Did Noam Chomsky write this letter? I didn't see his name anywhere on it. Wouldn't it be better to sign, than not sign? You can't control the way people interpret (or misinterpret, either intentionally or unintentionally) the use of a word or phrase. People are paid to do that. No statement is ever clear enough that someone won't be able to "problematize" it.
Signing the letter might also bring you closer to the people who wrote it, and you might have a say in writing the next one. On Tue, Jun 1, 2021 at 4:29 PM abraham Weizfeld PhD <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > *De :* abraham Weizfeld PhD > *Envoyé :* 1 juin 2021 13:14 > *À :* Noam Chomsky <[email protected]> > > > > Noam, > > > > there is an open-letter circulating that is severely impaired by the use > of terminology that is ambiguous and can be interpreted as sectarian > Antisemitism. > > > > The use of the term ‘Israeli’ instead of the name of the State represented > by the flag, ‘Israel’, is a problem since it focuses on the civil society > and not the State. If ‘Israeli’ is to be considered a synonym of the State > ‘Israel’ then it may also be considered to be a synonym to ‘Jewish’. This > latter analogy is precisely what is claimed by the Zionist ideology. It is > also what is claimed by the anti-Jewish mentality which adopts Anti-Zionism > as a rationale. > > > > Although that is a common error, especially in verbal vulgarisations, that > is not the case with the more recent term introduced of ‘Jewish > Supremacy’. This is a term propagated by the antisemite Gilad Atzmon and > ties into the conspiracy theories of Globalism and The Protocols. Ironic > that while the populist Western Left turns to such a response to the > Zionist accusations of Antisemitism, the HAMAS party dropped such > references in its new Charter. > > > > I tried to convince Stanley Heller on this wording and asked for the > ‘Jewish’ to be dropped from the denunciation of supremacism, but it was > refused. So this wording following here is being promoted by Tony > Greenstein in London. > > > > The excuse provided in the debate we followed in the JewishForum List of > the JewsWhoSpeakOut List.. the justification so provided is that the > Zionist State is like the Apartheid State of South Africa and the divide > was a racial one where the White Nation was the oppressor of the Black one. > Besides the empirical methodology here, the point I tried to make in > response is that the Jewish People are not an oppressor Nation but rather > an oppressed Nation – and that the leadership of our People-Nation was > overtaken by the Zionist parties. Furthermore, that the Zionist State has > no legitimacy to claim itself to be Jewish since the Jewish-Israelis are a > minority of our People and are deeply divided themselves on the nature of > the State. > > > > The point here is that we should not use such language and so I will not > sign the letter. In fact I will resort to publicly criticize the letter for > its terminology, for the sake of saving the Jewish identity from the > Zionist pretentions as a means of bringing the Jewish People to support the > freedom of the Palestinians both resident and refugee. > > > > > > > > gitte shabbus > > > > *[abraham Weizfeld PhD] *---- > > > > Open Letter > > Take Down the Israeli Flag > > We Jewish people internationally appeal to Jews and Jewish organizations > around the world to remove Israel flags from communal spaces, whether at > Jewish schools, Jewish Federation offices or synagogues. It is clear to us > - and much of the world - as the reports of B’Tselem and Human Rights Watch > have demonstrated - that the Israeli State is an Apartheid regime and > therefore, as international law correctly confirms, it is an ongoing crime > against humanity. > > > > The government of Israel, since its start, has been determined to totally > subjugate or remove the indigenous Palestinians from the land they’ve lived > in for centuries. The Jewish supremacist state of Israel is deeply > discriminatory and necessarily violent towards Palestinians who naturally > resist oppression and expulsion. Israel logically allies itself with Far > Right and Anti-Semitic forces even though this endangers Jews worldwide. > That may seem astounding, but these noxious alliances have long been the > practice of the Zionist organizations that worked to create Israel. > > > > It is increasingly important for Jews to distinguish between Judaism and > the State of Israel and its policies. By featuring an Israeli flag > prominently in our communal institutions we permit anti-Semites to believe > that our interests are inextricably linked to those of a state whose > policies we abhor. > > > > The Israeli flag has the status of the Confederate flag. > > > > We are appalled at the idea that it represents us. > > > > It should be taken down. > > > > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > > *Initial Signers* > (*college or organizational mention for identification purposes only)* > > > > Elizabeth Aaronsohn > retired professor of Teacher Education, Central CT State University > > > > Benjamin Balthaser > member of Jewish Voice for Peace > > > > Marcia Bernstein > retired social worker > > > > Daniel Boyarin > Taubmann Professor of Talmudic Culture, UC Berkeley > > > > Prof. Haim Bresheeth > Professorial Research Associate > SOAS University of London > Author of: An Army Like No Other: How the Israel Defence Forces Made a > Nation > > > > Judith Butler > Professor and author > UC Berkeley > > > > David Cannon > Chair of Jewish Network for Palestine > > > > Robert Cohen > Jewish writer on Israel/Palestine > MA student at Lancaster University > > > > S. Cooper > Translator of Yiddish > Massachusetts > > > > Judith Cravitz > London > > > > Merav Devere > > > > Dr. Harry Feldman > Cobargo, Australia > > > > > > Sid Frankel > > University of Manitoba > > > > > > Judith Fieldstone > > Chevy Chase. MD > > retired > > > > > > Joseph C. Gerson (PhD) > President > Campaign for Peace, Disarmament & Common Security, Cambridge, Massachusetts > > > > Sue Goldstein > Artist and activist, Toronto > International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network-Canada > > > > Tony Greenstein > Brighton UK > > > > Stanley Heller > Host of "The Struggle" Video News > Connecticut > > > > Henry Herskovitz > Biological Jew > anti-Israel activist; member, "Witness for Peace" > Ann Arbor, Michigan USA > > > > > > Steve Krevisky > > CT Peace and Solidarity Coalition > > > > Bernice Laschinger > Psychotherapist > Wembley > > > > David Letwin > Jews for Palestinian Right of Return > Rutgers PTLFC AAUP-AFT, Local 6324 > > > > Michael Letwin > Former President, Assn. of Legal Aid Attorneys/UAW 2325 > Jews for Palestinian Right of Return > > > > Jane Marshall > Raising Dough for Palestine > > > > Seth Morrison > > Jewish Voice for Peace > > > > > > Sarah Plant > Composer, Activist with immigrants' organization NYC > > > > > > Susan Pashkoff > > London, GB > > > > > > Vivienne Porzsolt > > Jews against the Occupation Sydney > > > > Karen Pomer > co-founder, Jews for Palestinian Right of Return, and > granddaughter of anti-Zionist Bergen Belsen survivor. > > > > Roland Rance > London > > > > Ned Rosch > Recently returned from working in Gaza > > > > Margaret Ratner Kunstler > Human Rights Attorney > > > > David Rothstein > Stamford, CT > > > > Richard Silverstein > Journalist > Publisher, Tikun Olam > > > > Michael Steven Smith > Co-host, Law And Disorder Radio > > > > Inbar Tamari > London > > > > > > Norman Traub > > Leigh on Sea, Essex > > retired NHS (National Health Service) Consultant > > > > > > Dr Philip Ward > Retired - Sheffield > > > > Dr Rodney Watts member JNP/JVP, > signatory JJP chairman www.campain.org > Lives near Gateshead, NE England > > > > Julie Wornan > Retired computer professional > climate activist living in France > > > > b.h. Yael > Artist/Professor, Toronto > OCAD University > > > > > > *If you are Jewish [religiously, culturally, by birth, heritage, etc. ] > and you'd like to sign on as a supporter of this statement:* > *1) send an email to **[email protected] <[email protected]>** with > message* > *"I want to sign on the 'Take Down the Flag' statement".* > *2) Add your full name and a line of identification (profession, or > activist group, or college, or general geographic location, etc.)* > > > > -- > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > > > *R E C O N C I L I A T I O N C O N F ER E N C E L I S T* > > *قائمة مؤتمر المصالحة* > > since 1994 by the > > *Jewish People’s Liberation Organization* > > End Zionism & Judaeophobia > > abraham Weizfeld PhD moderator-founder [email protected] > > [email protected] > > political declaration *JPLO * ( a Bundist chapter ) > > > https://www.academia.edu/45689019/Jewish_Peoples_Liberation_Organization_J_PLO_Organisation_pour_la_liberation_du_Peuple_Juif_OLP_J_a_Non_Zionist_Declaration_v4_2_3_Jewish_Bundist_Organization_?email_work_card=abstract-read-more > > http://bundist-movement.org/about-us.html > > the books > > *Sabra and Shatila (1984) 2009* > > > http://bookstore.authorhouse.com/Products/SKU-000255066/Sabra-and-Shatila.aspx > > *The End of Zionism : and the liberation of the Jewish People 1989* > > > http://www.academia.edu/11243333/THE_END_OF_ZIONISM_and_the_liberation_of_the_Jewish_People > > *Nation, Society and the State : the reconciliation of Palestinian and > Jewish Nationhood* > > > https://www.academia.edu/40349204/VOLUME_I_SECOND_EDITION_THESIS_NATION_SOCIETY_AND_THE_STATE > > > https://www.academia.edu/40349264/VOLUME_TWO_SECOND_EDITION_THESIS_METHODOLOGY_OF_NATIONAL_IDENTITY > > > > > *The Federation of Palestinian and Hebrew Nations* > > > https://www.academia.edu/38380122/The_Federation_of_Palestinian_and_Hebrew_Nations > > > https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-5275-1313-6 > > > > > > ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ > > > > > > > -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. 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