[Peace-discuss] Re: Gottheil Letter

[Neil Parthun]

Hey all -

Here's something I am putting together after I read Prof. Gottheil's  
letter.  Any suggestions/edits appreciated.  Thanks.
____
Fred Gottheil's letter set up a straw man that he deftly knocked  
down.  The thing about straw men is that they can't fight back.

The only showing of "hubris coupled with his loathing" that "trumps  
logic and fact" was Mr. Gottheil.

There was intellectually devoid equivocation of those who stand for  
Palestinian dignity and self-respect as being "friends with Hamas"  
and that they "pretend to care about human life."  I don’t even want  
to waste my time pointing out the idiocy of this.  The statement was  
academically dishonest and it is morally reprehensible that such an  
educated academic would write such trash.  For shame.

If one wants to talk about disregard for human life, one needs to  
look no further than the stranglehold that the Israeli blockade has  
had on the innocent civilians of Gaza.  One needs to look no further  
than the Israelis admitting that their bombing of tunnels (needed to  
bring in items due to the blockade) was the cause of the cease-fire  
with Hamas being broken.  One needs to look no further than the  
Israelis attacking universities and UN buildings, even after reports  
showed there were no weapons or rocket fire at those locations.  One  
needs to look no further than the daily refusals to allow  
Palestinians through checkpoints to get to jobs or to hospitals after  
being wounded.  One needs to look no further than the brutal, illegal  
occupation that has stripped Palestinians of human dignity, self- 
respect and opportunities for substantive existence.  Such hawkish  
policies not only harm Palestinians but undermine the security and  
safety of the Israeli public.

For Gottheil to then proclaim that only opponents of Israeli policy  
"are partisans in this international conflict" is laughable.

Mr. Gottheil has a right to his own opinion, but he should not daftly  
go forward with half-truths, ad hominem smears and intellectual  
dishonesty in his attempt to dull criticism of Israel.

Live hard,
      Neil

We are turning into a nation of whimpering slaves to Fear.
[hunter s. thompson, 1937-2005]

It's after the fact, when it's clear that someone's f---ed up, that  
the s---fountain is invoked to hide it.  Digging through that is why  
I exist.  That moment of finding the thread...It isn't even about  
revenge, although some people seem to think it is...I thrive to bring  
them down not by being a bastard, but by showing the world what,  
exactly, they did or said.  That's why who and what I am isn't  
important to the story.  The story is what's important...The truth  
won't defend itself, though, and bastard or not, it's got me.
[warren ellis, 1968-]

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