. We stand a t the threshold of one of the holiest weeks in the JudeoW e remember

Christian calendar.

Palm Sunday is e n d i n g and Passover is a b o u t t o

begin. In this moment, Jews and Christians alike celebrate the possibilit y of h u m a n redemption from slavery i n t o freedom. ‘Open for m e the gates o f righteousness,” w e s i n g i n o n e of the season's best-loved Psalms, ‘7 will enter andgive thanks to God.

The journey toward freedom and peace is a journey of faith, a journey o f hope, a journey o f a lifetime or more.

It

is a journey our deepest

values command us t o undertake.

When Americans look a t Israel, we see the hope and promise o f that

the greatest

journey. T h e creation o f Israel stands o u t as o n e o f ments

o f the 20th century, and as a beacon o f hope

President Truman's role i n recognizing the n e w state i t s proclamation is a source

Forty

of pride

to

achieve-

the world.

just 11 minutes after

for Americans.

years ago a n o t h e r American President,

John

E Kennedy,

summed u p what binds Americans t o Israel today when he said that Israel

"is the child of hope and the home of the brave. I t carries the shield of democracy and i t honors the sword o f freedom." Americans have many political differences, b u t we stand united with Israel n o w and delegation here

always. O n e example o f that is the bipartisan Congressional with me tonight. W e speak with one voice, i n support o f a

secure Jewish state o f Israel living in peace with her neighbors. L e t m e take a m o m e n t t o recognize t h e m : Delegation C o - C h a i r m a n

David H o b s o n ; Chairman T o m Lantos, with w h o m I share representa-

tion

of

the

great city o f San Francisco; Chairman Henry

Waxman;

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

Chairman Nick Rahall; Chairwomen Louise Slaughter; Chairman Robert Wexler; a n d I a m especially p r o u d that o u r delegation includes

Congressman Keith Ellison o f Minnesota, the first American Muslim

elected t o Congress.

We are all honored

to

be here, and we are honored t o be with Karnit

Goldwasser, w h o has given

the world the priceless

gift o f her courage.

W h e n I m e t her i n Washington last m o n t h with Speaker Itzik, I was struck b y

the fact

that she

should be enjoying

a y o u n g marriage

but

instead is traveling the world for her husbands sake, Ehud Goldwasser.

be here with the families o f Israel's kidnapped a n d W e m u s t n o t forget any o f t h e m . I n the last year three

W e are h o n o r e d t o

missing soldiers.

more were kidnapped: Ehud Goldwasser, Eldad Regev and Gilad Shalit.

the Speaker's office, a n d I carry them w i t h m e today. W e m u s t n o t rest until they are h o m e . W e will mention t h i s t o the president o f Syria. Americans know what i t is t o be brave i n battle, and what i t takes t o be s t r o n g at h o m e . Respect for Israel's courage a n d strength has b o u n d

I display

their identification

tags i n

o u r n a t i o n s together since Israel's earliest days - something I remember

from my o w n childhood and the t r a d i t i o n i n which I was raised.

1947, a ship b o u n d for Tel Aviv set sail from Baltimore, m y native city, w i t h a crew of y o u n g American volunteers. History remembers this In

ship as the Exodus 4 7 . Its mission was t o b r i n g war survivors from the camps o f Europe t o live i n Israel.

I t was one o f

the first

times that

Americans made Israel's cause o u r own. A t that t i m e , m y father was a Congressman a n d later Mayor o f Baltimore.

His

support for a Jewish state began when

he was

one o f a

lobbied Presidents Roosevelt a n d t o rescue Jews i n E u r o p e a n d later t o support the

small n u m b e r o f Congressmen w h o T r u m a n first t o

do m o r e

creation o f Israel.

I was fascinated t o learn o f Israel as a child through the Bible, where

69

(0

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

God spoke from a burning bush about a magical "land flowing with m i l k a n d honey.”

of Israel when my parents friends S i m o n and Irene Sobeloff came h o m e from a visit to I remember vividly learning about the

state

Israel shortly after Israel’s b i r t h as a nation.

The Sobeloffs visited our home and regaled us with magnificent tales

this glorious n e w country i n the desert where courageous trailblazers were founding a democratic nation i n their historic homeland. As a about

little girl, I was drawn

to

the stories o f turning sand dunes

groves, draining swamps t o

create

to

orange

farmland, and creating cities where

before there had been none.

And, with their stories, the Sobelofts brought me a ring, which I just adored. I t helped create a n everlasting bond for m e with Israel.

Our

shared history a n d ideals unite us i n

the challenging

present.

F o r this reason, America’s commitment t o Israel’s security is unshakable.

Israelfaces existential threats that are also threats to America. W e m u s t track down terrorists a t their sources; t o protect o u r citizens, homes and

businesses. We

must counter

the terrorists’ vision o f apocalypse and

despair with o u r o w n clear pathway toward h o p e a n d dignity. W e must

do this with strength but also with wisdom. HEZBOLLAH

Together, we

must

make sure that no more rockets rain down on

Israel from Lebanon i n the north. W e must ensure a future i n which

parents can send their children t o school and families can v e n t u r e t o

markets without fear. I t has been

almost n i n e months since Hezbollah’s unprovoked attack

o n Israel. Yet, Hezbollah continues t o violate the U . N . resolution that set

conditions

to

end the violence. The 10,000 U . N . troops

successful i n preventing

must

be

the shipments o f weapons a n d supplies allowing

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

Hezbollah

to rearm.

I n t e r n a t i o n a l forces i n L e b a n o n m u s t implement

the U . N . resolution effectively. Hezbollah m u s t be disarmed.

IRAN And together, we m u s t have a simple message for Tehran, whose supp o r t o f Hezbollah is

well known.

Iran m u s t n o t b e allowed to have a

nuclear weapon. T h e t i m e to leverage to

all o u r power is now, and the way

do it is through diplomacy — with stronger sanctions and smarter pol-

icy choices.

U n d e r C h a i r m a n T o m Lantos’ leadership,

the U . S . Congress is mov-

i n g t o p u t additional pressure o n I r a n b y expanding and tightening o u r sanctions regime. I a m certain that o u r Administration

influence w i t h Security C o u n c i l members and states i n

that

they d o the same. Iran

will use all of its the region t o see

i s n o t j u s t a n Israeli problem o r a regional

problem. Iran is a problem for the world.

IRAQ the w a r beyond the unstable status q u o because instability i n Iraq serves o n l y the interests o f o u r enemies. We i n Congress have a p a r t i c u l a r responsibility t o make i t clear that peace i n Iraq m u s t c o m e first a n d foremost from the political choices o f Iraqis. Even a military w i t h the capabilities of the United States cannot In

Iraq,

w e m u s t move

create political consensus where n o n e exists.

will d o everything i n o u r power to seek a policy that States a n d o u r friends safer a n d the region more stable

W e i n Congress makes

the United

by sharing the responsibility for Iraqs stability with Iraqis and their neighbors. Together, w e must Israeli democracy is o n e

look to the future. of the cornerstones

democratic Middle East. But

that

o f a more stable and

hopeful vision begins with a hard

recognition: we all know that we c a n n o t have peace without security, but w e also c a n n o t have security w i t h o u t peace.

(1

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

the n e w Palestinian governthe destruction of Israel. B u t I believe that

I a m concerned that some o f those i n m e n t remain committed t o

the majority o f Israelis, Palestinians, and Americans share our commitment to a

future for

Israel a n d

i n peace and security.

Talking

with

the Palestinian people l i v i n g

side b y side

|

responsible Palestinian partners is a wise investment

i n Israel's future. I know

all o f

m y Congressional colleagues j o i n m e i n

welcoming the agreement announced by Secretary Rice that Prime Minister

Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Abbas will meet regularly. T h e United States, as Israels trusted friend a n d ally, has a n irreplaceable role t o play i n achieving a lasting peace. T h e United States must have sustained high level engagement i n

the region

t o b r i n g u s closer t o

the day w e all l o n g for — when the entire Palestinian government is ready for peace. INNOVATION

Our efforts toward peace are part o f a rich web o f ties between our nations, ties that make n o t just the desert but a generation bloom. Americans and Israelis are pioneers and visionaries — our nations were

built

b y people for w h o m obstacles l i k e oceans, m o u n t a i n s , a n d

deserts

were the journeys beginning, n o t its end. Israeli expertise

and

technology are

helping

protect

cities

and

airports across America. Israeli medical technology saves the lives o f American soldiers on the battlefield. Americans with reflux disease are diagnosed by a camera-in-a-pill developed here.

A n d American leaders in technology and biotechnology are exchanging

their expertise i n the global market with Israeli entrepreneurs with stunning results. But I believe we can and will d o more t o build even stronger Israeli-

American partnership for innovation i n areas like alternative energy that are crucial to the future o f both o u r countries.

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

From the negotiating table t o the operating table, from the joy of a little girl's r i n g to the sadness o f a missing soldier’s

dog tags,

we

find

of o u r deep friendship i n the most unexpected places. A n o t h e r one of these places is outside Haifa, where there is a soccer stadium that m a n y of you k n o w as Kiryat H a i m . I understand that i t has seen better days, but i t is used by children everyday and has a special place i n the hearts o f many Israelis. Older Israelis remember its glory days h o s t i n g t o p Haifa teams. Thousands of younger Israelis themselves

proofs

learned t o play there or follow the careers of s t a r players, Jews and Arabs alike, who got their s t a r t there. That stadiurn has a place i n m y heart as well. I n 1 9 6 8 , i t was named for m y brother Thomas D’Alesandro, who, as mayor o f Baltimore, carried o n m y father’s s u p p o r t

of Israel.

I t is a great source

of pride

to our

family that o u r name is shared with such a beloved Israeli i n s t i t u t i o n . I t

of the reasons it is easy for m e t o represent America’s love for the people of Israel. Tonight I thank you for the warmth of your hospitality and I applaud y o u for the example of your courage. Madame Speaker, please accept m y deepest appreciation for this opportunity t o express America’s commitment t o Israel. This occasion is is o n e

one o f the great joys of my life.

America and Israel share a common history — nations founded t o be beacons

of democracy,

forged

by pioneers, fulfilled by immigrants.

We

share a common future — as entrepreneurs and innovators, building

the kind of

world that w e dream

of

for o u r children’s children. A n d

w e share a common cause — a safe a n d secure Israel l i v i n g i n peace with h e r neighbors. L e t u s j o i n together t o recommit ourselves t o

o u r heritage, a n d together

the best of

look t o the future

"Israel and the U.S., now and forever. Thank you and Shalom.”

73

(4

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

The following December 15, 2003, release was o n the openingpage o f U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer's website as late as 11/17/06.

HoUSE DEMOCRATIC WHIP STENY HOYER ADDRESSED THE AIPAC

POLITICAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE O N DECEMBER 15, 2003 (AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY):

From m y perspective as the Democratic

and all

the friends o f Israel can look back at

Whip, I

believe that A I P A C

the past year as one o f many

successes. I n April, R o y B l u n t a n d I circulated a letter signed b y 3 1 3

House Members urging President Bush

to

abide by the principles for

Mideast peace that he articulated on June 24th, 2002. First and foremost among them was this absolute p r e c o n d i t i o n for peace: that

the Palestinian side unconditionally cease the campaign o f ter-

ror a n d violence against Israel.

I n June, demning

the H o u s e

passed a resolution b y a vote o f 3 9 9 t o 5 c o n -

the unconscionable

terrorist attacks against Israel a n d express-

i n g our solidarity with Israelis i n

the c o n t i n u i n g war

o n terrorism.

I n October, the House passed the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act

by

a vote

of 398 t o 4. That legislation

would

require the president t o i m p o s e e c o n o m i c a n d d i p l o m a t i c penalties o n

Syria unless i t makes immediate and meaningful changes i n its policies.

And i t sends a n unequivocal message t o Damascus: y o u cannot b e l o n g t o the family o f civilized nations while simultaneously sponsoring and providing safe harbor t o terrorist organizations.

O n October 30th, the House unanimously passed a resolution repudiating the repugnant anti-Semitic remarks b y Malaysian Prime Minister

the Islamic S u m m i t Conference. Comments such as these — that "the Jews r u l e the world by proxy" — are n o t simply hateful a n d outrageous, they are divisive and dangerous. Jew a n d non-Jew Mahathir Mohammad at

alike m u s t combat them.

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

And, o f course, we also saw the fall o f the butcher o f Baghdad —

the state

S a d d a m Hussein — w h o w a s a mortal threat t o h i s o w n people,

o f Israel, the Middle East region a n d the world.

And, as you know, I had the privilege o f leading the largest congres-

history to Israel i n August. This was m y sixth trip to Israel, a n d m y fifth as a member o f Congress. B u t for many o f the 28 o t h e r Democrats i n o u r delegation, this was the first time they had been sional delegation i n

there.

More

than o n e - t h i r d o f

the members

are serving

their first

term i n

Congress. Nearly o n e - t h i r d are w o m e n . A n d o u r delegation included

four African-Americans, a Hispanic and a Pacific-Islander. Yes, w e made this l o n g j o u r n e y t o see the security challenges a n d realities confronting o u r o n e true friend i n

the M i d d l e East. B u t w e also trav-

eled there t o express o u r solidarity with Israel's cause — freedom and

well as h e r determination the Jewish people.

democracy — as

sanctuary for

t o survive and succeed as a

A s President Kennedy recognized 4 3 years ago: " W e w i l l never turn

back o n o u r steadfast friends i n Israel, whose adherence ocratic w a y m u s t be admired b y all friends o f democracy.”

our

to

the dem-

During o u r week-long visit, we m e t with Prime Minister Sharon and

members o f his cabinet, Labor Party Chairman Peres, Speaker Rivlin and o t h e r members o f the

Knesset.

We also m e t with representatives o f the academic, religious, press and medical communities. A n d w e traveled to Gaza to meet w i t h former Palestinian Prime Minister Abbas, w h o most i n Israel agreed is a m a n

w h o sought peace a n d c o u l d b e a n honest interlocutor, b u t w h o was u n d e r c u t a t every t u r n b y Arafat a n d

other purveyors of h a t e a n d

terror-

ism o n the Palestinian side. L e t m e say very clearly: as a member o f

the Democratic

leadership

a n d a l o n g - t i m e supporter o f Israel, i t is absolutely imperative that

73

76

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

of Congress — especially o u r n e w members a n d those w h o have few Jews i n their Congressional Districts — recognize the moral a n d strategic significance o f the U.S.-Israel partnership. Furthermore, it is imperative that Israels circle o f friends in Congress include non-Jews, too. For the reality is this: Israel's safety and security is not a Jewish/non-Jewish issue. It is a n American national security issue. I a m confident in saying that t w o n e w Democratic members w h o have a better appreciation of that are Denise Majette of Georgia and Artur Davis of Alabama. Both were part of o u r delegation. Both are

Members

articulate, engaging African-Americans from the south. A n d both are committed supporters

of Israel.

A t the end o f our trip, we developed a strong consensus around a t least three crucial issues. First, Israel's security is a n absolute precondition

for peace. The security fence, which has engendered great controversy, was viewed as a reasonable a n d acceptable attempt t o reduce terrorist attacks. Events since o u r trip have n o t altered that view.

Second, the dismantlement o f the Palestinian terrorist organizations is essential i f security is t o b e obtained.

A n d third, we c a n n o t ignore morally, politically, intellectually the

of the Palestinian

has been undermined b y their o w n leaders a n d b y the tactics of terror, the incitement t o hate a n d violence, and the refusal t o seek peace. Now, despite o u r progress i n 2003, i t goes without saying that the

plight

people. Their cause

United States and Israel face tremendous challenges ahead. Let m e briefly

of them. W e must secure the peace i n Iraq. Yesterday's very g o o d news of the capture of Saddam Hussein will hopefully facilitate that goal and send another very strong message that terrorism a n d genocide m u s t be opposed by all peace-loving nations a n d its perpetrators m u s t be held accountable. W e need t o win this peace, a n d w e need t o put a truly mention three

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

international face o n this occupation a n d reconstruction

effort.

Secondly, I a m very disturbed by the surge i n virulent anti-Semitism,

and the accompanying hostility toward the Jewish state. Anti-Zionism a n d anti-Semitism are t w o manifestations o f the same bigotry. It’s not just the comments of the Malaysian Prime Minister, w h o received a standing ovation. Its

the documented rise i n

anti-Semitism i n Europe and

elsewhere, where, according t o writer Daniel Goldhagen,

"Rambo Jew has

largely supplanted Shylock in the anti-Semitic imagination." As the citizens o f the strongest and freest nation on earth, we have a moral responsibility t o combat intolerance a n d prejudice based o n reli-

gion, ethnicity or race wherever it rears its head.

of the privately negotiated be talked a b o u t i n the days

Finally, I k n o w m u c h has been made Geneva Accords,

which will

continue to

ahead. well intent i o n e d , can ever s u p p l a n t the decisions of the duly-elected leaders of the state of Israel a n d the responsible representatives of the Palestinian side — Allow m e t o say this: n o action like this, n o matter h o w

which o f course, by definition, excludes Arafat.

that terrorism a n d terrorists m u s t be rejected and that the last instruments of terror m u s t be dismantled i f there is t o be progress toward peace. A n d there can

be n o

compromise o n President Bush's demand

Today, the U.S.-Israel relationship, based as i t is o n o u r shared moral,

cultural a n d political values, is as strong as i t has ever been. There are some w h o believe that w e m u s t demonstrate more

the Israeli-Palestinian crisis. I d o n o t . Instead, / believe we must guard against making muddled parallelisms between Justified actions by Israel a n d terrorist tactics designed only to inflame a n d even-handedness i n

destroy. Twenty-four years ago, t h e late Senator Henry “ S c o o p ”

Washington delivered a speech

in

Jackson of

Jerusalem that was so prescient it

77

(8

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

would be timely i f delivered today or

tomorrow.

H e said: " I believe chat

international terrorism is a modern form o f warfare against liberal Democracies.”

H e added, " I believe that the ultimate but seldom stated goal o f these terrorists is t o destroy

both wrong

the very fabric o f

democracy. I believe that i t is

a n d foolhardy for a n y democratic state t o c o n s i d e r i n t e r n a -

tional terrorism t o

be ‘someone else’s’ p r o b l e m . ”

The United States and Israel have stood together since 1948 because we stand up for what is right — liberty, freedom, and democracy. Let's rec-

ognize that, together, we are swimming with the tide o f history. And together, we will reach o u r destination.

ON T H E RECORD: HILLARY CLINTON April 12, 2002 Senator Clinton Co-Signs Letter

to President Bush Regarding

Secretary Powell's Meeting with Yasir Arafat Dear

Mr. President:

W e write o u t o f d e e p c o n c e r n over y o u r response t o

in

the M i d d l e

East. While w e appreciate

the r e c e n t events

the importance

o f sending

Secretary o f State Colin Powell t o the region, we are troubled by certain developments that have occurred d u r i n g h i s t r i p . B y u r g i n g

the r e s u m p -

tion o f negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA), before the

PA

officially abandons their policy o f suicide homicides

against civilian populations, you have dramatically changed y o u r stead-

fast policy towards n o t meeting with Chairman Arafat u n t i l he commits t o a cease

fire.

A s l o n g as Arafat continues t o support and

c u l t t o conceive that any progress can

be made

fund terrorists, i t

is

diffi-

from m e e t i n g with h i m .

M o s t worrisome, a m e e t i n g between Secretary Powell and Chairman

Arafat i n light o f today's attack i n Jerusalem validates the c o n t e n t i o n that

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

Arafat is gaining ground through his strategy o f terror. I f Secretary Powell

meets

with Chairman Arafat, we hope that the

Secretary will make it clear that this is his final opportunity. I n the past, Mr. Arafat has proven himself t o be unreliable in following up with commitments t o peace. Consequently, w e believe that Secretary Powell

should demand

the terrorist networks operating u n d e r his authority. Secretary Powell should make clear that if that

Mr.

Arafat act to eradicate

he does n o t comply, the United States will sever all ties with him. Finally, w e are dismayed b y the pressure o n Israel t o withdraw from Palestinian towns before the Israeli military has had a chance t o complete its operations. A s the United States knows from its experience i n Afghanistan, an operation of this kind takes time. If Israel is n o t allowed t o complete its c a m p a i g n , m o r e I s r a e l i lives w i l l b e v u l n e r a b l e t o future

rounds o f suicide bombings. I f there is t o b e peace, Israel needs t o isolate

those elements o f

Thank y o u

the Palestinian Authority

that threaten its existence.

for y o u r a t t e n t i o n t o o u r concerns. W e

look

forward t o

y o u r response.

Sincerely, Charles E . Schumer, Hillary Rodham C l i n t o n , Susan Collins,

Gordon Smith, Jon Corzine M a y 24, 2005 REMARKS BY SENATOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON TO THE 2005

AMERICAN ISRAEL PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE POLICY CONFERENCE T h a n k you very much... Thank you, Lonny. Welcome t o Washington for this extraordinary A I P A C conference.

told that the attendance far surpasses any o t h e r conference, and i t ' s always been o n e o f the biggest gatherings that Washington hosts every year. So I congratulate y o u for b e i n g here i n these numbers with this

I'm

energy and enthusiasm .

79

80

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

I also thank m y friend Bernice, w h o has served so

well o n behalf o f

AIPAC, and congratulate Howard Friedman, the incoming president. I thank Howard Kohr, your executive director; Amy Friedkin; and everyone who works so hard for AIPAC n o t just when there is a great gather-

ing, like this conference, but every single day, working with us i n the Congress working here i n Washington. I want t o take

just a few minutes

t o discuss some

of the significant

challenges facing the United States, Israel and our world today. As you k n o w better than most, events i n

the Middle East are absolutely

critical

for a safer, m o r e secure world, a world i n which every n a t i o n is free from the threat of global terrorism. A n d a strong, lasting relations h i p between the United States a n d Israel is essential t o o u r efforts t o b u i l d that world of peace and security. to our hope

As all of us know, our future here i n this country is intertwined with

the future of Israel a n d the Middle

Fast. N o w there is a lot that w e could

talk about, and obviously much has been discussed. But i n the short peri-

od that

the h o n o r of addressing you, I w a n t a n d lasting bond between the United

I have been given

focusing o n o u r deep

to start b y

States a n d

Israel.

Now, these are bonds that are more than shared interests. These are bonds forged i n a common struggle for human rights, for democracy, for

freedom. These are bonds that predate the creation of the state o f Israel,

that really predate the creation o f the United States because they are rooted i n fundamental beliefs and values about the dignity and rights of m e n and women to live i n freedom, free from fear, free from oppression. A n d

doubt that these incredibly strong bonds and values will remain as the lodestar of o u r relationship with o u r democratic friend a n d there is n o

ally, Israel.

Now, Israel is

not

only, however, a friend and ally for us, it is a

beacon o f what democracy can and should mean. It is, after all,a pluralistic

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

democracy. It is, as many o f us know from personal experiences, a very

dynamic democracy with many points of view, and those are expressed with great frequency and vigor. So

if people i n the Middle East are not sure what democracy means, let them look t o Israel, which has been and remains a true, faithful democracy. But w e know that the goal, the important, essential goal of a democ-

ratizing Middle East is complex, and it is m o n t h s ago, I went for

the

not

without risks. A few

second time t o Iraq a n d Kuwait a n d

Afghanistan a n d Pakistan, a n d I

returned h o m e with hopefulness about

what I had seen and learned, but also with a sense o f caution about how w e s h o u l d proceed. I n Iraq I saw firsthand the

daily challenges

con-

fronting the Iraqi people. I met with a number o f o u r troops, the brave young m e n a n d w o m e n w h o are o n freedom'’s frontlines i n Iraq. I m e t with our civilian representatives i n are also risking

And I met

ment a n d

the embassy

and other agencies w h o

their lives t o help the Iraqi people. with representatives of the former

interim Iraqi govern-

the newly elected Iraqi government, as well as private Iraqi cit-

1Zens. N o w I came away with several overwhelming impressions. First, n o matter

no

what one thinks about

events

doubt that the American military

that have unfolded i n Iraq, there is has performed admirably, with pro-

fessionalism, a n d that every young m a n and w o m a n w h o wears

the u n i -

form o f o u r country deserves o u r support, whether they b e active duty, guard, o r reserve troop.

You know, i t is on trips like that -- despite the often dangerous circumstances, I wish I could bring every one o f m y constituents - million

all 1 9

of them a n d any others w h o could come - - t o see firsthand. I

flew

from Baghdad t o Fallujah in a Blackhawk helicopter; m e t with the Marines w h o had liberated Fallujah from the insurgents a n d terrorists. I met with m a n y others o f o u r Marines and soldiers w h o are

81

82

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

committed t o their m i s s i o n t o try t o b r i n g freedom t o

They, as well as the troops I

the people o f Iraq.

saw in Kuwait and in Afghanistan, are com-

mitted t o this fundamental belief that people deserve the right deserve

to

be free,

the right t o select their o w n government, deserve the right t o p l o t

and plan for a better future for themselves and their children. [ hope that each o f y o u , as you travel through y o u r states a n d com-

thank these young people, because they're paying a very high price: 1,600-plus l o s t their lives; thousands a n d thousands have returned h o m e grievously injured. Because o f the advances i n battlefield medicine a n d the n e w body a r m o r that o u r troops

munities, will make i t a p o i n t t o

wear, m a n y are surviving injuries that would have left previous generations o f young m e n and w o m e n dead.

So there is n o doubt that America has started down a path, with

blood a n d treasure, t o try t o create the c o n d i t i o n for democracy a n d freedom in the Middle East -- which has consequences for the entire region, for o u r security, a n d certainly for Israel's.

At this critical time i n this complicated situation we find ourselves in, [ t h i n k i t ' s i m p o r t a n t t o recognize

the extraordinary

s t a n d that P r i m e

the democratically elected government o f Israel have taken as they face the risks a n d challenges o f disengagement a n d as they try t o deal with the newly elected Palestinian leadership. The p r i m e minister -- w h o m I a m p l e a s e d t o n o t e will follow m e t o t h i s stage - - a n d the state o f Israel that he has devoted his entire life t o

M i n i s t e r Sharon a n d

serving are taking a tremendous risk.

I believe i t is o u r obligation as friends and supporters and allies o f Israel to support Israel's efforts for peace, stability and security. Now,

this

that i t

can

means d o i n g more than providing Israel w i t h economic a i d so

of o n g o i n g threats. We must also demand that Abbas d i s m a n t l e the structures of terror that the P a l e s t i n i a n

remain s t r o n g i n the face President

leadership has employed for so long.

The Palestinians ’ Holocaust

fledgling democracy, leaders must be held accountable. A n d President Abbas must be held accountable for You know, i n a democracy, even a

the actions taking place under his leadership. I know

that

you are asking

your senators a n d representatives t o s i g n o n t o a l e t t e r t o President B u s h

this, and I'm proud to support these efforts because there can be n o doubt that as Israel a n d its democratic government take these steps and w e support t h e m , there has to be reciprocity o n the other side as well.

about

A n d making progress toward peace a n d security also requires of

the barrage o f hate a n d incitement that is s t i l l officially

the e n d

sanctioned b y

the Palestinian Authority. Now, I was relieved t o learn this week that the Palestinian Authority removed

the Protocols

of

the Elders

o f Zion from

its website. Reportedly, i t had been included on the website under the heading "history o f Zionism," but what was i t doing there i n the first place even though we are relieved that i t is no longer there? W e m u s t c o n t i n u e t o b e v i g i l a n t a b o u t monitoring ment

and anti-Semitism,

throughout

not

the Arab world.

hate a n d incite-

only by the Palestinian Authority but

Saudi textbooks characterize Jews as wicked.

I r a n i a n news reports, obviously representing

the o p i n i o n of their govern-

ment, have lent credence t o Holocaust deniers. This is an issue that all o f

be concerned about. And five years ago, I stood with my friend, Elie Wiesel, t o denounce

us need t o

this incitement, this violence, this anti-Semitism i n Palestinian textbooks. A n d I ' v e been working o n this issue because t o m e i t is one o f

--

do w e expect to have a democratically elected Palestinian government i f their textbooks are still preaching such hatred, and if w e allow this, i f w e allow this dehumanizing rhetoric to g o unchallenged. Because what is happening is young minds are b e i n g infected with this a n t i - S e m i t i s m , a n d that is g o i n g t o r u n counter t o what w e h o p e can happen over the next years as w e do work for peace a n d those basic issues that

stability.

how

83

84

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

So w e must c o n t i n u e to shine a bright spotlight o n these messages o f hatred a n d these enticements for martyrdom i n these textbooks a n d o n

the media that

take young m i n d s and twist a n d pervert

them and create

a n e w generation o f terrorists and insurgents.

held a hearing with Senator Specter o n the Palestinian media, and I confronted the Palestinian Authority representative about this issue, w h o m w e had invited to come a n d address the About a year a n d a half ago, I

Senate committee. I urged h i m t o acknowledge that when i t comes t o

from hate a n d violence should be the number one priority of their families and their governments a n d the entire global community t o prevent this hatred children, whoever those children are, shielding them

from festering. Using children as pawns in a political process is t a n t a m o u n t

to

child

abuse, and we must say i t has t o end now! And, o f course, that infection is contagious, a n d i t can spread beyond spread i n t o other parts o f

the Arab

the Palestinian

territories. I t can

world, a n d i t can impact what goes

o n there.

And o f course, one o f the areas I am deeply concerned about is Iran, a n d its pursuit o f nuclear weapons, because a nuclear-armed Iran would

shake the foundation of global security

t o i t s very core. Israel w o u l d

m o s t immediately a n d profoundly threatened

Israel would n o t

by t h i s

development,

be alone. Knowing o f Iran's historic a n d present

be

but

ties to

terrorist networks, how would we feel, here in America, i f the Iranians could start producing nuclear weapons at

will?

How

would

the

Europeans feel i f I r a n c o u l d s t a r t nuclear weapons a t will?

let us be unequivocally clear. A nuclear-armed Iran is unacceptable, but i t is n o t j u s t unacceptable t o Israel a n d t o the United States. I t m u s t be unacceptable t o the e n t i r e w o r l d , s t a r t i n g with the E u r o p e a n So

governments a n d people.

I know

that during your

conference

and i n

the lobbying

that y o u

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

will be doing o n Capitol Hill, you're trying t o draw attention t o the threat that is posed by a nuclear Iran. A n d I commend you for these efforts; this is one o f o u r most serious security and foreign policy priorities. A n d w e need t o make working with o u r allies to prevent a n

[ranian nuclear weapon a top priority. N o w one of the terrorist groups that Iran supports is Hezbollah. A n d

Hezbollah poses a direct a n d dire risk t o the stability of the Middle East. Syria's withdrawal from Lebanon -- which is very good w e k n o w that

news for the Lebanese people -- also creates a n opportunity for Hezbollah t o wreak havoc.

So w e need t o remain vigilant about the terrorist threat a n d work t o s t o p the flow of support t o Hezbollah from Syria a n d I r a n . And w e need t o convince o u r European allies of Hezbollah's threat t o order i n the region a n d t o the civilized world, a n d convince them t o designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. And

the Europeans

must

do m o r e

to cut

off the funding

a n d the

fund-raising that goes o n in Europe for Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic

Jihad as soon as possible. Now, there are many other important and pressing issues that must be

that as y o u travel t o the Hill t o meet with your representatives a n d senators, y o u will be presenting a very thoughtful and compelling analysis of these and other challenges w e face. I thank you for n o t only being willing t o stand u p for o u r values a n d o u r relationship with Israel, b u t also to take your responsibilities as citizens seriously, to lobby and o n o u r agenda, b u t I k n o w

t o advocate, t o persuade a n d t o dissuade, t o discuss these critical issues with

all who will listen. W e are l i v i n g a t a n extraordinary

moment

i n history. There are

some days w h e n I a m very optimistic, a n d there are other confess, w h e n

I'm

pessimistic. I guess that

B u t what I a m absolutely convinced

of

days, I

have t o

just goes with the territory.

is that o u r common values,

85

86

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

values shared and exemplified b y o u r c o u n t r y a n d b y Israel, are values,

the

values that everyone

should have

the right

a n opportunity t o b e

exposed to a n d to understand and, hopefully, to emulate.

has

There is n o other option in the world been flattened. We can communicate

that,

as Tom Friedman said,

with each other, w e can b e

transported over l o n g distances quickly, w e can follow events i n

other

places far away. A n d therefore, w e need to recognize that o u r struggle, o u r o n g o i n g struggle for freedom a n d democracy is

the o n l y w a y that w e can

ensure that i n this shrinking, flattened world, o u r children will have a chance for peace and security.

W e cannot shrink

from the duty

that this time has i m p o s e d u p o n us.

W e can have great - - a n d w e s h o u l d - - great debates a n d discussions about

what are the best

ways t o proceed a n d t o pursue these c o m m o n objec-

tives. W e need that. W e need that debate and discussion because w e are i n uncharted territory. N o o n e has a l l

the answers,

and we need

the

c o m b i n e d intelligence and good ideas o f as m a n y people as possible.

So what you are doing today is n o t only on behalf of AIPAC, o n l y o n behalf o f Israel, n o t o n l y o n behalf o f relationship between

the United

not

the s t r o n g a n d enduring

States a n d Israel; i t is truly o n behalf o f

the k i n d o f world we want for our children and, for those lucky enough, grandchildren.

A n d w e cannot grow weary. T h i s is a l o n g , arduous p a t h . Israel,

Israelis, the American Jewish community and the broader diaspora know about

this struggle and this path better

than most.

S o i f w e resolve n o t t o g r o w weary,

but

t o p u r s u e these values

together, I a m ultimately n o t only optimistic, but confident t h a t the world will see a better and brighter day, and our children will thank us for making i t possible. Thank y o u all very m u c h . G o d bless y o u . "

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

JANUARY 26, 2006 STATEMENT OF SENATOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON ON THE

PALESTINIAN ELECTIONS "Hamas's terrorist campaigns have claimed the lives o f hundreds o f i n n o c e n t civilians, a n d its leaders refuse t o disarm, reject violence o r recognize

the right o f the State o f Israel t o exist. Until

a n d unless Hamas

the

renounces violence a n d terror, a n d abandons its p o s i t i o n calling for destruction

of Israel, I

d o n ' t believe

the United

States

should recognize

Hamas, n o r should any nation i n the world."

Jury 13, 2006 STATEMENT OF SENATOR HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON CONDEMNING THE ATTACKS ON ISRAEL " T h e unprovoked attacks o n i n n o c e n t Israelis and a b d u c t i o n o f Israeli soldiers b y

the killing

and

the terrorist groups Hamas a n d Hezbollah

are dramatic escalations o f violence against Israel. T h e United States must s t a n d b y Israel as she defends herself. N o government can stand idly b y w h e n its citizens a n d soldiers are attacked a n d abducted a n d when terrorist groups make incursions i n t o its territory. These events d e m o n strate t h a t Hamas's a s c e n t t o power i n

Hezbollah's p a r t i c i p a t i o n i n

the P a l e s t i n i a n

Authority,

and

the Lebanese government, are dangerous for

the stability, n o t o n l y o f Israel, b u t o f the entire region. Hamas a n d

Hezbollah m u s t

return

the Israeli soldiers they abducted and cease their

attacks against Israel. Israel’s r i g h t to exist, a n d exist i n safety, m u s t never b e p u t i n

question W e must also continue to send a very clear message to Syria, [ran a n d others t o j o i n i n c o n d e m n i n g these attacks a n d t o exercise their

influence over Hamas and Hezbollah."

87

88

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

O N THE RECORD: RUDOLPH GUILIANIN ISRAEL SOLIDARITY RALLY, APRIL 15, 2002: REMARKS BY RUDY GIULIANI

WORLD JEWRY Thank you very much, Ken. Thank you. Thank you. We're here --

all here today for the same purpose -- to support America, to support Israel and t o support all those w h o j o i n u s i n understanding that w e have t o we're

end terrorism, we have t o end the threat of terrorism, and we have t o make

that we're going to stand together to accomplish that purpose. I commend our great president, President Bush, and our government

i t clear

for the determined, the patient, the courageous and the very focused effort to accomplish that goal over

the last seven months. It has truly been

inspirational.

and to all Americans and t o are dedicated t o political freedom, economic

Israel is vitally important to America

all who agree, and like us,

freedom, religious freedom, the rule o f law and respect for human rights and human life. Those five principles define us as Americans. Together they constitute

our beliefs, o u r philosophy and our principles. And those five principles

bind us inextricably with the state of Israel. Israel is an oasis of freedom in a desert of authoritarianism and worse. It is a n outpost of democracy where democracy is unique. And i n all ways, it's America's good friend. When American lives were a t risk in the Gulf War, i t was Israel that

stood with America -while others turned their backs. When America was attacked o n September 11th i n N e w York, here in Washington, and i n Pennsylvania, attacked for our beliefs, the beliefs w e share with Israel, Israel

shoulder t o shoulder while some others refused t o condemn o r even tried to shift the blame and celebrate. W e remember that. stood with u s

To my good friends Prime Minister Sharon and t o Prime Minister

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

Netanyahu, who you will hear from very soon --

to

Natan Sharansky and t o

my very good friend, Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem -- I say today that I think of you andI feel for you, for all parties in Israel. I remember the attack on my city and I remember your being with me to help and assist and I remember being with you and Governor Pataki and

Jerusalem just a short while ago while we stood with y o u as y o u stood with us t o make the same point -- we're not afraid. We're n o t going t o cower. W e are not going t o back down. W e are going t o stand u p for w h o w e are and what w e are.

Mayor Bloomberg i n

Let us remember, yes, how important it is that Jerusalem remain the

undivided capital of the state of Israel. But let us also remember, as these signs demonstrate t o those of u s of other religions, Jerusalem is important t o us, and our sites, our important institutions, our churches and mosques, have never been treated as fairly as they have since Israel has been guiding the fate o f Jerusalem. So for all o f us, it is important that it stay that way.

All of

us

yearn for peace, but peace must be based o n realism, not

romance. Peace m u s t be based o n security, n o t terrorism. The desire for peace must n o t overwhelm o u r c o m m o n sense. Otherwise w e will fail t o achieve

peace.

L e t ' s be clear. There is n o moral equivalent between

the Palestinian

and

different.

Authority. Israel a n d

the state of Israel

the Palestinian

Authority are

There is a difference between a nation based o n law and

democracy a n d o n e that harbors terrorism.

the good o f America and for the good of Israel, the path t o peace be based o n three p r i n c i p l e s that w e m u s t re-emphasize. T h e

For must

Palestinian Authority m u s t live u p t o its agreements, agreements that i t m a d e i n exchange for territory, i t s agreements t o assist i n e l i m i n a t i n g

terrorists and terrorism. They m u s t do that for the good o f Israel, for the

good of t h e

Palestinian

Authority, for the good of America and for the

good o f all o f us w h o understand the terrible risks we take i n allowing

89

90

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

people t o s u p p o r t terrorism. T h e Palestinian Authority also m u s t demonstrate, over a p e r i o d

time, a real effort, which i t has not,

to

of

establish institutions of political

and economic freedom and religious toleration for all religions. And we must, thirdly, re-analyze

the territorial

arrangement i n order t o provide

one that makes more sense i n leading toward a lasting peace. All o f us, as all you good people who have come here, all o f us wish

for peace. We pray for it. All of us today, despite the horrible, horrible events

that we've been through i n America and people have been through

i n Israel, we are optimistic. W e are hopeful, because we know,

not

i n any belligerent sense, b u t

w e k n o w that we're right and they're w r o n g . We're right a b o u t political

and economic freedom, about religious toleration, about the rule o f law and respect for h u m a n rights and human life.

So

thank

y o u for coming. Thank y o u for demonstrating your

abiding c o m m i t m e n t t o those principles. G o d bless Israel, G o d

bless

America, and lead us t o peace. Thank you. RUDY GIULLANI: FRIEND OF ISRAEL Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert: " Z Have FoundN o Better Friend

O fJerusalem In America Than Rudy Giuliani." (Timothy Williams, "Jerusalem Mayor Weighs I n For Giuliani," The Associated Press, 2/17/00)

Mort Zuckerman: Giuliani "Lends His Very Powerful Voice I n … Backing Israels Right To Exist ..." ("Pandora,” The [London] Independent, 6/24/98)

JTA: " O n e O f Israels Most

Vocal Supporters I n The United States..."

(Ron Kampeas, "As Candidates Enter 2008 Race, They Begin Courting Jewish Support,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, 1/24/07)

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

O N THE RECORD: BARACK OBAMA AIPAC POLICY FORUM

Chicago, I L | March 02, 2007 Thank y o u so m u c h for your kind introduction a n d the invitation t o meet

with you this morning.

Last week, this event was described t o m e as a small gathering friends. Looking at

of

all of y o u here today; seeing so m a n y of y o u w h o care

a b o u t peace i n this world; w h o care about a strong a n d lasting friendship

between Israel and the United States, and who care about what's on the next page

of o u r shared futures, I

t h i n k " a small gathering of friends"

fits

this crowd just right. I

want to

begin today by telling you a story.

Back i n January of 2006, I made my first trip t o the Holy Land. I t is a place u n l i k e any other o n this earth - a place filled with so m u c h p r o m ise of what w e truly can b e as people; a place where we've learned h o w i n a flash, violence and hatred and intolerance can t u r n that promise t o rub-

their early graves. Most will travel t o the holy sites: the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Dome of the Rock or the Western Wall. They make a journey t o be humbled before G o d . I too a m blessed t o have seen Israel this way, u p close a n d o n the ground. B u t I a m also fortunate t o have seen Israel from the air. O n my journey that January day, I flew o n an IDF helicopter t o the border zone. T h e helicopter took us over the most troubled a n d dangerous areas and that narrow strip between the West Bank and the Mediterranean Sea. A t that height, I could see the hills a n d the terrain that generations have walked across. I could truly see h o w close everyb l e a n d s e n d t o o m a n y lives t o

thing is and why peace through security is the only way for Israel.

Our helicopter landed i n the town of Kiryat Shmona o n the border.

91

92

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

What struck

m e first about the village was h o w familiar i t looked. T h e

houses and streets

looked like

ones you m i g h t

find

i n a suburb i n

America. I could imagine young children r i d i n g t h e i r bikes d o w n the

I could imagine the sounds o f their joyful play just like my own daughters. There were cars in the driveway. The shrubs were trimmed. The families were living their lives. Then, I saw a house that had been hit with one of Hezbollah's streets.

Katyusha rockets.

The family who lived i n the house was lucky t o be alive. They had been asleep i n another part w h e n the rocket h i t . T h e y described the explosion. They talked about the fire and the shrapnel. They spoke about what might have been i f the rocket h a d come screaming i n t o t h e i r h o m e at another t i m e when they w e r e n ' t asleep b u t sitting peacefully i n the n o w destroyed part o f the house. I t is a n experience I keep close t o m y heart. N o t because i t is unique, b u t because w e k n o w that too m a n y others have seen the same k i n d o f

destruction, have lost their loved ones t o suicide bombers and live i n fear o f when the

next

attack might hit. Just six months after I visited,

Hezbollah launched four thousand rocket attacks

just like the

one that

destroyed the home i n Kiryat Shmona, and kidnapped Israeli service members. A n d w e pray for all o f the service members w h o have been kidnapped: Gilad Shalit, Eldad Regev, a n d Ehud Goldwasser, a n d I m e t w i t h

his family this week. I offered to

help i n

any way I can.

I t is important to remember this history-that Israel had unilaterally

withdrawn

from Lebanon only to have Iran supply Hezbollah with t h o u -

of rockets. Our job is to never forget that the threat o f violence is real. O u r job is to renew the United States’ efforts t o help Israel achieve peace with its neighbors while remaining vigilant against those who do n o t share this vision. Our job

sands

is t o do more than lay o u t another road map; our job is t o rebuild the road

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

to real peace and lasting security

93

throughout the region.

That effort begins with a clear and strong commitment t o

the secu-

rity o f Israel: our strongest ally i n the region and its only established democracy. That will always be m y starting p o i n t . A n d w h e n w e see all of the growing threats i n the region: from Iran t o Iraq t o the resurgence of al-Qaeda t o the reinvigoration of Hamas a n d Hezbollah, that loyalty and that friendship will guide me as w e begin t o lay the s t o n e s that will build the road that takes u s from the current instability t o lasting peace a n d security. I t w o n ' t be easy. S o m e o f those stones will

United States t o

be heavy a n d tough for the carry. Others will be heavy and tough for Israel t o carry.

A n d even more will be difficult for the world. B u t together, we will begin

again.

One of the heavy stones that currently rest at the United States’ feet is Iraq. Until w e lift this burden from our foreign policy, w e cannot rally the world t o o u r values and vision.

As many o f you know, I opposed this war from the beginning - i n

the open-ended authority t o invade Iraq would lead t o the open-ended occupation w e find ourselves i n today. N o w o u r soldiers find themselves i n the crossfire of someone else's civil war. M o r e than 3 , 1 0 0 have given the last full measure of devotion to their country. This war has fueled terrorism and helped galvanize ter-

part because I believed that giving this President

rorist organizations. A n d i t has made the world less safe. That is why I advocate a phased redeployment o f U.S. troops out

of

Iraq to begin no later than M a y first with the goal o f removing all combatforces

from Iraq by March 2008. In a civil war where n o military solution exists, this redeployment remains our best leverage t o pressure the Iragi government t o achieve the political settlement between its warring factions that can slow the

bloodshed and promote stability.

94

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

My plan also

allows for a l i m i t e d number

of U.S. troops

t o remain

from becoming a haven for international terrorism and reduce the risk of all-out chaos. I n addition, w e will redeploy o u r troops t o other l o c a t i o n s i n the r e g i o n , reassuring o u r allies t h a t w e will stay engaged i n the Middle East. A n d m y plan includes a robust regional and prevent Iraq

diplomatic strategy that includes talking t o Syria and Iran - something this Administration

has finally embraced.

T h e U . S . military has performed valiantly a n d brilliantly i n Iraq. O u r

all that w e have asked them t o do a n d more. B u t a consequence of the Administration's failed strategy i n Iraq has b e e n t o strengthen Iran's strategic p o s i t i o n ; reduce U.S. credibility a n d influence i n the region; and place Israel a n d other nations friendly t o the United States i n greater peril. These are n o t the signs of a well-paved road. I t is troops have done

t i m e for profound change.

As the U.S. redeploys from Iraq, we can recapture lost influence i n

the Middle

East. W e can refocus o u r efforts t o critical, yet neglected

priorities, such as combating international terrorism and winning the war i n Afghanistan. A n d w e can, then, more effectively

deal w i t h

one

of the

greatest threats t o the United States, Israel and world peace: Iran. Iran's President Ahmadinejad's regime i s a threat t o

all of us. His tragic history.

chilling echo o f some o f the world's most Unfortunately, history has a terrible w a y of repeating itself. President

words contain a

Ahmadinejad has denied the Holocaust. He held a conference i n his country, claiming i t was a myth. B u t w e k n o w

the Holocaust was as real as the 6 million w h o died i n mass graves at Buchenwald, o r the cattle cars t o Dachau o r whose ashes c l o u d e d the sky a t Auschwitz. W e have s e e n the pictures. W e have walked the halls of the Holocaust m u s e u m i n Washington a n d Yad Vashem. W e have touched the tattoos o n loved-ones arms. After 6 0 years, i t is time t o deny the deniers.

I n the 21st century, i t is unacceptable that a member

state

of

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

the U n i t e d

Nations would openly call for

member state. B u t that is exactly what

the United

States has

the luxury

the elimination of

he has

another

done. Neither Israel n o r

o f dismissing these outrages as mere

rhetoric. T h e world m u s t work t o s t o p I r a n ' s u r a n i u m enrichment program a n d prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. I t is far too dangerous t o have nuclear weapons i n

the hands of a

radical theocracy. A n d while

we should take n o option, including military action, off the

table,

sustained a n d aggressive diplomacy c o m b i n e d with tough sanctions

should be

o u r primary means t o prevent Iran from

building nuclear

weapons.

Iranian nuclear weapons w o u l d destabilize off a n e w arms race. S o m e nations i n

the region

the region,

a n d c o u l d set

such as

Egypt, Saudi

Arabia and Turkey, could fall away from restraint and rush into a nuclear contest that c o u l d

fuel greater instability

in

the region-that's

not just bad

for the Middle East, b u t bad for the world, making i t a vastly more dangerous a n d unpredictable place. O t h e r nations w o u l d feel great pressure t o accommodate Iranian demands. Terrorist groups with Iran's backing would feel emboldened t o act even m o r e brazenly u n d e r a n

Iranian nuclear umbrella. A n d as

the A.Q. Kahn

network i n Pakistan

demonstrated, Iran c o u l d spread this technology around T o prevent this worst-case scenario, w e need

the world.

the United States t o lead

tough-minded diplomacy.

the meetings w e the height of the Cold War, laying o u t in

This includes direct engagement with Iran similar t o

conducted with the Soviets a t

clear terms o u r principles a n d interests. Tough-minded diplomacy w o u l d include real leverage through stronger sanctions. I t would mean more

determined U . S diplomacy a t nessing the collective power

the United

N a t i o n s . I t would mean

har-

of o u r friends i n Europe w h o are I r a n ' s major

trading partners. I t would mean a cooperative strategy with Gulf States

95

96

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

of the energy resources i t needs. I t w o u l d t o recognize the threat o f I r a n a n d increase

w h o supply Iran with m u c h m e a n unifying those states

pressure o n Iran to suspend uranium enrichment. I t would mean full

the l o n g term, i t would mean a focused approach from us t o finally e n d the tyranny of oil, and develop o u r o w n alternative sources of energy to drive the price of oil

implementation of U.S. sanctions laws. A n d over

down.

W e must also persuade other nations such as Saudi Arabia t o recognize c o m m o n interests with Israel i n dealing with Iran. W e

should stress

the Egyptians that they h e l p the Iranians a n d do themselves n o favors by failing t o adequately prevent the smuggling of weapons a n d cash by Iran into Gaza. to

T h e United States’ leverage is strengthened w h e n w e have m a n y nations with us. I t puts us i n a place where sanctions c o u l d actually have a profound impact o n Iran's economy. Iran is highly dependent o n imports and foreign investment, credit a n d technology. A n d a n environm e n t where o u r allies see that these types

of investments

i n Iran are n o t

i n the world's best interests, could help bring Iran t o the table.

that President Ahamadinejad is reckless, irresponsible, a n d inattentive t o their We have n o

quarrel

with

the Iranian p e o p l e .

They

know

day-to-day needs which is why they s e n t him a rebuke a t the ballot box this fall. And we hope more of them will speak o u t . There is great hope

their ability to see his hatred for what i t is: hatred and a threat to peace i n the region. A t the same time, w e must preserve o u r total commitment t o o u r unique defense relationship with Israel by fully funding military assistance a n d c o n t i n u i n g w o r k o n the Arrow a n d related missile defense p r o grams. This would help Israel maintain its military edge and deter and in

repel attacks from as far as Tehran a n d as close as Gaza.

And when Israel is attacked, we m u s t stand u p for Israel's legitimate

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

right

to

defend itself. Last summer, Hezbollah attacked Israel. By using

Lebanon as a n outpost for terrorism, and innocent people as shields,

has also engulfed that entire n a t i o n i n violence and conflict, a n d threatened the fledgling movement for democracy there. That's w h y

Hezbollah

we have to press for enforcement o f U . N . Security Council Resolution

1701, which demands the cessation o f arms shipments t o Hezbollah, a r e s o l u t i o n which Syria a n d Iran continue t o disregard. Their s u p p o r t a n d

shipment o f weapons peace a n d security i n

to

Hezbollah and Hamas, which threatens the

the region, m u s t e n d .

These are great challenges that w e face. A n d i n moments l i k e these,

For s i x years, the administration has m i s s e d opportunities t o increase the United States’ influence i n the region and h e l p Israel achieve the peace she wants a n d the security she needs. T h e t r u e a l l i e s d o n o t walk away.

t i m e has come for us t o seize those opportunities.

T h e Israeli people, and Prime Minister Olmert, have made clear that

they are m o r e conflict that

t h a n willing t o n e g o t i a t e a n e n d t o

will result i n

the Israeli-Palestinian

t w o states l i v i n g side by side i n peace a n d secu-

the Israelis m u s t t r u s t that they have a t r u e P a l e s t i n i a n p a r t n e r for peace. That is why w e must strengthen the hands o f Palestinian m o d erates w h o seek peace a n d that is w h y w e m u s t maintain the isolation o f

rity. B u t

Hamas a n d o t h e r extremists w h o are committed t o Israel's destruction.

T h e U . S . a n d o u r partners have p u t before Hamas three very

simple

this i s o l a t i o n : recognize Israel's right t o exist; renounce the use o f violence; a n d abide by past agreements between Israel a n d the

conditions t o e n d

Palestinian Authority.

We should

all

be concerned

about the agreement negotiated among

Palestinians i n Mecca last month. T h e reports

of

t h i s agreement suggest

that Hamas, Fatah, and independent ministers would sit i n a government together, u n d e r a Hamas Prime Minister, w i t h o u t any recognition o f Israel, w i t h o u t a r e n u n c i a t i o n o f violence, a n d with o n l y a n ambiguous

97

98

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

promise t o ‘ r e s p e c t ’ previous agreements.

This should concern us all because i t suggests t h a t Mahmoud Abbas, who is a Palestinian leader I believe is committed t o peace, felt forced t o compromise with Hamas. However, i f w e are serious a b o u t the Quartets conditions, w e must

tell the Palestinians this i s n o t

g o o d enough.

B u t as I s a i d a t t h e outset, Israel will have s o m e heavy stones t o carry

as

well. Its history has

been

full o f tough choices i n

search o f peace a n d

security. Yitzhak R a b i n h a d t h e v i s i o n t o reach o u t t o longtime e n e m i e s .

Ariel

Sharon h a d the determination t o lead Israel o u t o f Gaza. These were

difficult, painful decisions that w e n t t o the heart o f Israel's identity as a nation.

Many Israelis I talked t o during my visit last year told me t h a t they were prepared t o

make sacrifices

t o give t h e i r children a chance t o k n o w

peace. These were people o f courage w h o wanted a better life. A n d I k n o w these are difficult times a n d i t can b e easy t o lose h o p e . B u t w e o w e

it

to

our sons and daughters, our mothers and fathers, and

to

all those

w h o have fallen, t o keep searching for peace a n d security -- even though

i t can seem distant. This search is i n the best interests o f Israel. I t is i n the

best interests o f the United States. I t is i n the best interests o f all o f us. W e can and w e s h o u l d help Israelis a n d Palestinians b o t h

fulfill their

national goals: t w o states l i v i n g s i d e b y side i n peace a n d security. B o t h

the Israeli a n d Palestinian people have suffered from the failure to achieve

this goal. The United States should leave n o to make

that goal a

stone

unturned i n working

reality.

B u t i n the end, w e also k n o w that w e s h o u l d never seek to dictate

what is Minister

their security interests. N o Israeli Prime should ever feel dragged to o r blockedfrom the negotiating table by

best for the Israelis a n d

the United States. W e m u s t b e partners - w e must b e active partners. Diplomacy i n

the

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

Middle East c a n n o t be done on the cheap. Diplomacy is measured by patience a n d effort. W e c a n n o t c o n t i n u e t o have trips consisting of little

more than photo-ops with little movement i n between. Neither Israel nor

the U.S. is served by this approach. Peace with security. That is the Israeli people's overriding wish. I t is what I saw i n the town of Fassouta o n the border with Lebanon. There are 3,000 residents o f different faiths and histories. There is a community

Catholic is where the

center s u p p o r t e d b y C h i c a g o ' s o w n R o m a n

Archdiocese a n d ‘the Jewish Federation of Metro Chicago. I t

education o f the

next

generation has begun: i n a small village, all faiths

and nationalities, living together with mutual respect.

I

with the people from the village and they gave m e a tour of this wonderful place. There was a moment when the young girls came i n a n d met

they played music a n d began t o dance.

After a few moments, I thought about my own daughters, Sasha and Malia a n d h o w they too could dream a n d dance i n a place like this: a

place o f renewal and restoration. Proof, that i n the heart o f so much peril, there were signs o f life a n d hope and promise-that the universal song for peace plays o n .

Thank you.

O N THE RECORD: RON PAUL CAN W E ACHIEVE PEACE I N THE MIDDLE EAST?

JANUARY 22, 2007

book about the ongoing conflict between Israel a n d Palestine has raised the ire of Americans o n t w o sides of the debate. I say "two sides” rather than "both sides," because there is another perspective that i s never discussed i n American politics. That perspective is the perspective of o u r founding fathers, namely that America should n o t intervene i n the internal affairs o f other nations. Former President Carters n e w

99

100

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

the leading r o l e i n crafting some settlement o r compromise between the Israelis a n d the Palestinians. Everyone assumes America m u s t play

But Jefferson, Madison, and Washington explicitly warned against involving ourselves i n foreign conflicts.

T h e conflict i n Gaza a n d

the West Bank

is almost like a schoolyard

fight: when America and the world stand watching, neither side will give a n inch for fear o f appearing weak. B u t deep down, a l l y have t o live there desperately want a n e n d t o

the people w h o actu-

the v i o l e n c e .

T h e y don't

need solutions imposed b y outsiders. It’s easy t o sit here safe i n America

and talk tough, b u t we're n o t the ones suffering.

Practically speaking, our meddling i n the Middle East has only intensified strife a n d

conflict.

American tax dollars have militarized

the

entire region. We give Israel about $3 billion each year, but we also give Egypt $ 2 billion. Most other Middle East countries get money t o o , some

of which ends up i n the hands of Palestinian

terrorists. B o t h sides have

far more military weapons as a result. Talk about a d d i n g fuel t o fire! O u r foolish a n d unconstitutional foreign aid

has produced

the

more

violence, n o t less. Congress a n d each successive administration pledge financial, and military support for Israel. Yet while w e

their political, call ourselves a

strong ally of the Israeli people, w e send billions i n foreign aid every year t o some Muslim states that many Israelis regard as enemies. From the

Israeli p o i n t o f view, many o f the same Islamic nations w e fund with o u r tax d o l l a r s w a n t t o destroy

the Jewish

state. M a n y average Israelis a n d

American Jews see America as hypocritically

we

hedging its bets.

This illustrates perfectly the inherent p r o b l e m with foreign aid: once give m o n e y t o o n e country, w e have t o give it t o all the rest o r r i s k

making enemies. This is especially t r u e in the Middle East and other strife-torn regions, where o u r financial support for o n e side is seen as a n act

of

aggression b y

the o t h e r .

J u s t as o u r m o n e y n e v e r makes Israel

The Palestinrans’ Holocaust

101

buy us any t r u e friends elsewhere i n the region. O n the contrary, m i l l i o n s o f M u s l i m s hate the United States. I t i s t i m e t o challenge the n o t i o n t h a t i t i s o u r job t o broker peace i n the M i d d l e East and every other troubled region across the globe. America can and should use every diplomatic means a t our disposal t o

secure, i t doesn't

end the violence i n the West Bank, but we should draw the line further entanglement.

at

any

Third-party outsiders cannot impose political

solutions i n Palestine o r anywhere else. Peace can b e achieved o n l y when self-determination operates freely i n all nations. "Peace plans” i m p o s e d

b y outsiders o r

the U N

cause resentment a n d seldom produce lasting

peace.

The s i m p l e t r u t h is that w e cannot resolve every human conflict across the globe, a n d there will always b e violence somewhere o n earth. The fatal conceit lies i n believing America can impose geopolitical solutions wherever i t chooses.

QUOTE FROM

"ENTANGLING ALLIANCES,"

11/11/07

"Free trade means n o sanctions against Iran, o r Cuba o r anyone else for that matter. Entangling alliances w i t h n o o n e means n o foreign a i d

t o Pakistan, o r Egypt, o r Israel, o r anyone else for that matter. American citizen determines a foreign country o r cause is worthy

If an

of their

money, let them send i t , and encourage their neighbors t o send money

t o o , b u t o u r government has n o authority t o use hard-earned

taxpayer dollars

to

American

mire us i n these nightmarishly complicated, no-win

entangling alliances.”

102

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

ON THE RECORD: KEITH ELLISON CONGRESSMAN ELLISON JOINS CONGRESSIONAL ANTI-SEMITISM TASK FORCE

SUNDAY, 1 9 AUGUST 2 0 0 7

Washington, D.C. — Congressman Keith Ellison has joined the bi-partisan CongressionalAnti-Semitism Task Force (CASTF) for the 110th Congress. T h e Taskforce promotes religious tolerance throughout

world, a n d brings

a strong voice

in

the

the United States Congress t o those

whose basic religious rights a n d freedoms have been persecuted. " I a m honored t o j o i n

the Congressional Anti-Semitism Task Force

because it embodies the ideals and principles that have guided and shaped m y life," Ellison stated.

An additional charge of the Task Force will be

to

bring

to

light

numerous acts o f anti-Semitism occurring around the world. In doing so, members demonstrate

their support

for key principles

dom and tolerance as codified i n international

help b r i n g

attention t o actions that are a t

of religious

covenants,

free-

but will also

the root of s o m e of humanities

gravest crimes. PRESS RELEASE: ELLISON JOINS COLLEAGUES T O PROTECT W O M E N

AND

GIRLS OF DARFUR -

TUESDAY,

16 OCTOBER 2007

Washington, D.C. — Congressman Keith Ellison (D-Minneapolis)

has joined seventy of his colleagues sexual forces,

the rape a n d other acts of a n d gender-based violence committed by the Sudanese armed the Janjaweed militia a n d other armed combatants against the t o protest

women and girls i n Darfur.

know

rights

of us

the sanctity of civil a n d h u m a n rights there is n o greater violation of a woman’s o r a girl’s basic h u m a n than t o be victimized by the heinous crime of rape o r sexual

"Those

w h o champion

violence," Ellison stated.

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

T h e use o f rape and sexual violence as a weapon o f war is n o t a n e w

phenomenon. Estimates o f between 20,000 — 50,000 women were raped during the war i n Bosnia a n d Herzegovina i n the 1990s. Even more women a n dgirls suffered this ultimate indignity during the genocide i n Rwanda with

estimates ranging between 250,000 and 500,000. So t o o has i t been an

the mass violence and ethnic cleansing b y the Sudanese against the residents i n the region o f Darfur. " W e m u s t n o t allow these ugly chapters i n history to repeat them-

integral part o f

selves i n Darfur without raising our collective voices i n protest. This

Resolution continues our demonstration against the repugnant practices o f the regime i n Khartoum," the Fifth District Congressman said. The Resolution calls on the President and the international commu-

nity

to:

Develop within the State Department and USAID a Women and Girls o f Darfur Initiative

to,

among other things, provide victims

and potential victims of rape in Darfur, eastern Chad and the Central African Republic with much needed comprehensive and

quality medical supplies and health care services, psychological counseling and legal advice. Ensure

that a hybrid United Nations-African Union

peacekeeping

force is deployed that can properly protect women and girls from and respond to acts o f rape and sexual violence. Through the U . N . Security Council, find Sudan i n non-compliance

with its obligations

to

protect women and girls and call

o n Khartoum to bring perpetrators o f rape and sexual violence to

justice. Congress has already passed several pieces o f legislation strongly disapproving o f

the practices

of

the Sudanese

government against

the

Darfur region, including sanctions against the regime, strengthening

103

104

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

states rights t o divest from international companies doing business i n Sudan and urging greater international action t o address the conflict.

REP ELLISON,

a n African American, holds the distinction o f being the first

Muslim elected to Congress i n the United States. H e is has a fairly progressive legislative history, however, o n the Arab-Israeli conflict

he has n o t

shown

be much different from other American politicians; which is to say, theJewish-Zionist lobby has its inordinate influence within his office as well.

himself to

(We pray that this will soon change.)

One additional closing thought. When U.S. politicians claim to speak for the American people” in reference to Israel, they are n o t speakingfor me, nor do they speak for many o f the citizens across this potentially great, but

turbed nation o f ours -

whether they

deeply dis-

be white o r black, Arab o r non-Arab,

rich or poor. I believe it would behoove this country if more concerned citizens made a n effort to educate some o f these compromised leaders o n this very

important reality.

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

FROM DACHAU TO

105

JERUSALEM

TO NUREMBERG TO M U N I C H TO ANNAPOLIS Professor Francis

A. Boyle

uring the summer of 1982 I had the opportunity t o visit the “Nazi concentration camp just outside Dachau, Germany A

> and then the little t o w n itself. Given the proximity of the

t o w n t o the camp, m y immediate reaction was: ‘ T h i s t o w n is s o close t o

the camp that the citizens of Dachau m u s t have known what was going o n o u t there. Why did they n o t do anything about it?" I had the exact same reaction during the last two weeks o f M a y 1 9 8 6 as I traveled u p and d o w n the West Bank and Gaza Strip i n order t o investigate Israel's atrocities and war crimes against the Palestinians. W h e n I t h e n c o m p l a i n e d a b o u t these reprehensible practices t o

the a p p r o p r i a t e h i g h - l e v e l l e g a l officials s e q u e n t i a l l y at the Israeli Ministry o f Defense, the Ministry o f Justice and the Ministry o f Foreign Affairs, I

was told that they were all required b y and could

be justified

the

under

d o c t r i n e o f "military necessity.” Rather t h a n

e n g a g i n g i n a n e x t e n d e d d e b a t e o v e r t h i s p o i n t , I simply r e s p o n d e d

all three o f these lawyers t h a t t h i s was precisely the a r g u m e n t used by the N a z i war c r i m i n a l s before t h e N u r e m b e r g Tribunal i n 1945 t o to

justify their own incredible outrages upon humanity, including the

Jewish people. After a b i t more argumentation, these three lawyers basically concede d m y Nuremberg analysis, b u t then each independently, uncannily, a n d

"We have public take care o f these matters for us.

matter-of-factly informed m e : United States who

to

relations people i n the

Even more distressingly, upon a visit t o the office o f the Legal Adviser the Foreign Ministry t o discuss the prospects for peace, I was imme-

106

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

that Israel had a " c l a i m " u n d e r international law t o the West Bank: i t m i g h t n o t constitute the basis for perfect t i t l e , but i t was nevertheless a " c l a i m . " A t the t i m eI recalled the fact that of course Hitler had a "claim" t o the Sudetenland as well. Although the Munich Pact o f 1938 permitted G e r m a n occupation and annexation o f the Sudetenland into the Nazi Reich, this act o f cowardice b y Great Britain and France ultimately paved the w a y for the outbreak o f the Second World War o n e year later, with all the tragic consequences that confladiately informed b y h i m

gration entailed for the Jewish people, among others.

Today, the United States and Israel are striving t o consummate a

Middle East version of the Munich Pact t h a t will sell o u t of the right of the Palestinian people t o self-determination a n d a real independent state o f their own. Only history will tell i f the consequences shall be as tragic for the fate of the Arab and Jewish peoples i n the Middle East, i f n o t the rest o f the world. I fear that there i s a high probability that h i s t o r y will repeat itself. PROFESSOR FRANCIS A. BOYLE served as

Legal Advisor

Delegation to the Middle East Peace Negotiations a n d its

to the Palestinian

Chair, Dr.

Haidar

Abdul Shaft, from 1991 to 1993. H e is the author o f Palestine, Palestinians a n d International L a w (Clarity Press: 2003) H e can be reached a t [email protected]

Part Three

T H E PROPAGANDA

108

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

U S NEWS REPORTING O N PALESTINE: LYING THROUGH OMISSION A l i s o n Weir, Executive D i r e c t o r o f I f Americans K n e w " n 2 0 0 1 , a few months after

“had begun,

a number

ll. conducting statistical

determine whether or

not

the

n e w Palestinian uprising

of m e d i a watchdog organizations began studies of the media. T h e goal was t o

there was distortion i n media coverage, and i f

so, in which direction. I n every case,

the findings were decisive: the U S m e d i a were empha-

sizing Israeli deaths, and

to

a truly astounding degree, omitting

Palestinian ones. As a result, m o s t Americans have little idea o f the e x t e n t to

which the Palestinians are suffering. Perhaps even more important,

Americans are led whereas

to

the reality

believe t h a t Palestinians began the cycle o f killing,

is

the opposite:

8 2 Palestinian minors were killed

before a single Israeli minor died; over 1 4 0 Palestinians were killed

before a single Israeli in Israel was killed. For over three months, Palestinian children were being killed — the single largest cause o f

their

deaths was gunfire t o the head. Americans had no idea that this was going o n . T h e i r news agencies were not t e l l i n g t h e m .

NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO: THE ILLUSION OF BALANCE

Many people consider National Public Radio (NPR) a more reliable news source than

the commercial networks. I t

is often the radio broad-

cast o f choice for Americans seeking more serious news coverage. Fanatic,

pro-Israel groups such as "Honesty i n Reporting” a n d

tently attacked N P R , c l a i m i n g

that its

CAMERA consis-

coverage is "anti-Israel. I n 2002,

people were urged t o bring financial pressure against N P R , and WBUR,

Boston's popular news/talk station and an N P R affiliate, lost

$1 million

i n funding d u e t o a boycott launched

at

least

by donors and u n d e r -

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

109

w r i t e r s w h o alleged that N P R ' s coverage was tilted against Israel.

Fairness a n d Accuracy i n Reporting (FAIR), a

watchdog organization, decided

to

highly respected media

look into these claims. Researcher

Seth Ackerman conducted a s i x - m o n t h study o f NPR’s coverage o f deaths between

both

opposite o f

populations a n d found o u t that

that

the distortion

was

the

being claimed by Israeli partisans. The study, which

examined NPR's coverage during the first six months o f 2001, found that

be reportPalestinian death

there was a n 8 1 percent l i k e l i h o o d that a n Israeli death would

ed o n NPR, but only a 34 percent likelihood that a w o u l d be. I n the case o f y o u n g people's deaths, the distortion

was still

greater; N P R reported o n o n l y 2 0 percent o f Palestinian minors deaths.

the network reported o n 8 9 percent o f Israeli minors killed. As Ackerman wrote, "While 61 percent of the young people killed in the region during the period studied were Palestinian, only 26 percent of those reported by NPR were. Apparently being a minor makes your death

I n contrast,

more newsworthy t o N P R if y o u are Israeli, but less newsworthy if y o u are

Palestinian.” the study authored b y researcher Seth Ackerman found a n o d d pattern o f reporting o n military WAncwareport

Interestingly, Rn

versus civilian deaths. While an Israeli civilian victim was more likely t o have

3438244445

hisor

h e r death reported o n NPR (84

percent were covered) than a member o f

the Israeli security forces (69 percent),

Pa

Palestinians were far more likely t o have t h e i r deaths reported i f they were securi-

A

P e r c e n tof s gDesthuKeported e

e 2001 to J u n30, . 1,2001 Jan

rocichidren |

Palestiionchien

ty

personnel (72 percent) than i f they

were civilians (22 percent). T h e result, o f course, is t o elicit more sympathy for Israeli victims than for Palestinian victims, as i t suggests that Israeli civilians are b e i n g killed i n larger numbers than Palestinian civil-

ians are. The reality is the opposite.

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

The title of this study, "The Illusion ofBalance," is indicative of its finding: that N P R reported o n approximately equal numbers

deaths and Palestinian deaths, without reporting

to

of Israeli

its listeners that

all the deaths among the Israeli population, while reporting o n only a small fraction of the deaths among the network

was reporting o n almost

the Palestinians. ABC, CBS, AND N B C PRIMETIME COVERAGE OF DEATHS

Following the FAIR study, I f Americans Knew began a series o f s t a tistical analyses

of national a n d regional news outlets. I n

these studies,

all

ongoing reports o f deaths for both populations — including follow-up

news stories — were tabulated (cumulative reports were compiled i n a separate category). Again, immense pro-Israel distortion was discovered.

I n thefirst year o fthe secondIntifada, over three times more Palestinians

were killed than Israelis were and almostfive times more Palestinian children

than Israeli children. A study

of television reporting

at

the time of the Intifada,

revealed

that t w o o f the three major network primetime television news programs Actual Number of Conflict

Actual Number of Children's

Deat hs First Year of Intifada (9/2940 -

Dea ths First Year of Intifada (9/29/00 -

928101)

9/28/01) 1 4 0-

Number o f Deaths

Number o f Deaths

110

Israeli

Palestinian

1 2 01 0 08 0-

40

+

20

Israeli

Palestinian

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

111

reported o n more Israeli deaths than Palestinian deaths, and all three programs

reported

Israeli

Percentage of Deaths Reported ABC, CBS, and NBC Evening News First Year of Intifada (9/29/2000 - 9/28/2001)

deaths a t rates c o n s i d e r a b l y

higher than Palestinian deaths. 204 -

Percentage o f Deaths Reported

The networks primetime coverage o f children’s deaths was found t o

be

even more

d i s t o r t e d . I n the first year

of

the Intifada, 28 Israeli children and 131 Palestinian children were killed. Once again, the networks were found t o carry

ABC

m o r e reports o n Israeli chil-

—

® Israeli

:

dren’s

deaths

than

AS

(89

® Palestinian

on

Reported ABC, CBS, and NBC Evening News First Year of Intifada (9/29/2000 - 9/28/2001)

Palestinian children’s deaths. A B C broadcasting reports, 5 6 Israeli children’s deaths

Percentage o f Deaths Reported

200% 1

1807 -

160

+

1407

-

(through repetition) and 19 Palestinian children’s deaths;

12074

CBS

1 0 0 74

37 Israeli children’s deaths

broadcasting reports,

and 2 7 Palestinian children’s 6 0 4


œ

4 f

7

-

-

Fa

+

7

&

$

NS

N

%

%

>

~~

ow J Y

3

AS

74

&

a PF

5

Gd

SE

*N

2#., a

NS

a

i

7 =

;

fa

a

aa

;

EAN

EN

ogy

“

x

N

7

Rn

%

%

Le

US

N

2

#

3

# AFF

#, Æ

>

PA

+

+,

Zionis m

#

-

edt

N

#

=

TU

Ÿ

+

N

7,

A

it’

Je

4.

$

3 “3

-

Cet

ROGI i IES Cao

PA

P

27

--

Cr

Pe

—

H

+

Br

D

>

RS

ARE

MN

3

ig

4

3

Ge

hs

9

Sw

ES

See

a

=

A

+,

fr

7

#

AND

JUDAISA

i

SES

contem ns

A3

|

SH’

N =

WS

‘

Ÿ

3

A NA, 05

Always Opposed

7

’

Bry

=

y

Ng

AW

7

N

LE"

ZIO NIS M

Ed

kd

Yop €

N

-

>

N

2

2

CWA

ROE

i

NY

m

Ÿ

“

+ 2)

reF3u

#

=,

,

ya

2

3

Eg

Co 7,

Gn Py

r 2

y

*

E

=

77

®

S

À

pre

v

EX T R E M E

Fa

FN

+

Fa

SN

|

And The t ete Zia nis t Sta

»

—

Li

Ku

ado

we

Bl

J...

ve

ap

Rabbis o f Neturci Karta demonstrating i n front o f 10 Downing Street - residence o f [then] British Prime Minister Tony Blair o n 8/11 06.

4 Tha . fe

:

ho

fs

de

Le *

i

“>

FES

€

+

EX PR Ed

à

2 ,

Gir)

7

3

EH

He

750

2g

%

À

er

x"

se

;

>

i

to J

3,5

GE fe

Nor

tr

J

es

à

ESS 0

.

;

;

N

age

HEN

>

2

Le .

ES

ara

IN

>

Bg

ail,

4e

>

;

EN

SEND,

a

Le

gg

rs

h

ron

5

ON

Nee

A

S:

.

pousse

ages

pue

rr

BD

-

Aigo

4

a

=

$

A

>

PVE a 5

LR

;

k

CE

A,

KITA.

SF

>

=F

J

M LEARNS

SN

. >

7,

i

fide

8

—

>

#

tidied g

a

a

EN +

MITOTIC

à

domsh S u p e r i o r

Su

3

5;

7

PF

w h oN E

3

S

DEN

NET hogar) By

NE

F

YL

roef ca sr e e s e

PII SLAG

AN Zoe

Ay

=

|

et

rrr. |

Ta

Patio:

40 Tearsof Jerusalem 1

of Patestie

5 Years

w o e P n G E S SES A Lr

JRA

|

=

So,

n d Thett

/

A

=

:

5 268

SA:

CN

PAE

3

AN

Here y

h

D y eL o

Xe

a

.

)

OY

\

apgton B E R S 0 ;

!

o

hee

SE

.

=

=

À

,

NE

et

h

4

res

Rs

EE

Fra /

AN

770 (2

“

”

l L paiesrive A r i ads 10 34 fatutegs

,

,

\

=

©

à

+

‘

EN

N

LA

a

( A “By NN

x

%

+

JT

pi

EN

= N07

.

K

;

A A

AR

.

QUE

N

+

or

3

A

à

GaB E N N I E 4

>

Toe

2

4

EY

3

Pa

À

Rs

Ï

Pro

3

NH,

NE

+

NN > er - % Sa GE

-

:

" M eAn 2598

TSR

cu

a

208

CCE

NT hVyR=

AUXN a t i o n sn n

From ta Palasting ULB.

à

Se

‘

EN

eee

A

se

©

re

SkateofI s r

An anti-Zionist demonstration i n front o f the U.S. Capitol (Washington, D C ) on 6/10/07.

|

< A delegation o f Rabbis from Neturei

Karta International meet with Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, dur-

ing his U N visit in New York City o n Sept. 24, 2007.

> Rabbis o f Neturei Karta meet with President Mahmud Ahmadinejad i n New

York City o n 9/24/07. Senior Rabbi Moshe Beck presents the Iranian

with a gift of friendship and

president

recognition.

NX &

>

ps x É

“4

à

À delegation o f Rabbis from Neturei Karta International

meet

with Iranian President

Mahmud Ahmadinejad, during his U N visit in New York City o n Sept. 24, 2007.

Part Five

T H E COST TO AMERICA

192

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

A N U G L Y LEGACY OF

T H E C L I N T O N ADMINISTR ATION revealing commentary by Doug Bloomfield, a Washington

and nationally syndicated columnist, appeared i n . À.the September 3, 1998, edition of The Was hington Jewish Week. Mr. Bloomfield also served at the time as president of the Greater Washington Jewish Community Council. Coming at a time when the consultant

Clinton Administration was politically under siege, this is what Bloomfield had t o say:

Like

most

Americans, the Jewish community has mixed feelings

about Bill Clinton. However, Jews are staying with Bill Clinton

they like where he stands o n the issues important t o most of them, not because they approve o f h i s behavior. Clinton's appeal

because

Jewish voters - who gave him 80% support i n t w o elections — is rooted i n both Israel and domestic issues. Most agree he m a y be the to

best friend Israel has ever had i n the White House. N o president

has

visited there [Israel] as often or demonstrated his level o f compassion and support. I t doesn’t h u r t when C l i n t o n last month ordered

the bombing o f a terrorist organization whose very name declares its desire t o kill Jews.

He has appointed more Jews t o the Supreme Court, the Cabinet

high offices than any president. O n domestic issues of t o most Jewish voters, he has been i n sync o n church-

and other concern

state separation, civil l i b e r t i e s , minority

education,

rights, race relations,

health, the environment, a b o r t i o n a n d sexual prefer-

ence. Quoting a "longtime Jewish friend," o f Clinton,

Bloomfield said, " TheJews will be with Bill Clinton til the last dog dies.

Well be loyal to him because hes been loyal to us."

Now, let us place what we just read above i n t o some relevant context. Objective scrutiny

of

C l i n t o n administration policy

(both

foreign a n d

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

domestic) will show that m u c h o f what w e are seeing today, with

193

the

the continuation a n d deepe n i n g of what the C l i n t o n administration started! While this writer could

B u s h administration , is n o t h i n g more than

c i t e m a n y irrefutable examples t o support h i s argument, d u e t o space a n d t i m e limitations, I

will reference

t w o which immediately c o m e t o mind;

one having t o do with domestic policy and the other with foreign policy.

Mr. Bloomfield stated that the Jewish community

favored Clinton’s

stand o n civil liberties. I t m a y come as a shock t o some (with short

memories) that i t was the Clinton administration which opened the door to

the government's indiscriminant use o f "secret evidence," with the

passing

of the "Omnibus

Anti-Terrorism

and Effective

Death Penalty

Act” legislation i n 1996!

Bloomfields reference t o the August 1998 bombing of "a terrorist organization” also deserves a l i t t l e scrutiny, for the sake of truth and the requisites o f justice. O n Monday, August 17, 1998, President Clinton testified before

the Monica Lewinsky grand jury, where he was forced t o pro-

vide testimony under harsh examination a n d n e w information that dra-

matically differed with the information he had provided during a January 17th deposition under oath. Later i n the day, Clinton gave a brief (dam-

age control) television address t o the nation following his testimony.

Just three days later,

o n August 20, C l i n t o n authorized a military

strike o n two sovereign nations: Afghanistan and Sudan — violating

the

airspace o f a third (Pakistan). Approximately 75 Tomahawk cruise missiles targeted a pharmaceutical plant i n

the Sudan and alleged "terrorist

t r a i n i n g camps” i n Afghanistan. B o t h countries lodged official complaints at the U N ; a n d after all was

said a n d done wrong o n

the U S

was forced t o admit that its "intelligence" was

the pharmaceutical

pharmaceutical plant, and

not

p l a n t i n Sudan — that i t was indeed a

an Osama bin-Laden connected factory

the whole episode u p a case of the "tail wagging the dog" for expediency sake. for producing W M D s . M a n y observers chalked

to

194

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

ISRAEL 'S R E A C H I N T O A M E R I C A ’ S

JUDICIARY

THE HoLy LAND FOUNDATION TRIAL

* n the latter part of 2001, the Holy Land Foundation for Relief

and Development

-

Americas largest

Muslim humanitarian

À . relief organization - had its assets frozen b y the United States Government.

Why?

Solely because the humanitarian relief that

this

the needy people of Occupied terrorism" against t h e state of Israel.

organization h a d consistently brought t o Palestine was construed as "funding

T h e seizure o f this organizations assets was s o o n followed b y a criminal indictment being brought against a n u m b e r o f H L F officers a n d a subse-

quent trial i n a federal courthouse i n Dallas Texas. According t o a s u m mary prepared b y H L F supporters, at t h e heart o f the governments case

were the following accusations. * T h e government showed H L F providing assistance t o

the I s l a m i c

Center o f Gaza which was established b y H A M A S spiritual leader a n d

founder [the late] Sheik Ahmed Yassin.*

* The government argued that when H L F arranged conventions, seminars and rallies, radical Islamic sheiks and HAMAS officials, members and/or activists were flown t o t h e United States from overseas

t o energize the audience a n d enhance fundraising.

HLF paid for the

travel o f several o f the sheiks and HAMAS members, including current H A M A S leader M a h m o u d Zahar and former H A M A S spokesperson

Jamil Hammami. * The government highlighted the fact

that

H L F gave over 1.5

m i l l i o n dollars to the Islamic Relief Committee i n Palestine from 1 9 8 8 t i l l 1 9 9 6 . T h e n they demonstrated

that this relief committee is n o w con-

sidered b y m o s t t o b e a H A M A S controlled committee. Even

Mr.

Abington (the defenses witness) agreed that t h i s committee is t h o u g h t t o

be controlled by HAMAS. (Note: This committee is N O T listed i n the HLF indictment, a n d the donations are n o t part o f the indictment-listed

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

195

dates o f 1997 until 2001. I n fact, N O N E o f the details mentioned i n the

the required dates.). Starting i n 2002 a n d c o n t i n u i n g until 2006, Israeli Defense Forces

government's closing arguments occurred d u r i n g *

(IDF) periodically raided the Zakat committees listed i n the H L F case.

the IDF

of HAMAS leaders a n d suicide bombers. They secured key chains with pictures of H A M A S leaders a n d suicide bombers. They secured video tapes of children performing plays celebrating HAMAS a n d HAMAS leaders. During these raids,

secured many posters and calendars

* T h e government argued that H L F sponsored orphans a n d needy

families i n the West Bank and Gaza. According t o the prosecution, while

the program was mantled with

a benevolent appearance, H L F specifical-

ly sought orphans a n d families whose relatives

had died o r were jailed as

a result o f their involvement with HAMAS, including suicide bombers

(seventeen orphans allegedly fitting this description were listed i n the H L F indictment). This support was critical t o HAMAS' efforts

the hearts and minds o f the Palestinian people, they said, and

to

win

t o create

a n infrastructure solidifying H A M A S ’ presence.

(* It should be noted that Sheikh Ahmed Yasin was a paraplegic Palestinian leader, confined to a wheelchair. He, along with one o r more o f

his assistants,

was executed by Israel as he departedfor early morningprayers

in Gaza a few years ago.) W H A T H L F ’ S DEFENDERS SAY

HLF case is about a real charity providing real aid to needy families; the defendants are proud of their work and the relief they provided. + HLF provided relief based o n "need" n o t “creed” and they never looked a t political affiliations when deciding who t o help. They certified the need and provided the aid. + T h e defense showed that over 145,000 Palestinians are i n need of e

The

humanitarian

aid.* HLF

was o n e o f o n l y four other organizations w h o

were providing this absolutely critical aid t o roughly 25% of the

196

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

Palestinian population. After H L F was s h u t d o w n i n 2001, a large v o i d was created and m a n y Palestinians have suffered.

* T h e defense argued that the Israeli Occupation o f Palestine is a

that Israel is n o t living u p to the 4th Geneva Convention i n providing the necessary aid t o lands that i t occupies i n Palestine. * They demonstrated that Israel does n o t provide even the m i n i m u m o f services, and that many o f the families live i n abject poverty d u e t o the absence of a dependable provider.

brutal o n e and

*

They

demonstrated collective p u n i s h m e n t policies, which are

practiced i n a barbaric and savage manner through h o m e demolitions,

home bombings or the closure o f parts o f them, dismissal from work or

the cases o f tree-cutting, fortravel; all of which represents a heavy

prevention from leaving a village o r a camp, feiture

of land o r prevention

from

burden, n o t t o m e n t i o n the detention o f thousands o f m e n and youths, along with thousands o f victims a n d wounded w h o are i n need o f food,

health and social care. * T h e defense showed the number o f illegal Israeli settlements currently i n the West Bank. They argued that Israel builds illegal settlements o n the best water reserves. * T h e illegal settlements i n the West B a n k caused m a n y roads a n d highways t o b e built n o r t h , s o u t h , east a n d west which severely restrict Palestinian movement a n d daily life. This affects all Palestinians and their economy, as they are banned from u s i n g the Israeli-built roads. + T h e West Bank and Gaza had over 4 7 5 Israeli military check points i t uses t o control the Palestinians. + The defense argued that Israel demolished Palestinian homes medicine o r

w i t h o u t warning o r c o m p e n s a t i o n t o

the Palestinian

families

living i n

them, leaving Palestinians homeless refugees i n their own land.

The defense argued t h a t HLF had nothing

hide. HLF was a transparent open b o o k charity for all t o see. HLF kept detailed records o f +

to

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

197

every transaction o n every project they funded. All financial transactions were recorded a n d detailed reports kept for every penny. Receipts, documents, pictures, a n d videos were kept o n each project.

HLF

kept

all

employees’ weekly reports and documented all employee quarterly meet-

the humanitarian a i d , HLF everything. H L F followed the law

ings. F r o m receiving donations t o delivering

recorded, reported, and documented at

all times. * H L F d i d n o t try t o h i d e M o u s a A b u Marzook’s donations t o t h e m

the late 8 0 s a n d early 9 0 s . They reported the d o n a t i o n t o the IRS a n d kept all receipts a n d records. Mr. Marzook was a U S Citizen. Mr. in

M a r z o o k was n o t designated as a terrorist at that time. There was absolutely n o t h i n g illegal a b o u t + I n 1997-98, H L F even

the transactions. hired a prominent

lawyer a n d 14-year

elected official o f the U.S. House o f Representatives, John Bryant, to seek advice from the

US-based Israeli

US State Department, a n d the FBI o n matters that were confusing to them. They wanted any advice o r guidance o n h o w they were operating, a n d t o w h o m they could give Consulate, the

money a n d t o w h o m they c o u l d n o t . They always have and always

follow the law. They wanted t o k n o w i f the government had any concerns regarding their organization. * However, none o f these government agencies gave H L F and/or their attor-

intended to

ney any advice regarding any o f their questions. Mr. Bryant also attempted to

schedule a meeting with the [then] U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno and

[then] U.S. Secretary o f State Madeline Albright, but was unsuccessful, as they never responded to his request for a meeting.

The defense argued t h a t HLF was a stand a l o n e organization t h a t d i d n o t r e p o r t t o the P C o r for t h a t matter t o a n y o t h e r organization. H L F m a d e all of its decisions independently a n d w i t h o u t oversight. T h e defense argued that the evidence that the government is relying on (from Ismail Elbarrasse’s home) are documents seized from

out-

198

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

side o f H L F and i t s employees a n d t h a t these d o c u m e n t s were unsigned

(some hand-written), undated, without providence a n d completely unreliable. There was n o evidence that anyone at H L F ever saw these documents. There was n o evidence that anyone at H L F ever used these documents, followed their contents, o r acted u p o n them i n any manner.

the defendants supported Islamists a n d the b u t n o t H A M A S . T h e y demonstrated that

* T h e defense argued that Muslim Brotherhood ( M B ) not

all

Islamist are H A M A S .

The word Islamist is a very broad term.

Islamists are devout, pious Muslims, according to defense witness Mr. Edward

Abington. * T h e y demonstrated that n o t

all members

of

the M B

are H A M A S .

T h e government's attempt t o say otherwise is a selective interpretation, ignoring

the greater context

and meanings o f these words.

* T h e defense highlighted

the fact

that

the letter

addressed t o

the

defendants discussing each Zakat committee a n d what percentage " o u r s " w a s hand-written,

been seen o r read

is

u n s i g n e d , a n d c o u l d n o t b e s h o w n t o have ever

by the defendants. And,

that this d o c u m e n t does not

refer t o H A M A S anywhere i n i t . " O u r s " c o u l d mean Islamists o r M B o r

many other things. *

The

defense argued that the defendants wanted t o

help the

Palestinian people, t o alleviate their suffering and t o make a difference i n their lives. Never did H L F give credit t o HAMAS, work with HAMAS, o r try t o benefit H A M A S .

*

All the conversations,

calls, p h o n e were all 1 0 0 %

meetings, transactions, p h o n e

numbers, conventions, seminars, plays, skits a n d rallies

legal protected 1st Amendment Rights. Freedom o f speech. Freedom o f religion. Freedom any

of assembly. A n d

absolutely n o t h i n g was illegal a b o u t

of them. All events were held i n a n o p e n public forum. * HLF sponsored thousands o f orphans. All o f them received approx-

imately $ 2 5 t o $ 7 5 per m o n t h . Every orphan

of martyrs

a n d prisoners

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

received

the exact

same monthly sponsorship as all

of the others.

199

HLF

showed neither preference t o which orphans they sponsored n o r any bias.

HLF provided a i d t o needy orphans regardless o f w h o the parents were o r what they did or did n o t do. They established the need. They provided the aid. Equally. +

HLF

provided humanitarian a i d

all over the world. They gave

to

the needy i n Kosovo, Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan, India, Jordan, Lebanon, and the USA. They delivered t o n s o f flour, bread, rice, oil and salt. They delivered medical a n d educational supplies.

The defense established that the United States of America provided aid through USAID t o the same Zakat committees listed in the HLF indictment during the same time period of the indictment 1997 thru 2001. *

* T h e defense demonstrated that, according t o congressional record,

the Zakat committees have been suspected o f being H A M A S committees over the years but have been vetted (exonerated) b y U.S. investigations i n the past. several o f

° According t o congressional record, U S A I D said that i t uses the D e p a r t m e n t o f Treasury's l i s t o f designated organizations when determ i n i n g whether o r n o t t o provide a i d t o t h e m .

The defense established that the United Nations, CARE, and m a n y other international organizations provided humanitarian aid t o the same Zakat committees during the same time period. * F r o m 1995, w h e n the U.S. Treasury Department first issued a l i s t of "Specially Designated Terrorists," until 2007, n o t one of the Zakat committees listed i n the HLF indictment has ever been designated. The defense established the fact that the Palestinian National e

Authorities (PA) are controlled politically by the FATAH party. And that the FATAH party is a t war with HAMAS party in Palestine. The t w o parties are b i t t e r enemies w h o hate each other.

200

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

All Zakat committees operating o n the West Bank a n d Gaza must be licensed by the PA every t w o years. All Zakat committees are quasigovernment entities. T h e PA appoints B o D members t o the Zakat committees. T h e PA can open, close, inspect, and control the Zakat e

committees whenever they wish. e

All Zakat committees listed i n

the H L F

indictment have current

licenses from the Palestinian National Authorities (PA). All Zakat

the H L F indictment business as usual until today. * According t o the defenses expert

are still open a n d operating

committees listed i n

witness o n Palestinian civil

societies, Dr. Brown, all Zakat committees listed i n the H L F indictment are known b y Palestinians as neutral regarding politics a n d agendas. T h e y

They are efficient. They are trusted. They only help facilitate getting Muslims” Zakat t o the needy families. are non-partisan.

* Dr. Brown testified that H A M A S never received any credit from

of the w o r k performed argued that i t w o u l d be impossi-

anyone o r any media o r any organization for a n y

by the Zakat committees. The defense ble t o " w i n the hearts a n d m i n d s ” of the Palestinians w i t h o u t

the work. The defense argued that the government did n o t

ever getting

credit for *

bring

ONE wit-

ness t o testify that H A M A S received credit for any Zakat committees

work. * Dr. Brown testified that in a deeply divided society, the Zakat committees must give aid blindly, regardless o f politics t o

all

needy

by any political party w o u l d damage their effectiveness and ability t o serve the entire community. * The defense also demonstrated that Israel, Jordan and Egypt have been the controlling authorities over these same Zakat committees a t different times, from the 1970's until today, and that they always issued and renewed these Zakat committees licenses t o operate i n Palestine. They Palestinians. Being associated o r controlled

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

were never closed o r accused of being HAMAS-controlled organizations. * Israeli official documents even contradicted

the

government’

expert ‘witness, Mr. Avi, when he testified that one o f the Zakat committees was determined b y Israel t o be a H A M A S controlled organization i n

1991. Without a doubt, he said. However, in 1993, when Israel was the controlling authority over this Zakat committee, i t actually approved the expansion

of the hospital which

aggressive project

to

* According t o

a t that t i m e was

their largest

a n d most

date.

the defenses expert witness, Mr.

Edward Abington, a

former U.S. Consul General i n Jerusalem from 1993 till 1997, and then

the 2nd highest ranking intelligence official i n the U.S. State Department

from 1997 till 1999, NONE of the Zakat committees listed in the HLF i n d i c t m e n t were ever considered under the control o f H A M A S o r operating o n behalf of HAMAS. * Mr. Abington testified t h a t he was under direct orders from the US State Department a n d the President of the United States N O T t o meet with o r establish any relationship o r dialogue with HAMAS or HAMAS

General i n Jerusalem. + Mr. Abington testified t h a t he m e t DAILY with the CIA and US State Department intelligence agencies (who had daily access to Israeli intelligence) a n d that they never m e n t i o n e d any of the Zakat committees as being part of o r controlled by HAMAS. representatives d u r i n g h i s tenure as C o n s u l

* Mr. Abington testified t h a t he personally visited each and every one

of the Zakat committees listed in the HLF indictment, and that he had n o reason t o suspect that they were operating o n behalf of HAMAS. * Mr. Abington testified that the United States does n o t always rely o n Israeli intelligence, because they have found Israeli intelligence t o b e

misleading, political and sometimes agenda-driven.

The defense argued that o u t of the 20 o r 30 speakers alleged by the government t o have HAMAS ties, only three of them have ever been

201

202

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

identified as Specially Designated Terrorists by the United States Treasury Department, and that was after the fact. Also, Mr. Jamil Hammami, a former H A M A S activist, was also sponsored b y

the U . S . government for

a U.S. speaking tour.

* The three that are identified, Mr. Marzook, Mr. Zahar, and Mr. Hammami, were never used, contacted o r relied upon after the designation. * T h e defense also discussed that the level

of proof necessary t o get a n y individual o r a n y organization listed o n the D e p t of Treasury’s Specially Designated Terrorist List i s extremely low. All that is required i s t o show "just cause” which i s the lowest bar o r burden o f proof required i n our judicial system.

* However, what the jury is being asked t o do i n this trial is t o find all of the Zakat committees t o be controlled by HAMAS "beyond a reasonable doubt,” which i s the highest b a r o r burden of proof required i n our judicial system. * The defense asks the jury

to

find the defendants N O T guilty o n

the H L F indictment. (* The number ofPalestinians in CRITICAL NEED ofhumanitarian

each and every count i n

reliefhas grown exponentially since the Holy L a n d Foundation trial began.)

A t the end o f the day, this was a trial that was always a b o u t Hamas.

The Clinton Administration (at Israel's request) designated Hamas a terrorist group i n 1995 and again i n 1997, making financial transactions

with the group illegal. What happened in

federal courthouse i n

that

Dallas i n 2007, however, was absolutely shocking! The

jury

reportedly found three o f

the

leading defendants -

Mohamma d El-Mezain (chairman o f the HLF), Mufid Abdulgader and Abdulrahman Odeh - innocent on m o s t o f the charges i n the indictment ,

the remaining counts. T h e decision was reached over the weekend a n d sealed until the j u r y reconvened that Monday morning. After the verdict was read by the jury forewoman, each juror was

a n d deadlocked o n

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

203

individually polled by U.S. District Judge Joe Fish. It was a t this time that three of the jurors reportedly expressed disagreement with that part

of the verdict which exonerated Mufid Abdulgader and Abdulrahman Odeh. Something happened between the verdict and the forewoman’s reading o f that verdict. T h e question is: what happened?

jury forewoman would have a trial of that magnitude. What hap-

I t is inconceivable to this writer that a made s u c h a mistake - especially i n

pened? It is my understanding that thejury was n o t sequestered. I f

not,

with

a trial o f this nature and magnitude, why no? The jury forewoman said she was surprised b y

the three

jurors’ actions. "When we voted, there was

n o issue i n the vote," she said. "N o one spoke u p any different. I really don't understand where it is coming

from." Did jury

tampering take place

between Thursday a n d Monday? These are questions that beg a n answer.

Judge Fish s e n t the jury back t o resolve their differences, but after a b o u t a n hour, the judge reportedly received a note from the jury stating 1 1 o f 1 2 felt that further deliberations would n o t result i n a unanimous

decision. H e t h e n declared a mistrial for most o f

g o i n g t o be interesting to see what comes next.

the former leaders. It’s

204

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

THE MUHAMMAD SALAH-ABDELHALEEM ASHQAR TRIAL

this to say i n a n online commentary about the Salah/Ashqar prosecution ("The kangaroo court taking place Palestinian activist Ray Hanania had

in Chicago," 11/27/00):

So far, after 10 weeks of trial, all that the U.S. Government can say about Mohammed Salah a n d co-defendant Abdelhaleem Ashqar is that they opposed the Oslo Peace Accords a n d that they

didn’t believe that their Muslim children should mingle i n peace with Jews. Actor Mel Gibson and comedian Michael Richards said far worse a b o u t

the Jews

and

they haven't

gone t o jail for

their anti-Semitism o r racism. A n d i n case anyone hasnt noticed,

the Oslo

Peace Accords were a miserable failure i n part because

Israel's governments dragged

their feet

o n making real conces-

sions i n what was supposed t o b e " l a n d for peace.”

Well, the government d i d have the testimony o f o n e J u d i t h Miller, the proven professional l i a r at The N e w York Times whose exposes o n Iraq's "weapons o f mass d e s t r u c t i o n ” are lies that are far more criminal i n nature than anything Salah o r Ashqar have been proven t o have done. Miller admitted that her access t o

Salah was facilitated by the Israeli MOSSAD and Government. I n other words, Miller has even less credibility on this case than she does on the issue o f WMDs. Mushammad Salah, a Bridgeview businessman a n d U.S. citizen, a n d

Dr. Abdelhaleem Ashqar, a university professor, had their lives (and the lives o f

their families)

turned upside down for o n e reason and o n e reason

only: they are concerned a n d committed Palestinian M u s l i m s . According t o F B I testimony,

they g o t

together 1 3 years a g o i n Philadelphia

to

discuss ways t o "oppose the Oslo Peace Accords.” This was, ironically, a t the same time Muhammad Salah was being tortured i n an Israeli prison!

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

(Our government never allows such unimportant incidentals like F A C T S t o stand i n the w a y o f high profile prosecutions. It should also b e n o t e d that Dr. Abdelhaleem Ashqar has been pursued and persecuted i n

the U.S. for many years leading up t o this political prosecution in Chicago. His ordeal has been painstaking profiled in our book entitled Islam & Terrorism: Myth vs. Reality.)

This writer had an opportunity t o visit the courtroom during part of the closing arguments, a n d was deeply impressed b y the quality of argum e n t a t i o n p u t forward b y both lead defense attorneys. What follows are m y personal notes recorded o n that occasion.

I arrived today (1/10/07) courtroom

is

at

the courthouse

at

8:30 and the main

already full t o capacity, with a significant n u m b e r o f

the

defendants’ supporters awaiting trial proceedings. There are m e n and women o f

all

the vast majority b e i n g young Muslims w h o their l a t e teens t o early 2 0 s . A g o o d number appear the Bridgeview Mosque.

ages, with

appear t o range from

t o b e associated with

A middle-aged non-Muslim gentleman o f I r i s h ancestry shared with

m e his interest i n the case, because o f some o f the “parallels” (his words) between what Palestinians are experiencing today and "what IrishAmericans experienced i n years past.

Major elements o f this trial involve: (1) the Arab-Israeli conflict findi n g its w a y i n t o America’s judiciary; (2)

the Israeli-American

aversion

(3) anti-Islam, anti-Muslim bigotry that has found a h o m e w i t h i n major American decision-making institutions; (4) constitutoward Hamas;

tional issues regarding freedom o f speech, association, political and humanitarian activities based o n conscience;

(5) questionable laws passed

i n 1996 and 2001, and the selective application o f these laws; (6) the "evil" that Founding President George Washington warned of in his

Farewell Address to the Union; (7) and the overall health and welfare o f

this nation called the United States of America.

205

206

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

A SUMMARY OF THE MUHAMMA D SALAH CLOSING Defense Attorney Michael E . D e u t s c h referenced

the

5 4 days

of

intensive investigatio n o f Salah d u r i n g the initial phase o f his confine-

by Israeli authorities. H e r e m i n d e d the jury o f Salah's presumed innocence and the government's obligation to make their case " b e y o n d a reasonable doubt” (the highest possible standard i n criminal proceed-

ment

ings). H e also noted that if ever there was a case o f the government overreaching, this was it. H e recounted h o w Salah served five years i n a n Israeli p r i s o n — a n d

then raised the question: "Why are we [the US] going after him after all these years?" H e noted h o w Israel has been universally condemned for employing torture i n its interrogation procedures o f Palestinian prisoners. H e also noted t o

you

to

the jury, " T h e prosecutor says he’s n o t asking

choose sides, can you really believe this? Can you really trust the

government i n this case?” H e then t o o k issue with

the government's assertion o f "terrorist con-

spiracies” i n I l l i n o i s . " T h e Israeli-Palestinian conflict is very relevant i n this case. H e then proceeded t o r e c o u n t the

plight of the Palestinian

the historical milestones i n their tragic saga — a n d h o w he believed some o f the jurors " c o u l d empathize with what these p e o p l e have gone t h r o u g h . ” (As / sat there listening, m y gut feeling was that some o f the African Americans o n that jury were indeed affected by this line people and some o f

o f argument.) "There is n o question

that the Palestinian people have suffered — a n d

after 1967 it got worse, leading t o the first intifada (uprising) i n 1987,"

he argued. T h e

defense was n o t permitted t o question

rogators o n certain aspects

defense argued.

of t h e i r

the Israeli

inter-

work because i t was "classified,"

the

(At this the prosecution objected, but the judge overruled

the objection.) "It’s important for y o u (the jury) t o understand h o w

the Palestinian

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

he argued. H e then raised the question o f whether i t was "fair o r just" for Hamas to be considered " a racketeering organization" — a foreign movement that serves the needs o f a n occupied people 7,000 miles away, selected by the people t o b e its government — is it fair o r just?! H e also argued (and this was another very important p o i n t ) that the

people have lived for over 6 0 years,"

Hamas Charter is a n irrelevant d o c u m e n t , because Hamas offered a

hudna (cessation o f hostilities) i f Israel would be willing

to

negotiate a

the o n e w h o has been recalcitrant! Each time he raised the question of the jury, "What wouldyou do?" — the prosecution objected, a n d the judge sustained the objection. Mr. Deutsch also noted that he was Jewish, a n d that "Hamas is n o t g e n u i n e peace. Israel is

anti-Jewish; its anti-occupation, anti-oppression!' T h e defense also argued that

the government d i d n o t prove

that

the

m o n e y Salah brought t o Israel was used for violence, and " t h i s must b e

proven beyond a reasonable doubt." I n 1992 & 93 Salah had a 1 ° a m e n d m e n t right t o b r i n g m o n e y t o t o Hamas ( d u r i n g that t i m e p e r i o d ) ;

the Palestinian people, a n d even a n d the money transfers were i n

h i s n a m e a n d transparent. H e referenced Hurricane Katrina, a n d h o w

the logical Palestinians in the U.S. and the plight of their people.

p e o p l e were m o v e d t o r e s p o n d . H e t h e n drew

parallel t o

T h e defense argued that America began as a movement o f resistance

against colonialism, a n d h o w slavery ended u p b e i n g resisted. "It’s n o t

the daily

violence being

people.” H e also referenced

the Palestinian

the term

“genocidal” t o

just a b o u t violence against Israelis, it’s about

visited u p o n

the Palestinian

peoples’ " r i g h t t o resist o c c u p a t i o n ” — a n d u s e d

describe what

the Israelis have been doing,

(it repeatedly came up i n the Holy Land Foundation case) is Musa Abu-Marzook. Salahs A name that frequently comes u p i n these cases

defense argued,

"Simply because m o n e y came from Marzook didn't mean

207

208

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

it was targeted for the military. Musa Abu Marzook was the head of a political organization.”

(The significance o f this argument is better appreciated when juxtaposed against Ireland’s tortured struggle for independenc e and self-determination. T h e Irish Republican A r m y has been a n officially designated "terrorist organization” i n Britain and America for years; and yet its polit-

ical arm, Sein Fein, and the head of that political wing of the IRA, Gerry Adams, is not!)

"All o f the governments evidence comes from the Israelis!" A n d it’s been proven that the Israeli government will do and justify anything i n the name o f its security. H e then referenced the suffering and large scale death of African Americans, and of the suffering of T h e defense argued that

Congolese under the Belgians. "We dont w a n t this kind o f tainted

this case!” H e spoke about the GSS and its tactics (I'm n o t certain o f what this acronym stands for), "systematic coercion a n d torture” that they are known for. I n 1 9 9 3 they were able t o use techniques " t h a t the Israeli evidence i n our courts. T h e Israeli prime minister is i n o n

Supreme Court later rejected as illegal.” U . S . Department o f State cables were referenced. T h e U . S . govern-

days trying t o d e t e r m i n e where he w a s b e i n g h e l d . I t w a s six days before he m e t with U.S. consulate officials, over t w o weeks before he was able t o see a n attorney — " a n American citizen!" Six days is enough m e n t spent

His arrest c o n d i t i o n required medical care. H e was disappeared for over 10 days. U.S. officials were told t o " g o h o m e time t o break s o m e o n e .

and protest.” A major media campaign ensued (instigated by the Israelis) t o convict M u h a m m a d Salah i n the press before trial. Eleven interrogators questioned Salah during those 54 days, involving 300 hours o f interrogation, b u t only two were presented during the trial. Experts testified that

the first 8

t o 1 0 hours o f interrogation are

the most

critical. "What happened during this period? The interrogators who were

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

present during this initial phase have n o t been heard from,"

209

the defense

argued.

H e emphasized h o w one

of the government’ Israeli witnesses repeat-

edly lied, and how Yitshak Rabin arranged for [former New York Times

Judith Miller t o be present d u r i n g o n e o r more o f the interrogations, and that the purpose for h e r presence was so that she could influ-

reporter]

ence the F B I (according t o a witness).

“There's n o such thing as charity connected about terrorism," was

to

a mosque, its all

the mentality expressed by o n e o f the government’s

Israeli witnesses/interrogators.

"From Thursday night until Sunday morning Salah would be placed i n a closet sized

‘rest,

cell, a n d

the documents

then taken o u t a n d placed i n another cell t o

They waited until they got Mr. Salah i n the a n d t h e n they t u r n e d the recorder o n ; a n d this

show.

m o s t compliant p o s i t i o n

is what Judith Miller s a w . . . They wanted t o deflect criticism from Israeli

the United States, a n d persuade the American people that Hamas had a base i n the U.S. (manipulating U.S. policy through The New York Times). practices,” slow d o w n o r eliminate s u p p o r t c o m i n g from

The F B I issued a report, a t one time, acknowledging their awareness

the info they were being given was suspect. And despite Rabin being "a personal friend," Judith Miller admitted that she didn't t r u s t some of that

the things that she was being told, and shown.

Nidal claimed Muhammad Salah drew (concerning a missing soldier), but the body of There was a primitive looking m a p that Benny

the Israeli soldier was n o t found until three years later, after Yasser Arafat

provided them with information that led t o the discovery of the soldier's remains. (The remains were reportedly discovered three t o five miles

Salah suggested they w o u l d be.) Fellow prisoners, where Salah was b e i n g held, were given inducem e n t s t o m a k e statements o r t o testify they w a y that the government from where M u h a m m a d

210

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

wanted. T h e government produced N O WITNESSES t o support allegation that Salah was involved

in any conspiracy

to

the

kill others — a n d

that 9 0 percent o f the calls between Salah a n d Marzook lasted o n e

minute or less.

|

I n 1995, a law was passed that made i t

illegal for anyone t o

ness with Hamas, and there is N O EVIDENCE

that

do

Muhammad Salah

d i d after 1995. After five unwarranted years i n a n Israeli prison,

returned

to

the United States and tried

unscrupulous] lawyer

in

to

busiSalah

rebuild his life. A clever [ but

the Washington area orchestrated a damage

suit against a number o f targeted individuals and organizations for the death

of

a

Jewish m a n .

Muhammad

Salah w a s

one

of

the persons

named i n the lawsuit, even though h e was imprisoned i n Israel when this tragedy occurred. They sued for $ 1 0 0 million i n a n attempt t o bank-

rupt these organizations, "and then used Muhammad Salah’s inclusion as

the basis for this present ongoing witch hunt against him." Mr. Deutsch concluded by saying, ‘ I t has been one o f m y great privileges t o get t o know Mr. Salah, his family, and his community." A SUMMARY OF T H E ABDELHALEEM ASHQAR CLOSING

Since we've already written quite extensively o n Dr. Ashqar’s ordeal

(Islam & Terrorism: Myth vs. Reality, pgs. 123-148) I won't spend as much time on the closing arguments of his defense. I will however, that

Bill Moffit’s

note

for the record,

argumentation was brilliant a n d factually o n

point! H e began

by discussing the nature of struggle — using as a historical

reference, Americas o w n Declaration o f Independence, " T h e belief system

that built this c o u n t r y . ” He n o t e d that o n e of the great tests of this

case 1s, ‘are these words still relevant?” This document was also an invitation to

all of the dispossessed people of the world.

H e referenced the map of Israel and the occupied territories, and how

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

Mr. Furgeson (the prosecutor) could

not

bring himself

occupied territories, because i t would have upset

to

use the

211

term

the image of the defen-

dants that they needed to m o u l d — n o t as individuals coming from

"a people who had a right H e referenced

to

resist!”

the horrific conditions of the Palestinians — the electrified

fences, the checkpoints, the segregated roads, etc, and then said t o the jury,

" I cant make you feel h o w that feels. H o w does i t feel to be a Palestinian w h o cant change his o r her o w n reality i n their o w n country, and you have n o idea when the oppression will stop? He, like Salah's attorney, also referenced Hurricane Katrina, and the indignity

that

many Americans felt in being

called "refugees." H e referenced "The Dred Scott Case,” and substituted Negro with Palestinian - as having n o rights that Israel is bound to respect. H e also

provided a detailed summary of the many daily indignities

that

Palestinians suffer — houses, olive trees, orange groves being destroyed,

arbitrary detentions and deportations; h o w i t can take 1 0 years t o get a four year university degree (because

how Gaza is the

most

of

arbitrary school closings); and

densely populated

center

i n the whole world,

with all o f the squalor and deprivation, "because Israel provides no social services.”

(And h o w the a i m of this

Moffit

deprivation is t o drive them o u t ! )

also referenced the esteemed Nelson Mandela, and the

militant wing o f the African National Congress (ANC), and how "power concedes n o t h i n g w i t h o u t struggle!" H e referenced Americas o w n “Civil

Rights Struggle,” and how he (like this writer) prefers t o call it a human rights struggle. " W e get crazy w h e n the word jihad is mentioned, as if i t didn’t m e a n struggle,” he noted. H e mentioned how hudna is a truce for a limited period (10, 20 or 3 0 years), a n d h o w this was offered t o Israel b y Hamas several times over

the years — the last t i m e after t h e i r election t o lead the government — but Israel repeatedly rejected i t . Israel can reject a sincerely offered truce and

212

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

i t ain't n o thing, but when the Palestinians reject Oslo it's treated as a major offense t o

the international

community,

he argued.

"To oppose

makes o n e a racketeer.” H e also referenced the shock o f Hamas w i n n i n g the Palestinian elec-

Oslo

tions, and asked rhetorically, " S h o u l dwe [America] be so arrogant as t o presume t o

tell another

people they were wrong?

What does 60 percent

o f a vote mean? Millions o f people w h o k n o w what Hamas represents cast their lots for Hamas!" H e also n o t e d that o n e

of the trial's

expert

witnesses testified o n the corruption of the Fatah party. (I noted, parenthetically, h o w the U.S. a n d Israel support Fatah i n

much

the same way that they provide covert support to the warlords o f Somalia.)

At this point, Moffit also provided a very detailed description of the humanitarian work that Hamas provides i n the territories. Orphanages, hospitals, it rebuilds schools — this is what Hamas does. "Its been estimated that 80 t o

H e referenced

85 percent of its resource is devoted t o social projects.” the books a n d other reading materials that can b r i n g

Palestinians under suspicion, while we i n America would vigorously reject even

the h i n t

o f such censorship for ourselves. H e then referenced

some of Dr. Ashqars good works a n d charitable ambitions for h i s people.

Palestinian compete

the type o f ‘special relationship’ that the Israeli Prime Minister [Rabin] has with Judith Miller of The N e w York Times? H o w can Palestinians tell their story? W e have a right t o hear both sides, and make a decision on the merits for ourselves." "Dr. Ashqar is a terrorist because he believes his people ought t o be free! Was his investment i n the struggle a reasonable investment? O r was i t what the government said i t was?" (He also disdainfully referenced someone by the name of Mr. Shabotti, w h o he described as a "cooperati n g witness" for the government w h o testified under some type of “ H o w does this

with

“inducement.”)

Moffit touched upon all of the years that "they've been following

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

a n d monitoring

Dr. Ashqar’s activities."

213

H e then rhetorically asked, " D o

y o u think they would have allowed h i m to r u n loose if he was a genuine

danger t o society?"

Moffitt shared a Patrick Henry quote with the jury, "Give me liberty or give me death,” and then sequed into the statement o f Dr. Ashqar o n w h y he refused to testify before a federal grand jury, i n spite of the inducements that he was offered. Dr. Ashqar doesn't want financial benefit at the expense of his o w n people; and he doesnt want to be i n a witness protection program. Ashqar wants t o breathe free air in his own country! H e concluded with, "The Palestinians are going t o win. T h e advance o f h u m a n history favors freedom."

As I

sat

in the courtroom

that

day and listened t o the brilliantly made

and passionate argumentation o f these two very capable defense attorneys, I

of h o w good can sometimes come out o f adversity. A body o f American jurors received — along with a good number o f concerned citizens from the broader community — a very important political education o n Middle East politics that they might not have otherwise received were i t not for this trial. was reminded

214

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

T H E Z I O N I S T FOOTP RINT

I N IRAQ, SOMALI A, AND SUDAN h e multi-faceted tragedy o f Iraq (Americas new Vietnam) —

.

and the role t h a t Israel and its powerful lobby played i n the lead up t o the war - is by this time well known t o people

a r o u n dt h e world. T h e costs have been e n o r m o u s : a n estimated o n e million

Iraqis dead;

the

infrastructure

of

a country almost totally

destroyed; social and political anarchy rampant w i t h i n parentless children roaming

the streets

the society,

and

w i t h clouds o f inferiority a n d

resentment i n t h e i r mental skies.

O n the U.S. side nearly 4,000 Americans dead; thousands more permanently disabled; tens o f billions o f dollars — in what was supposed to have been a peace dividend, following the end of the Cold War, going into the abyss like a gigantic suction tube. Meanwhile, the eradication o f hunger and homelessness, unemployment and multi-generational poverty remains nothing more than a n audacious pipe dream.

As a society, w e have

ample

money for guns and bombs, but little or nothing for universal healthcare.

the Z i o n i s t imprint o n Iraq is well known, comparatively little is known of the Zionist footprint i n Somalia and Sudan. B u t while

THE CRISIS I N SOMALIA

Life is indeed full of tragic ironies. An East African nation (Ethiopia) once known for having a proud and noble Christian tradition — governed by a King w h o was hailed far and wide as a ruler w h o embodied the highest principles o f justice (and someone w h o would go o n to play a very positive and pivotal role in the Islamic movement of his day) — attacks a Muslim nation o n Christmas D a y i n the year 2 0 0 6 C E . T o compound this tragic irony, the aggressor is encouraged and supported by the predominantly "Christian" (at least i n terms ofprofession) "superpower" of the age- the USA...

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

Ethiopias attack o n Somalia, w i t h

the

215

tacit s u p p o r t o f western

the hypocrisy o f so-called "western democ r a t i c v a l u e s , ” a n d the t r u e n a t u r e o f the American l e d "war o n terrori s m . " A s E t h i o p i a continues with i t s sporadic b o m b i n g o f Somali cities a n d villages, i n d i s c r i m i n a t e l y killing children, women, a n d m e n beyond their combat years, will the major powers call for a " n o fly zone" over Somalia? I dont t h i n k so. Will the U N Security Council call for a

powers, has helped to reveal

"cessation o f hostilities,” and, i f necessary, threaten sanctions against the

Ethiopian government? / dont think so. T h e latest crisis i n the H o r n o f Africa o n c e again imposes a responsibility o n the i n t e r n a t i o n a l community t o o p e n i t s eyes a n d

the Rev. D r . Martin anywhere is a threat to

face c e r t a i n realities before i t is t o o late! F o r as Luther

King, Jr.,

c o r r e c t l y o p i n e d : "Injustice

Justice everywhere."

I t ’ s b e e n o n e year since U . S . b a c k e d E t h i o p i a n aggression deep-

the p a t h o l o g y already o n the g r o u n d i n Somalia — a c o u n t r y a b o u t the size o f Texas w i t h a p o p u l a t i o n e s t i m a t e d t o n u m b e r approximately e i g h t m i l l i o n p e o p l e . The c o u n t r y had b e e n engulfed ened

i n complete anarchy (courtesy o f the hated "warlords”) until the rise

o f the Islamic Courts Union i n June 2006. This Islamic movement, which transcended clan affiliation, brought m o s t o f the c o u n t r y u n d e r c o n t r o l i n a relatively s h o r t p e r i o d o f time, r e s t o r i n g peace a n d stability for the first time i n years. H o w does Israel factor i n t o

the equation? I t

is a known fact that Israel

has a strong presence i n different parts o f the c o n t i n e n t — especially i n

the

of Africa. I t is also a well known fact that Israel — l i k e the islamophobes a t the highest levels of the U.S. government - desire nothing more t h a n controlled chaos i n the M u s l i m world. This was the first thought that came t o this writer's mind when Ethiopia (and the U.S.) attacked Horn

Somalia i n December 2000.

216

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

THE CRISIS I N THE SUDAN

The Republic of Sudan is the largest c o u n t r y in land mass o n the African continent; a n d despite its under-dev elopment, i t is known t o

be

of natural resource. I t is be the size of the United States east of the Mississippi. The terri-

one o f the richest countries i n the world i n terms

said t o tory known as Darfur, i n w e s t e r n Sudan, is the size of France o r the state o f Texas. Sudan is also a strategically important nation, with nine other African states situated right off its borders. These are: Central African

Republic, Chad, Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya and Uganda. I t is a country also rich in human capital (in tribal and ethnic diversity), and the Sudan is predominantly Muslim. I t is a well established FACT that individuals a n d o r g a n i z a t i o n s strongly connected t o the State o f Israel i n the U . S . , Britain, and other

parts o f Europe, have long been involved i n multiple crises which have

unfolded i n

the Sudan — from

the decades

l o n g w a r between

the n o r t h

and the south, and the current crisis i n Darfur. There is a growing belief that outside forces are working for

the breakup of this country.

Throughout the West, advocacy groups have collected tens o f millions

(if n o t hundreds o fmillions) of dollars in the name o f Darfur. The bulk o f this money (particularly i n

America) has n o t gone t o the suffering refugees o n the

ground i n o r around Darfur — but i n the coffers o f organizations, and to very expensive propaganda campaigns i n T h e leading organization for

the national

and international media!

this rather dubious agenda in the U.S. has been

the so-called SAVE DARFUR COALITION. This Washington, D C , based

organization was founded by prominent members of the Jewish community i n close affiliation with Christian evangelicals and well known neo-cons. A t the e n d o f the day, a question that this writer raised a t a press c o n ference a t the National Press Club i n Washington, D C , on September 15,

2004, still resonates with relevant force: "Why hasn't, what may arguably be considered, the greatest example o f state-sponsored genocide i n the world

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

today — a crisis

which has n o w gone o n for

more than a

half century,

217

in an

occupied landhistorically known as Palestine — not received the same amount

by the U.S. Government, the U N Security Council, Evangelical Christian Organizations, a n d Jewish Organizations ostensibly dedicated to civil a n d human rights, as has the crisis i n Darfur?” This ends u p being a rhetorical question... because w e already know the reason why. o f concern a n d scrutiny

218

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

TARGET I R A N o t content with the mess they have helped t o make o f

‘ I r a q , Israel is now beating the drums for a military assault against the Islamic Republic o f Iran. But why? For the possible answer t o this question

let us

travel b a c k i n t i m e . T h e

datei s

6, 1971. T h e occasion is the first o f "Ayatollah Khomeini’s” Hajj messages t o the Muslims of the world. (Hajj is the Arabic word for February

the pilgrimage

to

Mecca.)

The message of Imam Ruhullah Al-Musavi Al-Khomeini began as follows: N o w that because

of the apathy

a n d negligence o f

the M u s l i m

peoples, the foul claws o f imperialism have clutched a t the heart

of the lands of the people of the Qur'an, with

o u r national wealth

and resources b e i n g devoured b y imperialism despite o u r s u p posed ownership o f t h e m ; with

the poisonous culture of imperi-

the depths o f towns a n d villages t h r o u g h o u t the Muslim world, displacing the culture of the Qur'an, recruiti n g o u r youth e n masse t o the service of foreigners and imperialalism penetrating to

ists, and corrupting them day b y day w i t h some n e w t u n e , some n e w deceptive formula - n o w that these disasters have descended

u p o n us, i t is incumbent u p o n you, O beloved M u s l i m s , w h o have gathered here i n

the land of revelation

t o perform the rites

of pilgrimage, t o make use of this opportunity

to

find a solution

t o these problems that beset us.

You must take part i n a n exchange o f views for this purpose, a n d remember that this great meeting, which takes place every year i n

this sacred land by the order of God, imposes on you the duty

to

strive for the realization o f the sacred ideals of Islam, the lofty goals

of the sacred law of I s l a m , the progress and advancement of

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

219

the Muslims, and the unity of the Muslim community. Unite a n d cooperate for the sake o f independence and the elimination o f the cancer of imperialism. Listen t o the people o f each Muslim

their problems, and then neglect n o measure necessary for the solution o f those problems. Consider the p o o r and needy in Muslim lands. Turn your attention t o the liberation of the Islamic land of Palestine from the grasp of Zionism, the enemy of Islam and humanity. D o n o t hesitate t o assist a n d

land explain

cooperate with those heroic m e n w h o are struggling t o liberate

Palestine.

Later i n the same speech, Imam Khomeini declared: T h e sinister influence o f imperialism is especially evident i n Iran. Israel,

the

universally recognized enemy o f Islam a n d

the

Muslims, a t war with Muslim peoples for years, has, with the

assistance o f the despicable government o f Iran, penetrated all the economic, military, andpolitical affairs o f the country; i t

must

be

said that Iran has become a military base for Israel, which means, b y extension, America. Foreigners enjoy complete Immunity in

Iran, but religious scholars, men o f learning and education, and

all o t h e r classes as well, are exposed t o all kinds o f oppression... the "Shah’s" despotic rule, Iran was known as America’s policeman i n the Gulf, possessing one o f the most powerful militaries in the region (courtesy of the good OI’ USA) for this purpose. That Iran was penetrated at all levels by Israeli operatives, working hand in hand with the Pahlavi regime (as the Zionists did in Apartheid South Africa), is a given. Indeed, d u r i n g

Next we have the July 10, 1972, Message t o Muslim Students i n North America, i n which Palestine was once again o n e

addressed b y

this respected leader:

of the issues

220

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

Imperialism o f

the left

a n d imperialism o f

the right have

joined

their efforts to annihilate the Muslim peoples a n d their countries; they have come together i n order t o enslave the

hands i n

Muslim peoples and plunder their abundant capital a n d natural

of the collusion and agreement of the imperialist states of the East a n d West. I t w a s created i n order t o suppress a n d exploit the Muslim peoples, a n d i t is being supported today by all the imperialists. Britain and the resources. Israel was born o u t

US, by strengthening Israel militarily and politically, and supplying it with lethal weapons, are encouraging Israel t o undertake repeated aggression against continue the occupation

Arabs and Muslims

of Palestine and other

and to

Islamic

lands.

The Soviet Union, b y preventing the Muslims from arming themselves adequately,

by its

deceit, treachery, a n d conciliatory

policy, is [also] guaranteeing the existence o f Israel.

the Muslim states and peoples had relied o n Islam instead o f relying on the Eastern or Western bloc - had placed before their eyes the luminous and liberating teachings of the Noble Quran, and

If

then practiced those teachings - they would n o t b e enslaved today

the Zionist aggressors, terrorized b y American Phantoms, and at the mercy of the satanic cunning of the Soviet Union. I t is the gulf between the Muslim states and the Noble Quran that has plunged by

our

people into this dark and catastrophic situation, and placed

the destiny of the Muslim peoples and countries in the hands of the treacherous policies o f imperialism o f the right and It

the left.

15your duty, respectedyouth s o fIslam, you who are the source o f hope

for the Muslims, to awaken people, to expose the sinister and destructive designs o fimperialism. ..

And finally, for the purposes of this writing, we have the occasion of

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

221

the Iranian N e w Year, March 2 1 , 1980, after the Islamically-based peoples’ revolution removed the

Shah from power.

Imam

Khomeini deliv-

ered a speech from Tehran i n which he stated: "Once again, I declare my supportfor all movements a n dgroups that arefighting to gain liberation from the superpowers o f the

left a n d the right. I

declare m y support for the people

o f Occupied Palestine a n d Lebanon. I vehemently condemn once more

the

savage occupation of Afghanistan by the aggressive plunderers o f the East, a n d

hope that the noble Muslim people o f Afghanistan will achieve victory a n d true independence as soon as possible, a n d be deliveredfrom the clutches o f

I

the so-called champions o f the working class." The revolutionary fire o f Islam i n Iran has dimmed somewhat with

the passing o f Imam Khomeini. Despite this, however, the message and indomitable spirit o f

the I m a m

lives o n . Messages like these - coupled

with the continued presence o f Iranian leaders who represent a continu-

ity o f this line o f thinking - is what causes Iran t o remain a leading target o f the Zionist warmongers t o this day. The wealth, size, strategic location,

and political independence o f Iran also factor into the equation, no doubt.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad impresses this writer as

being a leader i n the line o f the Imam. I had the pleasure o f meeting him, a n d h e a r i n g h i m speak o n t w o occasions, w h e n

he traveled t o

the United

States for the annual business o f the United Nations. The Zionists and their supporters have made h i m i n t o a lightning rod for controversy since

his public

statements

on the holocaust and the State o f Israel. As is their

practice, the Zionists have distorted his words on the issue, and then used these distortions t o deepen a n d politicize

the controversy!

What follows is an excerpt from the address President Ahmadinejad gave

to

the United Nations General Assembly, i n New York, on

September

19, 2006.

222

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

Consider the situation i n Palestine:

The

roots

of the Palestinian problem go back

to

the Second

World War. Under the pretext o f protecting some o f

the

survivors of that war, the land of Palestine was occupied through

the displacement o f millions o f its inhabiwas placed under the control of some of the war

war, aggression and tants. I t

survivors, b r i n g i n g even larger p o p u l a t i o n groups from elsewhere

the world, w h o h a d n o t been even affected by the Second World War. A government was established i n the territory of others, with a population collected from across the world at the expense of driving millions of the rightful inhabitants of the in

land into a Diaspora and homelessness. This is a great tragedy with hardly a precedent i n history. Refugees continue t o live i n temporary refugee camps, a n d m a n y have died s t i l l h o p i n g t o o n e day return t o

their land. C a n any logic, law o r legal reason-

ing justify this tragedy? Can any member of the United Nations accept such a tragedy occurring i n their o w n homeland?

The pretexts

for the creation

of the

regime occupying

Al-Qods

Al-Sharif are so weak that its proponents want t o silence a n y voice trying t o merely speak about them, as they are concerned

that shedding light o n the facts would undermine the raison d'être of this regime, as it has. The tragedy does n o t end with the establishment o f a regime i n the territory o f others. Regrettably, from its inception, that regime has been a constant source o f

threat and insecurity i n the M i d d l e East region, waging war and spilling

blood a n d i m p e d i n g the progress of regional

countries;

a n d i t has also been used b y some powers as a n instrument division, coercion, and pressure o n

of

the people of the region.

Reference t o these historical realities m a y cause some disquiet

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

of this regime. B u t these are sheer facts a n d myth. History has unfolded before our eyes. Worst yet, is the

a m o n g supporters not

blanket and unwarranted support provided to this regime.

Just watch what is happening in the Palestinian land. People are being bombarded i n their own homes, and their children murdered i n t h e i r o w n streets a n d alleys. B u t n o authority, n o t even

the Security Council, can afford them any support o r protection. W h y ? A t the same t i m e a Government is formed democratically and through the free choice of the electorate i n part of the Palestinian territory. B u t instead of receiving the support of the so-called champions of democracy, its ministers and members of Parliament are illegally abducted a n d incarcerated i n full view of the international community. Which council o r international organization stands u p t o protect

this brutally besieged Government? And why can't the Security Council take any steps? Let m e here address Lebanon:

For thirty-three long days, the Lebanese lived under the barrage

1.5 million of them were displaced; meanwhile some members of the Security Council pracof

fire and b o m b s and close to

tically chose a path

that

provided ample opportunity for the

aggressor t o achieve its objectives militarily. W e witnessed that

the Security Council o f the United Nations was practically incapacitated by certain powers t o even call for a ceasefire. T h e Security Council sat idly b y for so many days, witnessing the cruel scenes of atrocities against the Lebanese while tragedies such as Q a n a were persistently repeated. W h y ? I n all these cases,

the answer

is self-evident .

When the power

b e h i n d the hostili-

223

224

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

ties i s itself a permanent member

then can this Council

of the Security Council,

how

fulfill its responsibilities?

After addressing the nuclear technology controversy, Ahmedinejad turned

his attention back t o theplight ofthe Palestinian people, with thefollowing: For some powers, claims

of

promotion

of

h u m a n rights and

democracy can only last as long as they can b e used as instruments o f pressure a n d i n t i m i d a t i o n against other n a t i o n s . B u t

when i t comes t o the interests o f the claimants, concepts such as democracy,

the right

o f self-determination o f nations, respect

for the rights and intelligence o f peoples, international law and

justice have no place or value. This is blatantly manifested in the

the elected Government o f the Palestinian people is treated as well as i n the support extended t o the Zionist regime. I t does

way

n o t matter

if people are murdered

i n Palestine, turned

refugees, captured, imprisoned or besieged; that m u s t

not

into

violate

human rights. Nations are n o t equal i n exercising their rights recognized b y international law. Enjoying these rights is dependent o n

the

w h i m o f certain major powers.

Apparently the Security Council can only be used t o ensure the security and the rights of some big powers. B u t when the oppressed are decimated under bombardment,

the

Security

Council must remain aloof and n o t even call for a ceasefire. I s

this not a tragedy

of

historic proportions for

the

Security

Council, which is charged with maintaining the security of countries?

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

225

Madame President,

Excellencies, it is essential t h a t spirituality and ethics find their rightful place i n international relations. Without ethics and

spirituality, attained in light of the teachings of Divine prophets,

justice, freedom

and h u m a n rights cannot b e guaranteed.

Resolution o f contemporary human crises lies i n observing ethics

and spiritualiry and the governance of righteous people of high competence a n d piety.

Should respect for the rights o f human beings become the

predominant objective, then injustice, ill-temperament, aggression

and war will fade away. Human beings are all God's creatures and are all endowed

with dignity and respect. N o one has superiority over others. N o individual or states can arrogate t o themselves special privileges, n o r can they disregard the rights o f others and, through influ-

ence and pressure, position themselves as the "international

community.” Citizens o f Asia, Africa, Europe and America are all equal. Over 6 billion inhabitants o f the earth are all equal

and worthy o f respect. Justice and protection of human dignity

the two pillars i n m a i n t a i n i n g sustainable peace, security and tranquility i n the world.

are

(the spirit o f which was reiterated when he spoke again before the U N General Assembly in September 2007) is the reason These words

like Ahmedinejad are hated and feared i n certain influential quarters. And, needless t o say, i t is also the reason w h y the Islamic Republic o f Iran has become the target that i t 1s. B u t as the Qur'an says: Satan plots a n d ALLAH (God) plans; a n d ALLAH is the best o fplanners. w h y leaders

Part Six ACTIONS AND VOICES O F

RESISTANCE

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

STATEME NT BY CHRISTIA NS EROM A M O N G S T T H E PEOPLE OF PALESTINE 2 6 October, 2 0 0 0

Je the under-signed, Christians of the Holy Land, as

XJ 7

/ descendants o f

the

Cananite tribes that inhabited

Palestine since times immemorial, as descendants and

4

followers o f the first apostles, and as successors o f Jerusalem. Christians w h o received

the O m a r

Al-Khattab, hereby

Doctrine from

the Great

w e state unequivocally, at this

Caliphate O m a r B i n

key juncture

in our

history, that we are a n integral part o f the Palestinian national struggle for independence

and sovereignty.

O u r quest for liberty, democracy, and respect for pluralism is a comm o n aspiration w e share alongside o u r M o s l e m compatriots. Palestinian Christians a n d Moslems agree o n m a n y things, especially when i t comes to

the issue of independence and the r e t u r n t o Jerusalem. Accordingly, w e utterly condemn any Israeli attempt t o deal with us

as a separate entity

of alien presence i n

Palestine.

I n TheJerusalem Post on Wednesday, October 25, 2000, there was an

article claiming t h a t the Israeli Foreign Ministry is helping hundreds of Christian families flee Palestinian Authority areas. W e caution against believing such

falsity. Israel,

as a colonialist entity, after having become

morally bankrupt and militarily impotent, is n o w resorting t o a n o l d

colonialist tactic; t o

divide a n d conquer.

O u r Palestinian unity is much

stronger than any such cheap endeavor. I t is o u r duty as Christians t o speak u p against i n j u s t i c e a n d t o resist i t . T h e N e w Testament tells us

"Do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul.” (Matthew 1 0 : 2 8 ) . I t was since 1 9 4 8 t h a t Israel up-rooted approximately 4 5 0

Palestinian villages, some o f them either entirely Christian or with a Christian population, o f course n o t ignoring the fact that i t was criminal

227

228

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

t o u p - r o o t Moslems as

well.

the conflict Israel targeted Christians because they constitute a bridge between the Christian West and the Moslem East. St. John Monastery, near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Mosque o f Omar, has been confiscated. Armed settlers are desecrating the Monastery. O n the out-skirts o f Jerusalem, Gilo settlement is built o n land confiscated from Beit Jala Christians. The list of atrocities commitThroughout

ted against Christians b y Israel is endless.

I n the mentioned Jerusalem Post article, Shlomo Dror, spokesman for

the coordinator of activities i n the territories stated that embassies of

England, Canada, and Cyprus "sent cars t o pick up [Christian] families

from their homes...

granting passports t o spouses a n d grandparents a n d

offering financial assistance o r air tickets t o leave... I n m a n y cases

the

embassies eased restrictions and granted passports.”

W e have

the right

and Cyprus: H o w

the embassies of England, Canada, true are the Israeli claims? W e certainly look forward t o t o k n o w from

a n explanation. W e hope there can b e un-ambiguous public statements

regarding this matter. As Christian Palestinians and as Arabs, we demand a n immediate stop t o

unity.

all Israeli lies a n d distortions regarding o u r national

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

T H E PEOPLE C H O O S E H A M A S WF. n January 2006, a political earthquake shook the entire Middle East when

A

the people of Palestine chose Hamas i n the occupied

territory's parliamentary elections. While I don’t claim t o be an

the issue,

all surprised by the results o f those elections; indeed, the handwriting was on the wall. It is my humble belief that four major factors led t o the victory of Hamas at the “expert” o n

t h i s w r i t e r was n o t a t

polls: (1) Hamas’ service t o the people; (2) the longstanding corruption

of

Fatah;

(3)

the shameful a n d destructive hypocrisy

of

the so-called

Peace Process; (4) and the Palestinian people’s desire t o send a message o f resistance t o t h e i r occupiers! (Surely A L L A H knows best.)

PIECE negotiations with representatives people, s t a r t i n g with the 1993 Oslo Accords (which

F r o m the t i m e Israel began

of

t h e Palestinian

envisioned a dismembered Palestinian state o n territory relinquished b y

Israel) up until the 2000 Camp David Accords (which sought

to

codify

the perimeters o f the dismembered, Bantustan-like Palestinian state) the day-to-day existence

while the territorial further a n d

of the P a l e s t i n i a n p e o p l e became regressively worse, acquisitions of the Zionist-Apartheid State became

further entrenched!

These failed agreements — coupled with Israel's unrelenting heavy

handed approach t o the enforcement of its oppressive will - is what led t o the desperate (and s o m e w o u l d argue, fundamentally u n - I s l a m i c a n d counterproductive) reaction from certain quarters o f Palestinian society; resulting i n

the suicide

After deal with

o r "martyrdom" operations against Israel.

the A/ Agsa intifada, Israel refused t o Arafat because of his inability t o "control the terrorists,” a n d the Zionists proceeded t o turn his headquarters i n t o a p r i s o n where he would end u p dying. (Many believe Arafat was poisoned.) what became known as

Israel tightened i t s control

of

t h e Palestinian

population,

increased

229

230

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

the pace

o f targeted assassinations o f Palestinian leaders a n d

the deten-

tions without charge of Palestinian civilians (including women and children), and began construction o f the W A L L o n undisputed Palestinian

lands. Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza i n September 2005, solely i n order

to

improve its security, and

for no other reason. This was the

backdrop against which the people chose Hamas i n January 2006.

the 2 0 0 6 elections, conditions became even worse for the peop l e of Palestine, as Israel a n d i t s partners within the international community set o u t t o punish the people for exercising their “ d e m o c r a t i c ” free will, i n 2 manner that was deemed unacceptable t o the powers that be. After

The Hamas-led government would be boycotted,

taxes

owed

to

the

"Palestinian Authority” b y Israel would b e withheld, a n d even humani-

tarian assistance would be severely curtailed. Meanwhile, the enemies o f

the people would begin t o tap i n t o the reservoir o f co-opted Palestinians i n order t o deepen the clan and class-based fissures within Palestinian society itself. Working primarily through Fatah, it appears, the enemies o f the peop l e successfully engineered a low-level civil war within Palestine itself. ment o f

The result was

Occupied

that Hamas — the only legitimate govern-

the Palestinian people -

retained c o n t r o l o f G a z a a n d i t s 1 . 5 mil-

lion inhabitants, while Fatah took quasi-control o f the West Bank.

(Fatahs control of the West Bank is of Palestinians only.) The image of Fatah, and

the serious doubts

about real progress under its leadership, is

such that a number o f reports have come out suggesting

indeed permitted t o lead a "State" o n some significant autonomy o n

the West

the West

that i f

Fatah is

Bank — o r is even given

Bank — some Palestinians have

already indicated their preference t o live o n

the Israeli side of the fence.

Meanwhile, the plot thickens. Concerning

the Palestinian internecine

which has erupted over

the

past year, a M a y 18, 2007, Washington Post report is indeed revealing

231

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

( " F a t a h Troops Enter Gaza With Israeli Assent,” b y Scott Wilson).

The

report begins as follows: Israel this week allowed

the Palestinian party Fatah t o b r i n g i n t o the

Gaza Strip as many as 5 0 0 fresh troops trained u n d e r a U.S.-coordinated

the radical

program t o c o u n t e r Hamas,

Islamic movement that w o n

Palestinian parliamentary elections last year. Fighting between Hamas a n d Fatah has left about 4 5 Palestinians dead since Sunday.

The forces belong t o

units

loyal t o the elected Palestinian Authority

president, Mahmoud Abbas, a moderate Fatah leader whom the Bush administration a n d Israel have sought t o strengthen militarily a n d politically. A spokeswoman for Mission at Rafah, where

the

European U n i o n Border Assistance

the fighters crossed i n t o

Gaza from Egypt, said

their entry Tuesday was approved b y Israel.

Reportedly,

the B u s h

administration approved $ 4 0 million t o train

the Palestinian Presidential Guard, a force o f about 4,000 troops. While

they were trying t o carve o u t a b i t o f diplomatic distance at t h e t i m e o f the aforementioned report: "We're n o t the ones giving these forces operational orders. That will be up to

Israel i s fully i n

the loop

o n this o p e r a t i o n ,

Abbas," said Ephraim Sneh, Israel's deputy defense minister. " The idea is

the balance, which has been i n favor o f H a m a s a n d against Fatah. With these well-trainedforces, it will help right that imbalance.” (This was

t o change

wishful thinking, as Fatah fighters still ended up being defeated on the ground i n Gaza.) T h e troops were reportedly trained

by Egyptian authorities under

a

program coordinated by Lt. Gen. Keith W. Dayton, a special U.S. envoy t o the region. The goal, i n the words of an unnamed Israeli official, was t o manufacture a force "loyal to Abbas i n northern Gaza that could be

highly useful to Israel." This "Presidential under

the

G u a r d ” was reportedly t o

be

direct control o f M o h a m m e d D a h l a n , " a Fatah lawmaker

who has worked closely with several U.S. administrations."

232

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

At the time of this writing, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has increased exponentially w i t h n o end i n sight, a n d the entire region is waiting t o see what happens next.

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

THE WAR ON LEBANON s we were putting the finishing touches on this manuscript, an &

A

Associated Press report o n

the findings o f Israeli military

prosecutors, led b y M a j . Gen. Gershon HaCohen, looking

the final stages o f its war o n Lebanon came as n o surprise. I t brought t o m i n d (for this writer) the government's findings i n the state sanctioned murder of the 2 3 year old American peace activist Rachel Corrie, w h o was killed i n broad daylight i n the i n t o Israel's use o f cluster bombs i n

Rafah refugee camp i n March 2 0 0 3 , b y a n I D F soldier operating a n

American made bulldozer. A t the end o f the day, Israeli investigators concluded that Rachel Corrie was responsible for her o w n death. T h e o p e n i n g paragraph o f December

the cluster

b o m b report published i n

the

25, 2007, edition o f T h e Washington Post newspaper ("Isreali

Cluster Bombing Ruled Within the Law," b y Joseph Federman), reads as

follows: "Israeli military prosecutors have determined that Israel's use o f clust e r b o m b s during l a s t year’s w a r i n L e b a n o n d i d n o t violate i n t e r n a t i o n -

al humanitarian law, the army said Monday, closing an investigation into a practice that has drawn heavy criticism from

the United

Nations a n d

international human rights groups. T h e investigation determined that Israel’s use o f

the weapons,

which o p e n i n flight and scatter dozens o f

bomblets, was a ‘concrete military necessity.” N o legal action would b e taken against anyone i n connection with use o f

the weapons, i t

said.

"According t o independent investigators Israel dropped a n estimated

FOUR MILLION cluster bomblets during its 33 day war against Lebanon (most i n the final days o f the conflict), and o f that number, as m a n y as o n e million failed t o explode — resulting i n at least

the 2 0 0 6 conflict.” because o f it), the Israeli

from cluster b o m b s a n d landmines since then e n d of Despite this reality, however (or, perhaps,

30 deaths

233

234

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

military’s advocate general, B r i g . G e n . Avihai Mendelbilt, h a d n o probl e m accepting

the reports conclusions a n d recommendations.

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS THAT LED UP TO THE WAR

O n June 25, 2006, Hamas soldiers captured one o f Israel's I D F soldiers

Gilad Shalit. Instead o f negotiating a swap — more of the thousands of Palestinian captives i n Israeli

by the name

Shalit for one o r

of

p r i s o n s - Israel decided t o arrogantly m o u n t a full scale military assault

against the inhabitants o f Gaza. T h e campaign was so devastating that Hezbollah’s leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah described h i s organization’

the Israeli pressure off Gaza." I n order t o p u t the Palestinian equation into clearer perspective, let’s revisit a n official statement m a d e by t h e elected Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. I t was released by the PLO Mission i n action as a n attempt t o ‘take some o f

Washington, DC, o n July 11, 2006. AGGRESSION UNDER FALSE PRETENSES A s Americans commemorated t h e i r annual celebration o f independ-

ence from colonial occupation, rejoicing i n their democratic institutions, w e Palestinians were yet again besieged b y o u r occupiers, w h o destroy o u r

roads and buildings, o u r power stations a n d water plants, a n d w h o attack

o u r very means o f civil administration. O u r homes and government

offices are shelled, o u r parliamentaria ns taken prisoner and threatened

with p r o s e c u t i o n , The current Gaza invasion is only the latest effort t o destroy the results of fair and free elections held early this year. I t is the explosive follow-up t o a five-month campaign of economic and diplomatic warfare directed

strategy

by the United States a n d Israel. The stated i n t e n t i o n of that was t o force the average Palestinian t o "reconsider " h i s o r h e r

vote

when faced with deepening hardship; its failure was predictable, and

the

n e w overt military aggression a n d collective p u n i s h m e n t are its

The Palestinians ’ Holocaust

logical fulfillment. The "kidnapped" Israeli Cpl. Gilad Shalit is only a pretext for a

job scheduled months ago.

I n addition t o removing o u r democratically elected government,

Israel wants t o sow dissent among Palestinians b y claiming that there is a serious leadership rivalry among us. I a m compelled t o dispel this notion

definitively. The Palestinian leadership is firmly embedded in the concept o f Islamic shura, o r mutual consultation; suffice i t t o say that while w e m a y have differing opinions, w e are united i n mutual respect and focused on

the goal o f serving o u r people. Furthermore, the invasion o f Gaza a n d the kidnapping o f o u r leadthe recent accords brothers a n d sisters i n

ers a n d government officials are meant t o undermine reached between

Fatah and

the government

other factions,

party a n d o u r

o n achieving consensus for resolving the con-

flict. Yet Israeli collective p u n i s h m e n t o n l y strengthens o u r collective

resolve t o work together.

As I

inspect

the ruins

o f o u r infrastructure - -

the largess

o f donor

nations a n d international efforts all turned t o r u b b l e once more b y F-16s

a n d American-made missiles -- m y thoughts again t u r n t o the minds o f

Americans. What do they think of this? They think, doubtless, o f the hostage soldier, taken in battle -- yet thousands o f Palestinians, including hundreds o f women and children,

remain i n Israeli jails for resisting the illegal, ongoing occupation that is condemned b y international law. They t h i n k o f

the pluck

and "tough-

ness" o f Israel, "standing u p ” t o "terrorists." Yet a nuclear Israel possess-

the 13th-largest military force o n the planet, one that is used t o rule a n area a b o u t the size o f N e w Jersey and whose adversaries there have n o es

conventional armed forces. Who is the underdog, supposedly America's traditional favorite, i n this case? I h o p e that Americans will give careful a n d well-informed thought

t o root causes and historical realities, i n which case I think they will

235

236

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

question

why a

supposedly "legitimate" state such as Israel has

had t o

conduct decades o f war against a subject refugee population w i t h o u t ever achieving its goals.

the past year will n o t lead t o peace. These acts -- the temporary withdrawal o f forces from Gaza, the walling off o f the West Bank -- are n o t strides toward resolution b u t empty, symbolic acts that fail t o address the underlying conflict. Israel's nearly complete control over the lives of Palestinians is never i n doubt, as confirmed b y the humanitarian a n d economic suffering of the Palestinians since the January elections. Israel's ongoing policies of expansion, military control a n d assassination m o c k any n o t i o n of Israel's unilateral movements o f

sovereignty o r bilateralism. Its "separation barrier,” r u n n i n g across o u r

land, is hardly a good-faith gesture

toward future coexistence.

B u t there is a remedy, a n d while i t is n o t easy it is consistent with our

of t h e core dispute over the land of historical Palestine and the rights of all its peo-

long-held beliefs. Palestinian priorities i n c l u d e recognition

ple; resolution o f the refugee issue from 1948; reclaiming all lands occup i e d i n 1 9 6 7 ; and s t o p p i n g Israeli attacks, assassinations a n d military expansion. Contrary to popular depictions o f the crisis i n the American media,

the

dispute is not only about Gaza a n d the West Bank; it is a wider national conflict that can be resolved only by addressing thefull dimensions o fPalestinian national rights i n a n integrated manner. This means statehoodfor the West Bank a n d Gaza, a capital i n Arab East Jerusalem, a n d resolving the 1948 Palestinian refugee issue fairly, o n the basis o f internation al legitimacy a n d established law. Meaningfu l negotiations with a non-expansi onist, law-abiding Israel can proceed only after this tremendous labor has begun. Surely the American people grow weary of this folly, after 50 years and $160 billion in taxpayer support for Israel's war-making capacity -its "defense." Some Americans , I believe, m u s t be asking themselves i f all

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

237

blood a n d treasure c o u l d n o t have b o u g h t more tangible results for Palestine if o n l y U.S. policies had been predicated from the start o n historical truth, equity a n d justice. this

However, we do

n o t want to

live on international welfare and

American handouts. W e w a n t what Americans enjoy - - democratic rights, economic sovereignty a n d justice. W e thought o u r pride i n conducting

the fairest elections i n the Arab world might

with the United States a n d its citizens. Instead, o u r n e w government was m e t from the very b e g i n n i n g b y acts o f explicit, declared sabotage b y the White House. N o w this aggression continues against 3 . 9 million civilians l i v i n g i n the resonate

world's largest prison camps.

America's complacency i n

the face

o f these war crimes is, as usual,

embedded i n the coded rhetorical green light: "Israel has a right to defend itself." Was Israel defending itself when it killed eight family members on a Gaza beach last m o n t h o r three members o f the Hajjaj family o n Saturday, a m o n g them 6-year-old Rawan? I refuse t o believe that such

inhumanity sits well with the American public. W e present this clear message: I f Israel will not allow Palestinians t o

live i n peace, dignity and national integrity, Israelis themselves will n o t

be able t o

defend ouroccupying soldiers and aggression i s a matter of law, as set-

enjoy those same rights. Meanwhile, o u r right t o

selves from

tled i n the Fourth Geneva Convention. I f Israel is prepared to negotiate seriously a n d fairly, and resolve the core 1 9 4 8 issues, rather than the secondary ones from 1967, a fair a n d permanent peace is possible. Based o n a hudna (comprehensive cessation of hostilities for an agreed time), the Holy Land still has an opportunity t o be a peaceful a n d stable economic powerhouse for all the Semitic people o f the region. I f Americans only knew the truth, possibility might become reality.

238

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS I N LEBANON I t is widely believed that Israels assault o n Lebanon was i n the

pipeline for a long time, just waiting for the right opportunity implemented; Hezbollah's July 12 raid provided that opportunity. According t o

the

to

be

U n i t e d N a t i o n s I n t e r i m Force i n L e b a n o n

(UNIFIL), since Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon i n M a y 2 0 0 0 , there had been hundreds o f violations o f

the " b l u e l i n e "

between

the t w o countries l e a d i n g u p t o J u l y 2 0 0 6 . Israeli aircraft reportedly

crossed the line "on an almost daily basis” between 2001 and 2003, and "persistently" u n t i l 2 0 0 6 — p r o d u c i n g m u c h anxiety w i t h i n

the civilian

population whenever low-altitude flights broke the s o u n d barrier.

There were other incidents over the years; for example, occasions when Hezbollah reportedly fired missiles a n d mortar rounds at I D F positions, a n d the I D F responded with heavy artillery a n d sometimes aerial bombardment. According t o

U N records,

"none

of the incidents

result-

e d i n a military escalation.”

O n May 26, 2006, t w o officials of Islamic Jihad were killed by a car bomb i n the Lebanese city of Sidon. This was widely assumed i n Lebanon and Israel t o be the work o f the Israeli Mossad. A month later, a m a n named M a h m o u d Rafeh confessed t o that h e had been working for Mossad since

the killings a n d admitted 1994. There were reactive

skirmishes i n the border area which "remained

tense

until July 12. the two soldiers, i t

and volatile," but

Unifil says i t was "generally quiet" W h e n Hezbollah captured

exchange them

reportedly offered t o

for the 15 prisoners o f war taken b y the Israelis d u r i n g t h e

occupation o f Lebanon and never released (in violation o f article 118 o f

the t h i r d

Geneva Convention) . Israel refused, a n d the rest as they say, is

history. Unnamed “senior Israeli officials” reportedly informed various U.S.

media

that

the raid by Hizbullah provided Israel with a "unique

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

moment” for w i p i n g o u t

239

the organization, a n d that the US government

of Israel's i n t e n t i o n t o take military action i n Lebanon. There were even a number of "off the record” power-point presentations by one or more Israeli officials t o diplomats, journalists and think tanks, as m u c h as a year before the operation; and a professor at Bar-Ilan University reportedly boasted, "of all o fIsrael's wars since 1948, this was the one for which Israel was most prepared.”

k n e w i n advance

(The Bush administration provided Israel with time, diplomatic cover, and material s u p p o r t d u r i n g the assault, and reportedly informed the British government of the impending operation.) T H E SAVAGE ASSAULT

in southern Lebanon is a terrorist a n d is connected to Hezbollah. Our great advantage vis-a-vis Hezbollah is our firepower, n o t in "Everyone

face-to-face combat." - Israel's Justice M i n i s t e r H a i m R a m o n This revealing statement made b y R a m o n early i n i n g a security cabinet m e e t i n g

headed b y

the conflict, dur-

Israeli Prime Minister E h u d

the i n t r i n s i c nature of Israel. M o r e significantly, i t underscored the fact that the barbaric collective punishment that Israel meted o u t t o the Lebanese people was n o t by chance - but stemmed Olmert, clearly revealed

from very deliberate, calculated

At

the

policy!

time R a m o n made that statement, civilian casualties i n

of carpet b o m b i n g i n the America ("The land of liberty and justice for all’)

Lebanon stood at a b o u t 6 0 0 , after 1 6 days

south! The fact t h a t

provided b o t h diplomatic cover a n d material support for these uncon-

scionable CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY, should be a source of profound SHAME for every t r u e patriot with blood i n his or her veins! H a n e e n Sayed a n d Zafiris Tzannatos - t w o of the contributors t o the book titled, The War On Lebanon: A Reader, edited by Nubar Hovsepian (Olive Branch Press) - wrote a n essay entitled "The Economic and

240

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

the War." I n i t they state: half o f 2006 had many signs

H u m a n Costs o f

"The first

o f what might have been a

the country enjoyed its strongest period o f economic growth since 1995 and expected to reach six percent by the end of the year... As a direct result of the war, nearly 1,200 Lebanese and 160 Israelis were killed, though the losses on both sides are still being counted [Nov 2006]. T h e expected six percent rate o f economic bumper year for Lebanon. During those six months

growth for 2 0 0 6 is n o w estimated t o t u r n n e g a t i v e . . . "

AMERICA’S COMPLICITY M a n y believe Israel's war o n Lebanon was i n large part a proxy war for

the U.S. government against Hezbollah, Iran and Syria. When asked whether the Bush Administration had plans (in its so-called "war on terrorism”) for

Hezbollah, at a Washington, D C ,

forum i n 2002, former Deputy Secretary

of State Richard Armitage responded, "Their time will come. There is no question about it. They have a blood debt to us, and were not going to forget it." Armitage was referring t o the 1983 attack o n the U.S. Marine Barracks

in Lebanon, resulting in the death of 241 American soldiers, and the U.S. retreat

from an occupation that never should have occurred in the first place.

(In 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon t o drive o u t Palestinian forces led by Yasser

Arafat and t o establish a pro-Israeli government led b y its Lebanese allies. An estimated 18,000 people were killed in that conflict (which included the Sabra

and Shatilla massacres), the vast majority o f

them were women

and

children. THE ARAB RESPONSE

"CAIRO, Egypt — One of Saudi Arabia's leading Wahhabi sheikhs, Abdullah bin Jabreen has issued a strongly worded religious edict, o r fatwa, declaring it unlawful t o support, join or pray for the Shiite militias, defending Lebanon against the Israeli war crimes and crimes against humanity." These few words said i t all. N o t o n l y d i d Lebanon’s state forces s t a n d

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

o n the sidelines like unconnected spectators, Arab states i n the region were equally immobile — resulting i n considerable low level unrest among Muslim populations i n a number o f predominante ly Sunni countries, w h o viewed Hezbollah as valiantly standing u p for Muslim honour.

would be fitting before closing this chapter t o cite a couple of highly relevant statements made by Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. The first comes from a n address the Hezbollah leader delivered o n July 25, 2006, o n AlManar TV. "After listening t o the speech o f the U S Secretary o f State, o n a N e w It

Middle East, which means a new US-Israeli Middle East, can anyone imagine that this gigantic project [the Israeli invasion] was born i n one

the resistance captured the t w o Israeli soldiers? "All the information confirms that the launching pad for this project been under preparation since o n e year m i n i m u m . According t o the

o r t w o days after

has

US reckoning, there are obstacles ahead o f a new Middle East. This means

the

region which

the

U S administration controls a n d solely

administers its affairs, sources and fortunes with its first partner "Israel"

- i n the new Middle East, there is no place for any resisting movement.

What is required is

to

work on eliminating the obstacles, which are the

resistance movements i n Lebanon and Palestine as well as Syria a n d Iran.

" T h e issue began i n Palestine. The elimination o f

the resisting movem e n t s in Palestine w a s a d e m a n d . Then elections t o o k place a n d the resistance movement won, placing them [the schemers] i n a situation of embarrassment. Hence, they struck the Palestinian nation, starved it, prevented a i d from i t , a n d they have been driving the situation i n Palestine towards a n internal conflict. The menace that threatened the Palestinian

the capturing of the Israeli soldier t o o k place i n Gaza. T h e significance of this operation was that i t pushed the gravity of the internal conflict away from the Palestinians a n d

nation was the internal conflict.

Later,

brought them back t o the main and real battle.

241

242

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

" I n Lebanon, over the entire past year, there have been US direct and indirect efforts exerted. T h e Americans, clearly, widely a n d dedicatedly,

the developments o f the internal conditions i n Lebanon. They had their bets that failed o n the internal level. They could n o t find someone w h o can eliminate the resistance current and its existence i n Lebanon. T h e p u b l i c embracement o f the resistance shocked t h e m . observed

Therefore, they pursued another option. "Within one year, they studied the situation o f the Lebanese army, a n d w e k n o w that there were several military delegations that arrived a n d asked numerous questions. They were surprised because

the Lebanese

this k i n d o f battle because i t was a national army, its leaders, officers, seniors a n d soldiers. T h e dogma o f the

army was unable t o risk patriotic with

army prevents i t from b e i n g involved i n this kind o f conspiracy. T h e army commandment played a wise a n d delicate role d u r i n g

the difficult

stage that stormed Lebanon p e r t a i n i n g t o its internal conditions. They b e t o n inserting Hizbullah i n the government t o render i t so busy i n p o s i t i o n s a n d plans, as t o cause i t t o recede from its combative responsi-

bilities; this did n o t happen. "All

the internal information

proved that this issue was unsuitable for

gambling. Hence, they awaited the results of the dialogue. They observed its details and reached a n outcome

that this

goal was o u t o f reach. T h e

Americans reached a p o i n t where they saw that there was n o internal way they could bet o n t o finish

the resistance with

its current a n d existence.

O n the regional level, they gambled o n our friends in Syria and Iran and

discovered, despite all their falsities and vanities, that neither Iran nor Syria were willing to finish the resistance i n Lebanon o r Palestine. They reached the inescapable conclusion according t o their perception that there was only o n e

side o n which they can depend, to strike

the resistance

i n Lebanon

and

Palestine, and later work on isolating and intimidating Syria and Iran. "Based o n

this perception, the Americans

decided o n

the Israeli war

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

o n Lebanon. The information that we obtained explained that all [of]

the maneuvers which the enemy forces had conducted over the past few months, especially in the northern part of Occupied Palestine and in the southern part o f Occupied Palestine, were probably preparations for

This aggression

the the

already planned o r it was basis of action either late September o r early October. They also needed assault o n Lebanon.

was

some data o r intelligence information i n order t o continue their war

plan.”

Nasarallah’s address o f August 3, 2 0 0 6 : " I conclude b y sending m y greetings t o the mujahideen. A n d I remind the Zionists that they have only one choice, stop the aggression a n d return t o the political approach. N o one will save y o u from your trouble. I f y o u are betting o n the U S administration thinking i t i s capable of saving you, I must tell y o u that i t is too weak t o even save itself i n Iraq a n d Afghanistan. I t will not come t o save y o u i n Lebanon. What T h e next excerpt comes from

can i t do? I t can only dictate. W e refuse dictations..." A CLOSING THOUGHT:

O n Saturday, August 19, 2006, Israel did what Israel does best: i t violated a six

day old ceasefire, igniting

a fierce

gun battle that

resulted

i n o n e Israeli officer killed a n d two wounded. Helicopter borne Israeli

commandos raided what was described as a "Hezbollah stronghold i n

the

Bekka Valley" - near the t o w n of Boudai, about 20 miles from the Syrian border. Israel claimed i t was " a n operation t o interdict shipments of weapons

a n d munitions from Syria and I r a n . ” Both Lebanese Prime

Minister Fouad

(The Washington Siniora a n d [then]

Post,

8/20/00)

U N Secretary

General Kofi Annan labelled the attack "a flagrant violation” o f the U N brokered ceasefire, a n d warned that i t

derail the agreement.

had the potential

t o completely

243

244

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

PLEASE STOP! Shariyf D . Abdul Qabid, Kutztown University _ ecently, I had the privilege of reading Advocating For Israel: 7

Activists

An

Guide.

To

receive

a

copy,

e-mail:

\[email protected]. I say it was a privilege t o read because ] a m a researcher of literature a n d I love all types of discourse. T h e AntiDefamation League would like the masses t o k n o w about Zionists beliefs A.

à

and practices.

This activist guide is too large t o touch o n every p o i n t w i t h i n

book. That would require a book

to

the

do a thorough job; therefore, I will

focus o n a few statements. O n pages 2 6 a n d 2 7 , G l e n A . Tobias, National

Chair, and Abraham H . Foxman, National Director, explain t o the world h o w Israel cares for a n d respects Palestinians

the same

w a y they care for

a n d respect Jews.

T h e first p o i n t I w i l l address is

the following izens." Here is the A D L s response t o

the

Anti-Defamation Leagues’

statement: "Israel treats Arabs as second-class cit-

response: "Israel makes n o d i s t i n c t i o n between

the same rights as t o practice their religion w i t h -

its Arab a n d Jewish citizens. Israeli Arabs citizens enjoy t h e i r Jewish neighbors. They are also free

o u t discrimination, i n accordance with Israel’s commitment to democra-

c y a n d freedom"

(27).

the BBC has reported o n this subject. I n the 20 September 2007 edition of the online version of the BBC News (Middle East section), the headline reads: Israel curbs Ramadan prayer entry. T h e article states: "Only m e n aged over 45 were allowed t o enter Jerusalem for prayers a t the al-Aqsa mosque i n the Old City." T h e article further states: Palestinians have l o n g c o m p l a i n e d i t is a v i o l a t i o n o f their freedom of worship. P a l e s t i n i a n s needed t o o b t a i n specialpermits t o e n t e r Here is what

the al-Aqgsa mosque, which is the third holiest shrine i n Islam as well as

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

being revered by Jews as the Temple Mount. Only women over 35 were allowed in. H o w is this freedom o f religion? In addition, "Israel has constructed a massive barrier around Jerusalem and controls Palestinian

access from the Israeli-occupied West Bank and some parts o f occupied Fast

Jerusalem through

a number o f checkpoints." D o quasi-religious

rights and freedoms start after age 4 5 for m e n and 3 5 for women? They

i f y o u are a Palestinian living i n Democratic Israel! I a m n o t here t o tell the reader what t o believe, I a m here t o present the facts. Democratic ideas and freedoms are beautiful when put into practice. Is

do

denying worshipers access to their places o f worship freedom? Remember,

"Israeli Arabs citizens enjoy the same rights as theirJewish neighbors. They are also free to practice their religion without discrimination, i n accordance with Israels commitment to democracy a n dfreedom.” Noble concepts written o n paper are meaningless unless adhered to.

I n the book, they state that Zionism is n o t a racist ideology, Israel is b y n a t u r e a democratic a n d n o t a discriminatory

country, a n d Israel treats

Arabs as equal citizens. Before I state the facts, t h i n k about what you just read, what y o u see o n the news, a n d read i n the paper. Although the

media distorts the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, even children can see there is injustice and inequality in the Holy Land. According t o the G u i d e , when someone says, " Z i o n i s m is a racist ide-

ology" the response is: Zionism is the Jewish national movement of the rebirth and renew-

al in the land of Israel — the historical birthplace of the Jewish people. The yearning t o return t o Zion, the biblical term for both the Land of Israel and Jerusalem, has been the cornerstone of Jewish religious life since the Jewish exile from the land two thousand years ago, and is embedded in Jewish prayer, ritual, literature and culture.

Rooted in the liberal principles of freedom, democracy, equality, and social justice, Zionism is fundamentally opposed t o racism. (26)

245

246

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

The Oxford English Dictionary, the dictionary used for serious scholarship states Zionism is: " A movement among modern Jews havingfor its object the assured settlement o f their race upon a national basis i n Palestine; after 1948, concerned chiefly with the development o f the State o f

Israel.”

|

Stating that Zionism

is a

statement. N o o n e wants t o b e

say

they are n o t

racist ideology is a carefully constructed

called a racist. T h e

Zionists c a n honestly

racist, as they a d m i t Vietnamese a n d Ethiopian Jews i n t o

they are a n ethnic group. B y forming the sentence using a loaded synonym, the Zionists are able t o persuade p e o ple into believing they are a race. T h e O E D defines race as: " A group o f persons, animals, o r plants, connected by common descent o r origin. I n the Israel. T h e Jews are n o t a race,

widest sense the

includes all descendants from the original stock,

term

but may also be limited

to

a single line o f descent or

to

the group as i t

from t h e of both the

exists a t a particular p e r i o d . ” A r e n o t t h e Arabs descendants

same patriarch as the

Jews? Yes,

Abraham is

the forefather

Arabs and the Jews. I am n o t against Jews or their having a place t o live. I am against the Zionist practices

of usurpation of land, the denial of freedom, colonial-

ism, inequality, social injustice, and racism. Simply put, I a m against the

Zionist practices in the former British Mandate called Palestine.

by Nazis i n a European Jewry wanted t o

After being treated a n d slaughtered

unfitting for even animals,

that is their l i v i n g

manner

flee

nightmare, and who could blame them. N o one will deny that Jews lived

the Holy Lands two

but they left their homes and any right t o claim them. Let m e say that again: they left t h e i r homes two millennia ago a n d any right t o claim them. However, Zionists claims they in

have a

right

thousand years ago

t o return. Were n o t the Palestinians

living there

for a t least

2 0 0 0 years before the Jews came from Europe? Yes they were. So, h o w is i t that Palestinians

do n o t have a right

t o reclaim

their lands?

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

According to the Advocating For Israel:

the cornerstone of the State of Israel. As exemplified b y its Declaration o f Independence, Israel guarantees that

Democracy is

its government will be "for the benefit o f all its inhabitants; it will b e based o n freedom,

justice, peace as envisaged by the Prophets

of Israel, it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights t o all its inhabitants irrespective o f religion, race, o r sex; i t

will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; i t will safe guard the Holy Places o f all religions;

and i t will be faithful United Nations." Its

all citizens

to

two

the principals of the Charter of the

languages are Hebrew and Arabic, and

regardless o f religion, ethnicity o r color are accorded

full civil and political rights, and equal participation in all aspects o f Israeli social, political, and civic life. (26-27) I f the small proofs I presented from the B B C are n o t enough, then I recommend watching the E m m y Award w i n n i n g film "Promises," a doc-

umentary written, produced, and directed by Justine Shapiro, B.Z.

Goldberg, and Carlos Bolado. Found in many public libraries, this 102m i n u t e video b y a n American Jew will show y o u

the injustice

and

the

lack o f freedom Palestinians have i n Israel. The back cover reads: A beautiful and deeply moving portrait o f seven Palestinian and

Israeli children. PROMISES follows the journey of a filmmaker who meets these children in and around Jerusalem, from a Palestinian refugee camp t o a n Israeli settlement i n the West Bank. Although they live only 20 minutes apart, these children exist i n completely separate

worlds, divided b y physical, histori-

cal and emotional boundaries. If

that

is still n o t enough, reflect o n the 18 January 2007 interview

247

248

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

with former President,

Jimmy Carter, a b o u t

his book entitled Palestine:

Peace N o t Apartheid. Here is an anecdote from the interview:

Q:

the term "apartheid" has been a lightning rod i n your book. Could you explain your choice? Were you

Your use o f

the response t o surprised by the reaction? A : T h e book is about

|

Palestine,

the occupied

territories, a n d n o t

the West Bank a n d terrible oppression of the Palestinians create a situation accurately described by the word. I made i t plain i n the text that this abuse is n o t based o n racism, but o n the desire o f a minority o f Israelis t o confiscate a n d colonize Palestinian land. This violates the basic humanitarian premises o n which the n a t i o n of Israel was founded. M y surprise is that m o s t critics of the book have ignored the facts about Palestinian persecution a n d its proposals for future peace a n d resorted t o personal attacks o n the author. N o o n e could visit the occupied territories and deny that the book is accurate. about Israel. Forced segregation i n

the Jews have a right the expense o f others.

Lastly, t o m y Jewish brothers and sisters, I say, t o peacefully coexist i n

D i d y o u forget ents went

the H o l y

the torture

Land

but n o t

at

a n d humiliation your parents a n d grandpar-

through? Is there a difference between the involuntary ghettos

o f Nazi Germany a n d

the involuntary Palestinian

ghettos? Your parents

a n d grandparents were people w h o deserved respect, just as the

Palestinians deserve respect. To put aside your humanity when you are

angry 1s not civilized, t o show love and compassion is. We can all live in peace and security, as soon as the lies stop and everyone sincerely works, n o t towards, but for peace.

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

T H E E N D U R I N G MESSAGE OF RACHEL CORRIE , achel Corrie was a remarkable young woman w h o had been

*

a student a t Evergreen College i n Washington State.

Sensitive, soft-hearted, with a spirit that inclined toward

LW

justice, she was only 23 years of age - and o n her very first visit

Middle

East - when

her life

was cruelly snatched away

by

the

to

a n Israeli

soldier operating an American made bulldozer on March 16, 2003. Within

days

of h e r

death, this writer

had a n opportunity

parents, along with her older brother and his wife,

at

to meet her

a protest vigil that

was held outside o f the Israeli embassy i n Washington, D C . Along with m y condolences, I congratulated Rachel’s family for having such a

remarkable member; and I vowed, on behalf o f The Peace And Justice

do everything i n o u r power t o insure that her would n o t be s o o n forgotten. Within months o f that w e published a small book entitled The Message of

Foundation, that w e would supreme sacrifice

fateful

encounter

Rachel Corrie.

Though small i n size,

woman out

the book had a n

immediate impact. O n e

of N e w Jersey, w h o received a copy of the book as a gift,

sent

us a note that read: Words alone cannot express

the gratitude I

feel for you having

the book o n Rachel Corrie. I t l i t e r a l l y m o v e d m e t o tears. A s a woman w h o is half Jewish I a m outraged by what occurred, shamed a n d saddened. All the while reading i t I couldn’t shake the feeling that this could have been m y daughter. I must also confess t o feeling almost a sense of embarrassment for having allowed myself t o view the Arab-Israeli conflict through a d i s t o r t e d lens for so m a n y years. I will never be the same, a n d written

249

250

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

I have y o u and t h e incredible sacrifice made young w o m a n t o

thank for

by this

courageous

o p e n i n g m y eyes.

G o d bless you and your organization sir, and m a y your

book

enjoy all the success t h a t it so richly deserves. - Laura S. (New Brunswick, NJ) The Message o f Rachel Corrie focused the readers a t t e n t i o n o n conditions i n Occupied Palestine, a n d o n the question of why Rachel was

willing t o put her life i n jeopardy in the manner t h a t she did. As w e n o t e d i n that small book, Rachels brutal death dramatically illustrates the

the lack of accountability graphically illustrates the "evil" of America’s "special relationship” with the apartheid s t a t e of

madness o f war. (And

Israel!) Since her death, the writings

of

Rachel have been made i n t o a

t h o u g h t - p r o v o k i n g p l a y s u r r o u n d e d b y controversy. A s K a t h r y n

Greenway wrote i n T h e Gazette

(of Canada):

M e n t i o n the name Rachel C o r r i e and emotions flare. O n March

16, 2003, the 23-year-old student died. According t o her supporters, she was trying t o prevent t h e destruction o f

the h o m e

of Dr. Samir Nasrallah i n Rafah i n the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military said the bulldozer driver d i d n o t see h e r a n d that she was crushed by debris. O t h e r witnesses said

the bulldozer deliberately ran over Corrie. Almost five years later, the details swirling around her death continue to be hotly disputed. A play based o n 1 8 4 pages of Corrie's writings is c o m i n g t o the Monument National [in Montreal] o n Dec. 6. M y Name Is Rachel Corrie was edited for

the stage by

actor/director Alan Rickman a n d

Guardian Weekend e d i t o r K a t h a r i n e Viner. I t

d e b u t e d at

London's Royal Court Theatre i n 2005 t o critical praise and no protest...

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

but controversy flared s o o n afterward. T h e play w a s s u p p o s e d t o o p e n a t the N e w York Theatre Workshop in 2005 but was dropped from the roster a t the last

T h e L o n d o n r u n was s m o o t h ,

minute, and last year Toronto's CanStage theatre decided to

drop it from its 2007-2008 season. " I a m only t o o aware of the pressures that any independent theatre company m a y come

under, either financial or from its supporters or its board," Rickman wrote, "Strange that we live i n times when the words o f one very young woman cause people to slam doors rather than open

them. Fear really does eat the soul." I n each case, cancellations prompted angry letters, wherein issues o f

of speech a n d censorship were raised. Despite the controversy, however, the play has been produced o n stages around the world, and the parents of Rachel have been encouraged b y reactions t o the performances. T h e writings, which form the basis of the play, come from Rachel's journals (some reaching back t o her childhood) along with email freedom

exchanges with her family during that short period she spent in the

death. " C e r t a i n l y what she writes about is disturbing, her father Craig said. "But she wanted all people, n o t just the

M i d d l e East before h e r

Israelis or the Palestinians, t o feel what she felt. To feel responsible in some w a y for what was going on."

I n one e-mail Rachel wrote:

"This [occupation] has t o stop! I think i t is a good idea for us

and devote o u r lives t o making this stop. I don’t think it’s a n extremist thing t o do anymore. I really want t o dance around t o Pat Benatar and have boyfriends and m a k e all t o

drop everything

comics for m y co-workers. B u t I also want

this

t o stop.

and horror i s what I feel. Disappointment. I a m disappointed that this is the base reality of o u r world and that

Disbelief

we, i n fact, participate in it.

251

252

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

all what I asked for w h e n I came into this world. This is not a t all what the people here [Palestinians of Rafah] asked for w h e n they came into this world. This is n o t what they are asking for now. This i s n o t t h e world y o u and D a d wanted "This is not

at

m e t o come into w h e n y o u decided t o have m e . "

the state of Israel, after their failed efforts t o get satisfactory answers via the U . S . gove r n m e n t a b o u t the c i r c u m s t a n c e s leading t o t h e i r daughter’s untimely I n 2 0 0 5 , Mr. and

Mrs. Corrie

filed a lawsuit against

death. "We keep pushing, asking for more,” her mother, Cindy said. "The bottom l i n e is, there has been n o accountability.” Let M e Stand Alone: The Journals o f Rachel Corrie (W.W. Norton), is set for release i n March

2008. The

Corries c o n t i n u e t o w o r k o n peace

a n d h u m a n rights initiatives through

for Peace

and Justice.

The

Rachel Corrie Foundation

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

253

H A M A S STAND author, Dr.

the deputy o f the political bureau o f Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Movement. His commentary, which provides the organizations goalsfor all o fPalestine, waspublished on July 10, 2007. The

Mousa A b u Marzook, is

Damascus, Syria — HAMAS' RESCUE of a BBC journalist from h i s captors i n G a z a last w e e k w a s surely cause for rejoicing. B u t I w a n t t o

be clear about one thing: We did n o t deliver up Alan Johnston as some obsequious b o o n t o Western powers.

I t was done as part

of militias

of our

effort t o secure Gaza from

the lawlessness

what the source. Gaza will b e calm a n d under the r u l e of law — a place where all journalists, foreigners a n d guests o f the Palestinian people will b e treated with dignity. Hamas has a n d violence, n o matter

never supported attacks o n Westerners, as even o u r harshest critics will concede; o u r struggle has always b e e n focused o n

the occupier

and o u r

legal resistance t o i t — a right o f occupied people that is explicitly supported b y

the Fourth

Geneva Convention.

Yet o u r movement is continually l i n k e d by President Bush and Israeli

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert t o ideologies t h a t they know full well we do not

follow, such as the agenda o f A l Qaeda and its adherents. B u t we are

n o t part

of

a broader war. O u r resistance struggle is n o one's proxy,

although w e welcome

the support of people

everywhere for

justice i n

Palestine.

the will of the Palestinian electorate by destroying our fledgling government have n o t succeeded — rather, the U.S.-assisted Fatah c o u p has o n l y multiplied the p r o b l e m s of The American efforts

t o negate

Washington's "two-state s o l u t i o n . ”

Mr. Bush has for the m o m e n t found a pliant friend in Abu Mazen, a "moderate" i n the American view, but o n e w h o cannot seriously expect

254

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

the West

Bank after

having taken American arms and Israeli s u p p o r t t o depose

the elected

to command confidence i n the streets o f Gaza o r

government

by

force. W e deplore the current prognosticat ing over

"Fatah-land" versus "Hamastan." I n the end, there can be only one Palestinian state.

B u t what o f

the characterization

by

the West

o f o u r movement as

the pale o f civilized discourse? O u r "militant" stance c a n n o t b y itself b e the disqualifying factor, as many armed struggles have historicall y resulted i n a place at the table o f nations. N o r can any deny the reasonableness o f o u r fight against the occupation and the right of Palestinians t o have dignity, justice and self-rule. beyond

Yet i n my many years of keeping an open mind

to

all sides o f the

American prison, a m forever asked t o concede the recognition

Palestine question — including those I spent i n a n awaiting Israeli "justice" — I o f Israel's putative

"right to exist” as a necessary precondition t o discussing

grievances, and t o renounce positions found i n

the Islamic

Resistance

Movement's charter o f 1 9 8 8 , a n essentially revolutionary document b o r n of

the intolerable conditions under occupation more than 2 0 years ago. T h e sticking point o f "recognition" has been used as a litmus test t o

judge Palestinians. Yet as I have said before, a state may have a right t o exist, b u t not absolutely a t the expense o f other states, o r m o r e important, a t the expense of millions of human individuals and their rights t o justice. Why

"right" t o

has never even acknowledged the foundational crimes o f murder and ethnic cleansing by means o f which Israel took our towns and villages, our farms and orchards, and made us a nation o f refugees? should anyone concede Israel's

out

exist, w h e n it

Why should any Palestinian "recognize" the m o n s t r o u s crime carried by Israel's founders and continued by its deformed modern apartheid

state,

while he or she lives 10

to

a room i n a cinderblock, tin-roof United

Nations h u t ? These are n o t abstract questions, and i t is n o t rejectionist

The Palestinian s’ Holocaust

simply because w e have refused t o abandon

255

the victims o f 1948 a n d their

descendants.

As for the 1988 charter, i f every state o r movement were t o be judged solely by its foundational, revolutionary documents o r the ideas of its

be a

deal t o answer for o n all sides. The American Declaration o f Independence, with its self-evident truth o f equality, simply did not countenance (at least, n o t i n the minds o f most o f its illustrious progenitors, there would

good

signatories) any such status for the 700,000 African slaves a t that time; nor

did the Constitution avoid codifying slavery as a n institution, counting "other persons” as three-fifths o f a man. Israel, which has never formally adopted a constitution o f its o w n but rather operates through the slow accretion o f Basic Laws, declares itself explicitly to be a state for the Jews, conferringprivileged status based o n faith i n a land where millions o f occupants are Arabs, Muslims and Christians. The writings of Israel's "founders" — from Herzl t o Jabotinsky t o

the destruction o f Palestine's n o n expel the Arabs a n d take their places." A

B e n G u r i o n — make repeated calls for

Jewish inhabitants:

" W e must

number o f political parties today control blocs i n the Israeli Knesset,

the expulsion

from Israel a n d the rest o f Palestine, e n v i s i o n i n g a s i n g l e Jewish state from the Jordan t o the sea. Yet | hear n o clamor i n the international community for Israel t o repudiate these words as a necessary precondition for any discourse whatsoever. T h e double standard, as always, is i n effect for Palestinians. I , for o n e , do n o t t r o u b l e myself over " r e c o g n i z i n g " Israel's right t o exist — this is not, after all, a n epistemologicalproblem; Israel does exist, as any Rafah boy in a hospital bed, with IDF shrapnel in his torso, can tell y o u . This dance o f mutual rejection is a mere distraction when while advocating for

o f Arab citizens

so m a n y are dying o r have lived as prisoners for t w o generations i n refugee camps. A s I write these words, Israeli forays i n t o Gaza have killed

another 15 people, including a child. Who but a Jacobin dares t o discuss

256

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

the "rights"

o f nations i n the face

of such relentless state violence against

an occupied population?

forward to the day when Israel can say t o me, and millions o f other Palestinians: "Here, here is your family's house by the sea, here are your lemon trees, the olive grove your father tended: Come home a n d be whole I look

again." Then w e can speak o f a future together. A N OPEN LETTER TO CONDOLEEZA RICE

Dr. Ahmad Yousuf is the Senior Political Advisor in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Gaza. His open letter t o the U.S. Secretary o f State was released i n December 2007. T h e Honorable Secretary o f State

M s . Condoleezza Rice

U . S . Department o f State

2201 C Street N W Washington,

D C 20520

Dear Secretary Rice, I a m writing t o you in light of t h e conference in Annapolis t o fulfill o u r obligations t o the Palestinian voters w h o have overwhelmingly

legit-

imized our governance. Your administration cannot want peace more

the Palestinian people want a n d need peace. However, peace initiatives and conferences are ineffectual if the basic ingredients for success are n o t present. Meaningful steps toward a resolution c a n n o t take place while the legitimacy o f the elected government i n Palestine continues t o be ignored by your administration. Not only is the policy t o isolate Hamas unethical i t is ineffectual as well. Your administration ignores the realities o n the ground. The Change a n d Reform Party, the name o f the n e w political party w e formed for the Palestinian elections, w o n a n than

overwhelming majority i n the occupied territories. T o pretend otherwise

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

257

is n o t only futile but detrimental t o US interests in the region for many years t o come a n d likely t o add t o the anti-American sentiment througho u t the Middle East a n d the M u s l i m world. Y o u cannot preach a b o u t exporting democracy i n Iraq and Afghanistan and ignore the democratic process i n Palestine. M a n y people make the mistake of presuming that w e have some ideological aversion t o making peace. Quite the opposite; w e have consistently offered dialogue with the U.S. and the E.U. t o try and resolve the very issues that y o u are trying t o deal with i n Annapolis. O u r conflict with the Israelis i s a grievance-based conflict. W e w a n t t o e n d the occupation of our land a n d the systematic h u m a n rights abuses that o u r people suffer from daily. We do n o t have any ideological problems with living side by side with Christians and Jews. When w e have n o t been occupied w e have successfully d o n e this for thousands of years. However, they can n o t live i n peace a n d security i n a land that was usurped. Indeed ifyou askeda Jewishperson where they would have been safest to live over the last two millennia, with Arabs o r Europeans, the answer would be obvious. N o r do w e have any ideological arguments with the West. W e are not anti-American, anti-European o r anti-anyone. T h e root of the problem which neither Israel nor the U S is willing t o acknowledge, let alone

the dispossession of the Palestinian people upon the creation i n their homeland of Israel in 1948. address, is

I t would come as n o surprise t o us i f this letter were t o b e m e t with

dismissal, i n keeping with this administration’ policy o f n o t dealing with

the fact that w e entered the democratic process and held a unilateral ceasefire of o u r o w n for over two years. B u t h o w do you "terrorists," despite

think the Arab and Muslim worlds react

to

this American hypocrisy?

Even o u r growing ranks o f western supporters complain about U.S. narrow-mindedness a n d the

bullying of

its allies t o t o w the American

line. The State o f Department should be looking for new solutions

258

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

instead o f reinforcing

old stereotypes.

O n a personal note w e found i t

black person empathizes with Israeli deaths o n the o n e hand a n d Palestinian segregation o n the other if media reports are accurate. I t is a military occupation Ms. Rice. Their citizens face insecurity a n d death because that is the s i t u a t i o n they have created for themselves. amusing that a

We do n o t beg you t o recognize us. Our party is the legitimately elected party i n

the occupied territories.

Y o u o w e i t t o your sense

engage meaningfully with all relevant parties t o T h e conference is faulty i n

its inception. It

of fairness

to

the conflict.

was conceived i n a vacuum

and hastily announced for political expediency. In addition, it ignores the inherent weaknesses of the negotiating parties involved. Furthermore, despite

the conference has not secured the key Arab support y o u were hoping for. Arab leaders are leery of committing t o a n American initiative that exhibits n o fundamental change from the past. Annapolis’ failure will have negative consequences for those Arab states that supported it, further destabilizing the region. Our skepticism is based o n experience. Y o u k n o w that despite every call for restraint b y the U . S . over the last twenty years the Israelis have your efforts

c o n t i n u e d t o expand a n d develop their vast network o f towns a n d roads

talked i n Annapolis the s o u n d o f cranes and bulldozers were echoing across the West Bank as those networks continue t o grow. I t is therefore hard t o imagine a n Israeli governm e n t b e n t o n a peaceful withdrawal from o u r land. W e c a n o n l y p r e s u m e o n Palestinian land. While y o u sat a n d

that they are paying lip-service t o your request t o participate, s e e i n g i t as

talk about peace with n o real i n t e n t i o n t o deliver. the entire Palestinian people are b e i n g p u n i s h e d for

a delaying tactic t o

Meanwhile having

the temerity

t o h o l d a free a n d fair election a n d c h o o s i n g us as

hard t o get across the appalling level o f privation the Palestinian people, a n d in particular the 1.3 million Palestinians

their government. I t is that

w h o live i n Gaza currently suffer from. O u r isolation is complete,

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

259

confining us in a ghetto (worse than the Jewish ghettos o f Warsaw) where o u r sewage, power a n d water systems have been destroyed,

all normal

supplies constrained a n d even humanitarian a i d withheld. M a n y people have n o t been now

paid for nearly

two years, over

75% are unemployed and

the Israelis are threatening to c u t off fuel a n d power supplies a n d t o

invade us once again. You have made i t a precondition t o any engagement with us that w e

apply the same preconditions t o the Israelis. Y o u d o n ' t require o f them recognition of Palestinian rights o r a renunciation o f the terrible violence that they daily invoke o n us. N o r d o y o u require that they comply with previous agreements o r the setaccept certain conditions. Yet y o u d o n ' t

tlement b u i l d i n g would l o n g since have stopped. Your predecessor General Collin Powell stated that

the U . S . has t o

the Palestinian elections a n d i t continues t o enjoy s u p p o r t among a large portion o f the Palestinian people. H e d i d n o t make that statement because he is less o f a n American o r less committed t o the service of America. H e simply find a w a y t o engage with Hamas because i t w o n

practiced at h o m e what y o u are preaching a b o u t democracy abroad. I f y o u were even-handed i n this conflict, i f y o u engaged with us

o p e n l y then

the chances

o f peace would dramatically increase. A s i t

you are setting yourself up for failure, and with

that

is,

failure will come

the Palestinian people, a further colonization o f o u r lands and a blank space i n history for the Bush administration's role i n making peace i n the Middle East. I n the meantime, the people will hold steadfast t o their rights and more p a i n and anguish for

national constants. T h e internationally sanctioned resistance will n o t be quashed

until the occupier

packs its bags a n d leaves. A n d

o f a free and independent Palestinian state 1s realized.

the aspiration

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

Epilogue WiLL THE REAL AMERICA PLEASE S T A N D U P ! March 2006, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee

MNF S i t

Yn ee

260

(AIPAC)

held

its

forty-seventh

annual

conference

in

Æ Washington, D C , i n which AIPAC's executive director reportedly spent twenty-seven m i n u t e s reading present a t

the " r o l l

call” o f dignitaries

the gala affair. T h e assembly included a majority

of

the Senate

and a quarter o f the House, with dozens o f Bush administration officials

added into the mix for good measure. This was typical for AIPAC’s annual shindig. When I first saw that report, I was immediately reminded o f one o f the lines i n President George Washington's Farewell Address t o the U n i o n

(wherein he spoke about the "evils" o f according favorite nation status

to

any nation): "lt gives to ambitious, corrupted, or deluded citizens (who devote themselves t o

the favorite nation)

the

facility t o

betray o r sacri-

of their o w n country without odium, sometimes even with popularity.” The late Sen. J. William Fulbright - who chaired the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee i n the U.S. Congress — wrote i n his thought-provoking book, The Arrogance o f Power, about the "two Americas.” I n a very real sense this is what this book is all about, he two fice the interest

Americas.

We titled the introduction o f this book " I f Americans Knew," borrowing from the simply stated, yet provocative name o f the organiza-

tion founded and headed by one of our friends, Alison Weir (who has a very informative essay in Part 3 of this book). After more than 250 pages o f thought-provoking argumentation from a myriad o f perspectives, w e

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

261

n o w come t o the conclusion o f this book, and the provocatively stated

collective challenge: WILL T H E REAL AMERICA PLEASE STAND

UP! This book

has been several years i n the making. O n e might argue

that the seeds were first planted i n 1982, during the Israeli siege o n Lebanon. This is when I first became truly aware, consciously aware, o f the Palestinian struggle, and some o f

the similarities that this struggle shares

with the struggle o f m y o w n people. I a m a Muslim o f African American heritage;

run

the roots o f m y

family

generations deep in the soil o f this land called America. The title for

this b o o k was n o t chosen b y happenstance, n o r was i t selected for mere

rhetorical argument o r dramatic effect. The title was informed by the observations a n d experiences o f the author himself.

Black Americans have a very unique history. O u r fore-mothers a n d fathers were victims

of

the first European Holocaust - brutally ripped

from their native lands a n d brought forcibly t o these shores t o become the sacrificial lambs w h o would lay the foundations for the economic prosperity and "freedom" of a chosen few. As El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (Malcolm X) used t o say, "We didnt land on Plymouth Rock; Plymouth Rock landed o n us!

Estimates vary, but m a n y historians w h o specialize i n that at

this field o p i n e

least 100 million Africans lost their lives during the transatlantic

slave trade. Beyond

this reality were

the decades upon decades

of living

hell that their offspring (one generation after another) were destined

to

endure, simply because of the color of their skin. The generational impact o f this shameful legacy has been so profound, that its lingering effects can still b e seen t o this very day. I t is m y humble o p i n i o n that this reality factored i n t o a large part o f the reasoning behind a formerly classified memorandum, o r "White Paper,” issued b y the National Security Council o n March 1 7 , 1 9 7 8 . À

262

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

revealing excerpt reads as follows:

ever remote, that

"We must envisage

black Americans interested i n

the possibility, how-

African affairs may refocus

their attention o n the Arab-Israe li conflict. Taking into account the African descent o f American blacks, it

is

reasonable to anticipate their

sympathies

with the Arabs who are closer to them i n spirit and, i n some cases, related to them by blood. Black involvement i n lobbying to support the Arabs would lie

m a y lead to serious dissension between American blacks a n d Jews.”

I sincerely believe that

the "closer

t o them i n

spirit” reference has

m u c h more t o d o with a shared sociological experience between African Americans a n d Palestinians. T o s u p p o r t m y Rev. Dr. Martin Luther

thesis, I

offer

the words of the

King, Jr.

Being a Negro i n America is n o t a comfortable experience. I t

means being part o f the company o f the bruised, the battered, the scarred, and the defeated. Being a Negro i n America means trying t o s m i l e w h e n y o u w a n t t o cry. I t means trying t o h o l d o n to

physical life amid psychological death. I t means the pain of

watching your children grow u p with clouds o f inferiority i n their mental skies. I t means having your legs cut

off,

a n d then

being condemned for b e i n g a cripple. I t means seeing your

mother and father spiritually murdered by the slings and arrows of

daily

exploitation, and then b e i n g hated for b e i n g a n

by day and haunted by night by a nagging sense o f nobodiness, and constantly fighting t o be saved from the p o i s o n o f bitterness. I t means the ache and orphan... I t means being harried

anguish of living i n so many situations where hopes unborn have died.

be t o transpose " b e i n g Negro i n America” ( i n the being Palestinian today i n the occupied territories!

H o w easy i t would

1950s a n d 60s) with

With that being said, I also sincerely believe that there are enough Americans w h o D O K N O W enough about this ongoing crisis t o

be able

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

t o make a difference. T h e p r o b l e m o r indifferent t o

this

will

be willing t o try

263

is, far too m a n y o f u s are too fearful

- n o t realizing the boomerang effect that

ultimately have u p o n o u r o w n "democracy." I believe i t was

Wordsworth w h o once said, "Each m a n is three men: the one he thinks he is; the one others

think he is; a n d the one he really is." A s i t is with

men, so

i t is with nations. There is also a universal law o f cause and effect that none o f us — n o human being, a n d n o nation can escape. Many

of o u r Christian brethren i n America need t o reeducate them-

selves on The Golden Rule and on Jesus’ (peace be upon him) Sermon

the "silent majority” a n d the soo f y o u are o n the wrong side o f

o n the Mount. This is especially true for

called evangelicals

- for far too m a n y

history, and, so being, on the wrong side o f that proverbial arc that bends

towards justice.

had better w a k e u p t o certain realities soon. F o r as Archbishop D e s m o n d Tutu has said, "This i s God's world. W e live i n a moral universe! The apartheid government w a s very A s for o u r Jewish c o u s i n s , y o u t o o

powerful, but today i t no longer exists. Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Pinochet, Milosovic, and Idi Amin were all powerful, but in the end they b i t the dust. Injustice

and oppression will

w h o are powerful have t o remember the

litmus

never prevail.

test that

Those

God gives

to

What is your treatment of the poor, the hungry, the voiceless? A n d o n the basis of that, G o d passes judgment.” I couldn’t agree more. A n d this brings us to a very important question: Does Israel have a right to exist? My o w n thoughts o n the matter are as follows. Christians, Jews, and Muslims have the right to enjoy equal rights the powerful:

a n d live in peace, as they did side-by-side for hundreds o f years. But Israel

(as i t

is presently constituted)

South Africa!

has n o more right to exist than did Apartheid

264

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

A nation of people born from injustice Causing great sorrow in all civilized among us You claim your only concern to be your security But your true intent is plain enough for everyone to see There are Jews among you who detest what you do But their voices are muffled and they seem to be few You're proud, and you're arrogant Malicious and clever

You seem to think world sympathy is going to shield you forever But the b e d is too short, and the covers too narrow

You can’t see the handwriting For your scope is t o o narrow

Aggressive you've been since the day you were born From the anguish and misery of lives you have torn

Israel, O Israel, where will you be When the pages have dried O n your history?!

M a y G o d help us t o produce a better world.

Ameen.

To be continued, insha’Allah (God-willing).

Maurt’ Saalakhan

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

RECOMMENDED READING LIST The Liberty: The True Story o f the Israeli Attack o n a n American Intelligenc e Ship, by James M . Ennes, Jr. (1979)

Assault O n

Behind The Balfour Declaration: The Hidden Crisis, Robert John (1988) Founding Myths O f The Israeli Policy,

Origins o f Today's Mideast

by Roger Garaudy (1997)

Islam And The Problem O fIsrael, by Dr. Ismail Raji Al-Farugi (1980) ISRAEL: A Colonial-Settler State?, by Maxime Rodinson (1973)

Journey t o Jerusalem, by Grace Halsell PALESTINE: Peace Not Apartheid, by [former President] Jimmy Carter

(2006) Prophecy a n d Politics: Militant Evangelists o n the R o a d to Nuclear

War, by

Grace Halsell (1986) The Fateful Triangle: The United States, Israel & The Palestinians, by

Prof. Noam Chomsky (1983) The Israel Lobby And U.S. Foreign Policy, by John J. Mearsheimer And Stephen M . Walt (2007)

The War On lebanon: A Reader, Edited by Nubar Hovsepian (2008) The Zionist Fingerprint On The Post-September 1 1 World, by Dr. Ahmed Yousef (2003)

They Dare Speak Out: People A n d Institutions Confront Israel's Lobby, by [former Congressman] Paul Findley (1985) This is

a short list

of books

that are available o n this very provocative

subject. S o m e are o l d e r books t h a t m a y b e o u t

of print.

However, i f

y o u ' r e able t o find them o n a l i b r a r y s h e l f somewhere o r a t bookstore that specializes i n o l d e r politically-oriented publications, i t w o u l d b e w e l l w o r t h your effort. O n e excellent source

of

M i d d l e East related

265

266

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

publications is AMERICAN EDUCATION TRUST - located a t 1902 18th Street N W , Washington, D C 20009. Tel: (202) 939-6050. They

publish a n excellent magazine t h a t comes o u t nine times a year titled, "The Washington Report O n Middle East Affairs." The web address is: WWW. wrmea.com

The Palestinians’ Holocaust

O T H E R BOOKS BY T H E AUTHOR * The Teacher (a work of poetry and commentary) * * Why Our Children Are Killing Themselves * * Sacrilege i n

the Haramain *

e

Criminal Justice i n America *

e

September 1 1 : T h e Truth. Will I t Ever B e K n o w n

The Case o f Imam Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin * * Iraq: A n d

the Question of American Values

*

e

The State of the Union 2003: Dont Say You Didn't Know! *

+

T h e Message o f Rachel Corrie *

* Target Sudan: What's Really Behind the Crisis in Darfur * Islam & Terrorism: Myth Vs Reality

* These

books are currently

out

of print.

267

NOTES

NOTES

NOTES

NOTES

NOTES

ABOUT T H E AUTHOR El-Hajj

Mauri’ Saalakhan is a M e t r o p o l i t a n W a s h i n g t o n , D C - b a s e d h u m a n

rights advocate; author, lecturer a n d poet. H i s work has taken h i m across America i n t o

Africa, Europe, the Indian s u b c o n t i n e n t , and the Middle East. He helped found the Coalition Against

Political Imprisonment

and

the National

Association for Police

Accountability. H e also founded, a n d presently serves as D i r e c t o r

of Operations for,

The Peace and Justice Foundation. Mauri’ Saalakhan i s a prolific w r i t e r w h o has authored several books:

a work

The Teacher,

of Islamically-based p o e t r y a n d commentary o n a myriad of social a n d political

issues; Sacrilege I n the Haramain, a n eyewitness a c c o u n t of the tragedy t h a t occurred i n

Mecca, Arabia (on 6 Dhul-Hijjah 1407/July 31, 1987); Why Our Children Are Killing Themselves, an examination o f the r o o t causes behind the crises facing children, youth

and families i n America; and CriminalJustice in America, a n examination of the U.S. Criminal

Justice System and its i m p a c t o n the African American community.

Among his other works are September 11th: The Truth, Will It Ever Be Known?

The Case

of Imam

Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin:

The Question o f American

Values;

Is It

A Government Conspiracy® Iraq:

The Message o f Rachel Corrie (the y o u n g American

woman who was killed by a n Israeli soldier i n Occupied P a l e s t i n e i n March 2003);

The State of the Union 2003: Don’t Say You Didn't know!; Target Sudan: What's Really Behind The Crisis in Darfur; and Islam & Terrorism: Myth vs. Reality. Mauri’ Saalakhan is a critically-acclaimed poet, and was selected as ‘An

in 1986. I n 1995 he was the recipient o f the “Dr. Outstanding Young Man ofAmerica”

Martin Luther King, Jr. Award” from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and a “Maryland State Senate Resolution, ” for his human rights work i n and outside the State o f Maryland.

I n 1999, he served as a consultant for Amnesty International’s year long focus o n h u m a n r i g h t s abuses i n

the United

States

of America.

Mauri’ Saalakhan is available for speaking engagements o n a variety

of social, political,

o r h u m a n rights issues. H e can be reached a t thefollowing:

E-mail: [email protected]

Telephone: (301) 762-9162

Thought you knew all that you needed to know about the “Arab-Israeli conflict?

READ ON! “After a bit more argumentation, these [Israeli] lawyers basically conceded my Nuremburg

analysis, but then each independently, uncannily, a n d matter-of-factly informed me: have public Us. ”

‘We

relations people i n the United States w h o take care o f these matters for

— Professor Francis A. Boyle

in the Middle Fast is Israel’ occupation ofland that belongs to “The key obstacle t o peace other people.” — President J i m m y Carter

is a good idea for us all to

drop everything a n d devote our lives to making this stop. I don’t think its an extremist thing t o do anymore...

“his [occupation] has to stop! I think i t

Disbeliefand horror is what [ feel...”

— [the late] Rachel Corrie

“Mystifying the conflict is actually a n attempt to get y o u to doubt your ordinary moral judgment... Everyone in the media knows what to do; what to say; and what n o t t o say when it comes to Israel ” — Professor Norman Finkelstein “Every single one of the Zionist leaders w h o extiacted t h e promise from [Arthur James] Balfour, were European, atheistic Zionists. N o t one of them claimed a one o f them believed i n

Biblical title, n o t

God, what they were doing is exactly what whitepeople w h o were

n o t Jewish were doing all over

the world a t the same time.

They werefounding a colonial

settlement!” — British c o m m e n t a t o r , George Galloway

“How can Palestinians tell their story? We have a right to hear both sides, a n d m a k e a on the meritsfor ourselves... The Palestinians are going t o win. The advance o f h u m a n history favorsfreedom.” — Defense Attorney Bill Moffitt decision

“One o f the greatest myths created by the Zionist movement is

the claim that Zionism is a fulfillment of the historical aspiration ofevery Jew to return 10 Palestine.” — Imam Zaid Shakir

this country [Americal to say wrong is wrong, because the Jewish Wellso what!For goodness sake, this is Gods world! We live i n a moral

“People are scared i n

lobby ispowerful.

universe... Those who arepowerfulhave t o remember the litmus test that Godgives t o the powerful: What is y o u r treatinent of the poor,

o fthat, Godpasses

judginent.”

the hungry, the voiceless? A n d o n the basis

— Archbishop [Emeritus] Desmond Tutu

These are some of the voices the reader will hear from between the covers of this

thought-provoking book. The Palestinians’ Holocaust: American Perspectives takes us on a journey of discovery which is sure to affect us all in ways that we would have never imagined.

Awakening Publishing Group Silver Spring, MD 20902, USA

ISBN-13:

9 7 8 - 0 - 9 7 7 0 4 020 -

ISBN-10: 0-977b400-2-7

517