This morning I saw this article, and as someone born Jewish and as someone who participated in the 60's in the Jewish Radical Community (which participated in the shutting down of UCLA against the war in Vietnam, and in the strike in defense of Angela Davis, etc.) certainly the subject matter hits home with me, even though I have moved on politically to revolutionary Marxist positions.
I don't wish to polemicize here from an abstract point of view at all, I think the discussion group is great and all. What I feel bound to say is that this kind of development is going to run into the same brick wall that the Jewish Radical Community did way back then; namely: Zionism. The Jewish Radical Community were invited to send delegates to the Black Panther Congress in Chicago in 1967 or so, were they were asked what our position was on Israel and Zionism. We were unable to answer the question. The whole group journeyed to the Middle East the following summer as part of an effort to answer that fruitful question... and we found that half the group were right-wing Zionists, and the other half didn't really have any idea on the subject whatsoever, but were sensitive to Palestine rights and demands. The article doesn't state its position on Zionism, and to the extent that Zionism is not denounced as a historically bankrupt ideology and movement, as a historical dead end for the Jewish people, and as the vanguard of the imperialist war against the working class and peoples of the Middle East, no discussion group is going to be able to make any headway. The article calls out, at most, for "Israel" to maintain itself as a state within which the Palestinian people are second class citizens and victims of genocide, by being good guys while they're at it: "Generosity and helpfulness will create safety for Israel in a way that military might, arrogance and inhumanity never will." The problem is that the only safety for Jewish people is the safety of a secular, democratic Palestine which has liquidated capitalism and imperialist interests and which forms part of a Federation of like states in that region of the world. So this is the central problem: you cannot come up with a "good guy" position on Palestine without rejecting Zionism and supporting those that struggle against it. You're either part of the problem or part of the solution, yes. It is not a question of rejecting "the inhuman treatment of Palestinians", but rather of recognizing that the emancipation of the Jewish people is joined at the hip to the emancipation of the Palestinian people, in the context of social revolution that re-founds society on new foundations, in the context of supporting those struggles. Whether or not you agree with my words, and this is certainly not a policy paper of any kind, just a collection of initial ideas to create a dialog should you wish; whatever you think, in your discussion group you must come to terms with a position which condemns Imperialism and Zionism and supports the struggles to dethrone them, and which recognizes the historical bankruptcy of capitalism, as the source of the problem. Victor Kane --- In [email protected], scotpeden@... wrote: > > > This appeared in our local Mountain Bulletin. > I thought it quite good. Paul > > > > ON THE OTHER HAND > by Al Wasserman > The Wondering Jew > > Even a cursory look a Jewish history reveals the forced migrations of > the Jewish people from one European country to another, concluding > with the German holocaust and the United Nations creating the state of > Israel. > > The world's most well-known refugees had finally found a home. At > the time of Israel's statehood there were according to my encyclopedia, > one hundred thousand Arabs living in what was to be the new Israel > along with fifty thousand Jews. This disproves the Zionist slogan, > "A people without a land and a land without people." > > Boundaries were drawn by the United Nation for the beginnings of the > State of Israel which have long been in dispute. One result of this was the > Seven Day War. Israel won this war and in so doing extended its boundaries > further into the Arab lands of Syria, Lebanon and Egypt. As the > Israeli army advanced, the Palestinians, fearing annihilation, left their > homes and farms and became refugees huddling just beyond the > advancing Israeli forces. The Palestinians had been living on these lands > for countless generations and now they number 1.7 million destitute > and homeless people living on the West Bank and the Gaza. Dozens > of their villages [over 400 actually] were completely destroyed during the > occupation. > > Israel has refused to pay these people for their lost homes, farms and > businesses, passing laws that the occupied lands now belonged to Israel > and the Palestinians could not return to their former homes. These > laws violate the United Nations Mandate, signed by Israel, which > proclaimed that no United Nations country could take another country's > land by invasion or by force. On numerous occasions when the > United Nations voted to censure Israel for breaking its laws, the United > States vetoed the censure when all other voting members approved it. > > These actions resulted in the forming fo the refugee camps crowding > together 1.7 million people in closer proximity than any other people in > the world, completely shut off from all trade except that which is > approved by Israel. > > Given this series of events, perhaps it is inevitable that at times > some of the Palestinians would fire homemade rockets into Israel which > have killed five people. In retaliation the Israeli air force in the past > months have killed one hundred and sixty-five people and wounded > hundreds more. > > Of course both the government of Israel and the elected government > (Hamas) of the Palestinians say they are fighting defensive wars. Each > has committed brutal and inhuman acts upon the other. But the facts > are that there is only one army, air force and navy in this area and that > is the best trained and by far the best equipped military all belonging > to Israel. It is truly a David and Goliath war with Israel playing the > part of the giant Goliath against the rock-throwing Palestinians! > > How is it possible that a people who have for hundreds of years been > refugees wandering the world looking for a place for themselves, upon > achieving statehood, use their newfound powers to create these huge > refugee outdoor prisons? With utter disregard for their own history > the government of Israel has recreated their own past by creating a > whole new class of world refugees. As a people who believe themselves > to be "chosen of God" how can they possible treat their fellow human > beings this way? > > Is it really beyond the creative capability of the Israelis to work out a > just arrangement with the Palestinians? What part of the Torah (Old > Testament) would provide support for Israel's creation and maintenance > of these inhuman conditions that have existed for so long? To > Hell with whose fault it is! These are our fellow human beings deprived > of decent lives for political reasons. It is time for the Jews of Israel to > exhibit their Judaism by doing the right thing. The very meaning of > Judaism's six thousand year history is at stake. Now is the time for > Israel to show the world what being a Jewish state really looks like. > Generosity and helpfulness will create safety for Israel in a way that > military might, arrogance and inhumanity never will. As an American > Jew I refuse to support all of what Israel does simply because it is a > Jewish state. On the contrary, I have become more critical of Israel's > inhuman treatment of Palestinians because, to a certain extent, whether > I like it or not, as it projects itself as a Jewish state I am emotionally > involved. For me as an American Jew I must speak out or I will become > just like the Germans who did not speak out at all. > > A new study group is forming to discuss my new book of 100 essays. > Please call 831-338-4233. > ------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:[email protected]?subject=laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
