Israel's blank cheque

From the www.monabaker.com archive (legacy material)

Ghada Karmi | Al-Ahram Weekly | 29 May-4 June 2003

Skillful manipulation by Israel of allegations of anti-Semitism has resulted in a culture of silence and intellectual intimidation with regard to Israel, writes Ghada Karmi*
The Palestinian Intifada has been raging for over two years now. The death toll amongst Palestinians, which keeps rising daily, is well over 2000, with a further 20,000 wounded. Between 1 May and 3 May alone, the Israelis killed 25 Palestinians. Everyday life for Palestinians is a nightmare of curfews, sieges, destroyed livelihoods, poverty, and ritual humiliation at the hands of Israeli soldiers, often young and often out of control. Nor is it only Palestinians who have suffered at the hands of the Israeli army. Last November an Israeli sniper killed the head of a UN project in Jenin, Ian Hook; two weeks ago, a British cameraman, James Miller, was shot dead in Gaza by the Israelis and just before, Tom Hurndall, a young British peace activist was also shot in Gaza and is now in a coma; earlier this year, another peace activist, Rachel Corrie, was buried beneath an Israeli bulldozer. Israel has neither acknowledged nor apologised for these killings. Its occupation of Palestinian territory, soon to be 36 years, is the longest in history and remains effectively unchallenged. If another state had been guilty of the human rights abuses against a civilian population that Israel stands accused of, or of the utter illegality of all its actions in the occupied territories it would have been a pariah long ago, universally condemned, isolated and subject to international sanction — and may have even been invaded by Bush and Blair.
Yet none of this has happened in Israel’s case. Its diplomats, ministers and personalities still enjoy a friendly reception in most parts of the world, and its sensitivities and interests are scrupulously taken into account. Britain, which has been assiduous in helping the investigation into the recent suicide bombings in Israel, has not demanded a reciprocal Israeli response over the shootings of British subjects. Colin Powell, the US secretary of state, visiting the Middle East for talks over the “Peace Map” last week, got nothing out of Prime Minister Sharon. Tony Blair has on several occasions played genial host to the same Ariel Sharon, despite the latter’s responsibility for a campaign of assault on the Palestinians going back to the 1950s. The roadmap is heavily weighted in Israel’s favour, since it requires the Palestinians to immediately end their armed resistance against occupation in return for minor Israeli actions. Sharon has said he will do nothing until the Palestinian side shows it is restraining “the militants” and has also now demanded that they give up the Right of Return. This cynical ploy can do nothing except frustrate the whole process and ensure its failure, since it requires that the occupied give up resisting their occupiers, while that occupation continues, as well as demanding they agree to abolish the very basis of their case. Previous Middle East peace proposals have foundered for such reasons, and the current one will be no different
Yet, no one calls Israel to account, on this or on any other of its misdemeanours — at least not in the West. Although public support in Europe has shifted away from Israel and its previous special status has been called into question, yet it retains much of its inviolability from attack. Much of this impunity derives without doubt from the skillful exploitation of allegations of anti-Semitism employed by Israel and its sympathisers. This is aimed at both East and West, Arab rejection of Israel being imputed to irrational hatred of Jews rather than anything else. This cuts no ice with Arabs but has proved a most effective weapon against even the mildest Western criticism of Israel and has obscured the distinction between “Israeli” and “Jewish”. As a result, any adverse comment about Israel draws forth vociferous accusations of anti-Semitism, and such is the fear of this slur that critics shy away from speaking out. Hence, a culture of silence has developed about Israel amounting to what can only be termed a form of intellectual terrorism that has intimidated many people in the West from criticising Israeli actions or even of thinking coherently about the issue.
One man, who has decided not to be intimidated however, is Tam Dalyell, the veteran British MP and Father of the House. In a recent interview with the American magazine, Vanity Fair, he spoke about a “Jewish cabal” that drives US and British policy towards the Middle East. He specifically named his fellow MP, Peter Mandelson, foreign secretary, Jack Straw and Lord Levy, Tony Blair’s special Middle East advisor. When pressed, he said he was referring to advisors in the US who had adopted the Sharon/Likud agenda. He pointed out that of the seven hawkish policy advisors to Bush, six were Jewish and were urging a strike against Syria. Factually, Tam Dalyell was quite correct. The US policy advisors of the likes of Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz, are not only Jewish but, more to the point, ardent supporters of Israel. Pro-Israeli influence over the US Congress and the decision-making process in the American administration is well documented. Many have raised the issue of how far Bush was influenced in his decision to attack Iraq by his pro-Israel advisors, since it was apparent that the party with most to gain from it was Israel. In Britain, Peter Mandelson, whose father is Jewish (and as such would make him eligible for Israeli citizenship under the Israeli Law of Return), is a long-time supporter of Israel. Lord Levy was a donor to Ehud Barak’s election campaign and his son worked in the former prime minister’s office in Tel Aviv.
Whatever all this might signify is debatable. But it is a proper subject for comment and inquiry — just as if the people in question had all been Arabs, say, or Muslims. Yet, the charge of anti-Semitism followed swiftly on Dalyell’s comments, with strong rebuttals published in Britain’s leading dailies. No one paused to consider the content of his remarks or their validity. It is a tribute to his courage that he rejected this pressure and chose to speak his mind. If more people in Europe and America were prepared to do the same, then Israel’s stranglehold on truth might be ended, and the blank cheque that gives it limitless political credit might be cancelled.
* The writer is a Palestinian academic and writer who lives in London.