Alison Weir of ‘If Americans Knew’ Responds

by on October 3, 2008 14

Alison Weir of If Americans Knew has responded to my post of a couple weeks back about her presentation at Yale. (I can't get to my website. But it was a post 2 weeks ago from Yale). I urge you to read her defense of the film Occupation 101 and of her presentation. I feel bad that I have apparently wounded Weir as much as I did. I'm always reluctant to criticize people on my side of the issue because we're up against so much. I'm sure Weir has gotten very little support from the mainstream on this one. That said, I think the relentless opposition to anyone who would honor what Palestinians want sometimes drains the humor and nuance and even some of the life from our efforts. I remember someone saying to me a while ago that X had been maddened by his marginalization. No names. I am at times maddened myself. I also have been hurt for doing this work. For my own part, I believe sacrificing my spirit to the supporters of apartheid would be a real triumph for them. Weir offers to have a cup of coffee when we're in the same neighborhood; I'd love to take her up on the offer.

About Philip Weiss

Philip Weiss is Founder and Co-Editor of Mondoweiss.net.
Posted in Beyondoweiss, US Policy in the Middle East

{ 14 comments... read them below or add one }

  1. NOMOREWAR_FORISRAEL says:
    October 3, 2008 at 6:03 am

    US Support of Israel's brutal oppression of the Palestinian people PRIMARY MOTIVATION for tragic attacks on the World Trade Center in 1993 and on 9/11 as well (simply look up 'Israel as a terrorist's motivation' in the index of James Bamford's 'A Pretext for War' book and access the 'What Motivated the 9/11 Hijackers?' youtube video linked on the lower right side of the following URL:

    http://NEOCONZIONISTTHREAT.COM

  2. NOMOREWAR_FORISRAEL says:
    October 3, 2008 at 6:07 am

    Here is a direct link for the 'What Motivated the 9/11 Hijackers?' youtube video which is linked on the right of

  3. Richard Witty says:
    October 3, 2008 at 6:11 am

    Here, I thought you represented her view, not criticized it.

  4. Richard Witty says:
    October 3, 2008 at 6:18 am

    She tore into you pretty strongly Phil. For the sin of asking for dialog, rather than a single perspective presented.

    Taking your words out of context, assaulting you, assuming that you were one of the complicit.

  5. higginslads says:
    October 3, 2008 at 8:44 am

    That last comment is certainly not from the real Alison Weir. It looks like we have a Zionist disinformationist in our midst once again. They're all over the place, aren't they?

    Phil and Alison: Please "join forces." There is too much at stake. And there is power in numbers, and no power in fragmentation, as the Zionist Power Configuration knows well.

  6. Rachael Catran says:
    October 3, 2008 at 10:27 am

    What Phil went through is amazing how he went from serving his country to being stabbed by.our government. 34 people died on that ship. Israel lied and said it wasw a mistake while all along it was delibrate. They were aming at out ship to obviously attack it. And America just rolled over. And covered it up for Israel (the illegal state)They were kicked out of 78 countries for a reason.How dare this Government not open an investigation.

  7. American says:
    October 3, 2008 at 10:41 am

    I just ordered 4 copies of Occupation 101.
    Haven't decided who I will give the extras to yet.
    Maybe I will give one to my library and mail the other two to the top two Jews in congress like Engle and Ackerman…along with a note saying We know Who You are and We Saw What You did.

    Usually I say when will this US-Israel marriage made in hell end and put an end to the US supported Palestine occupation….but I have quit saying that…I don't think it is possible for the majority of Israel or the majority of Jews or the majority of congress to change.

    But it will end eventually…just not peacefully. Israel is already over with as a nation, they are considered by 90% of the planet to be a blight on humanity…therefore making the US a blight on humanity.

    For all Phil's talk about what Jews have done or become in America…this is what they have done to America.

  8. anon says:
    October 3, 2008 at 11:23 am

    Johnson and McCain's dad cut the USS Liberty investigation abnormally short, hushed up the sailors, and our media pitched the tall tale of an accident. Congressional investigation has been derailed. McCain thinks his dad did a fine all-American job. This model was later repeated as to Rachael Corrie. Most Americans never heard of her, but they've all heard of Anne Frank. SOP

  9. D. says:
    October 3, 2008 at 12:14 pm

    Phil's language was uncharacteristically fuzzy, but I think he was saying that he was frightened by what he perceived as a hint of anger in Alison Weir. It reminds me of his response to another (gentile) crusader against Jewish misuse of power, Paul Findley. I believe he said he was put off from reading "They Dare to Speak Out" because of a "whiff of anger."

    But there are people with legitimate anger out there (although I can't say I ever personally detected much of it in either Weir or Findley). You could even argue it is the only appropriate response. May I respectfully suggest that Phil's personal approach to the subject of tribalism tends more toward treating it as an aesthetic issue, as bad style rather than bad morality. That's valid, but try to make room for others with different frameworks. Remember that, contrary to the conventional wisdom, the job of critiquing Jewishness is much, much harder for gentiles than it is for Jews.

  10. anon says:
    October 3, 2008 at 12:21 pm

    True, D. It's like a black asking other blacks to take some personal responsibility–except there's a payoff for that' its step up the Republican ladder–an American Gentile who dares to question
    our policy towards Israel will be rewarded with nothing but hardship.

  11. Joshua says:
    October 3, 2008 at 10:04 pm

    I did not get that tone from Alison at all, one of condemnation. Alison is very, very passionate, and I really leaped off the page here when she responds to Phil's questions of the event.

    Alison also was questioned by the IDF member, whom she states went in a run-around discussion that caused a ruckus. It descended and there was no time. Maybe if there was a particular forum for just the purpose of dialogue from anti-Zionists, Zionists, post-Zionists and ultra-Zionists Alison may have been more inclined to do so. But she was there to address a certain subject: the occupation.

    Alison did bring up a great query:

    "Perhaps if more Afrikaners had been living in the US, there would have been more demand that depiction of South African oppression be more "nuanced." As it was, I don't recall a lot of nuance on this subject, or a lot of concern at its absence. Perhaps it's not a coincidence that South African apartheid ended… while Israeli apartheid goes on and on and on."

    She documents the reality of the occupation, not the humanity of Israel. She is aware of it, I'm sure. (How many Israelis does she encounter?)

  12. Richard Witty says:
    October 4, 2008 at 4:54 am

    Its a moral negligence to discuss only the occupation and not also the continuing threat of terrorism on Israeli civilians.

    It is a truth that relaxing and removing the occupation would reduce general hostility towards Israel.

    But, it is NOT a truth that removing the occupation would confidently reduce hostility to the point of safety.

    When that is a genuine prospect, then there will be a genuine prospect for a just peace.

    Otherwise, the truth that the presentation is "truth" rather than "propaganda" remains a mystery.

    Is that what she wants? For the "truth" to remain a mystery, a gamble?

  13. Michael says:
    January 20, 2009 at 10:34 pm

    She is nothing but an anti Semite. She even pushes the idea that the Jews killed Jesus claiming that Jews in Israel attack gentiles saying "We killed Jesus we'll kill you too

    http://www.ifamericansknew.org/cur_sit/tovej.html

    Would you sit down and have coffee with a Klansman. She's nothing more than a left wing david duke

  14. John Caruso says:
    January 29, 2009 at 2:17 pm

    Michael: Yes, who could believe such terrible things about the friendly settlers of Hebron

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