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Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, September 1998, pages 87-92 Other People’s Mail Some letters by or to other people are as informative for our readers as anything we might write ourselves.
For the DispossessedTo The Washington Post, July 31, 1998 (as published). I wish to respond to The Post’s editorial comment in “A New Court Without the U.S.” [July 21], in which The Post points out how the acceptance of Egypt’s proposal criminalizing the settlement of occupied territories has cheapened the statute of the court. May I point out that Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 concerning the protection of civilians in war, which has become part of customary international law, prohibits the occupying power from transferring parts of its own civilian population into the territories it occupies. Although this provision does not lay down individual criminal responsibility for this act, it is clearly illegal under international law, and to provide for its criminalization under the International Criminal Court statute can only be a positive development in favor of those unfairly dispossessed. Safir Syed, London, England
On Gingrich and IsraelTo The Dothan, AL Eagle, June 9, 1998 (as published). In reference to Kristin L. Hodge’s June 4 letter on U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Speaker Gingrich’s support for Israel, a foreign country, is based on money (campaign contributions and an Israeli employment check for his wife) and a desire for Jewish votes to re-elect a Republican majority in the House of Representatives so he can continue as speaker of the House. Gingrich, to date, has collected $95,434 in campaign contributions from pro-Israeli political action committees. Gingrich expects to generate a large vote for Republican House candidates from his recently formed National Unity Coalition for Israel, the membership of the Zionist Organization of America and religious broadcasters Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. The National Unity Coalition for Israel had a conference at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC earlier this year. The main speakers were Morton Klein of the Zionist Organization of America and religious broadcasters Falwell and Robertson. The honored guest was Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who was named “the Ronald Reagan of Israel.” Gingrich considers the Religious Right followers of Falwell and Robertson to be crypto-Jewish voters for the Republican Party. The National Unity Coalition for Israel and “Word of God is law” religions in politics are all developing into religious imperialism and are a real danger to our democratic form of government. Considering Gingrich’s record, charges and fines by the House Ethics Committee. Gingrich operates under his own ethics laws without regard to the ethical norms of our society. Raymond McCann, Dothan, AL
Hillary Clinton Is In Line With International ConsensusTo the Boston Herald , May 26, 1998 (as published). Hillary Clinton’s comments about the need for Palestinians to have their own state have been characterized as a political faux pas (“Blunder in the Mideast,” May 12). Mrs. Clinton’s observations, however, fall in line with a broad international consensus that the creation of a Palestinian state would enable the Palestinians to fully govern themselves as a nation while also helping to heal the old wounds of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Steven P. Duplisea, North Attleboro, MA
“Tilting Toward Stupidity”To The Sacramento Bee, May 25, 1998 (as published). Re “Tilting Toward Stupidity,” editorial, May 9: I am uncertain that I understand the intent of the editorial. Is The Bee suggesting that prominent members of the political elite not publicly voice their opinions, especially when those opinions might be critical of Israel? Personally, I was delighted that Hillary Rodham Clinton clearly enunciated the Palestinian people’s right to a free and democratic state. President Yasser Arafat’s promise to declare a state next year is a formality. As for House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s criticisms of the First Lady and his own unquestioning support for Israel, he needs to remember that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu ran on a platform that demanded the abrogation of the Oslo accords. A rare politician indeed, Netanyahu has kept his promise. He has destroyed the peace process, and yet Congress sings his praises. The Bee, rather than chastising the First Lady for exercising her constitutional rights, should be focusing public attention on Netanyahu’s success in destroying the peace process. Arch Miller, Sacramento, CA
Injustice IncarnateTo the San Francisco Chronicle, June 7, 1998 (as published). The May 27 Open Forum article, “Palestine’s 50 Years of Injustice,” was startling—informing Americans of some of the tragic “facts-on-the ground” in pre-Israel (the destruction of the village of Deir Yassin and its people) and the Israel of today (settlements built on occupied land that defy international law; state-legalized torture; confiscation of land, house demolitions). Palestinians, scattered around the world, are a people “to be or not to be” a nation. “Not to be” according to Israel’s idea of security needs; “to be,” according to the Jeffersonian idea that every people has a right to its own destiny. I think Shakespeare today would ask: “Has not an American eyes? Has not an American senses, passions?” Can we have wandered so far from our roots that we cannot see that the Palestinians have certain inalienable rights to life, liberty and the freedom to live with dignity in their own land? Are we Americans blind to the tragic fact that we have given over $84 billion to a nation (Israel) that has relentlessly ignored international law and U.N. declarations of human rights? How are we Americans to respond to 50 years of injustice? M. L. Levin, Mill Valley, CA
Igniting World War IIITo the Los Angeles Times, May 27, 1998 (as submitted). It was amazing to read in today’s Los Angeles Times that Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich stood in a foreign parliament, the Israeli Knesset and, in opposition to all stated policies of the Clinton administration, pandered to the right-wing extremist fringe of Israelis and stated that East Jerusalem is the “united and eternal capital of Israel.” He uttered these words as Palestinian legislators and statesmen were being beaten up by Israeli border guards because they were protesting the erection of rogue Jewish settler shacks in the Muslim quarter of Arab East Jerusalem. It is not surprising that Gingrich is more of a Zionist right-winger than most liberal Jews in the United States. He has received publicly $100,434 from pro-Israel PACs and his wife receives $2,500 a month salary plus commissions from the Israel Export Development Co., Ltd. If Speaker Gingrich isn’t registered as a foreign agent for Israel, perhaps Mr. Starr should look into this. Samir Twair, Past President of the Arab American Press Guild, Los Angeles, CA P.S. It is as if a pyromaniac has landed on the fertilizer bomb of the Middle East and at any minute will ignite World War III with his insensitive remarks.
Cut the Aid to IsraelFrom “Call the Editor,” Tulsa World, May 12, 1998, a compendium of one-minute, unsigned telephoned reader comments (as published): “The United States has been trying for decades to help find a solution to the Middle East problem. Money talks. Perhaps if we would stop sending money to Israel, they will stop thumbing their noses and become more cooperative. My tax money could be used more usefully here at home.”
The Struggle ContinuesTo the Minneapolis Star Tribune, June 11, 1998 (as published). Americans are witnesses to the Israeli domination of the Palestinians as well as Israeli defiance of numerous United Nations resolutions. While Israel condemns suicide bombings, it has stepped up land confiscation and demolition of property, resulting in hundreds of Palestinians becoming homeless. These acts of aggression are not for security purposes, but for expansionist policies that are never questioned. All Palestinians in the region suffer. Bombs, bulldozers, soldiers’ and settlers’ brutality, oppressive policies and discrimination are destructive to security and peace in the Middle East. In the aftermath of any violence there, Israeli settlers and soldiers escalate their attacks on Palestinians. Despite the peace process, Israel does not recognize the Palestinians’ human rights and continually denies them security or justice from soldiers’ and settlers’ brutality. Furthermore, Israel responds to violence in the area with sharp anger, understanding the Palestinians are not able to answer back. Israel has denied the Palestinians and their children the right to live, love and laugh for 50 years. It is inhumane for anyone to ask them to tolerate another 50 more. This year’s commemoration of Al Nakba is a collective attempt by Palestinians to remind the world of the inhumane means that Israel used to declare its statehood and that they will continue the struggle for their legitimate human and national rights. Katherine Shalhoub, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Minnesota chapter, Minneapolis.
Attention All VeteransTo the Vero Beach, FL Press Journal, June 11, 1998 (as published). Memorial Day is a patriotic holiday to honor Americans who gave their lives for our country. Congressmen Newt Gingrich, Richard Gephardt and others ignored American war dead on Memorial Day and spent four days in Israel promoting Zionism and foreign aid. It sounds like blackmail, when Israel demands another billion dollars before returning stolen Palestinian land. Giving Israel $14 million per day—seven days a week—plus $464 million more for 1998 is already too much. Congress should not increase foreign aid while letting Social Security and Medicare go broke. According to the newsletter Spotlight, in June 1967, Israeli aircraft and torpedo boats killed 34 Americans and wounded 171 others trying to sink the USS Liberty, an American intelligence ship in international waters. American tax dollars paid for Israeli aircraft that killed our fellow Americans. The Liberty was gathering information that could reveal that Israel intended to invade Syria. Israel, not the Arab states, was the real aggressor. Any of these facts, if publicly revealed, would expose Israel’s imperialistic aims. This is why Israel tried to sink the Liberty and kill her entire crew, according to Adm. Thomas Moorer, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Israeli lobby has bought the Congress and the presidency. Donald Bergus, a former ambassador to Sudan wrote, “At the State Department, we used to predict that if Israel’s prime minister should announce that the world is flat, within 24 hours, Congress would pass a resolution congratulating him on the discovery.” Let us become united and end foreign aid. Carl Greeley, Barefoot Bay, FL
Clintonian Efforts for PeaceTo the San Francisco Examiner, May 18, 1998 (as published). As described in your editorial “U.S. Pressure and Mideast Peace” (May10), Hillary Rodham Clinton had a right to say that a Palestinian state must be created to secure peace in the Middle East. She had that right because she is a private citizen and not obligated to the U.S. State Department. If the Old Testament is true, the Jews went into the Promised Land, murdered every man, woman and child (save one small village) and stole their land. Now they are trying to repeat the process. That is what this is all about—a land grab. Why does a religious sect need its own country, and why does the U.S. government blindly support this land grab with billions in borrowed money and unlimited arms, also paid for with borrowed money? Jason K. Warden, San Rafael, CA
Addressing the StalemateTo the San Francisco Examiner, May 18, 1998 (as published). President Clinton is the most pro-Israel president the U.S. has ever had. He was re-elected with the support of over 85 percent of American Jews in 1996, and he maintains the trust and admiration of the majority of Israelis. The ideas the president is proposing to break the stalemate in the Middle East peace process are aimed at addressing Israel’s security needs and meet many of the demands put forward by Netanyahu. They call for accelerating final status negotiations and tightening the security obligations of the Palestinians. The implementation of each phase of Israeli redeployment would be linked to the Palestinian Authority’s fulfillment of a specific Oslo commitment. The United States is proposing, not imposing, ideas. These ideas should be supported because they will enhance Israeli security by ensuring Palestinian compliance and getting Israel closer to completing the peace process. Sharone Negev, San Francisco, CA
The P-WordTo the San Francisco Examiner, May 18, 1998 (as published). I don’t enjoy raining on anybody’s parade, but I couldn’t help noticing that Rita Semel’s fond remembrances (“S.F. Jews at Israel’s birth: Wonder and Prayer,” Opinion Page, May 11) didn’t once use the P-word. Yes, Palestinians, indigenous inhabitants of Palestine. Most of them (some 750,000) were driven out by Israeli massacres, terror and threats in 1947-48, in an “ethnic cleansing” that destroyed over 400 Palestinian villages and towns—and which continues to this day. Palestinian refugees in the millions are uncompensated and barred from returning to their homeland. Ken Scudder, San Francisco, CA
Here’s WhyTo The Dallas Morning News , May 26, 1998 (as published). Re: Elizabeth Meyer’s May 15 letter, “Mideast Peace.” She writes, “Had the Palestinians truly been interested in establishing a homeland in the West Bank, why did they not do so from 1948-67 when the land was controlled by the Arabs?” Ms. Meyer won’t like the answer. Israel was rejected for membership in the United Nations in December 1948 because Israel refused to abide by U.N. Resolution 194 (III) of Dec. 11, 1948, which stated: “Refugees wishing to return to their homes and live in peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so at the earliest possible date.” And that “compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for the loss of/or damages to property which, under principles of international law or in equity, should be made by the governments responsible.” In May 1949 Israel again applied for membership. On Israel’s signing the Lausanne Protocol in Geneva and agreeing to abide by 194, U.N. Resolution 273 took Israel into the family of nations. To this day, Israel has not lived up to any part of that resolution. In 1951, the Arab League discussed “Statehood, uniting with Jordan, and annexation of the West Bank by Jordan.” It was decided that any of those steps for the Palestinians might endanger their claims against Israel for compensation and/or damages. The West Bank became a temporary protectorate of Jordan. West Bank Palestinians received Jordanian passports, but not citizenship. Besides, the United Nations continued to demand compliance by Israel even to the extent of threatened expulsion of Israel from the U.N. The U.S. backed down from enforcement and the debate continued with the Palestinians in limbo. Israel now admits it started the 1967 war in which it took the West Bank. No American president has had the political guts, since Dwight Eisenhower in 1957, to demand that Israel live up to its commitments. See, Ms. Meyer, I said you would not like the answer. Gip D. Oldham, Jr., Dallas, TX
Is This “Christian Charity”?To The Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 20, 1998 (as submitted). In what he tries to pass off as Christian charity, the Rev. G. Mark Denyes (May 19) suggests that inasmuch as “the Arab nations around Israel have millions of square miles, why not carve a Palestinian state out of the Arab nations?” This gentleman must have realized that he is advocating the mass deportation of the Palestinian nation. This means dismantling the social, economic, institutional and family structures of an entire people and their expulsion from their cities, homes, farms, jobs and businessesss. And to draw pictures for our brilliant pastor, let us imagine evacuating the population of Minnesota from Deyne’s town of Spring Lake Park to the Iowa border to make room for Mexican, Hmong and Russian immigrants. Minnesotans are to abandon their cities, farms, homes and jobs and move to Arizona and Nevada where the area is about three times that of Minnesota And let us put Rev. Denyes in charge of the project! Rev. Denyes, futhermore, informs us that his plan of expelling the Palestinians (presumably including Palestinian Christians) is necessary because Israel “needs every square inch she has for the Jewish population of the world as they return home.” I wonder if Rev. Denyes realizes that his statement implies that he believes that the millions of American Jews are not “at home” in New York, Florida and Minnesota, but must eventually “go home” to a country on the other side of the world. Does the brilliant reverend think that Henry Kissinger, Robert Rubin, Alan Greenspan, Sandy Berger and Paul Wellstone are all homeless exiles holding down odd jobs running the United States government while waiting to “return” to Israel as soon as Rev. Deneys implements his population transfer? Such muddled (or nefarious) ideas have contributed to perpetrating the genocidal horrors we are witnessing all over the world. A. I. Samarrai, St. Cloud, MN
Use Examples From the PastTo the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, March 25, 1998 (as published). The Journal Sentinel’s editorial titled “Vatican’s Apology Falls Short” (March 19) illustrates the myopic vision of the paper. Most people believe, as I do, that the failure of the Vatican to denounce Hitler and the gruesome events back in the 1940s was morally wrong. We cannot change that. However, the present-day conduct of Israelis and some Jews who do not speak out for the Palestinians is equally disgusting. The events in the 1940s are history. Why not use that experience to try preventing another war in the Middle East by attempting to resolve the differences with fairness and justice for both parties? John L. Hughes, Milwaukee, WI
Time For New Mideast FriendsTo The Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 5, 1998 (as published). Binyamin Netanyahu and the current Israeli government seem to want to go it on their own, ignoring world opinion, American advice, and promises made to peace by prior Israeli governments. An independent striving might have many good sides, and perhaps our government could support this movement by immediately stopping all financial support to Israel, enabling financial independence as well. Such a step might make new friends in the area, which could go a long way in support of American interests in the Middle East. Robert A. Furman, Cleveland, OH
Attack Wasn’t a “Mistake”To the Reno Gazette-Journal, June 11, 1998 (as published). Shame on you for printing on May 25—Memorial Day weekend—such gross misinformation provided by Mark Wiles re the USS Liberty attack . The attack absolutely was not a “mistake.” It was a deliberate attack by our so-called “ally” killing—murdering is more appropriate—34 Americans and wounding 171. After the “mistake” with a very large U.S. flag flying, the Israelis machine-gunned her life rafts and sent troop-carrying helicopters in to finish the job. You should not permit a mouthpiece for Israel to air such lies as that the U.S. was helping Egypt get superiority over Israel—and that info was provided to Egypt. Wiles’ total Israeli line of lies is unacceptable. Israel is not democratic—try being an Arab-Israeli, no rights. Israel is not a reliable ally. It has cost us nearly a trillion dollars for our blind support of this renegade country that blatantly violates international law. As for visiting the holy sites, Israel is deliberately driving Christians as well as Muslims out of the country. Get your facts straight before you permit people to use your newspaper to air their propaganda. Richard Hobbs, Sparks, NV
Attack AnniversaryTo the Reno, Nevada Gazette-Journal, June 11, 1998 (as published). As the June 8, 31st anniversary of the Israeli attack on the USS Liberty approached, it was recently reported in a wire service story that Jonathan Pollard was indeed an Israeli agent. His espionage was described by then-Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger as “the most devastating blow ever delivered by an American spy to U.S. national security interests.” The under-reporting of these two major crimes against the U.S. signifies what happens when a free press no longer exists. Accordingly, a craven and perfidious Congress continues to send billions in aid to defiant leaderships that will not stop at anything when the perceived national interests conflict. George Upperman, Reno, NV
Town Pays Tribute to USS LibertyTo the Shreveport (LA) Times, June 3, 1998 (as published). Re: June 8 is USS Liberty Memorial Day. On June 8, 1967, Israeli jets and torpedo boats attacked the USS Liberty—an intelligence-gathering ship—in the Mediterranean Sea, killing 34 Americans and wounding another 171. It was mistaken identity and an accident, claimed Israel, though those same jets had been flying over the Liberty for hours before the attack. It was a bright, beautiful day and the large American flag and the letters and the numerals on the bow of the ship could be plainly seen. There was no mistaking which nation the Liberty belonged to. Within 20 minutes of the start of the two-hour attack, U.S. Navy jets had launched 40 minutes away to go to the Liberty’s aid. Twice their flat-top commanders were ordered by Robert McNamara, or the White House, to return to their carriers. Secretary of State Dean Rusk wrote a Liberty survivor that they knew the attack was intentional, but chose for diplomatic reasons to accept Israel’s explanation. The small town of Grafton, WI, just outside Milwaukee, has named its privately-funded library The USS Liberty Memorial Library for the valiant crew of the Liberty. In return, Grafton has been abused and harassed by certain groups in the United States. A. G. Thomas, Longview, TX
Why is This Maritime Event Not Investigated?To the Minneapolis Star Tribune, June 1, 1998 (as submitted). June 8th is USS Liberty Memorial Day in a number of states and cities around our country, a day to honor and remember the 34 men who died in the devastating Israeli daylight attack on our ship 31 years ago, which also injured another 171 men. Twenty-eight known memorials honor these men, including one in Zimmerman, Minnesota. For years, repeated requests to members of Congress for a proper, thorough inquiry into the attack have been met with form letters, lip service and duplicity—but no constructive action. The coverup began with President Lyndon Johnson and continues to this day. After the 1989 USS Iowa disaster, our government instituted an investigation and even a reinvestigation! Why is the Liberty attack the only major maritime event not investigated by Congress? H.L. Overdiek, Hopkins, MN
An Ugly IncidentTo President Bill Clinton, Washington, DC, June 8, 1998 Mr. President, today marks the 31st anniversary of the savage and unwarranted attack on the USS Liberty by the Israelis. To date, there has been no investigation surrounding this horrible act by Israel. I urge you to begin an investigation of the facts surrounding this ugly incident in American Naval history. The memory of those killed and maimed cries out for justice. Be American, Mr. President, don’t let the Israeli Lobby dictate American policy anymore. Thank you. James G. Peters, Brookline, MA cc: Secretary of State Madeleine Albright Senator Ted Kennedy
Open Letter to Rep. McCollumTo Rep. McCollum, Jan. 13, 1998 When I read Tamara Lytle’s article “McCollum draws ire of Arabs” in Tuesday’s Sentinel, I was filled with revulsion and disgust! Your constituents, sir, are here in Florida and are not in Israel. I think it is outrageous that your group unilaterally decided to lend support to Prime Minister Netanyahu, urging him to ignore the Clinton administration with respect to the peace process. I am an ex-crew member of the USS Liberty, attacked deliberately by Israel in 1967, killing 34 and wounding 171. The survivors were told to shut up under penalty of court-martial and the incident has been covered up by our government. My ex-shipmates who survived the attack have been trying now for over 30 years to get Congress to investigate the incident. As you know, it is the only one of its kind that has never been investigated. Congress won’t give us the time of day. Do you suppose the fact that the survivors don’t have $12,650 to contribute to your campaigns might have something to do with it? I assure you, sir, that this is one Floridian who will be working hard promulgating these issues in an effort to prevent your re-election. John Gidusko, Lt. U.S. Navy (Ret.), Fern Park, FL cc: Orlando Sentinel, 20 Florida newspapers
Rep. Bill McCollum’s ReplyTo Mr. John Gidusko, May 15, 1998 Thank you for contacting me regarding a letter I cosigned to Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. I apologize for the delay in my response. My office has just completed a computer upgrade which has delayed my response to you. I signed this letter just before the prime minister’s visit to Washington to meet with President Clinton and members of the administration to discuss the Middle East peace process. I was very concerned about reports that the administration was advocating a return of land to the Palestinian Authority (P.A.), despite the P.A.’s non-compliance with the Oslo accords. Simply put, P.A. Chairman Yasser Arafat has not lived up to his part of the peace agreement. Specifically, Arafat has violated the requirement to rescind the Palestinian Liberation Organization covenant that calls for the destruction of Israel, failed to transfer terror suspects to Israel, failed to halt terrorist attacks against Israel, and stop the flow of weapons into the territories. The purpose of the letter was to help restore some balance to the negotiations, to demonstrate some congressional support for the Israeli government and its efforts to resist pressure to cede land. While I realize that you disagree with my decision to sign this letter, I believe that it was important to show Prime Minister Netanyahu my support for his efforts in this difficult peace process. Thank you again for contacting my office. I look forward to hearing from you on other matters of interest or concern. Bill McCollum, Member of Congress, Washington, DC
Funding Museum UnfairTo the Williamson, WV, Daily News, June 7, 1998 (as published). Your readership should be interested to know that the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC receives its major funding via grants from the Federal Treasury in tax-payer dollars in these amounts: FY95—$26,609,000; FY96—$28,707,000; FY97—$31,272,000; and FY98—$31,700,000. As you know, the Holocaust happened in Europe during the time of the Nazis—to citizens of Europe, by citizens of Europe and not here in these United States of America. Your lawmakers blithely sat in both houses of Congress in Washington, DC and handed out taxpayer dollars to fund a museum to memorialize an outrage that happened in Europe. Yet these same members of our national legislature have cut and reduced funding for all sorts of social and “well being” measures for our own citizens. The FY99 budget has not yet become law—but I heard on C-SPAN Live the figure of $31 million-plus referred to in a budget debate some two months ago. This funding comes under the Department of the Interior funding proposals. That’s public monuments, Indian affairs and national parks, etc. Which is to say the same fund which supports the upkeep of the Lincoln Memorial also supports the upkeep of the Holocaust Museum! Harry W. Hunt, Huddy, KY
Comedians in CongressWashington Report Editor’s Note: Baltimore writer Bill Hughes has sent us the original (below) of a letter published in The Washington Times in which he has indicated with parentheses the portions cut out by the Times’ Forum editor. It’s instructive: To the Washington Times, May 31, 1998 Some of our politicians must moonlight as stand-up comedians. Take, for example, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott. The guy is really funny. Why just the other day, he said, and with a straight face, too, that Congress should investigate whether money funneled by the Chinese regime into Democratic campaign coffers influenced decision makers in the Clinton administration. (Most folks know that it did. But, Red China was only following the lead of Zionist Israel. Its cunning operatives have been buying off our politicos since at least 1948. That is why the Congress regularly acts like an extension of the Knesset, and the White House is considered by many Europeans as Zionist-occupied territory.) Barbara Mikulski of Maryland is no slouch either in the “funny business” category. She is running for re-election and brags that she is a “bulldozer” when it comes to taking on the establishment. Senator Mikulski poses as a champion of the underdog. Unfortunately, the two million Palestinians trapped in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza don’t qualify. Too bad! If they did, then “bulldozer” Mikulski might have to insist on imposing economic sanctions on Israel for its official policy of torturing of its prisoners. It looks like only Arab countries qualify for draconian, U.S.-imposed sanctions in her silly script. (Arizona’s Senator John McCain is another legislative joker. Last year, just prior to the 30th anniversary of Israel’s murderous attack on the USS Liberty, I wrote him. I requested that he lead the charge in the Senate for a probe into that great miscarriage of justice that took the lives of 34 of our naval personnel and injured 171 others [See, James Ennes’ Assault on the Liberty for the details]. McCain declined my offer and insisted the matter [read cover-up] had been “thoroughly reviewed.” He also, no doubt looking ahead to future campaign contributions, refused to mention the culprit responsible for the foul deed by name. Instead McCain referred to Zionist Israel only as the “attacking nation.”) (Newt Gingrich tops the field. The Speaker is in a side-busting class of his own. When Israel’s Binyamin Netanyahu [a/k/a Bend-The-TruthYahoo] was recently here lying through his teeth about the meaning of the “Olso accords,” old Newt was out front acting like his pet goy.) (Finally, Tel Aviv confessed that the scummy traitor Jonathan Pollard was indeed their agent. Wow, what a surprise! Intelligence experts are convinced Pollard’s treachery did “incalculable damage” to our national security.) Well, the American people have, at least, one consolation in all of this influence peddling mess: their sell-out politicians are clowns, too! Bill Hughes, Baltimore, MD
Justice is not Just UsWashington Report editor’s note: The following is a response to a letter sent to the editor of the San Diego Union Tribune, not for publication, by the local representative of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith: To the San Diego Union Tribune, May 31, 1998 Re: “Palestinians choose violence over negotiation, compromise,” (Letters, May 24, 1998): Judging from regional director Morris Casuto’s letter, the Anti-Defamation League should consider changing its name to the Anti-Arab Defamation Leauge. According to Casuto, who has made a local career of lecturing the rest of us about such fine notions as “tolerance” and “respect for diversity,” the source of Palestinian misery lies not in Israel’s continued occupation and colonization of Palestinian land in flagrant disregard of international law, nor in the police-state tactics such as detention without trial and outright torture Israel employs to keep the natives in their place, nor in the systematic economic deprivation and assorted humiliations the people of occupied Palestine are forced to endure daily. No, the source of Palestinian misery is—according to Casuto—the Palestinians themselves and the “choices” they have purportedly made “for over 100 years.” Political oppression always receives some kind of justification, and when ethnic or religious rivalries are further involved—witness the Bosnian Serbs’ litany of grievances against both Muslims and Croats—blaming the victim seems to be especially popular. If Casuto and his organization wish their talk of “tolerance” and “respect for diversity” to be taken seriously, they would do well to remember that “justice” does not mean “just us,” irrespective of who the “us” might be. Randall Bookout, Alpine, CA
Kosovo Remedy: Deploy NATO ForcesTo The Christian Science Monitor , June 15, 1998 (as submitted). The actions suggested by David Phillips in his opinion article “Serbian Aggression—Again” (June 9) to halt the Serbian onslaught in Kosovo would be too little, too late. Tougher sanctions than those Phillips proposes did not alter Milosevic’s behavior through four years in Croatia and Bosnia; they will not on this occasion either. The suggestion of deploying NATO forces along the periphery of Kosovo, in Albania and Macedonia, is one that would aid and abet Serbia’s offensive againt the Kosovar Albanians. Only the direct application of force—air power, at least initially—will bring an end to the carnage in Kosovo. The U.S., as leader of NATO, will have to lead any such operations. Though U.N. Security Council authorization is desirable, it is by no means necessary—or likely. Russia and China are both likely to wield their vetoes. Until the divided and rudderless Clinton administration leads forcefully and intervenes in Kosovo in the immediate future, it is highly likely that the “nightmare scenarios” of a wider Balkan war will come to pass, bearing even tougher choices and higher costs than the ones we face at present. Kurt Bassuener, Washington, DC (Policy analyst, The Balkan Institute).
Too Much Money Spent on IsraelTo The Toledo Blade, May 8, 1998 (as published). Israel celebrated its 50th anniversary with a visit by Vice President Gore. He represents a nation that makes it all possible for Israel. America has spent $84 billion on aid to Israel from 1947 to 1997, $6.5 billion in 1997, no questions asked. Who funds this unconditional generosity? U.S. taxpayers, of course, with the irony being that poor and middle-class America pays taxes which translate into $1,500 per Israeli per year. Our elected officials are rewarded by the powerful Israeli lobby with hundreds of thousands in campaign contributions—enough to silence all the qualms of conscience and tint the truth. What would Americans prefer? AIDS research or billions to Israel? Help for the homeless, programs for single mothers, dollars to fight drugs, or billions to Israel? The millions in America who languish in poverty are being whipped into shape by welfare reform and denied food stamps, while Israelis luxuriate in our aid. Why do we not help our own citizens rise out of our slums and ghettos? Most importantly, what are the things Israel does with this aid?
America recently expressed its distress to China about human rights abuses there. The human rights abuses in America’s Zionist backyard are simply given the hypocritical, benevolent blind eye. How shameful! Mahjabeen Islam-Husain, Toledo, OH
Stop Brutal TreatmentTo the Stanford Daily, May 12, 1998 (as published). Aly Remtulla’s column in last Monday’s Daily has drawn a torrent of criticism denouncing him as uneducated and simplistic. This is an unfair analysis. The situation in Israel is as complex as any human situation. However, Mr. Remtulla’s column gave a different perspective on the situation than the one presented by the 50th anniversary celebrations. From any perspective, what the Israeli government has done to the Palestinians in the occupied territories is unconscionable. Palestinians of all ages are routinely harassed, arrested, held without bail or trial, tortured, denied fundamental rights and assassinated. Palestinians are forced to live as oppressed second-class citizens in a land that is just as holy to them as it is to Jewish Israelis. Israel justifies this in the name of security. I have no wish to make statements about which group has the more legitimate claim to the region—clearly both cultures value the land. What is wrong, and what is supremely racist, is the claim that only Israelis deserve to live in the region, and that they (as the more powerful group) have no mandate to ensure Palestinian rights and culture. If Israelis truly want peace, the easiest road to their goal is not the brutalization of a people. They must stop bulldozing Palestinian homes. They must end the military presence in the occupied territories. They must make every effort to include Palestinians in the government of the region. They must make every effort to fully redress the wrongs done to the Palestinian people. Israel may have a lot to celebrate, but the present celebrations are little more than a mask for 50 years of oppression that needs to be identified, understood and acted upon. Tim Donaghy, Junior, Dept. of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Exploitation in IsraelTo the Stanford Daily, May 5, 1998 (as published). Reading the spate of letters that were published in response to Aly Remtulla’s column last Monday, I noticed that most of the letter writers who opposed the columnist’s view proclaimed similar sentiments. Most declared that Israel has achieved tremendous progress despite the heavy odds against it, and that itself is a cause for celebration. This may be true, but does this development have any tangible meaning for the native Palestinians? Applying the same logic, even advocates of South Africa’s erstwhile racist regime could claim that South Africa has been a success, despite economic sanctions against it for decades, since it has managed to provide a “great” life for its citizens. The whole purpose of development is defeated when the word “citizen” applies only to a privileged part of the society. In South Africa’s case the blacks were deprived of their citizenship rights. In Israel’s case it is the Palestinians. No country can claim progress based upon preferential treatment of only a section of its populace. Hozef Arif, graduate student, petroleum engineering, Stanford, CA
Calamity for PalestineTo the Stanford Daily, May 11, 1998 (as published). Two letters in Thursday’s Daily charged that Aly Remtulla’s thoughtful column of May 3 was “incorrect,” “unresearched,” and required “more investigation.” Remtulla had argued that Israel’s 50 years of existence involved pain and hardship for Jews as well as Palestinians and said his aim was to “encourage thought about shared injustice.” None of the letters in response pointed out any factual errors in his column, but instead praised Israel as an unalloyed success. Israel is undoubtedly a success, with an average per capita income of $17,000 (some 14 times larger than that of the Palestinians under Israeli occupation), a powerful nuclear arsenal and control over far more land than was allotted to it by the United Nations in 1947. Part of Israel’s success is due to the close cooperation and help the United States has given Israel over the years, including more than $75 billion in aid. Israel has also been helped by the fact that most of the world rightly feels sympathy for a long-persecuted people who survived one of history’s most atrocious crimes. Remtulla reminded us that Israel’s success came at high cost to the Palestinians on whose land the Jewish state was built. Several Israeli historians have recently challenged the established myths of Israel’s origins by revealing that Israel forcibly expelled hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes in 1948 and provoked much of the fighting that has taken place since then. Benny Morris, professor of history at Ben-Gurion University, recently wrote in Tikkun magazine that Israel turned down Arab peace offers in 1949-51, that former Defense Minister Moshe Dayan had admitted that “most of the border troubles between Israel and Syria in the 1950s and ’60s were instigated by Israel,” and that Israel’s rejection of “reasonable Egyptian peace offers in 1970-71” led to the 1973 war. Today it is especially important to recognize that Israel’s triumph meant calamity for the Palestinians. Since 1967, inhabitants of the West Bank and Gaza have had to endure the hardships of military occupation and the confiscation of their land and water for Jewish settlements. In recent years the almost continuous border closings and roadblocks imposed by Israel have further crippled the Palestinian economy. The Oslo agreement of 1993 brought hope that within five years both peoples could achieve a lasting peace. Israel’s success will not be complete until this hope is realized, and Palestinians, like Jews, can enjoy security and independence in a state of their own. Rachelle Marshall, Stanford, CA
Quid Pro QuoTo The Economist, April 4-10, 1998 (as published). Your assertions (March 21) that “gut defiance and emotional outrage...overtake Israelis when there is any suggestion that all of Jerusalem is not their sovereign territory,” and that the status of East Jerusalem is “indeterminate,” require a dose of reality. The world’s view of the holy city’s legal status was concisely summarized in May 1996 by Malcolm Rifkind, Robin Cook’s predecessor as foreign secretary, who, being Jewish, is less easily branded as being anti-Semitic. He said: “Britain made clear many years ago, as did the international community, that it considered Israel to be in military occupation of East Jerusalem and to have only de facto authority over West Jerusalem.” Three decades after Israel asserted sovereignty over expanded East Jerusalem, not one of the world’s other sovereign states has recognized its claim. On Dec. 9, 1997, the U.N. General Assembly adopted, by a vote of 148-1, Resolution 52/53, which “determines that the decision of Israel to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration on the Holy City of Jersualem is illegal and therefore null and void, and has no validity whatsoever.” Jerusalem is the core conundrum in the search for peace in the Middle East. A clearer understanding of the true legal status of Jerusalem is an essential precondition for peace. John Whitbeck, Paris, France
Fouling Iran’s AirwavesTo The New York Times, April 22, 1998 (as published). It defies logic that Congress has decided to create a $900,000 Persian-language radio service to beam anti-government propaganda into Iran (news article, April 15). Mohammad Khatami was elected Iran’s president last year with 70 percent of the popular vote on a platform of social liberties and improved ties with the West. The outcome of his ongoing internal power struggle with conservative clergy will probably determine whether his mandate is carried forward. Beginning additional anti-Iran measures at a time when elements of the Iranian leadership have made positive overtures to the United States suggests that Congress has little or no interest in seeing Mr. Khatami succeed. Jack Brennan, Boston, MA
Treat All People FairlyTo The Minneapolis Star-Tribune , July 8, 1998 (as published). We must treat all nations and people fairly. The Palestinians have been mistreated for more than 50 years. Massacres during the establishment of Israel in places like Deir Yassin (just outside of Jerusalem), mass deportations, martial law in Palestinian areas have been the plight of Palestine. Let’s not let them down again. It’s time to stand for the rights of all people of the region. Khalid Kader, Plymouth; director, Republic Muslims of Minnesota |