Re: Edward Said - American Zionism (3) (fwd)

        The spiritual heritage of Judaism, as I understand it, is the
mission of Jews worldwide to bear witness to God, uphold divine
commandments requiring all men and women to behave justly and virtuously,
and await the Messiah and the advent of the New Jerusalem.  Instead, the
majority of the world's Jews have been complicit in the establishment of a
quasi-theocratic state on lands owned and occupied chiefly by others,
lands which they continue to colonize, inflicting misery, injustice,
exile, and persecution on the non-Jewish former and present inhabitants of
these lands.  The ultimate responsibility for this atrocity falls on the
Jewish people themselves, although much blame also attaches to the victors
of World War Two, who refused to allow the bulk of war-displaced Jews to
emigrate to their countries.  The historical irony of the innocent victims
of the world's greatest genocidal campaign immediately turning into
terrorists and victimizers in their own right is little short of
breath-taking, although I would never contend that the establishment of
Israel came anywhere near the enormity and depravity of Nazi Germany's
Final Solution.  

        Of course Israel is now a fact on the ground, just like Europe's
occupation of North America in the 17th to 19th Centuries.  It cannot be
undone.  But at the very least Israel should be held accountable for the
harm it has done to the Arab people and required to vacate the West Bank
and Gaza and recognize a Palestinian State.  As for the one Unspeakable
Act, show me the major party in American politics whose spokespersons have
ever been able to defy the pro-Israel lobby in Congress and the American
press.  If at least half the leaders of the American Jewish community were
to champion the cause of justice for Palestine, in keeping with what I
understand to be the Jewish spiritual heritage--or in keeping with a
secular faith in human rights--, then American politicians of all faiths
would be free to think for themselves.  Such is not the case.

        Warren Wagar

        
On Thu, 9 Nov 2000, Boris Stremlin wrote:

> Since this discussion has apparently been going on on several lists at
> once, and my response did not make it onto WSN, I'm forwarding it.
> 
> >Although I appreciate some of Khaldoun's efforts, and I agree that the
> >media coverage of the Middle East is certainly highly biased toward
> >Israel, I have to object to some of the essentialized "analyses" of
> >what lies behind this bias.  With all due respect to Professor Wagar, what
> >exactly does he see as the "Jewish spiritual heritage" which "the Jews
> >worldwide" have betrayed, on what basis does Professor Wagar conclude that
> >the majority of Jews worldwide have betrayed this heritage, and for what
> >reason does he imply that it is this betrayal by worldwide Jewry that
> >constitutes the primary (sole?) reason making the confrontation of
> >"Zionist imperialism and colonialism...the one Unthinkable Act remaining
> >in American political discourse"?
> 
> Since I am reposting this, I guess I could add the claim that the
> uncritical defence of Israel is the only remaining sacred cow in American
> political discourse to the already long list of contentions which is,
> let's say, far from self-evident.
> 
> >On Wed, 8 Nov 2000, Warren Wagar wrote:
> >
> >> Dear Khaldoun and Friends,
> >>
> >>         I have been abroad and incommunicado for some time, but I would
> >> like to take this opportunity to applaud Khaldoun Samman for his
> >> initiatives and in particular for sharing with us this brilliantly
> >> incisive article by Said.
> >>
> >>         Squarely confronting Zionist imperialism and colonialism is
> >> indeed the one Unthinkable Act remaining in American political discourse,
> >> well illustrated by the contemptibly cowardly campaign of the new standard
> >> bearer of the U.S. Democratic Party, Senator-elect Clinton.  But she had
> >> no choice.  Although hundreds of thousands of liberal Jews and many
> >> devoutly religious Jews decry Zionist imperialism and colonialism, the
> >> plain fact of the matter is that the majority of Jews worldwide have
> >> betrayed their spiritual heritage in order to identify with a rancid
> >> nationalism no less hateful and self-defeating than all the other
> >> segmental and idolatrous nationalisms in world history.  The irony of this
> >> betrayal is lost on no one with half a sense of the futility of
> >> ethnic/racial/national egoism.
> >>
> >>         All I hope for us at this juncture is that some day Palestinians
> >> will enjoy the same opportunity to screw up, and that they will also have
> >> the world-historical wisdom NOT to do so!
> >>
> >>         In comradeship,
> >>
> >>         Warren
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> W. Warren Wagar
> >> Department of History
> >> SUNY Binghamton
> >>
> >
> >--
> >Boris Stremlin
> >bc70219@binghamton.edu
> >
> 
>