Noah writes:
Dear readers,
Several of you wrote with concerns about the June 26 bulletin on the
Israel-Palestine Road Map. I am unable to respond individually, but I want
you to know your e-mail has been read. I also want to respond with a few
clarifying comments.
First, the bulletins do not represent MoveOn positions nor are they
necessarily part of the campaigns MoveOn undertakes.
Firstly, a
"bulletin" implies that it is an announcement of the publisher's
position.
Secondly, since the
bulletin represents an opinion and an agenda, your readers deserve to know
whose opinion and agenda is spread by your bulletin.
The bulletins are intended to be educational and to
help our members feel familiar enough with a topic that they are able to
form their own opinion and vocalize it.
You can't be serious!
Patronizing the yahoos. If you wanted to be educational you would show
more sides of the issue than the Israeli peace movement, Palestinian
electronicIndefada and the neo-Trotskyites.
The bulletins are researched by a team of a dozen volunteers. I edit their
findings into a coherent narrative, then pass it along to another team of
volunteers who copyedit the bulletin. Only then does it go out to bulletin
subscribers.
Did any of your dozen
volunteers vote for Gore, or as I suspect, they all voted for Nader or
Wallace (1948).
Second, charges that the content of the bulletin was anti-Semitic miss the
mark. I oppose racism in all its forms.
That's an unproven
assertion.
I am an American Jew who follows the situation in
Israel-Palestine closely. My interest comes out of a concern for human
rights, social justice, and democracy.
Have you complained that
there are no human rights in the West Bank and Gaza?
My moral concerns are not limited to any group of
people. Criticism of the State of Israel is legitimate political discourse;
it is not the same as racism toward Jews.
Delegitamizing the State of
Israel will inevitably mean the extermination of 5 million Jews. Seems
anti-Semitic to me.
Sadly, elements of the American Zionist
movement really have formed ties with anti-Semites like Pat Robertson, Jerry
Falwell, and Ralph Reed (http://www.jewishwomenwatching.com/actions2.html)
in an act of political opportunism that endangers the safety of Jews.
Funny, those guys say
they aren't anti-semitic, just like you do.
Third, the history provided in the introduction is not intended to be
comprehensive, but it is intended to be accurate.
It wasn't accurate.
That's my assertion. What is your proof?
Many of you raised concerns that I misrepresented
the termination of the Camp David talks. I based my characterization on an
essay by Israeli peace activist Uri Avnery of Gush Shalom. The essay, "Politicus
Interruptus," can be found in the collection _The Other Israel: Voices
of Refusal and Dissent_, edited by Roane Carey and Jonathan Shainin. It's
also available online at:
http://gush-shalom.org/archives/article183.html
How do you know that the essay was true.
Since you select your sources we don't know that they don't have your
agenda, but can assume they do.
Others objected to my description of Sharon's visit to the Temple Mount as
"provocative." The visit involved 1,000 police bodyguards and the
closure of the site to all other visitors for several days. When
Palestinians gathered for prayer and nonviolent demonstration the next day,
Israeli soldiers and police fired on them, killing 7 and injuring 200.
This is a lie. The demonstration
wan't non-violent. The Palestinians were throwing rocks that can be
deadly.
This incident represented the final infuriation after seven post-Oslo years
in which West Bank settlements doubled in size.
You neglect to mention that the Palestinians
were up to no good at the same time. The schools taught hatred,
contrary to the Oslo accords. The arm patch of the PLA shows only
Palestine - from the river to the sea. Children were being trained to
be suicide killers.
I hope this clarifies the major historical disagreements.
It clarifies nothing. It does show
that you have a socialist agenda and a fellow traveler
pro-Palestinian
bias and that you use your MoveOn.org to suck in niaive Democrats to your
agenda.
Whatever our political differences, I trust you will recognize that there is
a range of legitimate opinion on this matter.
I'm in favor of a two state solution.
Your side is against a state of Israel as a neighbor of the Palestinians
State.
The fact that we disagree does not mean my views are any less motivated by
social justice.
Does you view of social justice include
the right of women to vote? Does it include a free press? None
of these will exist in a Palestinian state.
My primary concern has been and will remain the safety of Israelis and
Palestinians, Jews and humans worldwide.
How is the safety of Israelis enhanced by
allowing Hamas and Islamic Jihad to attack Israelis with impunity until they
are extinct?
What position have you taken on Muslims
attacking Jews in Europe?
What position have you taken on Muslims
attacking Christians in East Timor?
Do you maintain any position that is in
opposition to Al Queda
or the PLA?
B'shalom,
Clifford Lazar
Noah T. Winer
International Bulletin Editor
MoveOn.org