http://www.cw.ua.edu/israel-defense-on-false-claims-1.1652041
Your opinions are not fact. Before the spring break holiday, I submitted an article concerning controversy of Israel Apartheid Week (IPW), stating that it, the act itself and not any one group, promotes anti-Semitism on college campuses. The responses I received were in light, outlandish and absurd, with people enforcing their opinions as tangible fact. In particular, three contributors, Gray, Riles and Perry, presented multiple statements that were false and unsupported; moreover, their commitments defaced my stance for Israel, twisting my statements into notions towards hating Palestine and adorning me with the title of conservative fanatic. I appreciate the recognition, but let’s look at their inconsistencies.
Anti-Semitism: It is the discrimination against or prejudice toward “Jews.” Many people believe that since Semites include Akkadians, Canaanites, Phoenicians, Hebrews, Arabs and Ethiopians that being anti-Semitic assumes a person is prejudiced against these people. However, they do not understand its contextual usage and birth. Anti-Semitism is hostility towards Jews only, and it was coined in 1879 in Germany. For example, Nazi Adolf Hitler, supreme Führer of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party of Germany, passionately desired to end the Jewish race. He was known for his high devotion towards anti-Semitism, discrimination against or prejudice toward “Jews.” In addition, Hajj Amin al Husseini, Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, was a radical pro-Nazi leader with extreme anti-Semitic views.
Riles misuses anti-Semitic when he states “IPW is not anti-Semitic for the simple reason that Muslims and Jews are both Semites.” Even if IPW was not against the Jews, Riles’ reasoning of anti-Semitism is wrong and should be corrected.
Riles also states that I think all Palestinians and Palestinian supporters are anti-Semitic. In addition, Perry claims I think, “any move against Israel is an act of anti-Semitism.” I stated, “IAW promotes anti-Semitism” and never gave its responsibility to the Palestinians. I stated that Palestinians enjoy Israel’s true democracy.
Moreover, through CAMERA – Committee for Accuracy in the Middle East Reporting in America, I brought Khaled Abu Toameh, a Palestinian Arab journalist, to the University, where he discussed his positive relationships and support for Israel. Clearly, I do not believe that all Palestinians are anti-Semitic. However, recent examples of actions by pro-Palestinian groups have made me realize that many of its supporters care more about attacking the state of Israel then supporting the Palestinian people.
During IPW, Hezbollah supporter Norman Finkelstein spoke at Emory University calling Israel a “vandal state,” an “insane state,” a “lunatic state” and a “terrorist state.” He also referred to the Jewish state as a “satanic state” from “the boils of hell” which “is committing a holocaust in Gaza.” This is outrageous!
Apart from referencing Israel as satanic, Finkelstein’s use of holocaust in describing Gaza is appalling. Who uses the massive, murderous genocide of six million Jews by the hands of Nazi Germany to gain support against Israel? The pain and suffering of families of lost loved ones to hear Finkelstein using this word, completely exceeding its context, entirely dehumanizes the Jews. Similarly, this theme is echoed by Ronnie Kasrils, who regularly argues that Israelis are “baby killers” who “behave like Nazis.”
These “pro-Palestinian” supporters are not just limiting their attacks towards the Jews. They are acting out against any pro-Israel supporters, even other Palestinians. Khaled Abu Toameh, as mentioned earlier, is an Israeli, Palestinian and Arab journalist who faces Palestinian hatred. While visiting multiple universities this semester, Khaled reports of “pro-Palestinians” condemning him to the status of an “idiot,” and he was even “greeted” with swastikas that were painted over posters promoting his talk.
He believes that anti-Israel campaigns in the U.S. are more dangerous than those in Israel, stating, “What is happening on the U.S. campuses is not about supporting the Palestinians as much as it is about promoting hatred for the Jewish state. It is not really about ending the ‘occupation’ as much as it is about ending the existence of Israel.”
Perry and Gray make incorrect statements about Palestine’s land and international law by stating, “Israeli government pays its citizens to settle Palestinian land taken by the Israeli government.” In addition, Gray incorrectly states, “Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza is in brazen defiance of international law.” One common false assertion that people make is that settlements built on Arab land are illegal under international law.
The truth is that while ownership of the land and the legality of Jewish settlements are sometimes disputed, there is no international law that prohibits Israel from building settlements. Those who maintain that the settlements are illegal rely on Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, August 12, 1949, which states: “Individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory to the territory of the occupying power or to that of any other country… are prohibited …” and “… The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.”
They interpret this to be applicable to Israel’s settlement of the West Bank and Gaza, understanding Israel to have become a “belligerent occupant” of this territory through entry by its armed forces.
Those who argue that the settlements are legal point out that the Geneva Convention does not apply to the West Bank or Gaza, for, under Article 2, the Convention pertains only to “cases of … occupation of territory of a High Contracting Party” by another such party. The West Bank and Gaza were never the territory of a High Contracting Party; the occupation after 1948 by Jordan and Egypt was illegal and neither country had lawful or recognized sovereignty.
Furthermore, even if the Geneva Convention would apply, it would not outlaw Israeli settlements, since the relevant Article 49 was intended to outlaw the Nazi practice of forcibly transporting populations into or out of occupied territories to death and work campus, and cannot be applied to Israel because Israelis were not forcibly transferred.
After Israel gained control of the territories in 1967, Jews moved into the territories because of their own decision because of the historical and religious connection they felt.
Perry also states that only Arabs that “shed their previous national identity and become Israeli citizens” are granted any rights of Israel’s democracy. No one is telling them to shed their identity. Arabs who are Israeli become citizens because they want and desire to become citizens.
Perry also misrepresents a Gaza attack in stating, “one thousand ten Palestinians were killed – among them 315 children and 95 women.” He leaves out the fact that a large majority of the people eliminated was terrorists and that Israel is attacking because they are trying to defend and protect its country and citizens. Israel’s actions of protecting its citizens at all costs are also supported by the United States.
During President Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, he visited Sderot in Israel and made a statement about the Qassam rocket shootings, “If somebody was sending rockets into my house where my two daughters sleep at night, I would do everything to stop that, and would expect Israel to do the same thing.”
Gray makes a comment that “Palestinians … have no rights and live daily under the heel of occupation.” What occupation is he talking about? The land where Palestinians majorly live is mostly run by Hamas. Ask Hamas why the Palestinians have no rights!
After much deliberation over the responses from Perry, Riles and Gray, I have concluded that they continuously disregard other warring factions’ interactions in Israel, such as Hamas, and place responsibility of any warring destruction and effects on Israel’s shoulders. I urge them to stop presenting their opinions as fact, do some research and stop misleading people into thinking that Israel is the bad guy. Israel’s main goal is to spread peace throughout its country.
Cody Smith is a senior majoring in mathematics and biochemistry.
