Saturday, May 20, 2006
Letters-to-the-Editor May 20
To:backtalk@motherjones.com
Re: The Israel Lobby: How Powerful Is It Really?
Dear Editor:
Stephan Zunes believes "Israel and its supporters are essentially being used as convenient scapegoats for America's disastrous policies in the Middle East."
In addition he writes "Groups like Americans for Peace Now, the Tikkun Community, Brit Tzedek v' Shalom, and the Israel Policy Forum all identify themselves as pro-Israel but oppose the occupation, the settlements, the separation wall, and Washington's unconditional support for Israeli policies."
Zunes and the groups mentioned above are Israel's greatest assets because they put a "nice" face on Israel.
But nothing's nice about a Jews preferred state that denies the inalienable right of Palestinians to return to their personal property while affording Jews from all over the world the right to immigrate and settle on land stolen from its rightful owners.
To:letters@washpost.com
Re:A Palestinian Lifeline
Dear Editor:
"Hamas has been content to foster a humanitarian crisis in the West Bank and Gaza Strip," the Washington Post editorializes.
Classic. Israel holds on to Palestinian tax revenues and the Washington Post blames the victims.
Want to know whom the victims blame? This is what the General Union of Palestinian Women said in a May 9 "Open Letter to the Quartet":
"We are not asking for charity, band aids or palliatives to tend our deep injuries. We are merely demanding our inalienable rights and our freedom," and they call upon the Quartet to join them "in foiling Israeli relentless attempts at imposing unilateral solutions," while they remind us of Israeli violations of human rights including the "oppressive Apartheid Wall, assasinations, imprisonment...demolishing of homes and uprooting trees and travel restrictions and check posts that threaten Palestinian lives."
To:letters@nytimes.com
Dear Editor:
"Enough is enough," writes Kenneth Jacobson re the Academic Boycott.
Enough of violation international law. The Hebrew University sits atop confiscated private Palestinian land.
Enough of throwing Palestinian academics in jail. According to the Palestine National Information Center 205 of the 9200 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons are from the teachers and employees of the Ministry of High Education.
Enough of demolishing primary schools. A demolition order was issued for a primary school built by residents of Jubara village because their kids can no longer reach schools outside the Apartheid Wall.
In July 2005 more than 170 Palestinian civil society unions and organizations issued the call for boycott, divestment, and sanctions as a non-violent form of resisting Israel’s oppression.
Support them.
http://www:stopthewall.org/latestnews/1158.shtml
http://www.ipc.gov.ps/ipc_new/english/details.asp?name=14406
http://www.pacbi.org/boycott_news_more.php?id=66_0_1_10_M11
Published: May 20, 2006
To the Editor:
Re "British Union Weighs Boycott of Teachers From Israel" (news article, May 15):
Nothing illuminates more clearly the bias of some at European universities than this new attempt by a teachers' union to boycott Israeli academics.
Since the failed effort by a similar union to boycott the faculties of two Israeli universities last year, three transformative events have occurred: Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza; Iran's president threatened to "wipe Israel off the map"; and Hamas gained power among the Palestinians.
Not only did these developments fail to have some impact on the union in understanding Israel's situation, but the new boycott proposal is even harsher than last year's.
The drive to single out Israel for demonization is, sadly, a persistent feature of campus life in Europe. When such demonization leads to discrimination against Israeli academics, it is time for the leaders of academia to say clearly that enough is enough.
Kenneth Jacobson
Director, International Affairs
Anti-Defamation League
New York, May 15, 2006
To: letters@latimes.com
Re: Fresh Muslim-Jewish Discord on Campus
Yeah, let's waste precious time debating the political correctness of the titles "Holocaust in the Holy Land" and "Israel: The Fourth Reich" because the sensibilities of middle class Irvine college students are offended.
Know what offends me? According to the Palestine National Information Center 205 of the 9200 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons are from the teachers and employees of the Ministry of High Education.
Know what else offends me? From September 29 2000 until February 28 2006 Palestinian houses that were
completely and partially damaged by Israel's occupation forces reached 71470.
And it's offensive also that subsidized North American Jews immigrate to Israel and settle on stolen land while villagers peacefully protesting the theft of their land to accommodate them, according to International Middle East Media Center, get rubber bullets in the head.
http://www.imemc.org/content/view/18741/1/
http://www.ipc.gov.ps/ipc_new/english/details.asp?name=14406
Re: The Israel Lobby: How Powerful Is It Really?
Dear Editor:
Stephan Zunes believes "Israel and its supporters are essentially being used as convenient scapegoats for America's disastrous policies in the Middle East."
In addition he writes "Groups like Americans for Peace Now, the Tikkun Community, Brit Tzedek v' Shalom, and the Israel Policy Forum all identify themselves as pro-Israel but oppose the occupation, the settlements, the separation wall, and Washington's unconditional support for Israeli policies."
Zunes and the groups mentioned above are Israel's greatest assets because they put a "nice" face on Israel.
But nothing's nice about a Jews preferred state that denies the inalienable right of Palestinians to return to their personal property while affording Jews from all over the world the right to immigrate and settle on land stolen from its rightful owners.
To:letters@washpost.com
Re:A Palestinian Lifeline
Dear Editor:
"Hamas has been content to foster a humanitarian crisis in the West Bank and Gaza Strip," the Washington Post editorializes.
Classic. Israel holds on to Palestinian tax revenues and the Washington Post blames the victims.
Want to know whom the victims blame? This is what the General Union of Palestinian Women said in a May 9 "Open Letter to the Quartet":
"We are not asking for charity, band aids or palliatives to tend our deep injuries. We are merely demanding our inalienable rights and our freedom," and they call upon the Quartet to join them "in foiling Israeli relentless attempts at imposing unilateral solutions," while they remind us of Israeli violations of human rights including the "oppressive Apartheid Wall, assasinations, imprisonment...demolishing of homes and uprooting trees and travel restrictions and check posts that threaten Palestinian lives."
To:letters@nytimes.com
Dear Editor:
"Enough is enough," writes Kenneth Jacobson re the Academic Boycott.
Enough of violation international law. The Hebrew University sits atop confiscated private Palestinian land.
Enough of throwing Palestinian academics in jail. According to the Palestine National Information Center 205 of the 9200 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons are from the teachers and employees of the Ministry of High Education.
Enough of demolishing primary schools. A demolition order was issued for a primary school built by residents of Jubara village because their kids can no longer reach schools outside the Apartheid Wall.
In July 2005 more than 170 Palestinian civil society unions and organizations issued the call for boycott, divestment, and sanctions as a non-violent form of resisting Israel’s oppression.
Support them.
http://www:stopthewall.org/latestnews/1158.shtml
http://www.ipc.gov.ps/ipc_new/english/details.asp?name=14406
http://www.pacbi.org/boycott_news_more.php?id=66_0_1_10_M11
Published: May 20, 2006
To the Editor:
Re "British Union Weighs Boycott of Teachers From Israel" (news article, May 15):
Nothing illuminates more clearly the bias of some at European universities than this new attempt by a teachers' union to boycott Israeli academics.
Since the failed effort by a similar union to boycott the faculties of two Israeli universities last year, three transformative events have occurred: Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza; Iran's president threatened to "wipe Israel off the map"; and Hamas gained power among the Palestinians.
Not only did these developments fail to have some impact on the union in understanding Israel's situation, but the new boycott proposal is even harsher than last year's.
The drive to single out Israel for demonization is, sadly, a persistent feature of campus life in Europe. When such demonization leads to discrimination against Israeli academics, it is time for the leaders of academia to say clearly that enough is enough.
Kenneth Jacobson
Director, International Affairs
Anti-Defamation League
New York, May 15, 2006
To: letters@latimes.com
Re: Fresh Muslim-Jewish Discord on Campus
Yeah, let's waste precious time debating the political correctness of the titles "Holocaust in the Holy Land" and "Israel: The Fourth Reich" because the sensibilities of middle class Irvine college students are offended.
Know what offends me? According to the Palestine National Information Center 205 of the 9200 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons are from the teachers and employees of the Ministry of High Education.
Know what else offends me? From September 29 2000 until February 28 2006 Palestinian houses that were
completely and partially damaged by Israel's occupation forces reached 71470.
And it's offensive also that subsidized North American Jews immigrate to Israel and settle on stolen land while villagers peacefully protesting the theft of their land to accommodate them, according to International Middle East Media Center, get rubber bullets in the head.
http://www.imemc.org/content/view/18741/1/
http://www.ipc.gov.ps/ipc_new/english/details.asp?name=14406
