Imagine the outrage if the New York Times published an op-ed article
that would contain the following paragraph:
Yes, the race relations in the United States are still tense, but
very few African-Americans have been lynched here in four years. That's
my idea of racial harmony. There is no total victory to be had by the American
Blacks over racism in the United States, without total eradication of the
KKK. There is, though, the possibility of long periods without cross burnings
and lynchings, with the African American community holding the moral and
strategic high ground, so it can lead its life.
I didn't write the paragraph above. Thomas L. Friedman did. I only replaced
a few nouns in what he wrote in his column in the New York Times on Sunday,
June 13, 2004. Here it is, the way it was printed:
Yes, the Israel-Lebanon border is still tense, but very few Israelis
have been killed there in four years. That's my idea of peace. There is
no total victory to be had by Israel over Hezbollah or the Palestinians,
without total genocide. There is, though, the possibility of long cease-fires,
with Israel holding the moral and strategic high ground, so it can lead
its life.
It's not difficult to figure out why the New York Times decided to hire
a Jew to promote its consistently anti-Semitic views. It's hard to imagine
though how Mr. Friedman manages to look at his reflection in the mirror
without vomiting. Lots of practice, I guess.
1. The Cold-War origins of contemporary anti-Semitic terminology
by Joel S. Fishman
Fishman explains that the present surge in anti-Semitism comes from
the other end of the political spectrum. Its contemporary manifestations
are rooted in the ideology and political culture of the former Soviet Union,
whose legacy has survived its demise. A special type of political language,
which it devised, has served as the bridge which links the earlier Soviet-styled
anti-Semitism to that of the present. By defining the terminology of political
discourse about Israel and the Jewish people in general, the Soviets set
in place the cultural foundations for a new type of political anti-Semitism
that has penetrated mainstream culture, particularly in Europe, and impaired
the function of international institutions such as the United Nations.
2. Language as a Tool against Jews and Israel, An Interview with Georges-Elia
Sarfati
Sarfati explains how the anti-Zionist ideology has developed into a
series of recognizable expressions, for example; occupied territories,"
"the settlements," "Jewish settlers," "Israel's intransigence," "Israel,
theocratic and militarist state," "Solidarity with the struggle of the
Palestinian people," "The massacres of Sabra and Shatila." Many of these
appear in the Western media and often go unchallenged, and we Jews, me
included, have often used these expressions ourselves.
Both essays are published by the Jerusalem Centre for Public Affairs,
whose mission is to educate, inform and provide insights for the Jewish
world of every problem and potential threat to Diaspora Jewry and Israel.
Copyright © 2003 National Unity Coalition for Israel. All rights reserved.
http://www.israelunitycoalition.org/home/
Jun 15, 2004
Russian version
An introduction to MAOF
Haim Goldman
Haim Goldman
Dear Friends,
Would you believe that the undersigned has anything in common with
-- Professor Victor Davis Hanson (Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University),
-- Dr Charles Krauthammer, (Washington Post, Time, The Weekly Standard),
-- Caroline Glick (Deputy Managing Editor of the Jerusalem Post),
-- Jonathan Tobin (Executive Editor of the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent).
Amazingly, the editors of the MAOF website decided that the missives of the undersigned are worthy of translation and posting along the articles written by these distinguished authors.
The first letter was published without the consent of the undersigned.
However, after thorough examination of the laudable attitude of MAOF and of the excellent contents of the website, the undersigned had most graciously granted his permission for publication of his missives in both English and Russian.
“Analytical Group MAOF” [1] is an organisation founded about ten years ago by Russian-speaking Jewish intellectuals. The attitude of MAOF is definitely pro-Zionist -- unambiguously and unapologetically.
One of MAOF’s primary purposes is providing information and analysis about Middle-Eastern and world affairs as well as about Israel’s history, values and dilemmas. In addition to extensive publication activity in various media, MAOF also organises excursions and seminars. While the vast majority of the contents of the MAOF website is in Russian, texts originally written in English are provided in the original [2] as well as in Russian.
There are arguably about 250 millions of Russian-speakers worldwide and many of them do not read English. The indisputable motivation for the author’s permission was to grant those millions of disadvantaged people the grand benefit of reading the author’s ruminations. If the author is ever maliciously accused that his tacit motivation for authorising the publication was his craving to be listed along with the above-mentioned distinguished writers, his plea will definitely be “nolo contendere”.
The editors of MAOF expressed their gratitude by granting the undersigned a privilege that no other author got – the opportunity to review and correct the Russian translation before publication. The original letters of the undersigned are at [3] and their Russian version is at [4]. At of today, only two letters are posted but several other letters are pending translation.
You are kindly ENCOURAGED TO RECOMMEND the MAOF website to your friends and colleagues worldwide, particularly those who speak Russian. Those who do not enjoy the benefit of proficiency in the exquisite Russian language can find many thought-provoking and inspiring articles about Middle-Eastern and world affairs in the English section [2].
Sincerely,
Haim Goldman
28.10.2006
REFERENCES:
[1] http://maof.rjews.net
[2] section.php3? sid=37&num=25
[3] authorg.php3? id=2107&type=a
[4] authorg.php3? id=2166&type=a