I am perpetually stunned by how successfully the propaganda about Palestine-the-occupied-country has swept through the minds of educated western people and left nothing else in its wake but false images of Palestine beseiged by Israeli “Nazis.” The “humiliation at the checkpoints” and the faux “murder of Mohammed al-Dura” burn brightly as eternal mental images while the relentless barrage of Kassam rockets against the civilians of Sderot remain non-existent images.
Yesterday, I wrote about Letty Cottin Pogrebin’s Orwellian defense of Ms. Magazine for having rejected the AJCongress’s pro-Israel ad.
Pogrebin quotes Claire Kinberg of Bridges Magazine who says she is outraged by the accusation that Ms. has not published enough about Israel. Well, yes but…In addition to featuring mainly Israeli left-feminists who specialize in criticizing Israel without perspective or mercy, Ms. also publishes pieces about mythical “peace-making” between powerless feminists and about “Palestine,” (a country that does not exist); about the suffering of Palestinian refugees but not the suffering of Israeli civilians who are being blown up, shelled, wounded, etc.; about how brave Palestinian women are rising above their suffering–but not about how brave Israeli women are doing so.
May I suggest that this is the case because everyone over there believes that Israel is indeed, just like Apartheid South Africa and that it would be politically incorrect to document the suffering of the oppressors.
Thus, Ms. Magazine reports on the inspiring and moving events sponsored by the International Solidarity Movement–yes, that’s the group that callously targeted Rachel Corrie for martyrdom and that reguarly sponsors campus hate-fests all across America. And they feature Queen Noor, the former Lisa Halaby, whose book was chock full of poisonous propaganda against Israel. The Queen does not remind her readers that Jordan massacred more Palestinians in September of 1970 than Israel has ever done in wars of self-defense nor does she acknowledge that Jordan will not allow Palestinians to become citizens, that only Israel has allowed more than 1 million Palestinian Arabs to be citizens.
Full disclosure: Once, I demonstrated with Palestinian and Israeli feminists “against the Occupation” but, to paraphrase the acclaimed Israeli novelist Yoram Kiniuk (a great leftist): “I was dancing with my peace partner who turned into a suicide bomber.”
Make up your own mind. Here are links to four articles which are still accessible on the Ms. website.
“”Under the Peace Tent—Part I”: :
http://msmagazine.com/news/uswirestory.asp?id=6294
“Middle East: Peace Activists Step in to Pave the Way to the Olive Branch”:
http://www.msmagazine.com/dec02/rabkin.asp
“Queen Noor: The Next Chapter”:
http://www.msmagazine.com/sept03/lafferty.asp
“Images of Palestine”:
http://www.msmagazine.com/winter2004/ramallahfilmfestival.asp
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5 Comments
1. Susan Katz Keating:The alarming truth is that few Americans have followed the short yet complicated history of Israel, and understand only the rudiments of Middle East politics. They tend to rely, then, on trusted sources to provide their “informed” opinions on Israel and surrounds. Feminists place such great trust in Ms. that the magazine’s editorial stances often go unquestioned, particularly on issues re foreign affairs. How unfortunate. Ms has the opportunity to enlighten, but instead it has chosen to join a dangerous and murky mainstream. And what is happening in this mainstream? Israel-bashing is all the rage, as is anti-Semitism. I have seen this in frightening close-up as one of my daughters, who has chosen to embrace her Jewish heritage, has been vilified – yes, vilified – by classmates and even by a family member. Too few informed voices are speaking out to counteract this dangerous trend. Thank you for applying your considerable intellect to exposing an escalating crisis.
Mar 25, 2008 - 11:51 am 2. Tom:I came across a military book on the principles and practice of Psychological Warfare. It describes exactly what the Palestinians are doing so successufully. And why we are failing so badly. The forces of Truth don’t even understand that there IS A WAR BEING WAGED. It is something beyond Western conceptioin. Wars are fought between Armies and Nations. Tanks. Machine guns.
Mar 25, 2008 - 1:28 pm 3. George Jochnowitz:They don’t grasp that an 8 ton Elephant can be just as surely killed by an invisible virus as by a heavy bullet blowing through it’s skull.
We can be killed just as surely by a million mosquitoes and by having our throats cut.
If we are unable to grasp this concept, that is exactly what will happen.
I have said this before, but I feel I have to say it again. There is a de facto dialog taking place between the Left and jihadists, who are virtually saying the following:
Jihadists: Kill the Jews.
Mar 25, 2008 - 2:04 pm 4. dan harder:The Left: We understand you. You want an end to settlements on the West Bank.
Jihadists: Kill the Jews.
The Left: Of course. You want freedom of movement without checkponts.
Jihadists: Kill the Jews.
The Left: How poetic your language is. You want an independent Palestinian state.
Jihadists: Kill the Jews.
Dear Ms. Chesler,
Jun 24, 2009 - 9:52 pm 5. dan harder:Could you, please, tell me where you obtained the information about how “Jordon massacred more Palestinians in September 1970 than Israel has ever done in wars of self-defense…”? I am working on a play in which I am trying to be as accurate as possible, and all I find on this topic varies WIDELY. One source sites a range of from 2,000 to 25,000 killed. The US Area Handbook on Jordan in 1973 gives no numbers but implies it was rather surgical. All I would like from you is your source… or any place I can go from which I will recieve reliable numbers. It is, as I’m sure you know, a quantity of some dispute — but surely we must be able to get better than an 85.2% margin of error!!
Thanks.
dh
Sorry about the typo. ‘receive’ — NOT ‘recieve’.
Jun 24, 2009 - 9:56 pmdh