Racism and Zionism

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(YellowTimes.org) – Over the past several
months it's become fashionable to quickly
label those who are critical of the actions and policies of the Israeli
government as anti-Semitic or racist. More recently, this trend has
seeped into the center, even into the left, when it comes to
discussing the highly polemical Israel-Palestine conundrum.

Some have even suggested that YellowTimes.org be renamed "We
hate the Jews" or "The Arab News II," simply because we
recognize the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination
and a peaceful existence, while condemning the varied and flagrant
repressive actions of the Israeli government. Though extreme
ignorance and hatred saturate such comments as the ones
mentioned above, they provide an insightful glimpse into what
many others think, if not express, in less dramatic ways. (See
Steven Salaita's "Confronting the extremist mainstream")

Of course, we also express our solidarity with the general populace
of the state of Israel as they struggle under the leadership of the
militaristic Sharon regime and the ceaseless violence and tension it
has brought them; conveniently and selectively this is never
mentioned by those condemning our articles and publication. They
react, instead, like we've just hurled a brick at a young Jewish boy
who had walked by. This also serves to avoid addressing the real
points of contention.

To anyone familiar with the propaganda of those in power and
their cretins, this labeling and cynicism should come as no surprise.
Just as those who challenge the U.S. "war on terrorism" are
formulaically branded as traitors, those who question the morality
and political/military validity of Israel's "incursions" into Palestinian
territory and other policies are labeled as "anti-Semitic" or, worse
and more sensational still, "Jew haters."

The extensive and reductionist use of "racist" and its various
derivatives as adjectives for those who criticize the actions of the
Israeli government reflect the desperateness of those under fire.

Many like to reduce political or ideological decisions to an
oversimplified system, whereby they're boiled down to more
simplistic, racist ones. (Of course, this is many times the case. It
could not be said that humans never act or kill in racist fashion.)

But why couldn't one simply be supporting the rights of Palestinian
and Israeli civilians to live in peace? Why couldn't one object to
military aggression that leaves innocents dead and does not serve
to protect that military's citizenry or to achieve their stated
objectives? Does this mean that genuine anti-Semitism does not
exist? Of course not. Does this mean that Palestinians are never
motivated by race? Again, no.

If we look at the definition of racism we see the following: a belief
that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities
and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a
particular race. But that's not what anyone I know who is critical of
Israel is worried about - race being a primary determinant. They're
concerned with political, ethical, and moral issues.

Then why is it not uncommon for pro-Israel zealots to
blasphemously call anyone who isn't "with them" a petty racist and
Nazi throwback? Fueled by and appealing to emotion, they
manipulate the meaning of the word and history itself to fit their
own highly elastic and opportunistic propaganda. This strictly
serves to stoke the flames of the gigantic bonfire that is the race
card. They then deflect the obvious fact that all criticism of the
Israeli government, perhaps as they loathe to think, is not racist,
but instigated by the respect for and adherence to universal
human principles of decency and respect for human life. Why
intelligently debate when one's emotions can be stoked?

Their actions, they hope, will stir up enough emotion and
reactionary hate as to galvanize the entire world into an
anti-Palestinian camp, which will then, with the backing of a "broad
based coalition," finally cleanse the Holy Land of their long hated
nemesis. Needless to say, this has obviously failed if we consider
the climate of the international community.

The purveyors of this manipulative technique and the regime they
represent are hypocritical for they happen to oft employ the very
thing they so fervently decry: racism. Is it not the Israeli
government and her radicalized defenders that act in a more racist
and offensive way than those who criticize her?

It seems we're basically left with people telling us that we're racist
if we don't support a regime that has an impressive track record of
ethnic suppression and racist procedures. To readers of Orwell and
history such apparent paradoxes are not without precedent or a
dull glint of black humor.

To begin: Illegal settlements featuring armed settlers encroach
upon Palestinian communities that are increasingly isolated from
each other while being vilified as havens for so-called "gunmen,"
"militants," and "terrorists." This then further targets them for even
greater displays of unjustified force.

Frequently, in rebuttal (as we've seen), Israeli military forays into
Palestinian areas result in inhumane abuse and Geneva
Convention violations all in the name of punishing a desperate and
solitary product of the unjust treatment of the Palestinians as a
group who, in addition to already being dead, doesn't even
responsibly and accurately represent those who are now the
victims.

The IDF is a highly organized, highly technical modern war machine
proudly funded by the U.S. carrying out conscious assaults on
largely innocent civilian groups in their own homes. The Palestinian
zealot is an extreme expression of the pressurized territories harsh
climate as maintained and frequently exacerbated by the IDF.

Even Palestinians who live in Israel and are technically Israeli fail to
elude the harsh, racially motivated policy of the government. They
are treated as second-class citizens, have fewer freedoms, and
are, in general, discriminated against. (See Marc Sirois' "The Ugly
Truth")

All this is carried out on Palestinians because they are Palestinian;
therefore, inherently representing a threat to a pure and powerful
Jewish state with hegemonic aspirations for the immediate region.

This is essentially what Zionism is and what Ariel Sharon is
pursuing: the establishment of an ethnically and religiously pure
state of Israel, including all of current day Israel, the Gaza Strip,
the West Bank, the Golan Heights, and - hell, why not - most, if not
all, of the Sinai. Presumably included in this process is the complete
ousting or integration of the Palestinians as a people.

For the past fifty years the Israeli government has always had this
as their ultimate goal. Ariel Sharon has personally been involved in
this for decades, most prominently, as general, defense minister,
and now prime minister. Virtually all actions and policies have
shown this to be the case - whether "pre-emptive" strikes directed
at Egypt or continued and inflammatory proliferation of illegal
settlements.

It should also be noted that this isn't necessarily what the Israeli in
the street wants, as we're seemingly led to believe by the
domestic press. Recently, on May 11th in Rabin Square in Tel Aviv,
there was a demonstration of over 100,000 Israelis calling for a
retreat from the Occupied Territories and denouncing the military
occupation.

Those who support Ariel Sharon's campaigns are endorsing this
whole destructive process of racially and religiously based
suppression. Fortunately, for the ruling elite, their propaganda
machines neatly interfaced with corporate media provide more than
an adequate smoke screen to mislead just about anyone.

Where is the compassionate, intelligent voice that is able to discern
radical chauvinism and isolationism from legitimate claims of
independence and sovereignty, while preaching tolerance and
secularism?

It is disturbing to see so many zealots cheaply utilizing the history
of the Jewish people and idiotic claims of anti-Semitism and racism
to not only support their own narrow ideological agenda but also
support the Israeli government's indoctrinated racist and elitist
policy of ethnic suppression, delegitimization, and destabilization
levied against the Palestinian people, territory, and political body.

[Matthew Riemer has written for years about a myriad of topics, such
as: philosophy, religion, psychology, culture, and politics. He studied
Russian language and culture for five years and traveled in the former
Soviet Union in 1990. In addition to his work with YellowTimes.org,
he's also maintaining http://www.rottenindenmark.org, as well as
being in the midst of a larger autobiographical/cultural work. Matthew
lives in the United States.]

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