I wonder why the news about Israel impacted me that day. There was something electrifying in the air. I hardly ever paid attention to the news at that stage of my life. But there are two events I distinctly remember from my youth....the day President Kennedy was assassinated (9th grade) and June 7, 1967. I can still visualize being in Mom’s kitchen in Quincy, MA. Why do I remember this? Am I Jewish? Why do I remember Golda Meir and Moshe Dayan and King Hussein of Jordan? I can not tell you who was President of France or Prime Minister of England at the time, or any other political facts. I remember Israel. And Jordan. That is all I remember on the world scene in the late 1960's as I degenerated into hippiedom after high school. Besides Vietnam of course.
Somehow, in today’s volatile world, especially in the Middle East, the historical roots of the current conflict suddenly interest me....particularly when there is so much radical, left-wing propaganda being disseminated on college campuses. Universities have become hotbeds of subversive and dangerous politics. This needs to be countered with the facts. May the LORD lead to accurate and compelling information. I begin with an excerpt from Big Lies: Demolishing the Myths of the Propaganda War Against Israel, by David Meir-Levi. This is available for free download or purchase at http://www.frontpagemag.com/
THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS TEXT
Introduction by David Horowitz:
The War in the Middle East is nearly sixty years old. Most
people alive today are unfamiliar with its history and origins and lack
knowledge of its facts. This state of ignorance provides a fertile ground
for the unscrupulous to create myths that will justify their destructive
agendas. The political propaganda machine has created many such
myths to fuel their war against the Jewish state.
Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East that elects its lead-
ers in free elections and guarantees rights to its citizens, and honors
those rights. Yet Israel is the target of those who claim to be fighting
for “human rights.” There are about a million and a half Arabs living
as citizens in Israel who elect representatives to Israel’s parliament
and who have more rights than the Arab citizens of any Arab state.
Yet Israel is the target of those who claim to be fighting for “social
justice.”
Israel’s very creation is referred to by its Arab enemies as "the
Nakba", or the “catastrophe,” the clear implication of which is that
Israel should not exist. Yet Israel is the target of those who claim to
support self-determination and oppose genocide. Israel was the victim
– at its very birth -- of an unprovoked aggression by five Arab mon-
archies and dictatorships. It has been the target of an Arab war that
has continued uninterruptedly for nearly sixty years because the Arab
states have refused to make peace. Yet Israel is the target of those who
say they want “peace.” Israel is the victim of terrorist attacks – sui-
cide bombings – which along with the Jews they mark for extinction,
kill Palestinian women and children as well. Yet Israel is the target of
those who claim to speak for humanity and a future that is “free.”
How is this possible? How can evil be dressed in the garments of
justice? How can a genocidal war to destroy a democratic people be
justified as a struggle for “national liberation?” They can through the
The War in the Middle East is nearly sixty years old. Most
people alive today are unfamiliar with its history and origins and lack
knowledge of its facts. This state of ignorance provides a fertile ground
for the unscrupulous to create myths that will justify their destructive
agendas. The political propaganda machine has created many such
myths to fuel their war against the Jewish state.
Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East that elects its lead-
ers in free elections and guarantees rights to its citizens, and honors
those rights. Yet Israel is the target of those who claim to be fighting
for “human rights.” There are about a million and a half Arabs living
as citizens in Israel who elect representatives to Israel’s parliament
and who have more rights than the Arab citizens of any Arab state.
Yet Israel is the target of those who claim to be fighting for “social
justice.”
Israel’s very creation is referred to by its Arab enemies as "the
Nakba", or the “catastrophe,” the clear implication of which is that
Israel should not exist. Yet Israel is the target of those who claim to
support self-determination and oppose genocide. Israel was the victim
– at its very birth -- of an unprovoked aggression by five Arab mon-
archies and dictatorships. It has been the target of an Arab war that
has continued uninterruptedly for nearly sixty years because the Arab
states have refused to make peace. Yet Israel is the target of those who
say they want “peace.” Israel is the victim of terrorist attacks – sui-
cide bombings – which along with the Jews they mark for extinction,
kill Palestinian women and children as well. Yet Israel is the target of
those who claim to speak for humanity and a future that is “free.”
How is this possible? How can evil be dressed in the garments of
justice? How can a genocidal war to destroy a democratic people be
justified as a struggle for “national liberation?” They can through the
creation of political myths that rationalize aggression and justify war
against civilian populations.
In George Orwell’s futuristic novel, 1984, the Ministry of Truth
for the totalitarian state proclaims: Knowledge Is Ignorance; Freedom
Is Slavery. The nature of political doublespeak never changes and
its agenda is always the same: Obliteration of historical memory in
the service of power. “The struggle of man against power,” wrote
the Czech writer, Milan Kundera, “is the struggle of memory against
forgetting.” Only a restored memory can demolish totalitarian myths
and make men free.
David Meir-Levi has written a text that restores the memory of
the facts that lie at the heart of the conflict in the Middle East. These
facts are crucial not only to the restoration of the history that politics
has obscured, but to the survival of a people who live in the shadow
of their own destruction. Everyone interested in justice will want to
read this little book.
In George Orwell’s futuristic novel, 1984, the Ministry of Truth
for the totalitarian state proclaims: Knowledge Is Ignorance; Freedom
Is Slavery. The nature of political doublespeak never changes and
its agenda is always the same: Obliteration of historical memory in
the service of power. “The struggle of man against power,” wrote
the Czech writer, Milan Kundera, “is the struggle of memory against
forgetting.” Only a restored memory can demolish totalitarian myths
and make men free.
David Meir-Levi has written a text that restores the memory of
the facts that lie at the heart of the conflict in the Middle East. These
facts are crucial not only to the restoration of the history that politics
has obscured, but to the survival of a people who live in the shadow
of their own destruction. Everyone interested in justice will want to
read this little book.
2 comments:
Hello Tandi,
Israel is the reason for the lack of peace between her and her Arab neighbors. She has refused to deal justly and fairly with them. This article is good for polarizing the ignorant.
Hello Peter,
Are we ready to discuss this volatile subject? Have you started reading From Time Immemorial yet? First we need a basis of facts. Is there a factual book you would like me to read? We could also discuss this at Israel Forum if you prefer. Maybe we should both sign up to post there. Or do you have another suggestion. Are you planning to post at your blog on this topic?
While I advocate Israel, I do not claim she is without fault in her dealings with her Arab neighbors. However, do you really think that if Israel gave her Arab neighbors everything they want that they would live peaceably beside her? What is your solution?
Polarization is inevitable in discussion of this topic. I just hope we can remember that we are friends who disagree and treat each other accordingly.
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