Is FAIR criticism of Israel "Anti-Semitism"?
Thu Jul 06, 2006 at 02:56:09 PM PDT
I'm sticking my neck out VERY far today because I believe that Israel (And some other countries) MAY have institutionalized racism. I'm talking specifically about Israel because the USA seems to support Israel's stance unquestioningly, for the most part.
Every time that Israel is taken to task for racist laws, it seems that people shout down the commenter with the label of "Anti-Semitic".
I fully support the right of the state of Israel to exist, just as I support the right of the Palestinian state to exist. Please follow me after the fold as I try to RESPECTFULLY explain why I feel the way that I do.
Israel has passed laws that clearly discriminate between Jewish and non-Jewish people.
I quote from "Some Inconvenient Facts for Joe Lieberman", a diary by Randian.
Please excuse me if I haven't learned to make links and blue boxes, and bear with me as I attempt to bring this to your attention as impartially as I can.
Here in the USA we have done our best to end racial discrimination. The 50's and 60's saw some landmark anti-racist laws passed here. We style ourselves a beacon of hope and freedom for all races, yet we unconditionally support Israel, which has many racist laws and is, to me, an example of apartheid.
For instance:
I quote from Randian's diary:
" Over the past 53 years Israeli discrimination against Muslim and Christian Arabs has penetrated the most everyday aspects of social interaction. These include:
a. Car license plates issued to Jews are distinguished from those issued to Arabs, the same applies to taxis.
b. Israeli police can tell from a driver's license if the bearer is Jewish or non-Jewish by the renewal date.
c. Telephone directories distinguish between Jew and non-Jew by placing a special digit at the beginning of all phone numbers of Arabs.
d. Jews in Israel are forbidden by law from marrying non-Jews.
e. All Jewish elementary schools, secular and religious, have changed the international plus sign in arithmetic to an inverted T, because the plus sign looks too much like a Christian cross.
f. Arabs cannot buy apartments in Jewish settlements. When a Palestinian tried to buy one in East Jerusalem the Chief Rabbi, Mordechai Eliayahu pronounced: "It is forbidden to sell apartments in the land of Israel to Gentiles."
g. Non-Jewish press is censored far more strictly than the Israeli Hebrew language press, a point noted in the US State Department's 1989 Country Reports on Human Rights.
Israeli discrimination against Muslim and Christian Arabs touches all Americans in that Zionist racism distinguishes among Americans themselves, saying that to some, namely Jewish Americans, it will give automatic
citizenship along with a host of social benefits, while to all other Americans these are denied because they are non-Jews. Regarding such practices the US Congress in a "Declaration of Policy" has made its position very clear: "The Congress further declares that any distinction made by a foreign nation between American citizens because of race, color, or religion in the granting of, or the exercise of personal or other rights available to American citizens is repugnant to our citizens."
So the question remains:
Is it fair to criticize ANY country, including The USA, Israel, Saudi Arabia, etc. that has racist laws? and can we question Israel's actions without being labeled "Anti-semitic"?