'Finally, below is an article published in the Teaneck Suburbanite, Northern
New Jersey, May 18, 2007 that reflects my thoughts. This is the area that
had a “Real-estate fair” to sell homes in Israeli colonies built on
Palestinian land. There was much back and forth on this in the newspaper.
If you live or work in Northern New Jersey (I work there), then you may want
to send in some letters to counter the deluge of myths being written (to
Cannici@northjersey.com, Suburbanite@northjersey.com).
To the Editor
It was gratifying to see in this paper letters from a Jewish American (Rich
Siegel) speaking for human rights and International law. He is not alone.
The shrill reaction by other letter writers was disappointing in its lack of
substance and in advocating of we win- you lose scenario (non-existent)
instead of thinking outside the box for a win-win scenario for peace (which
can only be based on justice).
Israel is the only country in the world whose legitimacy does not flow from
rights of self-determination of natives but Zionist claim of biblical
authority. Without consulting the inhabitants (Jews, Christians, and
Muslims) and contrary to the UN Charter, the UN general assembly resolution
in 1947 called for partition of a native land to give 55% of the land to a
colonial people who at the time represented 30% of the population (most of
them at the time new immigrants - Ashkenazi Jews who are not Semitic) and
owned less than 7% of the land. Yet, this same resolution, while unfair and
accomplished by much arm-twisting by the US, rejected any population
transfer and insisted on Internationalizing Jerusalem, on an economic union,
and on free movement of people (all these provisions were and are still
unacceptable to the Zionist leaders).
Armed and supported by the British Empire and then the US (today's Empire?),
the Zionist movement grew to become a dominant political/military ideology
with a very strong. In the process, this movement succeeded in removing over
70% of the native inhabitants of the land of Palestine and precipitate
unrest and violence that is now engulfing many other areas of the world. The
majority of Palestinians today are refugees or displaced persons and the
remaining are losing their lands daily.
Israeli leaders wanted and got recognition and sovereignty on 78% of
Palestine; land they stole from native Palestinians in the same fashion that
White Europeans took over this country using the rhetoric of manifest
destiny" and ordained by God (as if God was a real estate agent). But
Israeli leaders want more. They want the best parts of the remaining 22% of
Palestine and they want acceptance of their demand to forfeit the most
elemental of human rights such as the right of refugees to return to their
homes and lands (all simply because they are not Jewish). Palestinians were
not the only victims. As Israeli professor Jeff Halper pointed out, Zionism
had made Jews less safe everywhere especially in the new self-imposed ghetto
(albeit now called a country). Instead of listening to intellectuals like
Martin Buber and Albert Einstein who argued against political Zionism (and
for a cultural form of Zionism and a binational state), many Jews chose to
imitate European 19th century ethnocentric chauvinistic nationalism.
So far we spent over $400 billion of our US taxes to occupy Iraq for control
of oil and other political Zionist plans to reshape the Middle East, and
over $1 trillion to support the Israeli government (highest recipient of
U.S. aid, we gave it more than we gave to Africa as a continent). Yet,
one-third of Israeli children live below the poverty line, while Israel is
using billions of our tax money to ethnically cleanse and oppress the native
Palestinians. Love of Israel becomes meaningless if it does not mean
changing life for the better for Israeli children (and millions of
Palestinian children). Only a public outcry would force the U.S. government
to change its policies of supporting oppression despite the special interest
lobbies (whether in Washington or in Teaneck). The attacks on President
Jimmy Carter for his latest book on Israeli apartheid, like the attacks on
Rich Siegel are symptomatic of a 19th century ideology trying to force
itself on the 21st century and hide its tracks in outmoded racist attitudes
about the "others".
Israel is the only country in the world that does not define itself as a
country of its citizens (Jews and non-Jewish citizens). It defines itself as
a country for and by the Jewish people everywhere. Every Jew in the world is
considered as a national of the state whether they want it or not (part of
'Am Yisrael). Any Jew including converts can go there, get automatic
citizenship and live on Palestinian lands while Palestinian refugees are not
allowed to return simply because they are Christian or Muslim. Further, no
other country has supra-national entities that are more influential in
shaping policies than its national institutions (e.g. ADL, Jewish National
Fund, Jewish Agency and World Zionist Congress).
Israeli artists declared in 2002: "If the state of Israel aspires to
perceive itself as a democracy, it should abandon once and for all, any
legal and ideological foundation of religious, ethnic and demographic
discrimination. The state of Israel should strive to become the state of all
its citizens. We call for the annulment of all laws that make Israel an
apartheid state, including the Jewish law of return in its present form."
That desire to improve one's country represents the ultimate love of
country/patriotism, rather than the reflexive parroting of propaganda and
blaming the victims of those policies (whether in Teaneck or Palestine). The
same applied to U.S. citizens who spoke for civil rights, to end the war on
Vietnam, to end support for apartheid South Africa and more recently to end
support for the war on Iraq and on Palestine.
If we want peace in the Holy Land that benefits everyone, all is needed is
to implement the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. If this is not good
enough, why not apply relevant UN resolutions on the issue (including UNGA
194 also calling for return of refugees). Israel promised to comply with
relevant UN resolutions when it was admitted to the UN. If they continue to
refuse, perhaps it is time to get Israel out of the community of nations.
The US Congress should also then cut off the billions of our tax dollars we
send to allow continued violations of human rights and International law.
Unless this is done, all the maps in the world will not lead to peace.
In the denial of facts, Zionism's first victim was Judaism. As Jewish
American and friend Dr. Mark Braverman stated "Only when we are able to cry,
in Jeremiah’s phrase, for our own brokenness, and to confront the
implications of the suffering we have caused, can we be the beneficiaries of
God’s bounty. In other words, we must break through the denial about what
we have done. " (http://www.qumsiyeh.org/markbraverman/)
I call on those who disagree with Braverman or Siegel or me to engage us in
civil dialogue not name calling (anti-Semite, Self-Hating Jews etc). I am
willing to meet with any individual or groups to discuss how we might
develop methods for collective success (win-win) rather than isolation.
After all, if segregation was the problem in the Jim Crow South and
apartheid was the problem in South Africa, why do we consider them solutions
either in Israel/Palestine or for our differences in NJ.
Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD
Oradell, NJ
http://www.qumsiyeh.org/teanecksuburbanite/'
New Jersey, May 18, 2007 that reflects my thoughts. This is the area that
had a “Real-estate fair” to sell homes in Israeli colonies built on
Palestinian land. There was much back and forth on this in the newspaper.
If you live or work in Northern New Jersey (I work there), then you may want
to send in some letters to counter the deluge of myths being written (to
Cannici@northjersey.com, Suburbanite@northjersey.com).
To the Editor
It was gratifying to see in this paper letters from a Jewish American (Rich
Siegel) speaking for human rights and International law. He is not alone.
The shrill reaction by other letter writers was disappointing in its lack of
substance and in advocating of we win- you lose scenario (non-existent)
instead of thinking outside the box for a win-win scenario for peace (which
can only be based on justice).
Israel is the only country in the world whose legitimacy does not flow from
rights of self-determination of natives but Zionist claim of biblical
authority. Without consulting the inhabitants (Jews, Christians, and
Muslims) and contrary to the UN Charter, the UN general assembly resolution
in 1947 called for partition of a native land to give 55% of the land to a
colonial people who at the time represented 30% of the population (most of
them at the time new immigrants - Ashkenazi Jews who are not Semitic) and
owned less than 7% of the land. Yet, this same resolution, while unfair and
accomplished by much arm-twisting by the US, rejected any population
transfer and insisted on Internationalizing Jerusalem, on an economic union,
and on free movement of people (all these provisions were and are still
unacceptable to the Zionist leaders).
Armed and supported by the British Empire and then the US (today's Empire?),
the Zionist movement grew to become a dominant political/military ideology
with a very strong. In the process, this movement succeeded in removing over
70% of the native inhabitants of the land of Palestine and precipitate
unrest and violence that is now engulfing many other areas of the world. The
majority of Palestinians today are refugees or displaced persons and the
remaining are losing their lands daily.
Israeli leaders wanted and got recognition and sovereignty on 78% of
Palestine; land they stole from native Palestinians in the same fashion that
White Europeans took over this country using the rhetoric of manifest
destiny" and ordained by God (as if God was a real estate agent). But
Israeli leaders want more. They want the best parts of the remaining 22% of
Palestine and they want acceptance of their demand to forfeit the most
elemental of human rights such as the right of refugees to return to their
homes and lands (all simply because they are not Jewish). Palestinians were
not the only victims. As Israeli professor Jeff Halper pointed out, Zionism
had made Jews less safe everywhere especially in the new self-imposed ghetto
(albeit now called a country). Instead of listening to intellectuals like
Martin Buber and Albert Einstein who argued against political Zionism (and
for a cultural form of Zionism and a binational state), many Jews chose to
imitate European 19th century ethnocentric chauvinistic nationalism.
So far we spent over $400 billion of our US taxes to occupy Iraq for control
of oil and other political Zionist plans to reshape the Middle East, and
over $1 trillion to support the Israeli government (highest recipient of
U.S. aid, we gave it more than we gave to Africa as a continent). Yet,
one-third of Israeli children live below the poverty line, while Israel is
using billions of our tax money to ethnically cleanse and oppress the native
Palestinians. Love of Israel becomes meaningless if it does not mean
changing life for the better for Israeli children (and millions of
Palestinian children). Only a public outcry would force the U.S. government
to change its policies of supporting oppression despite the special interest
lobbies (whether in Washington or in Teaneck). The attacks on President
Jimmy Carter for his latest book on Israeli apartheid, like the attacks on
Rich Siegel are symptomatic of a 19th century ideology trying to force
itself on the 21st century and hide its tracks in outmoded racist attitudes
about the "others".
Israel is the only country in the world that does not define itself as a
country of its citizens (Jews and non-Jewish citizens). It defines itself as
a country for and by the Jewish people everywhere. Every Jew in the world is
considered as a national of the state whether they want it or not (part of
'Am Yisrael). Any Jew including converts can go there, get automatic
citizenship and live on Palestinian lands while Palestinian refugees are not
allowed to return simply because they are Christian or Muslim. Further, no
other country has supra-national entities that are more influential in
shaping policies than its national institutions (e.g. ADL, Jewish National
Fund, Jewish Agency and World Zionist Congress).
Israeli artists declared in 2002: "If the state of Israel aspires to
perceive itself as a democracy, it should abandon once and for all, any
legal and ideological foundation of religious, ethnic and demographic
discrimination. The state of Israel should strive to become the state of all
its citizens. We call for the annulment of all laws that make Israel an
apartheid state, including the Jewish law of return in its present form."
That desire to improve one's country represents the ultimate love of
country/patriotism, rather than the reflexive parroting of propaganda and
blaming the victims of those policies (whether in Teaneck or Palestine). The
same applied to U.S. citizens who spoke for civil rights, to end the war on
Vietnam, to end support for apartheid South Africa and more recently to end
support for the war on Iraq and on Palestine.
If we want peace in the Holy Land that benefits everyone, all is needed is
to implement the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. If this is not good
enough, why not apply relevant UN resolutions on the issue (including UNGA
194 also calling for return of refugees). Israel promised to comply with
relevant UN resolutions when it was admitted to the UN. If they continue to
refuse, perhaps it is time to get Israel out of the community of nations.
The US Congress should also then cut off the billions of our tax dollars we
send to allow continued violations of human rights and International law.
Unless this is done, all the maps in the world will not lead to peace.
In the denial of facts, Zionism's first victim was Judaism. As Jewish
American and friend Dr. Mark Braverman stated "Only when we are able to cry,
in Jeremiah’s phrase, for our own brokenness, and to confront the
implications of the suffering we have caused, can we be the beneficiaries of
God’s bounty. In other words, we must break through the denial about what
we have done. " (http://www.qumsiyeh.org/markbraverman/)
I call on those who disagree with Braverman or Siegel or me to engage us in
civil dialogue not name calling (anti-Semite, Self-Hating Jews etc). I am
willing to meet with any individual or groups to discuss how we might
develop methods for collective success (win-win) rather than isolation.
After all, if segregation was the problem in the Jim Crow South and
apartheid was the problem in South Africa, why do we consider them solutions
either in Israel/Palestine or for our differences in NJ.
Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD
Oradell, NJ
http://www.qumsiyeh.org/teanecksuburbanite/'
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