RE: [Marxism] The "anti-semitism" of the oppressed,etc.?? (was:

["Mike Friedman" <mikedf@xxxxxxxx>]

You're right, it is largely a non-issue *within the solidarity movement*.
I have in mind the image of a Lebanese man (99% sure he's a Hezbollah
supporter) carrying a member of the Neturei Karta (an orthodox sect, here,
that opposes Zionism on religious grounds) with a sign calling for an end
to the occupation, on his shoulders. But, keep in mind that this thread
started with Yoshie's assertion that we should be preaching to the
resistance in Lebanon and Palestine that they should distinguish between
Zionism and antisemitism. Please excuse the fact that the section quoted
below is not indicated by quotes (>), because my webmail account doesn't
do that.

Mike
----- Original Message -----
From: <cleon42 at yahoo.com>
To: "Activists and scholars in Marxist tradition"
<marxism at lists.econ.utah.edu>
Sent: Sunday, August 06, 2006 12:00 AM
Subject: RE: [Marxism] The "anti-semitism" of the oppressed,etc.?? (was:
How to answer these questions?)
>
> Inexplicably, since helping found Atlanta Palestine Solidarity some
> years ago with a majority of honest-to-god Palestinians and Arabs--the
> vast majority of which you could not name, much less have regular
> contact with--we've managed to avoid issuing statements about "the
> Jews," or "22 pages of politically correct disclaimers."
>
> Fortunately, as I've said before, the Palestinians tend to have a
> bigger clue than you do.
>
> Adam
>
My own experience of many years in Palestine solidarity networks
confirms Adam's point that the vast majority of Palestinian activists do
not have anti-Jewish politics, in fact are repelled by it. To the extent
that, unless things are radically different in the US, I wonder if this
huge argument is over something that only very occasionally pops up.

In fact, the few times anti-Jewish bullshit has raised its head in any
of the solidarity groups I've been involved in on and off since the
early 1980s, it has not been Palestinians or Arabs in the group, but
some odd-ball white person who was in the group, at least partially, for
the wrong reasons. And on these odd occasions, it was Arabic members of
the group that led the campaign for expulsion, although occasionally
another of the whites might argue to  give the offender more chances.

Which suggests to me that most politically-minded Palestinians and
Arabs - ie those we are talking about, who take part in solidarity
networks etc - are more than well aware of the politically repugnant
nature of anti-Semitism, as well as how damaging it is to  their cause.

The Hamas charter is obviously another thing, full of Protocols crap
(unlike the Hizbullah founding statement, which contains no
anti-Semitism at all). However, apart form the issue of what any of us
could conceivably do about that, I fail to see how it is an issue in
Hamas politics today. Anyone who has been watching the evolution of
Hamas, especially since about 2003, will see it has moved in a highly
pragmatic direction in terms of negotiating with Israel and accepting
'long-term truce' with two-states plus refugees return, hardly actions
of people guided by the Protocols. In fact Sheik Yassin made one of
clearest statements to date that he envisaged a future single Palestine
for Jews, Christians and Muslims just before Israel sent the rocket that
blew him out of his wheelchair.

So I  guess I'm just wondering how much this issue is in practice a
non-issue. Obviously I'm not saying there are no anti-Jewish views among
the Palestinian and Arab populations as a whole, but I'm talking here
about those active politically, ie, those we would supposedly be
discussing the issue with (and yes I agree we shouldn't shy away from
discussing it politically when it does arise, including from
Palestinians)
> ________________________________________________

Michael Friedman
Ph.D. Candidate in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior
City University of New York

Molecular Systematics Laboratory
Department of Invertebrate Zoology
American Museum of Natural History
79th Street and Central Park West
New York, NY 10024

Office: 212-313-8721




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