Letters to the Editor, December 9, 2003

I just can’t find the time to do the translation but I promise that I’ll do it. The fifth interview is the longest one. There’s also a seventh interview and a commentary from an Arab newspaper.

My intention is to make "Al-Sahaf Speaks" as a section that is concerned with what happened in Iraq during the war, hoping that US and UK officials speak like Al-Sahaf did.

:Why not?

Why not email/fax or mail photocopies of either or both photos of:

1. The six year old Palestinian boy at his brother's funeral and/or

2.The body of the 16 old shot 6 times in the head. [as shown on 12/8/03]

to religious organizations in the US. At this time of the year photos depicting what is going on in the Holy Land may make some of us stop and think and most importantly take some action to stop the killings

Armand DeLaurell

Editor: A good idea. Go ahead and start doing it. Photos are more effective than articles.

Jews of European Origin and the Holy Land

I was drawn to the below quote by you through a letter I received from Issam Rizk... a lovely, supportive letter, I should add. It is a concept I agree with particularly in regard to the Ashkenazis. Basically Nazism and Zionism were born in the later part of the 19th century from a witches brew of Master Race concepts that have on occasion collaborated but mostly competed. At that time, Marxism was seen as the more democratic alternative... which unfortunately later took on decidedly fascist tones.

I have had some family involvement in this. My great grandfather (Henry Maag) was Ashkenazi baptized Catholic... possibly when his father (John Henry Maag von Toeplitz) turned to Marxism vs. Zionism back in Chemnitz Germany. My great grandfather had a particular aversion to Master Race concepts... and left Germany and the company of his Jewish intellectual friends at the University of Leipzig for America and a vision of a society that believed in democratic principles of equality.

As with many Americans, my ancestry is quite mixed... 1620s Yankee, Highlands of Scotland, Ashkenazi to name a few. If America someday demands racial purity, many of us will have to be shipped to the moon!

Several days ago after mulling over these concepts I had a sudden thought that recast the Holocaust as Fratricide. (Aryan vs. Aryan)

Genevieve Cora Fraser, MA, USA

Editor (in reply to Issam Rizk): Most Jews of European origin, like Sharon, are not descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Their ancestors were converted to Judaism, like the Khazars. So, the Holy Land has never been Promised to them. More important is that the Palestinian people are the descendants of all the people who lived in the Holy Land for thousands of years, including descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. So, the contemporary irony is that non-Semite European Jews are claiming the land of the true descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (Read my editorial about the Promised Land).

I recently encountered the John Anast piece titled "The Jewish Problem in America" through a link on IslamiCity.com. I am an American Jew who opposes the continuing Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. I appreciate the frustration of people like Mr. Anast, who witness what appears to be monolithic support on the part of the American Jewish community for Israel's policies. Unfortunately, Mr. Anast did not stop with expressing frustration, but instead sweepingly described Zionism as "satanic" and repeatedly claimed that Israeli Jews explicitly regarded themselves as a "master race." A piece of advice: this sort of rhetoric will not help Mr. Anast win friends and influence skeptics!

Part of the reason that many American Jews continue to support Israel despite its repressive policies is that at bottom, they see themselves as victims of a larger world that--in their view--remains prejudiced against them. From such a vantage point, attacks by Palestinians fit neatly into a narrative of longstanding, continuing persecution against the Jewish people. In my view, this approach is a tragic mistake, especially insofar as it blocks from the get-go any serious look at the harshness of the Israeli occupation. If those who support the Palestinian cause wish to talk with the American Jewish community rather than talk at them, though, they are going to have to understand the victim-outlook that pervades that community. The point, I think, should be to loosen or dislodge the victim-outlook. Unfortunately, over-the-top name-calling will only reinforce that outlook by inspiring defensiveness rather than much-needed introspection.

Salaam aleikem.

Sincerely,

David Gordon

Editor: Supporters of repressive Israel should be told about what they are doing and what the consequences of their actions are. Enough silence. It's time for people of all faiths and creeds to tell the truth and confront oppressors and their supporters.

Earth, a planet hungry for peace

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03).

The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers in the West Bank (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03).

Opinions expressed in various sections are the sole responsibility of their authors and they may not represent Al-Jazeerah's.

editor@aljazeerah.info