[Imc-radio] Fwd: For radio group

[Clint Popetz]

Below is an editorial Al Kagan is proposing be read on IMCRN.

			-Clint

----- Forwarded message from Alfred Kagan <akagan at uiuc.edu> -----

Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2003 08:57:44 -0500
From: Alfred Kagan <akagan at uiuc.edu>
Subject: For radio group
To: Clint Popetz <cpopetz at cpopetz.com>, chyn at onthejob.net,
   ahten sandra kay <spiritofsandra at hotmail.com>

The Anti-Semitism Debate 

By Al Kagan


What do the names Berman, Rosenzweig, and Kagan have in common? These 
are all Jewish names, and they belong to activist librarians who have 
worked for justice for Palestinians wherever they live. I have 
participated with two colleagues in the American Library Association 
in two very difficult campaigns over the last ten years addressing 
issues of freedom of expression in Israel and the Occupied 
Territories and the destruction of Palestinian libraries and cultural 
institutions.  We do this because it is US Government aid and weapons 
that make these policies possible. At first glance, it may seem 
surprising that the leaders of these campaigns were raised in the 
Jewish tradition, but on second thought it makes a lot of sense as I 
will explain below.

This short editorial is necessary now because of an on-going debate 
about the extent of anti-Semitism in the peace movement. The slogan 
"Not in my name" has recently come to the fore. My library friends 
and I are outraged that the officials of the Government of Israel 
impose the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza as the Bush 
Administration is now occupying Iraq. The Israeli officials, 
descendants of those who were persecuted and gassed during WWII, 
somehow find it possible to oppress other people.  Neve Gordon of 
Ben-Gurion University in Israel notes that due to Israeli policies, 
per capita food consumption in the Gaza Strip has declined by 30 
percent and that the population is experiencing severe malnutrition 
equivalent to the poorest nations in Africa (The Nation, April 14, 
page 17).

Any discussion of anti-Semitism and the worldwide peace movement must 
start from these facts on the ground.  There are daily atrocities 
going on against the Palestinians and we must protest this as we 
would protest such actions anywhere else in the world.  The most 
important point of this little essay is that IT IS NOT ANTI-SEMITIC 
TO PROTEST THE POLICIES OF THE GOVERNMENT OF ISRAEL.

Many American Jews lost family members in the Holocaust, and all 
American Jews have been deeply affected by this genocide. As a 
result, most American Jews have an emotional loyalty to the State of 
Israel as a homeland of last refuge. But the mainstream U.S.  Zionist 
organizations support the state of Israel uncritically and refuse to 
acknowledge the gravity of its human rights offenses. The peace 
movement recognizes the Holocaust as an historical abomination and 
sympathizes with its victims. But at the same time, the peace 
movement recognizes the U.S. role in supporting the Israeli 
Government in its repression of the Palestinians.

The interesting point is that more and more American Jews are 
beginning to realize that they can speak out, and that they can 
oppose the propaganda that dominates the mainstream media. It is 
important to realize that this is also true in our own community. 
Most Americans, and especially American Jews, don't understand that 
there is an Israeli peace movement and that the range of opinions 
regularly published in the mainstream Israeli press is wider than the 
range published here.  We remember the Israeli conscientious objector 
or "refusenik" who visited our community some months ago.  He is but 
one representative of a movement absent from the American mainstream 
press.  I am proud to say that I support that movement.

Evidence of anti-Semitism in the anti-war movement has lately 
centered around the exclusion of Rabbi Michael Lerner of Tikkun from 
speaking at the San Francisco anti-war protest on February 16th.  For 
a detailed analysis of what happened, I refer readers to a section of 
Edward S. Herman's article titled "The Cruise Missile Left, Part 2" 
(Z Magazine, April 2003, page 38-39).  The article notes that 
activists from six anti-war Jewish organizations spoke at that 
protest representing a broad spectrum of Jewish anti-war views, and 
that a representative of Tikkun was present at the planning meeting 
where Lerner was ruled ineligible to speak.  The Tikkun 
representative raised no objection. The ground rules stated that 
individuals who had publicly denounced any of the organizing groups 
would be denied the podium.  One might argue with these ground rules, 
but there is a larger point that is more important.  Ed Herman writes 
that Lerner applies the term "anti-Semitism" not to people who hate 
Jews, but to those who assert that Israel today is a racist 
dangerously out-of-control state that needs to be stopped by the 
international community.

Progressive American Jews who would never support the slogan, "My 
country, right or wrong," do often support that slogan when it comes 
to Israel.  For whatever (understandable) reasons, when they close 
their eyes or excuse what is going on in Israel IN OUR NAMES, they 
alienate themselves from the anti-war movement.  It is not hard to 
understand why they feel out of place.  Admittedly, it is hard to 
confront long held emotionally charged beliefs, but we must all poke 
through the propaganda mist and see the situation for what it is.

Finally, now that I have explained the context, let me address the 
ongoing debate. Incidents of anti-Semitism are disturbing whenever 
they occur, but let's also insist upon noting a sharp rise in racism 
of all types.  US Government policies targeting people from Arab 
countries, especially through the USA Patriot Act, Homeland Security 
Act, and new Special Registration for people from 25 mainly Muslim 
countries have provoked attacks on anyone who looks to the attackers 
like a Muslim, including many South Asians who do not share that 
religion.  Ethnic profiling is officially sanctioned, notoriously at 
airports, and the members of our local mosque have communicated their 
distress to the local anti-war community.  They are suffering 
discrimination in hiring and in their jobs, and women are now often 
told that they must remove their headscarves to remain employed. 
Let's be clear.  There is no similar campaign against Jews.  In fact, 
it is notable that Jews have now reached the highest levels of 
commerce and government in the United States (including in the Bush 
Administration).

Anti-Semitism is inflamed by U.S. foreign policy.  Everyone knows 
that the U.S. supports the Government of Israel with billions of 
dollars and the most sophisticated weapons every year.  Most Muslims 
know that Israel has violated more U.N. resolutions than Iraq.  The 
double standards are obvious for the world to see.  It is not hard to 
see why millions hate the U.S. Government. And it is not hard to see 
why some people will equate the Israeli Government with Jews as they 
see the subjugation of the Palestinian people.  Thus, it is the U.S. 
Government that is fostering the increase of anti-Semitism (and 
further terrorist attacks).

Although there may be a few real and even dangerous anti-Semites who 
affiliate with the anti-war movement, and there may be occasional 
anti-Semitic signs at peace rallies, they represent a tiny minority 
in the movement.  We must clearly isolate these people, but the 
propaganda directed against the peace movement for being anti-Semitic 
has no relation to the impact of such elements.

Ta'ayush, the Arab Jewish Partnership, recently broke the military 
blockade of Gaza to deliver 30 tons of flour to six Palestinian 
villages.  This is a concrete expression against not only the 
policies of the Israeli Government, but against anti-Semitism.  But 
such actions can only go so far.  The way to defeat anti-Semitism is 
to change American foreign policy.  As long as the US continues to 
prop up the repressive policies of every Israeli Government, there 
can be no peace in the Middle East and the conflict will further 
intensity religious and ethnic enmity.  The problem is in Washington.

-- 


Al Kagan
African Studies Bibliographer and Professor of Library Administration
Africana Unit, Room 328
University of Illinois Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801, USA

tel. 217-333-6519
fax. 217-333-2214
e-mail. akagan at uiuc.edu

----- End forwarded message -----

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