Reply to enquiry concerning
"being seen as anti-semitic"
 Criticising Israel is not anti-Semitism 

From: Peter Meyer
To: Andrea ...
Subject: Reply to enquiry concerning "being seen as anti-semitic"
Date: Tuesday, 6 July 2004

Hello Andrea,

>I have carefully perused a great deal of your web site.

Thank you for taking the time to read it carefully.

>Although I found many issues intriguing, be careful that
>you are not seen to be anti-semitic.

My attitude toward Judaism is stated at Anti-Semitism and Anti-Zionism,
where I say: "Whether one approves of or dislikes the beliefs and practices
of Judaism it remains that Jews have a right to hold those beliefs and
maintain those practices." Even though I regard Judaism as, among all
religions, the least worthy of admiration, everyone should be free to
hold whatever religious beliefs they like, provided this does not lead
them to violate the human rights of those who do not share their beliefs.

If you are saying that one should never write anything which
"can be seen as" X then one can never write anything at all,
because someone, somewhere, can always claim to "see it as" X
and pretend to be horrified. Oy vey!

The term "anti-semitic" is used by some people as synonymous
with "anti-Israeli". This is a typically Zionist smear tactic to brand
all criticism of Israel as anti-semitic. This should not prevent us
from criticising Israel, which richly deserves criticism, or rather,
condemnation, in the strongest possible terms, for its outrageous
and immoral treatment of the Palestinians and for its pernicious
influence on U.S. government and society. Only a coward would
refrain from criticising Israel because of fear of being labelled
"anti-semitic".

If someone claims that something I wrote (and this has to be some
*specific* piece of writing, not my site in general) is "anti-semitic"
then I suggest the reply should be: First, what is "anti-semitic"?
Is there a difference between criticism of Jews and criticism of Israel?
(Of course, there is.) Secondly, what specifically in what I write
is anti-Jewish? There is nothing. It is, rather, anti-Zionist and
anti-Israeli. And what person of moral consciousness can remain silent
when presented with evidence of Israel's immorality? This immorality began
with Israel itself, when it took possession in 1948 of land stolen
from people whose forebears had lived on it for many centuries.
The Palestinians were driven from their land and homes under threat
of being killed. A state was established which treated non-Jews
within its borders as an inferior group. A war machine was built up
which was used to invade and occupy the West Bank. For nearly forty years
the occupiers have violated the human rights of Palestinians in the
occupied territories, have stolen their water and other resources for
the use of Israeli occupiers (who happen to be Zionist Jews), and have
attempted to destroy all manifestations of normal life within Palestinian
society. In response to legitimate resistance to an occupying military
force the Israelis have killed hundreds of innocent civilians, bulldozed
thousands of homes, destroyed large areas of agricultural land and destroyed
all attempts of Palestinians to maintain any kind of normal society.
Israel has imprisoned thousands of Palestinians and kept them imprisoned
for years (causing much suffering to their families as well) without producing
evidence of the commission of any crime. It has razed towns such as Jenin and
now threatens to use all the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip as hostages,
to be deprived of water and electricity, if any Palestinian should continue
to oppose Israel's continued attempt to destroy Palestinian society.
Of all countries in the world Israel is most deserving of contempt.
Who can complain then, except Israelis (and their Zionist supporters),
when it is criticized?

Regards,
Peter Meyer

And, sure enough, what was predicted two years ago has happened. Was it so difficult to foresee? Only for people who cannot recognize evil when it is before their eyes.

Israel would not have been able to lay siege to Gaza if the Israeli "settlers" (occupiers) had remained there. That is why the butcher (now vegetable) Sharon removed them, in a calculated plan to exterminate the Palestinians in Gaza.

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