Missing the message
(In response to Joseph Schmidt’s April 8 article, “Replica wall on Tempe campus illustrates turmoil in West Bank.”)
Students For Justice in Palestine did the right thing by displaying the realities on the ground, not from Palestinian sources but from Amnesty International, United Nations and the Red Cross. And all the Israelis have to say when SJP wants to talk about human rights is that they are offended.
The accusation that this event was anti-Semitic is the exact same drivel that gets thrown at any critic of Israeli policies. To prevent any further accusations being thrown at myself, I’ll state clearly that I myself am Jewish.
There are many Jews like myself (and more famously, Normal Finkelstein, Noam Chomsky) who criticize Israel. The argument that anyone exposing the illegal deeds which Israel commits daily is an anti-Semite is silly at best. To those who are offended at the coverage of this event, instead of hurling insults, why don’t you answer the actual content and not the coverage? Can you deny the horrendous actions done by our country that you fawn over so much? Can you deny that human rights groups have condemned Israel over and over again? Can you deny that their brutality and inhumane treatment of the Palestinian people is anything less than that of a terrorist group? No, you cannot. So you resort to screaming the safety word we have come to know and love so well: “Anti-Semitism!”
I for one am glad that the SJP held this event. Hopefully it will open some people’s eyes to the truth.
Thank you State Press and Joseph for covering this excellent educational event.
Kylie Heaton Reader