The expression, If Americans Knew would seem to apply more than anyone these days to Robert Wright, the Atlantic journalist who today reports that his friend Fadi Quran has been released from administrative detention, five days after Wright reported Quran’s arrest in Hebron in the Atlantic, also with cold outrage.
Why is he outraged? Wright has been to Shuhada Street in Hebron, seen the central street of the city shut down, and Palestinian businesses destroyed, for apartheid. And Wright lacks the ability to lie to himself about this central moral issue in our politics. Wow; what a force is knowledge (and what if Jeffrey Goldberg had used his power at the Atlantic in the cause of human freedom not ethnocracy). Wright:
Fadi Quran, the Palestinian activist whose arrest I’ve followed in recent days, was released from jail last night. But he wasn’t released because Israeli authorities have admitted that the charges against him are false (though they certainly seem to be ). He’s been released on bail, and an investigation continues that could still result in an indictment…
The Israeli foreign ministry says Fadi was arrested for “obstructing a law enforcement officer, assault and resisting arrest.” The two videos below–the only evidence I’m aware of–don’t seem to support that charge.
Update: I think this post was shortsighted, too focused on the MSM. There has been a wide campaign on Fadi Quran’s behalf. Jake Horowitz at policymic:
Fadi’s upcoming release brings a culmination to a dramatic international advocacy campaign which began last Friday, when he was arrested and imprisoned by Israeli authorities. In just four days, Fadi’s story spread like wildfire in the media, on Facebook and Twitter, and via PolicyMic and Change.org. A Free Fadi Quran Facebook page has garnered 1,295 Likes, and many supporters changed their profile pictures to stand in solidarity with Quran.
Over at Change.org, Stanford student Lila Kalaf spearheaded a campaign to petition for his release which generated 2,392 signatures, including activist Noam Chomsky, Stanford Middle East professors Joel Beinin and Khalil Barhoum, and Director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research Institute Clayborne Carson.
Here is Lila Kalaf’s petition.
Who started this debate in earnest(in America)? Walt and Mearsheimer. They made it mainstream. Where was Abe Foxman then? Where is he now, on these issues?
Who is talking about Hebron, Goldberg or Wright? Who is the Jew of these two?
It’s a sad commentary on the racism in the Jewish community. In the end, too many rather choose the Jewish part ahead of the Democracy part in Israel’s creation.
I admit I’d like a Jewish state. But I want it to be democratic. To choose is a tragedy. But if it has to be chosen there’s no doubt in my mind which of the two I will select, no matter what time it is. After all, a true liberal always chooses democracy ahead of blood if forced. If not, then you’re not a liberal.
And Goldberg/Dershowitz are not liberals. I don’t care what they think about gay marriage.
Jewish racism? or tribalism? Is “circdling the wagons” racist or merely tribal. The problem is that the AIPAC folks have somehow got a stranglehold on the Jewish discussion of Israel/Palestine in America and have frightened the oldsters into circling the wagons. “Oh it’s awful, scary, and we must do what Israel and AIPAC demand of us, wee cannot break ranks.” (The politicians say the same thing, but they say it because they’ve been bought. with them the tribalism is the tribalism of the professional politicians.)
thanks phil, yeah..this was a big story and i knew about it and did not get it together. i read the article in standford’s paper a few days ago and watched the videos. thanks for getting to it. it’s great news he has been released.
one more thing, a poster here alerted us to it. i think Les thou i could be wrong. he linked to norm’s site: http://www.normanfinkelstein.com/speaking-the-truth-armed-with-facts/