The highlight of the Hampshire conference on Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions was a speech by Ali Abunimah on Saturday night. An amazing performance, it begins with a great joke about Prilosec. Very Borscht Belt. Myron Cohen used to do heartburn humor, Abunimah tops him. We’re hoping to get a text transcript of this speech up before long, but for the time being, here’s the video. Six parts. Highlights are his overview of the three 20-year periods of the Zionist project at the start and Q-and-A w/ a lonely Zionist at end.
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That was just amazing to watch.
Abunimeh has incredible writing and oratory skills.
In any case I do believe in his last comment.
That it is our generation that will turn the tide.
I’m with James!!! That was incredible to watch!! I lack the superlative adjectives to describe Abunimeh’s clearheaded, rational analysis of both past and future, and just rationale for BDS. A litmus test of the potency of this speech is the splatter of diarrhea that ensued from Witty, the local Hasbara distraction device here at Mondoweiss. Phil, when are you going to address Witty publicly and get it over with? I feel that you owe it to us, your long-standing supporters, to put your shared past with this man aside, take off the gloves, and rip into him. Your Mom will forgive you; she always does!!!
FPM
I didn’t see the Q & A in the video. Thanks for posting it. I heard a reference of Ali speaking to Phil during the video. I assume that was you.
It was interesting to see Ali in real life (on the video), rather than only in books or on his websight.
The process of political formation of conclusions and approaches occurs by a process of:
1. Observation and experience
2. Analysis and interpretation of that experience, and hopefully reading of the context from other perspectives as well as the one one is referencing
3. Proposal
One’s experience is undeniable. The suffering and isolation of Palestinians is undeniable, even if every people in ways are isolated. (What is called “slavery” can also be accurately described as freedom in ways. It seems clear that the condition of roadblocks, severe restrictions on travel, etc. are not freedom.)
What is deniable is the interpretation of one’s experience within context. Ali is educated enough to know that the existence of Israel (not the expansion), is a question that needed an answer, that Jews are a people, and deserve self-governance, and have a long-standing sentimental affinity with the land of Israel/Palestine, and had recently been denied the right to settle and immigrate there.
The naming of “ethnic cleansing” happened both ways, “Palestinians were expelled from homes in Israel” AND “Jews were expelled from homes in the West Bank”, though in smaller numbers but higher percentages.
Most importantly, his advocacy for a single state IS a critical question of the character of the BDS movement. It is a continental divide for liberal Zionists, those that he referred within Israel that are humane and sympathetic with Palestinian physical suffering and sympathetic with Palestinian desire for self-governance.
On the one side of the continental divide is an intention to establish a sovereign Palestinian state on the West Bank that is genuinely sovereign, healthy, and if treated fairly and well, become a friend to Israel (if it earns that friendship by its actions). That results in an affirmation of self-governance, an affirmation of mutual respect.
On the other side, the single state side, is an intention (veiled or overt) to remove the self-governance of the Jewish people (the only location where the Jewish people self-govern as a people, rather than live as an assimilated minority).
His contemptuous comments about J Street reflect that continental divide.
And, again, although he acknowledged that South Africa and Israel/Palestine were not parallel, that there were critical differences between the two, he still spoke of the South African process and outcome as a model for Israel/Palestine.
Its a false conclusion. He is an important figure, but is not in control. His dismissal of the relevance of a Palestinian “Gandhi” or “Mandela”, also was a distortion of the importance of CLEARLY distinguishing the Palestinian national movement from terror movements.
He carefully did not overtly endorse terror as a means, but also did not emphasize the importance to distinguish BDS from a continuous flow from terror movements.
The clarification of goal IS important. To remain only an anti-movement, is to solve 1/3 of the problems (to quote his example of his definition of the significance of 1967 borders).
If YOU here, are willing to join a terror movement, or are willing to join a movement that intends the dissolution of Israel as Israel, then we and most of the world are in stark opposition. If YOU here, are willing to join a movement that seeks justice and reconciliation and self-governance for both Palestinians and Israelis, then you will find an easier path to attracting and keeping adherents.
I’m not sure if it is possible with BDS. Even Ali gets carried away after a while to almost gleefully relish the punishment (the coercion), not to renounce harms to Palestinians, but to stick it to Israel.
War by other means, but stated nicely.
In my personal case, I DESIRE to support movement that improves the lives and status of Palestinians, to a level that is consented, even if there is no possible status that realizes the ideal of “justice” (mostly because as stated, to achieve justice for refugees as historically requested, would DENY justice for current Israeli and other residents). Its inherent in the use of the term “justice” for at least partially partisan ends, considering only partisan perspectives.
But, so long as the BDS movement is vague in its goal (one-state vs two-state), vague in its willingness to excuse Palestinian terror, punitive in orientation, and demonizing of those that hold compassionate (rather than ideological) sympathies with Palestinians, I cannot join.
And, in not joining, I believe that the BDS emperor’s “clothes” also need to be exposed, as well as the hypocrisy of Likud and other expansionist Zionist parties.
If your response to my desire to help Palestinians is dismissal, the please be aware that you are likely dismissing the majority of adults, and the overwhelming majority of Jewish adults.
Having fun? Can anyone join this conversation? Or are we supposed to just sit back and be inundated by spam?
Witty would be admirable if he wasn’t such a trash bin of Zionist claptrap. This has to be psychological.
None of which you have ever – EVER – done.
This is your style, Witty. I think Blankfort summed you up perfectly when he described your pure 100% Zionist bullshit as ‘paternalistic myopia’.
You still don’t cite sources. You still don’t make arguments w/ substance.
You only lecture others and speak superficially. You don’t address issues. You just deal w/ how things sound.
You’re worse than a broken record, you’re mentally ill.
Its the ’stick it to Israel’ mentality which will ultimately lead the BDS movement and the bi-national movement into the abyss.
He says J-Street is the enemy because it doesn’t support a bi-national state. He has always been extremely vague when it comes to Palestinian terror, a couple years ago it was suicide bombings, he never defending them outright, but he always made excuses as to why. Denouncing them could have brought him more into the radar of the main stream instead of just a hero to this lefty fringe movement.
I will be interested to see how the 10 month settlement freeze is covered on here and by people like Ali, of course the first thing said will be that it doesn’t include East Jerusalem so its useless. I agree, it should include East Jerusalem, but at the same time it is a huge gesture which is unprecendented, especially by a Likud lead government.
Hopefully the combination of that and the hopeful release of Shalit and the hundreds of Palestinian prisoners can bring the two sides to the table again.
Ideally, Israel should suffer a military defeat. It’s a fascist State. A colonial-settler State.
And all the leaders and settlers should be thrown in jail.
That won’t happen not because of morality but because of power (like all throughout history). That’s why 6 million Jews died – not because of morality. But because the Nazis had power and used it in that way.
And the Nazi Zionists are going to attempt to slowly ethnically cleanse the Palestinians as they are doing in the W. Bank and in E. Jerusalem.
Israel should be subjected to sanctions. BDS is a step in the right direction because regular people are sick of being unable to help the Palestinians.
Israel does not get to steal, lie, murder, kidnap, imprison Palestinians and get away with it. It should be held accountable but it defies human rights and the law in general.
Only Nazis like Richard Witty would apply a different standard to the Jewish State than any other State.
And that’s why BDS is the right thing to do – because that Nazi piece of trash disagrees w/ it.
Yonira — I’m starting to wonder if you’re an alter-ego of Witty. You agree the freeze should include East Jerusalem? I thought you’d be relieved it didn’t.
This is the same shit sandwich that Hillary Clinton tried to get the Palestinians to consume a few weeks ago with her comment that it’s “unprecedented.” She’s dousing it with Hasbara-brand ketchup so they can swallow it. But it’s still a shit sandwich.
So assuming Palestinians come to the table, imagine what happens: two weeks into talks, Israel announces it’s bulldozing a dozen Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem that “failed to have the proper building permits.” The Palestinians freak out, but Bibi shrugs . . . “a deal is a deal . . . you freiers!”
[See: http://mondoweiss.net/2009/09/would-any-prime-minister-in-the-world-declare-i-wont-be-a-sucker.html
It’s a joke, yonira. Ali would recognize that this is the same decades-old mirage . . . the “peace process” grinds on . . . while Israel accelerates construction and colonization of Palestine, Pac-Man style.
Yonira,
You should LISTEN a little bit more.
“He says J-Street is the enemy because it doesn’t support a bi-national state. ”
He said no such thing!!! What a straw man!! He invited the audience to disagree with his vision for a single state solution. His point was that BDS should be applied by both those advocating for a single state and suporters of a two state solution. Again, his beef with J-Street was their attack on BDS, nothing to do with the nature of the solution. Two dollars for two states!!! What nonsense!! It sounds like something Witty would come up with!!
FPM
RE Dick Witty:
“In my personal case, I DESIRE to support movement that improves the lives and status of Palestinians, to a level that is consented [consented to by whom? You state the issue, but do not state what you think both parties should agree to and why, given the history of the I-P conflict], even if there is no possible status that realizes the ideal of “justice” (mostly because as stated, to achieve justice for refugees as historically requested, would DENY justice for current Israeli and other residents) [In other words, to give Palestinians justice under an equal standard of justice, would make the Jews the victim as distinguished from the status quo, which has made the Palestinians the victim. Jews the world over have a right of return, even if their family has, e.g., lived in Texas for generations, although some distant cousins may have suffered under Hitler in Europe, which is neither the USA nor the Middle East]. (Its inherent in the use of the term “justice” for at least partially partisan ends, considering only partisan perspectives. [So how does the application of justice apply in a non-partisan way?]
But, so long as the BDS movement is vague in its goal (one-state vs two-state), vague in its willingness to excuse Palestinian terror, punitive in orientation, and demonizing of those that hold compassionate (rather than ideological) sympathies with Palestinians, I cannot join. [The goal of the BDS movement is to put pressure on Israel that neither the USA or Israel has done, or will do to date; the reality being the daily life of Palestinians under Israel's power, and the reality of US interests against the flouting of USA values and reputation and blood, sweat, and toil supporting the current one-sided horror.]
And, in not joining, I believe that the BDS emperor’s “clothes” also need to be exposed, as well as the hypocrisy of Likud and other expansionist Zionist parties.
[BDS is merely an indirect economic way to putting pressure on Israel to curb its
enthusiasm for Hitlerite-Zionist POV & implementation. As such it is a tool--the same economic tool, essentially, that every Zionist the world over is only too happy to see as very valuable, e.g., in USA congressional landslide support for economic sanctions against Iran (because Iran wants self-governing in its own best interests in its own neighborhood)]
I’m glad somebody else noticed Witty in action in this respect. In his irrational defense of Zionism, Witty was forced to confront the fact that Zionism has resulted in massive injustices. So what was his response? Instead of changing his opinion of Zionism… he changes his opinion of justice! Now, whenever Witty uses the word, he actively undermines the whole concept by putting the word in quotes and adapting moral relativism — well, relativism for any situation except anything that is a threat to Israel, anyway.
This is why I confront him. He’s declared himself an active threat to the concept of modern society — by, among other things, striving to corrupt the very concept of justice, if only to shield Israel. For the want of the nail, the horseshoe was lost, for the want of the horseshoe…
Great Video. ~Well done Ali.
He’s correct that Israel is spending it’s political
capitol much faster than it can preserve it.
He says J-Street is the enemy, as the falsely claim
they are an alternative to AIPAC. Israel needs to
look at itself as a corrupt system. They don’t
comprehend that the world is transforming
and they are trapped in a pre-colonial era.
Amazing speech. Thanks for posting it, Phil. There is an electricity about Ali, he has fierce intellectual firepower, yet he does not use fire-and-brimstone tactics on his captive audience.
“Be patient and do your work — history is on our side.” What a great rallying cry for the Hampshire conferees.
What is up with J Street anyway? They are taking the Witty position that BDS is a worse weapon to use on Israel than the white phosphorus bombs dropped on the children of Gaza. Intellectually dishonest.
Oscar, my, my you sure do capture the essence of Wittydom.
Beware anti-BDS bullshit like this: http://z.pe/F7A
Be on alert.
Witty chimes in in these sort of threads. He won’t comment on the ones that deal w/ Israelis committing blatant human rights violations or kidnapping innocent people, etc.
The Nazi chimes in here because an Arab and Palestinian solidarity activist is speaking eloquently. The Nazi wants to try and whitewash his Jewish country club because he feels threatened.
MRW: Hasbara is failing miserably as a weapon against BDS. (By way of example, R. Witty’s propaganda on this site in which he claims to be looking out for Palestinian interests, and yet he opposes BDS for no intellectually honest reason.)
Ali’s video was great; it warned the Hampshire participants that they faced obstacles, and angry people who would stop at nothing to undermine their work. (Remember the frightening early morning phone calls from Alan Dershowitz harassing the Hampshire students who were forming the BDS movement on campus? Here’s the details of his hissy fit: http://mondoweiss.net/2009/02/the-first-call-to-students-who-spearheaded-hampshire-divestment-came-from-an-angered-alan-dershowitz.html.)
Oscar, R. Witty’s propaganda on this site in which he claims to be looking out for Palestinian interests
Disgraceful statement on Witty’s part. Full-out prevarication. I can observe that he being marginalized here as a mushroom object.
He’s a clown really. It’s just good that people are finally familiar w/ him after all these years of going back and forth thinking he was sincere but misguided.
He is full of shit and knows it.
Alternatively, I am listening to Shmuel.
Hey, MRW — Shmuel is cool in my book. (Shout out to Shmuel.) And I think Wondering Jew is an open-minded contributor and I listen carefully to what he says. Mooser is an enigma to me, but he’s got an ability to crack me up with a pretty good hit ratio. By contrast, Witty is a robo-hasbarist. I’m half-convinced there’s an artifical intelligence machine out of Tel Aviv that simply spews benign sounding propaganda with a conclusion that BDS is bad, bad, bad.
Meanwhile, I ‘m stunned by the anger of guys like Michael LeFavour, Jake in Jerusalem and Chris Berel (remember him?). With them, I’m feelin’ the hate. They have a tendency to remind me that America’s interests in the Middle East are not identical to Israel’s.
Did anyone else notice that Potsherd’s dreams seem to have come true? There’s now multiple “reply” threads on Mondoweiss. And a “cancel reply” button.
Oscar, I agree with your assessment of Shmuel, whom I have come to respect deeply, and your assessment of Wondering Jew, who is not a plugged nickel and whom I do not dismiss outright — ever — and then Mooser, who does crack me up. I mean, sometimes I laugh outright at his posts: he’s just fucking funny sometimes; I dont know where the hell he gets some of his perceptions.
Witty is a sad case. I feel tremendously sorry for his circumstance being out of work. I really do. It breaks my heart. I know what being out of work does to your marriage, your friendships, your life: it’s horrible. And it stops me from saying some of the meaner things I am capable of…which I am capable of, because I am not a pleasant individual, I really am a mean piece of shit unless I encounter an honest reflection that I can google and verify, or unless I encounter a veracity that gives me pause.
Well, no. There still isn’t proper threading or nesting, or a “parent” link.
Actually, you guys confirm my points, that you have adopted war as your method, through multiple means, including BDS.
And, that you love that Ali gives you the backbone to do so willingly.
That’s rich. You live in bizarro world, Nazi.
Israel has been killing and stealing from Arabs for decades. Israel just got done w/ it’s latest massacre.
We support BDS and you say that’s a support for war when Israel starts and supports war just fine on it’s own.
♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
Richard, you’re equating BDS with war? Look, we promise: no Israeli children will be harmed with white phosphorus through Boycotts, Sanctions and Divestments. We swear it.
Witty’s a neocon in sheep’s clothing. He masquerades with his trumped up liberal credentials — that don’t amount to a hill of dung — and then turns around and undermines everything that it means to be liberal. He’s basically a Zionist Trojan Horse. Bending over backwards to debase anything Palestinian and liberal, and then totally absent on any discussion where his precious, holy, inviolate Israel is in the wrong, because even when Israel is in the wrong, Witty blames Hamas for “provoking” them!
Again, very astute comment Oscar. BTW, anyone here ever recall any Dick Witty response to Shmuel? There Witty, born and bred and sheltered to the nines in the [always on the brink of pogroms] USA, and then there’s Shmuel, who actually use to live in Israel, and now lives in Italy, and constantly offers very considered, wise, and historically accurate comments, many often supported by reference urls. I am glad to see so many comments from regulars here who spotted the vast difference between
to self-identified Jews. I’d like to trade all the USA’s Dick Wittys for the Shmuels of the world. The latter would be a real asset to the USA (& the world).
I agree. Israel doesn’t know how much they’re screwing themselves over by driving out people like Shmuel. There really does need to be more people like him — certainly moreso than people like me :)
Oooh we’re the ones endorsing war? You’re the one that defended military action in Gaza, you back stabbing phony. To you the only question was how much was too much.
Witty must have seen the part of the video where Ali quotes from the AIPAC big cheese’s speech about how there is a movement that is declaring war on Israel. “But it doesn’t stop there… But it doesn’t stop there… But it doesn’t stop there…”
I’ve got news for that man. It’s not going to stop until there’s a just solution. Blinders are coming off everywhere.
FPM
Way to go, Ali!
I planned to watch one or two segments only, but stayed glued for the whole 50-minute speech. He made a compelling case, sprinkled with excellent humor. What I liked most — “Where’s the settlers’ Gandhi?”.
I remember 1967 with the incredibly eloquent Abba Eban, with his beautiful Oxford accent, defending Israel on American TV being opposed by those Palestinians speaking in barely intelligible fractured English — it was no contest. This Ali guy is incredible. He can reach Americans in our own language. I know this is not fair, but the Israeli war against the Palestinians has been fought here, in our language, for the last 90 years. For the first 60 years the Palestinians were not even aware that much of the battle was being lost in the propaganda war being waged in the West. With people like Ali in the game things are going to change. (yes, yes, I realize that Edward Said was even more articulate, but he was sidelined as an “extremist” when he attempted to go public) What the Palestinians need is another 100 or so people like this to make their case inside the US.
I agree. I saw him in person once and he’s wonderful at verbal akido.
Questioner: “I don’t mean to sound like I’m disagreeing….. etc etc etc”
Ali: “You don’t sound like you’re disagreeing but if you want to disagree that is OK too.”
Son of Jordan’s Ambassador to the UN. He must have inherited the fine art of diplomacy.
Edward Said presented a thesis that denied the right of Israel to exist, same as Ali.
And, similarly to Ali described the right to “resist”, even by terror on civilians, as legitimate in some respect.
Regardless of how soft-spoken he was in private conversation.
Physician, heal thyself. You’ve made a defense of Zionism in spite of the fact that — regardless of the worthless pseudo-academic fluff you post — in practice Zionism has resulted in racism, terrorism, and crimes against humanity. You even defended military action against the civilians of Gaza — because they voted for Hamas!
Witty, I bet you know very well that Zionists made falsification in the modern history, The exodus of Jewish people from Palestine is a pure invention made by your fellow Zionists.
Witty have you heard of Shlomo Sand, if not i remind you this http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xa27jn_shlomo-sand-sur-linvention-du-peupl_news
Palestinians have more rights on this land than any Israeli people.
Your Zionist colonialist ambitions have no limits.
BTW what are you doing in the US? Are you more loyal to the US or to Israel?
there was an article in the NYT about one of the biggest lies of historians
http://www.nytimes.com/glogin?URI=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/24/books/24jews.html&OQ=_rQ3D1&OP=2d17ac5aQ2FOFQ7EQ7DOVf4meffuQ27OQ27Q23Q23Q2BOGGOQ27hOQ7DffLmOQ27hQ60Q7EFmQ3EXu3Q3C
No state has an inherent “right to exist.” However people have the right to live “under vine and fig tree and none shall make them afraid.”
I think there may be a difference in definition. Many have internalized the fascist, communist, and totalitarian notion that the state (God protect us from demons) is the people and the people is the state. Thus de-legitimization of the state (as treif) is somehow an attack on the people residing under the yoke of that state.
The fact is that supporters of the State of Israel are responsible for getting Jews killed as well as Palestinians. Nothing since the holocaust has screwed up the lives of Jewish people more than this fraud that occupies Palestine. A vision of its creative dissolution affirms the right to life of all who love the land.
Heh, even I didn’t dare to question Witty’s loyalty. Out loud, as it were, anyway. But we have seen him undermine anything that opposes his Zionist perspective — even “justice,” in quotes as he always puts it now. I suppose the watermark will be watching how is attitude toward Hampshire College changes over the months to come.
No, he denied the right of Israel to exist by consuming Palestinians who had nothing to do with the Shoah.
He’s living a comfortable life by the living standards of most Americans, especially in these times, and despite the fact he’s apparently unemployed. All he wants is a haven when the inevitable pogroms commence in the land of his birth, you know, those pogroms, those that spring full-blown out of the rabid irrational mind of the gentiles like snakes from the head of Medusa? He’s all for the propositional nation so long as it supports with its wealth and lives the ethnocentric haven of Israel. He’s never once addressed the issue of total support of Israel since 1967 (beginning with the attack on the USS Liberty)–that is, whether the USA and Israel have identical interests. That is Dick Witty’s silent footprint.
One of the Netanyaho consultants is French, who lives in Paris named Meyer Habib, was affronted by Shlomo Sand who was asking him whether his Pals colleagues who are working with him has more rights on the Land then people like Meyer who are French/Israelis who they go to Israel on vacations, and start repeating the same Hasbara shit that we are discriminated in the world and we just ask for a state, Shlomo also pointed out that most of the real extremists Zionists who control the politics in Israel are living abroad.
Here is the link for the French speaking users, its very interesting debate.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8cr84_clash-shlomo-sand-vs-meyer-habib-cr_news
I think if people are going to make statements about Edward Said they better back it up with facts, and in order to back it up with facts you have to look at the whole of his works. It is ridiculous to divorce Abunimah’s work from that of Edward Said’s because he stands on Dr. Said’s shoulders, and Said was one of the giants to unearth the entire process of not only what was taking place in Palestine with regard to the Palestinians, but the entire assault on the Middle East.
Secondly, it is patently ridiculous to give so much room on this blog to the patent Zionist at any cost – Witty. He has made the wrong decisions in his life, with a number of others, to unconditionally support this Zionist nightmare. If he wants to continue to screw up his life and that of his sons that is his own business. However, I think it is obvious that it goes no further than this, there are no viable arguments put forward for this stance – period. He has plowed himself and his family in the wrong field, this is apparent by the fruit of the labor as displayed in the atrocities of Israel. Now the people are going to make them pay for what they have done and are doing, the perfect tool for this is BDS because the powers that be refuse to address this issue seriously.
Why Zionists are so in panic when we talk about BDS if they think they are fighting for justice?
I hate to break it to you all, but outside of the anti-Israel/bi-national movement group Ali Abunimah has little exposure and even less influence.
Perhaps w/ the growing exposure to BDS and with more Israeli transgression regarding the settlements his voices and ideas will get more traction, but currently he’s on the fringe.
(estimated time for Chaos’ reply, 16 mins)
You underestimated. Of course that’s merely the last thing you got wrong in your post. When’s the last time you set foot on a college campus?
Izzeldin Abu Laish had the power and integrity to be a “Palestinian Gandhi,” and is as principled and articulate as Ali Abunimah. American supporters of Israel recognized this quite quickly after Izzeldin’s tragic moment became a media event.
Brit Tzdek Shalom is doing to Izzeldin what zionists do best: co-opting his message thereby defusing Izzeldin’s power so that Israelis get to bask in the glow of Izzeldin’s suffering, and Palestinians are reduced to supernumeraries.
BTvS is trotting Izzeldin around the US.
I attended one of his first such appearances, at a Jewish Community Center. Izzeldin was unwavering in his disavowal of violence and hatred, unwavering in his insistence that Jews and Arabs can and have lived together in peace on the same land.
Izzeldin was EVEN unwavering when one after another Jewish members of the audience took the microphone and excoriated Palestinians, blaming them for their refugee status, waving each time the bloody shirt of Holocaust.
BTvShalom is neutralizing Izzeldin.
Ali Abunimah has managed to avoid that trap. Godspeed, Abunimah.
I had thought that the closest the Iranian people have to an Abunimah is Trita Parsi. Parsi walks a very fine line, and attempts to shift the focus from Iran’s nuclear activities (which are a red herring created by Israel to ‘Wolfowitz’ the world into thinking Iran is a major threat) to Iran’s internal human rights record. Haleh Esfandiari supports him in that sphere. But in legitimately attempting to improve Iranian human rights, Parsi contributes to the blackened picture of Iran, thus further weakening Iran, without simultaneously speaking out with absolute, Ali Abunimah-style clarity that the aggressor against Iran is Israel.
Writing in these little boxes is challenging — all the strands of thought don’t get tied together —
The interconnections between Abunimah, Izzeldin, and Parsi have to include Ahmadinejad, who, if you study his words carefully, says something similar to what Abunimah says but says it less eirenically; that’s why Israel had to deligitimize him. Ahmadinejad is an embarrassment to many Iranians precisely because he has been cast as an antisemite, and Parsi uses Ahmadinajad as a target, an embodiment of all that is wrong with Iran. In that, in my opinion, Parsi errs: Ahmadinejad represents positions that genuine liberals in the US should embrace, and as mayor of Tehran and then as President, Ahmadinejad pushed against an entrenched oligopoly in Iran to gain and distribute advantages for the poor, the rural, and the disenfranchised.
I asked Izzeldin to express his opinion on Iran’s “support” for Palestinians. Izzeldin said Iran was not helpful, that Palestinians were quite capable of fighting their own battles, and that Iran interfered in Palestinian affairs, perhaps for Iran’s own purposes, not those of the Palestinian people.
Is it just me, or are others not able to see the two student questioners (1 Zionist, 1 militant Palestinian) and Abunimah’s answer, referenced in Phil’s post about the conference?
no questions for me either, watched the whole thing just for that!
I believe that if you are going to address this debacle with BDS, that it is incumbent on the participants to understand what we are facing, and where we presently stand on the time clock of this territory.
THE ERASURE OF PALESTINE
This has and always will be the goal of Zionism.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWDg-tjl9B4
Q& A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAPQLXInwMs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABUN3O7yte4
As always, in Q & A one derives a much clearer understanding of the man’s vision.
It would be wonderful if others that support the BDS approach were as considerate of opposing concerns as Ali stated in his Q & A.
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