Len Kaminsky wrote this letter to the Miami Herald. I know it’s not getting anything like the publicity of Peter Beinart’s op-ed in the Times, but give it up to Kaminsky, for helping to wake up Americans:
Israeli oppression, occupation and denial of human rights for Palestinians are not treated with the same sympathy as the treatment of Israel. To portray Israelis as having their lives disrupted by the threat of rocket attacks and sirens warning them to run for cover simply ignores reality.
Every day Palestinian lives are threatened by Israeli bombs, soldiers and silent drone attacks with no warning whatsoever. Yet these attacks do not make for sympathetic articles on Palestinians who are constantly dehumanized, killed, maimed and bombed.
I am Jewish and anti-Zionist and feel that it’s time that unbiased and fair articles are published about the Zionist state of Israel.
Len Kaminsky, co-chairman, South Florida Boycott, Divest and Sanction, Surfside
And there is this response that appeared yesterday to Peter Beinart’s New York Times op-ed on boycotting the settlements:
To the Editor:
Peter Beinart sees an absence of democracy in the occupied territories, and contrasts that with the situation in Israel proper. The contrast is an illusion.
Israeli law treats Jewish and non-Jewish citizens differently in important areas like the process of obtaining citizenship, state spending on education and infrastructure, who can live and build in East Jerusalem, and who is required to serve in the military. Israel is, after all, a Jewish state.
But such a state cannot be a democracy. Sooner or later, Israelis will have to choose between ethnic privilege or a state that recognizes the equality of all of its citizens before the law. As an American Jew, I hope that they will choose democracy.
JESSE LARNER
New York, March 19, 2012
Jesse, get in touch, write for us!
(headline h/t Letters of Note)
Any honest analysis of where this comes from has to look at how Israel treats the violent deaths of Jews and the whole framework of what Israel decides is “antisemitism”.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/blog/2012/mar/21/france-shooting-toulouse-police-suspects-jewish-school-raid
The chief rabbi broke down in tears as he vowed that there would be vengeance for their deaths; that God will avenge their deaths. During his speech there were wails from the crowd.”
“The Jewish people face wild and insatiable animals, wild animals made crazy by their hatred,” the speaker of parliament, Reuben Rivlin, said in a eulogy at the burial site.”
It seems to me that Israel has a massive problem with the concept of justice and that hysteria and wanton cruelty are poor substitutes.
Maybe the palestinians need a concept that equates with Israel’s “antisemitism” for irrational and hate driven murder of Palestinian civilians. They could even ratchet it beyond that and include a term for the systematic real time dehumanisation of the entire Palestinian people .
Here’s Bibi with more hatred
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/live-coverage-suspect-in-french-jewish-school-shooting-renews-contact-with-police-1.419986#article_comments
Netanyahu expressed his appreciation of French President Sarkozy and the French government’s actions, and went on to say that “the struggle against terrorism requires more clarity.” “Terrorism is an attack systematically directed against civilians, a deliberate attack against children. There is a fundamental difference between a deliberate attack against civilians and unintentional damage to civilians as part of a legitimate fight against terrorism. If we do not make that distinction, if we allow the acceptance of such false definition, the terrorists have won,” the prime minister said. ”
It’s not about “terrorists winning”. It’s about Israel shooting itself in the foot. And losing the moral argument. Over and over.
Kudos to Messrs. Kaminsky and Larner. I wonder if the Jewish state will move to excommunicate them for their moral stands.
More light. And in South Florida
Good for Kaminsky and Larner!
Maybe they will start some de-tox centers in their areas for those not yet rehabiliated from ziocaine.