'It is never anti-Semitic to oppose injustice'

The Israeli narrative adopted and cobbled from Bush's war on terrorism states that Israel is heroically engaged in its own war on terror. This is utterly misleading.

by Ted Schmidt
July 6, 2006

There is a splendid Talmudic saying that a single life is a universe. How absolutely wonderful in its insistence on the dignity of each human being, a reminder that no child of God should be forgotten, abused or die unmourned. The 20th century, however, of all centuries in history, seemingly forgot this crucial legacy of the Abrahamic religions.

As I write, the awesome military might of the world's fourth largest army is mobilized to secure the release of a young Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, captured by a rogue element of Hamas. On the one hand we can applaud the primacy of a human life, its inherent dignity. Yet we should be appalled at the ongoing collective punishment of an entire civilian population, the contravention of Article 33 of the Geneva Convention.

Over the last month, at least 30 Palestinian civilians in Gaza have lost their lives due to Israeli bombardment in retaliation to the launching of the notoriously inefficient Qassam rockets and the death of two soldiers.

Instead of calming the situation, these bombardments led to its deterioration and to further complications and confrontations. To exacerbate the situation, Gaza's borders have been slammed shut denying the population vital food and medicine. This is a recipe for a human catastrophe.

Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert displayed shocking chauvinism when he stated, “I am sorry with all my heart for the residents of Gaza but the lives and well being of Sderot's residents [the targets of the homemade Qassam rockets] are more important than those of Gaza residents.” Apparently, one human life may be a universe — only if that life is Israeli.

Then we saw the arrest of 30 Hamas leaders which led the Haaretz editorial of June 30 to state the obvious: “Olmert should know that arresting leaders only strengthens them and their supporters. This is not merely faulty reasoning; arresting people to use as bargaining chips is the act of a gang not a state.”

All of this must be seen not as an isolated barbaric issue of kidnapping a soldier or even of the nihilistic suicide bombers but of 40 years of a debilitating and shameful Occupation. The Israeli narrative adopted and cobbled from Bush's war on terrorism states that Israel is heroically engaged in its own war on terror. This is utterly misleading. The primary violence is the decades old Occupation. The shocking asymmetry of fire power can be summed up thusly: A terrorist is one with a bomb — but not an air force.

As usual, the Israeli government has moved against a clearly defenseless population without any regard to international norms or human decency. Acting with little interest in diplomacy and wielding its overwhelmingly huge stick, Operation Summer Rains is simply the latest attempt to destroy any hope for a resolution of Middle East hostilities.

The Israeli planes have cut off electricity for nearly half the population of Gaza — no refrigeration, fans or air conditioners in a scorching climate. “Unacceptable and barbaric punishment of civilians — women, children and the old,” stated the office of Mahmoud Abbas as the Palestinian leader worked to secure the release of young Shalit. Add to this the sonic booms used to further terrorize the population.

Now we see hysterical reactions from pundits when concerned agencies such as CUPE, the United Church of Canada, the Presbyterian Church in the U.S. join their voices to much of the United Nations (save the United States and the increasingly muted Canada) in trying to get Israel to come to its senses.

How long can silence reign in light of illegal house demolitions, extrajudicial murders, the destruction of thousands of olive groves, the consistent refusal to honour UN resolutions 446, 452, 465 and 471 — the return of land captured in war. Israel and its wealthy patron the Bush administration refuse.

The asymmetrical suffering of the Palestinian people (B'Tselem, the Israeli centre for Human Rights, counts 3,482 Palestinians killed vs. 688 Israelis from October 28, 2000-June 15, 2006) and the overwhelming firepower of Israel correctly frames this one-sided conflict.

The Oslo Accords (1993) were a major Palestinian concession. Here, the Palestinians would accept the West Bank and Gaza, lands seized by Israel in the 1967 war. This would be about 22 per cent of historic Palestine. Prime Minister Olmert's plan backed by the U.S. in May would cut the percentage to 15 per cent.

The cynical Sharon unilateral disengagement designed for Western consumption, simply removed 8,000 settlers from Gaza leaving 400,000 ensconced in the West Bank. Add to this the Separation Barrier or Wall which steals 10 per cent more of Palestinian land and you have a pathetic rump of non-contiguous poor cantons as the sorry basis of a viable state. Hence the notorious “A” word — apartheid-like. Just as Israel and its supporters do not like to be compared to the former South African regime, so the Palestinians could never accept such a demeaning offer.

The unilateral plan of Ariel Sharon was nothing but an exercise in political manipulation. This was admitted by his principal advisor, Dov Weinglass, in an October 2004 interview in Haaretz. The latter openly stated that the unilateral disengagement policy was designed to freeze the peace process and deny the Palestinians a viable state.

Where does this leave people of conscience in the West?

At the Catholic New Times, we have consistently insisted on a double solidarity: The absolute right for Israel to exist with safe and secure borders but also a solidarity with the long suffering Palestinian people, whose 40 years in the wilderness is akin to the Jews of the Exodus.

We have repeatedly condemned all acts of terror and killing of innocents. Unlike most of the mainstream media, we have insisted that the present conflict must absolutely be contextualized in a historical framework.

Boycotts like CUPE, the United and Presbyterian Church are honourable ways of nonviolent protest. My own Roman Catholic Church should be the next to exert such pressure. This would be an act of love akin to fraternal and sororal correction. In no way does it delegitimize Israel.

The sad absence of any prophetic voices coming from the Canadian synagogue is to be lamented as simply the rightward turn of most religious bodies today. The prophetic spirit of Rabbis Abraham Joshua Heschel and Reuben Slonim, not to mention Isaiah, Jeremiah and Micah need to be recaptured at this moment. They are a constant reminder that no state is beyond criticism.

One can take hope in the brave voices emanating from Israel today which support CUPE, the United and Presbyterian Churches. They remind all of us that, “It is never anti-Semitic to oppose injustice, destruction, gross inequity, and inequality... Israel, having the fourth most powerful military in the world, is in no existential danger.”

Ted Schmidt is on the editorial board of Catholic New Times.

Source: Rabble Podcast Network
http://www.rabble.ca/news_full_story.shtml?x=51122