On Monday night, the Israeli Consul General to the Midwest, Orli Gil, spoke to a Jewish Culture program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Mort Brussel, a retired physics professor, filed this report to AWARE, the local anti-war organization formed after 911:
And so on, about the terrible dangers of a nuclear terrorist Iran, etc..
Of course, the audience was overwhelmingly receptive to this person and her message, but at least there were a few (young students?) from the Muslim community who attended and voiced their objections to her narrative. Comments after the formal talk were welcome, but after a comment there was invariably a long answering harangue and no possible followup. After expressing myself a bit, I left early.
But I am disappointed that no one else from AWARE and the progressive community showed up. At least I didn't notice them. Here was an opportunity to protest and show this character that we don't accept the lies, distortions and omissions of the Israeli propaganda mill. It could have happened…It could have been an opportunity to show that there are many who are outraged about Israeli behavior against the Palestinians—that we do not agree with our own administrations' support of Israeli actions and that we'll try to turn the tide of American support that has condoned if not encouraged that rogue state.
I went afterwards to see what was going on In Gregory Hall about the Crisis in Gaza, a talk by Eric Ruder. About 25 -30 were in the audience, and there was extended discussion after his talk. Ruder was very well informed and an excellent speaker. It was just too bad that his talk was in conflict with the Israeli talk; it had been planned well in advance.
David Green, another member of AWARE, interprets Brussel's report for Mondo:
It's not just American Jews who "just turn off." Have another look at Bob Simon's conversation with Charlie Rose in which Simon says that his friends in Tel Aviv will discuss anything and everything–except the IP situation because (a) they live in comfort and plenty in Tel Aviv, and (b) they know that the IP conflict is hopeless.
Jews constitute the most affluent community in the US. They have the luxury of just turning off. They, too, know that the conflict is hopeless.
Organized Jewry has been completely supportive of the Israeli assault on Gaza (which included not only the slaughter of women and
children, but senseless savagery at the zoo), while the Obama administration, which,
according to James Petras, is even more Zionist than the previous one, speaks volumes with its silence.
Phil:
Have you seen Andrew Sullivan:
link to andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com
American jews act exactly like everyday Germans during the lead up period we all know a about. As then, now, the German jews were stuffed in positions of power. Nothing new. No lesson here except the obvious the hasbara agents infesting this blog lately won't recognize. Yes, they fear a similar outcome. No, they have no clue
why that might be.
So many answers, so many proposed by the ignorant.
The initial report was filed by a person already on the side of saving islamic fascism from defeat at the hand of Jews.
So what kind of report did you expect from a a member of AWARE? Something objective?
http://media.www.dailyillini.com/media/storage/paper736/news/2009/02/03/News/Discussion.Gets.Heated.During.Israeli.Consuls.Visit-3609629.shtml
You can read the above story in the campus newspaper, for what it's worth. Notice the journalists avoid dealing with the substance of the issue, regarding either of the two events. Arrogance and condescension by the consul, rather than even a pretense to respect. It was a bitter cold night. People came out for a variety of reasons. A respectful speaker doesn't make assumptions about her audience. Say what you have to say, and deal with the facts that others have that might contradict your view of the world. This is a world class university–there are scholarly standards for every topic except this one. There are standards regarding the histories of colonists and natives regarding every example except this one. What's called racism in any other context is called righteousness and victimization in this one.
I know, I'm dreaming; but the contrast is important to notice for a change.
Notice the assumptions made by the speaker: that those who a critical of Israel don't have an open mind, aren't interested in the facts. But they've taken the trouble to learn them. The assumption that most of the audience (presumably students) are a blank slate–so she can write whatever she wants on it, however banal. That critics of Israel somehow aren't capable of objectivity. And that those who tend to agree with her don't have any further curiosity on the subject (maybe a good assumption, but has no place in her introduction). Arrogant, condescending, patronizing, insulting. That's hasbara.
Since defenders of Israel can't be objective or refer to the facts, they choose to stereotype their listeners and attempt to silence before they even purport to address the issues. But that's defensiveness, and that's progress, I guess. For some reason, the sponsors chose not to make this an in-house event. They want to bring in a larger audience, and they must be made to pay the price of dissenting voices. Clearly, they are pre-emptive about it.
Some students, Jewish or otherwise, may well have come to the event wanting to learn something. Some may have been genuinely disappointed with the presentation. I wasn't at this event, but I've been at others of course. Those of us who know what's going on of course get angry. But given the sterile, simplistic, stubborn, stupid nature of the presentation, it's also easy to get bored. Propaganda is really really boring, at bottom. It just repeats, repeats, repeats. I'm sure that this woman's filibustering was so free of content that some students might have been turned off by it. Or they were confused, but only because they aren't ready to recognize the upside-down picture that's being presented to them.
By the way, the link above is to the Program for Jewish Culture and Society, an offical university program (not department) that cross lists quite a few classes as part of a minor. This speaker was not sponsored by them–I assume it was Hillel or Federation or both–they're basically the same institution.
There has historically been a lot of incestuousness between the professors who founded and administered this program, Hillel, Federation, and the reformed synagogue (besides that, all we have is Chabad). But they have also posed as "moderates" of the Zionist variety. There are a few right-wing stalwart professors who try to intimidate the general populaton into silence, should they have any desire whatsoever to put up a word of dissent. They also have a lot of money to throw around to Federation, etc. Hillel has a new $1 million dollar building. The dynamic is one whereby the "moderates" claim that they are keeping the Likudniks under control– you who are more critical just shut up, we'll handle it, don't create "divisiveness." I'm sure this is typical of liberal Jewish institutions and communities. Of course, genuine dissent is just beyond the pale, as I've discovered.
The PJCS also houses the "Israel Studies" program, with the imprimatur of the Chancellor (Richard Herman, a deracinated Jew); it is funded by Jewish Metropolitan Federations of Chicago. It's funded by the Israel Lobby! You can read about it on the website. It funds a "scholar in residence" or "journalist in residence" for a couple of weeks each semester. Examples: Hillel Halkin and Yossi Klein Halevi. Also Yosef Gorny, a reputable historian but typically treated his audience like children, with a fairy tale about the innocence of Zionist labor socialism. Of course, all guests have been Jewish, given the assumption that Israeli Arabs don't count. Racist at this "trival" level, and at a the more general level of Zionist assumptions.
It should be getting to the point on a college campus where this is not acceptable. Arab and Muslim student group have done a good job at organizing some events, including Palestine Awareness Week each April. But there have to be flashpoints to make an impression and make some progress. They had an opportunity, but they're not organized or passionate enough to see it that way. It's also understandable–there may be some big risks involved. Also, winter in the Midwest is hard for flashpoints, except on the basketball court. That's why student protest movements start in California. According to a reputable friend, college academic calendars were changed after the 1960s to shorten Spring on campus.
These campus administrators are scared to death of any popular outburst–they're so proud of their commitment to "diversity," except one it comes to real substance in relate to war, social justice, racism, social class–and Israel/Palestine. But any sort of decent student movement could really make them squirm. This guy isn't Lee Bollinger. He's a people-pleasing functionary. He wants no part of a reputation as a tough guy.
When it comes to "pro-Israel" events, it's important to change the sanctimonious atmosphere; let Isrelis like this consul know that she can't expect audiences to just lap it up. Let he feel the hostility, but "respectfully".
A local university gave a classical music concert last night commemerating the 60th Anniversary of Israel. I did not go and protest, while wearing my new Palestinian kafiyeh, because I arrived home too late from work to make it in time. I feel bad I missed an opportunity to say 60 years of shame to the celebrants.
I feel bad that I did not have the opportunity to see, in the news, some asshole wearing a kafiyeh while protesting the fact that Israel can't help but kick the shit out of Palestinain genocidalists every few years.
Please get a better job.
I have a sense that some American Jews might be turning off mentally but they're still writing out checks.
Good for them. Unlike you, when they just don't understnad, they don't blather nonsense. They actually look into it.
Israel can't help but kick the shit out of Palestinains every few years, not because of their genes, but because their ideology is militarized with US gifted weapons. Give any ideology overwhelming force and they will use it to kill and steal.
American taxpayers pay for those gift checks to Israel chris berel is so fond of. They also pay for all those US gifted weapons and settlements–with interest to China, Japan, India. American babies still in the womb will work their whole lives (under the Federal Reserve System that is not a reserves system at all, nor is it federal) for the 2% of the USA population who, in tangent with Israel, control
the USA congress, White House, and Fourth Estate. Just once of the
advantages of being born into a full-blown plutocracy.
CARTER on Larry King now: HAMAS's only real demand has been
all along for Israel to "open the gates" of the lockdown. Carter's new book is out, detailing a plan for peace in the Middle East.