Is It Anti-Semitic to Defend Palestinian Human Rights?
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Is It Anti-Semitic to Defend Palestinian Human Rights? Conclusion Press, Philadelphia, 1990) is a history of the Council during the period just before the creation of the “Jewish state.” By Edward C. Corrigan After Israel's spectacular success in the 1967 1943, a group of 92 Reform Arab Israeli war, however, a change in the policy rabbis, and many other prominent Ameri- towards Zionism occurred in the Council, which can Jews, created the Ameri- softened its strict anti-Zionist position. can Council for Judaism, with A separate organization was subse- In quently established in 1969 called the express intent of combating Zion- ism. Included in the Council’s leader- American Jewish Alternatives to Zion- ship were Rabbi Morris S. Lazaron of ism (AJAZ). The new group, which was Baltimore; Lessing J. Rosenwald, the based in New York, continued the origi- former chairman of Sears, Roebuck & nal anti Zionist tradition of the Ameri- Company, who became president of the can Council for Judaism. Rabbi Elmer Council; Rabbi Elmer Berger, who Berger served as president of AJAZ and became its executive director; Arthur also editor of its publication, the AJAZ Hays Sulzberger, publisher of The New Report, until shortly before his death in York Times; and Sidney Wallach of the 1996. The American Council for American Jewish Committee. Judaism is still in existence. It is non- An example of their views on Zionism Zionist rather than anti-Zionist, but is “Palestine,” a pamphlet published by highly critical of Israel’s policies toward the Council in 1944, which stated as the Palestinians. Their publications fre- follows: “...the concept of a theocratic Tanya Reinhart quently carry anti-Zionist Jewish criti- state is long past. It is an anachronism. cism. Allan C. Brownfeld is the Editor The concept of a racial state— the Hit- of Issues, their quarterly newsletter, lerian concept— is repugnant to the and also editor of their Special Interest civilized world, as witness the fearful Report. Stephen L. Naman is President global war in which we are involved.” of the Council. The American Council for Judaism Adam Shatz, the literary editor of The was founded in response to a 1942 Nation, has edited a book titled Zionist Conference in the U.S., which Prophets Outcast: A Century of Dissident proposed the formation of a Jewish Jewish Writing about Zionism and army in Palestine before the Jewish Israel. The book contains essays by 24 state was founded. The Council sent prominent Jewish scholars and intellec- letters to various governments and offi- tuals critical of Zionism and Israel’s cials expressing their objection to such treatment of the Palestinians. Another a concept as a “religious” state, espe- important book is The Other Israel: cially since they believed that “Jewish Voices of Refusal and Dissent, edited by nationalism tends to confuse our fellow Mordecai Richler Roane Carey and Jonathan Shainin. It man about our place and function in contains articles critical of Israel’s poli- society and diverts our own attention from our his- cies, written by 27 prominent Israelis.The foreword toric role to live as a religious community wherever was written by prominent Israeli historian and jour- we may dwell.” nalist Tom Segev. The introduction is by Anthony Membership in the Council grew to more than Lewis, the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, 15,000. Its members were highly articulate and who worked at The New York Times between 1969 greatly angered the Zionist leadership, who wanted and 2001. the American Jewish community to present a united There are many critics of Zionism and Israeli poli- front on the Palestine question. The book Jews cies in Israel itself. These include Avraham Burg, Against Zionism: The American Council for Judaism former head of the World Jewish Agency and former 1942-1948, by Thomas A. Kolsky (Temple University Speaker of the Knesset; Shulamit Aloni, a former Minister of Education; Yossi Sarid, a former Knesset member and past leader of Meretz; Uri Avnery, for- EDWARD C. CORRIGAN is a lawyer certified as a Specialist in mer Knesset member and leader of Gush Shalom; Citizenship and Immigration Law and Immigration and Refugee Pro- the late Israel Shahak, former Chair of the Israeli tection by the Law Society of Upper Canada in London, Ontario, Canada. He can be reached at [email protected] or at (519) League for Human and Civil Rights; former General 439-4015. continued on following page Jan./Feb. 2010/ 17 and Knesset Member Mattityahu Peled; Meron Ben- released to the media: “The establishment of Israel venisti, former Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem; Jeff was accompanied by much pain and suffering and a Halper, head of the Israeli Committee Against House real trauma for the Palestinians …. Many of Israel’s Demolitions; Felicia Langer, a well-known human Arabs … feel the pain of their brothers across the rights lawyer; Michael Warschawski, co-founder of green line …. Many encounter racism and arrogance the Alternative Information Center; University of from Israel’s Jews; the inequality in the allocation of Oxford historian Avi Shlaim; Eitan Bronstein, Chair state funds also does not contribute to any extra of Zochrot (Hebrew, “Remember”), which works to love.” (See “Knesset Speaker: Establishment of Israel remind Israelis of the Nakba or Pales- caused Arabs real trauma,” Haaretz Ser- tinian catastrophe; the late linguist vice, Haaretz, 3rd August, 2009.) and journalist Tanya Reinhart; “New Can one imagine a top American or Historian” Ilan Pappe; Uri Davis, Canadian politician making statements author of Israel: An Apartheid State like these, or a leading Canadian or (London: Zed Books, 1987); Tikva American newspaper publishing an arti- Honig-Parnass, co-editor (with Toufic cle like this one, and the reaction if they Haddad) of Between the Lines; journal- did? ists Gideon Levy, Amira Hass, Akiva Another important book is Reframing Eldar, Meron Rapoport, B. Michael Anti-Semitism: Alternative Jewish Per- and Gideon Spiro; writers A.B. spectives, published by the Jewish Voice Yehoshua and Yitzhak Laor. These are for Peace. It contains articles by eight only a few of the many Israelis who are Jewish American writers. One of the anti-Zionist, non-Zionist, or critical of articles is by Judith Butler, the Maxine Zionism and Israel’s policies toward Elliot Professor in Rhetoric and Compar- the Palestinians. Tony Kushner ative Literature at the University of Cali- is ironic that issues relating to fornia at Berkley. Her article is on the the Palestinians and Zionism question of whether criticism of Israel is that are virtually taboo in anti-Semitic. Her answer and article is It North America are openly dis- titled: “No, It’s Not Anti-Semitic.” cussed in Israel. These same subjects Another book examining Jewish criti- are much more openly discussed in cism of Israel’s policies is Wrestling with Europe and in the rest of the World. Zion: Progressive Jewish-American (See, for example, “New Israeli Schol- Responses to the Israeli-Palestinian Con- ars Face up to Israel’s Origins,” by flict, edited by Tony Kushner and Alisa Eric Rouleau, Le Monde diplomatique, Solomon (Grove Press: New York, 2003). 10 May, 2008; and “A Crisis in Kushner is an award-winning playwright Judaism,” by Brian Klug, The and Solomon a staff writer at The Village Guardian, 15 January, 2009; “Israel’s Voice, and a professor at Baruch Col- War Crimes,” by Richard Falk, Le lege-City of New York. This book con- Monde Diplomatique, English edition, tains essays by 53 prominent American March 2009; “Israel’s Lies,” By Henry Judy Rebick Jewish writers, including such distin- Siegman, London Review of Books, 29 guished writers as Arthur Miller, Susan January, 2009). Sontag, Marc Ellis, Naomi Klein (actually a Canadi- One example of the discussion that goes on in an) , and Rabbi Arthur Waskow. Israel is this statement by former Israeli Prime Min- Another important book is A Time to Speak Out: ister Ehud Olmert: "For sixty years there has been Independent Jewish Voices on Israel, Zionism and discrimination against Arabs in Israel. This discrimi- Jewish Identity (Verso: London, 2008). It is edited by nation is deep seated and intolerable." Olmert made four prominent British academics, Anne Karpf, Bri- this statement while addressing a meeting of the an Klug, Jacqueline Rose and Barbara Rosenbaum. Knesset committee that was investigating the lack of This book contains the highly critical writings of 27 integration of Arab citizens in public service. (See Jewish academics and thinkers on the issues of the “PM slams 'discrimination' against Arabs,” Elie Occupation, Israel and Zionism. Leshem and Jpost.com Staff, Jerusalem Post, Nov here are a number of other anthologies and 12, 2008.) collections of writings of anti-Zionist Jews. Another example is the current Knesset Speaker These include Zionism Reconsidered, edited by Reuven Rivlin (from the right-wing Likud Party), who TMichael Selzer (MacMillian Company: London, called for a fundamental change in relations 1970); Zionism: The dream and the reality: A Jewish between Jews and Arabs in Israel. He urged the Critique Gary V. Smith ed. (Barnes & Noble Books: founding of a “true partnership” between the two New York, 1974); Jewish Critics of Zionism and The sectors, based on mutual respect, equality and the Stifling and Smearing of a Dissenter, by Moshe addressing of “the special needs and unique charac- Menuhin, (Association of Arab-American University ter of each of the sides.” The Speaker was reported Graduates, 1976); Judaism or Zionism EAFORD & to say this in an address to be delivered at the presi- AJAZ (American Jewish Alternatives to Zionism) eds. dent’s residence in Jerusalem on August 3rd, 2009. (Zed Books: London, 1986); The End of Zionism and Quoting from Rivlin’s prepared speech, which was the Liberation of the Jewish People, Eibie Weizfeld 18 / Outlook ed.