Divide and Conquer Re: Cockburn: Israel and "Anti-Semitism"

Yoshie Furuhashi furuhashi.1 at osu.edu
Tue May 21 18:47:47 PDT 2002



> >I'm not sure if I understand where you are coming from. The
>>conclusion you draw (= "voices of Palestinian victims of Zionism
>>either do not matter or matter less than voices of Jews") doesn't
>>follow at all from a suggestion that we should highlight political
>>divisions among Jews,
>
>because it makes the issue whether the critic is jewish or not.
>
>>so as not to create a false and politically
>>counter-productive impression that all Jews are united in support of
>>the Israeli government policy toward Palestinians.
>
>who is saying that jews are united? i have not heard that one.
>who is giving that impression?
>
>~M.E.

The Zionist claim has always been that Zionists speak for Jews all over the world and represent their collective interests (they made this claim even at the dawn of Zionism when Zionists were a tiny minority among Jews). The very reactionary among Zionists know how to make the lives of Jewish critics of Israel difficult (e.g., remember what happened to Adam Shapiro's parents), with a view to keeping dissenting Jews quiet about their critical opinions about Israel. The Jewish identity of Jewish critics of Israel is often called into question by right-wing Zionists (e.g., "self-hating Jews," "traitors," etc.). Our strategy should, therefore, include an effort to break the facade of Jewish unity for Israel created by Zionists. -- Yoshie

* Calendar of Events in Columbus: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/calendar.html> * Anti-War Activist Resources: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/activist.html> * Student International Forum: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/> * Committee for Justice in Palestine: <http://www.osu.edu/students/CJP/>



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