It pains me to argue w/ Chuck who I like and respect but, an accurate accounting of the real horrors of an incredibly oppressive and repressive Occupation against the Palestinian, that has all the hallmarks of European colonialist racism and the effective mobilization of the broadest possible coalition which must include progressive and liberal Jews, is impossible when such offensive terms as, "ZioNazi, " are invoked. Again, I have no love for Zionism, or any other ethno-religious nationalist ideology (and that includes, the on the ground, dominant, having pushed aside violently [and, as a consequence of the massive corruption of the Fatah comprador bourgeoisie, Hamas, is a non-corrupt social service provider to an immiserated population] reactionary Islamists who hold in savage contempt feminist anti-patriarchal values and homosexuals, who are routinely killed) but, after the industrialized slaughter of 5.1 million in the Holocaust (the #'ers in Raul Hilberg, "The Destruction of European Jewry."), absent a concrete intent, plan or consequence like Hitler to begin the extermination of the Palestinians as a policy, by even the foul Sharon http://www.versobooks.com/books/klm/k-titles/kimmerling_sharon.shtml (before Brad, or Joanna or anyone else invokes Sabra and Shatila or Lebanon , I've read parts of the official report on the massacre, and have read and learned from such as Edward Said, Norman Finkelstein, MERIP http://www.merip.org/ and the Journal of Palestine Studies http://www.ipsjps.org/final/en/journals/jour_item.php?id=1 which just had a good piece on the ISM by Charmeine Weitz and works like this http://www.southendpress.org/books/palestine.shtml and intend to read this, just out, from Pluto Press, "SEEDS OF HATE: How America's Flawed Lebanon Policy Ignited the Jihad, " by Lawrence Pintak, http://www.plutobooks.com/ ) this provocative bandying about of such coinages as, "ZioNazi, " when the ashes of Auschwitz are still in memory, is one of those ultra-leftist, infantile indulgences, that seems designed to drive away as many leftist Jews who are the allies of the Palestinians, as possible. I know Chuck doesn't hold any illusions as to the "progressive" program of the dominant Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hizbollah and al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade (Article 32 of the Hamas Charter cites the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, lovely) orgs. but, talk w/ those that have the Star of David=Nazi Swastika placards at demos, and you'll find a decided lack of understanding, if not deep disagreement w/ historically left values of enlightenment and tolerance, all mixed up in a stew of irrationalist prejudice that is a mirror image of that which they supposedly oppose from the Likudniks.
It is this crap on the rad left that leads folks like me to pick up books by right-wingers like Kenneth Timmerman, ex-rad feminists like Phyllis Chessler and neo-con academics like Robert Wistrich, to try to understand the roots of this emergence and gravitation of a far right ideology, anti-semitism, on the rad left. And look at rightist, Zionist blogs like these http://stevenplaut.blogspot.com/ http://www.littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/weblog.php
Journalist Kenneth R. Timmerman is author, most recently, of Preachers of Hate: Islam and the War on America. He recently spoke to NRO about his book, Islam, and the war on terror http://www.nationalreview.com/interrogatory/timmerman200311210851.asp
Anti-Semitism is No Friend to Those Who Support Palestinian Rights http://www.tikkun.org/ (Uri Avnery - 11.23.2003) Reflecting on his 80 years, Gush Shalom leader Uri Avnery recognizes the destructive role of anti-Semitism and the way that it created the circumstances of the struggle between Israelis and Palestinians.
http://www.tikkun.org/magazine/index.cfm/action/tikkun/issue/tik0311/article/031111a.html Miriam Greenspan What's New About Anti-Semitism?
http://www.ajc.org/InTheMedia/Publications.asp?did=503 Muslim Anti-Semitism: A Clear and Present Danger by Robert S. Wistrich
http://www.google.com/search?q=ZioNazi Sure you'll find lotsa real neo-Nazis joining hands w/ ultra-leftists in those google hits.
One last comment, the political forces on the Palestinian and Israeli side (and the Geneva http://www.lapaixmaintenant.org/docs/DraftPermanentStatusAgreement.pdf document is tilted much too far towards the Israeli side and the Right of Return issue is not addressed) which, at great peril to both trying, again to re-start the peace process, which if it fails again due to the militarists on both sides, will only lead to the mutual ruin of both, is the only way out of this horrible, fucked situation which is killing the future of the youth of both societies. The NLF knew when to fight like hell for their freedom, just like the FDR-FMLN and the Guatemalan guerilla groups, but those three politico-military orgs. also knew when to negotiate, when the armed struggle had reached its strategic political and moral limits and had become counter-productive, in defeating the imperialist/fascist hegemon. Too much of the left, still lives in the era of the heroic guerilla. Hamas is not Ho Chi Minh.
------- Forwarded message ------- From: g kohler <kohlerg at 3web.net> To: <wsn at csf.colorado.edu> Subject: text of inofficial draft "Geneva pact" Date: Mon, 1 Dec 2003 08:28:14 -0500
The text of the inofficial draft "Geneva pact" launched under Swiss auspices today is available at http://www.lapaixmaintenant.org/docs/DraftPermanentStatusAgreement.pdf
(and, hmm, looking for more Timmerman found this, http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=35882 )