An exchange between Abe Foxman and Bill Moyers. The Foxman letter you've read 1000 times. The news here is Moyers's letter:
[A Norwegian doctor on CBS said,] “It’s like Dante’s Inferno. They are bombing one and a half
million people in a cage.” The whole world has been able to see for
itself what he was talking about, and as one major news organization
after another has been reporting, is reeling from the sight….From my days in President Johnson’s White House forward, I have
defended Israel’s right to defend itself, and still do. But sometimes
an honest critic is a government’s best friend, and I am appalled by
Israel’s devastation of innocent civilians in this battle,
million people in a cage.” The whole world has been able to see for
itself what he was talking about, and as one major news organization
after another has been reporting, is reeling from the sight….From my days in President Johnson’s White House forward, I have
defended Israel’s right to defend itself, and still do. But sometimes
an honest critic is a government’s best friend, and I am appalled by
Israel’s devastation of innocent civilians in this battle,
Foxman, unlike some wines, gets worse with age.
By now, he's cheap vinegar.
Yeah, I grew up thinking that the ACLU, SPLC, and ADL were the good guys. It may be that the ADL used to be, and I don't know when Foxman took over, but now they are just an Israel-first propaganda outfit devoid of credibility. It's very disappointing.
Moyers doesn't go nearly far enough. Readers (or listeners, or watchers) are still left with the impression that Hamas is a crazy terrorist organization and Israel is defending itself. Moyers basically just says that Israel is carrying its defense too far. But he never goes into the history, the Nakba, the ethnic cleansing.
Here's Moyers: "Contrary to your claim, I made no reference whatsoever to “moral equivalency” between Hamas and Israel. That is an old canard often resorted to by propagandists trying to divert attention from facts on the ground, and, it, too, is unworthy of the slaughter in Gaza. Contrary to imputing “moral equivalency” between Hamas and Israel, I said that “Hamas would like to see every Jew in Israel dead.”
When did Hamas ever say they want to see "every Jew in Israel dead"? Never, that's when. Their initial charter called for the destruction of Israel – probably meaning the Zionist regime (a la Iran's president). Since then, however, they've been more willing than Israel to negotiate.
Why doesn't Moyers bring this up? Why doesn't Moyers remind Foxman that Israel was founded on the back of terrorist regimes, and has had former terrorist leaders at the head of its national politics since its inception?
Until things are framed correctly, we get nowhere. Moyers' letter is a disservice to the Palestinians, by reinforcing falsities about Hamas, and by not going into the real history of the region, which has necessitated the resistance.
Amen, brother Dan.
Here is one useful site that ADL has set up: a list of Israeli products available in the American market:
http://www.buyisraelgoods.org/
I have posted some analysis of legal issues associated with the war on Gaza: Internation Law: Right to Defense?.
LOL syvanen. Thanks for that.
Syvanen, that's the best sanctions site I have seen so far. It gives two-edged sword a nice modern meaning.
The great thing about Moyers is that he is highly regarded by mainstream Jews who are moderately liberal in most things and reactionary is all things Zionist. This message that he delivers will be channeled into exactly the circles that it needs to be to change the paradigm. Of course it doesn't go far enough for me, but then, if it were, that would be like singing to the choir.
I was wondering how PBS was going to react to Moyers comment and his response to Foxman. Unfortunately, PBS, once a vaunted voice of independent crtique on an otherwise arid US broadcast space, has been largely neutralized. The same way that NPR has been declawed (ie, turned into PEP land – progressive except for palestine – credit, Phil). The reasons are obvious – these outfits rely on public donations. And they who contribute more get more say.
I was even worried about Bill Moyers fate (others have been marginalized for a lot less, and he lost a gig or two himself). I can imagine the flurry of e-mails and phone calls and the not-so-subtle threats.
Looks like I got a bit of an answewr – Bill Moyers aired response top Foxman, is a shortened, bland version of his online comments. neither did he mention Foxman by name.
As for the e-mails mentioned ion the air? that was the worst – making it seem like 1 for 1 balanced response. The reality? I understand that by 10:1 the e-mails received by the station supported Moyers right to call it like it is. Chances are you'll never hear this little fact advertised.
What can you do? jot a quick note to PBS supporting moyers' right to call it as he sees it, for starters.