Across this nation there is a growing protest movement to disinvest in corporations that do business with Israel. This movement is presently centered on college and university campuses and was originated by students who see the military actions of Israel against Palestinians as unfair and uncontrollable. Furthermore, many students feel the US, Israel’s greatest benefactor, has given Israel, a nuclear superpower, the green light to do as it will against Palestinians, an almost  disarmed people, whose only weapons are their bodies and bombs strapped to them. 

Last week’s Time Magazine carried a small article about this growing movement and the  actions taking place around this movement. In response to this movement, a web site watch dog group was created that listed professors who have talked about the issue of disinvestment and Israel’s aggressive stance toward the Palestinian Territories and Authority; this watchdog group formed by the Middle East Forum, a pro-Israeli think tank, cited teachers to be watched. This action was a publicity and political blunder that caused others to remember the McCarthy era.  Many professors felt they were being blacklisted and said so. As a result, over 1,000 professors not on the watch dog’s list offered their names for placement on the list along side those who are to be watched. 

Whenever the discussion of Israel’s actions toward the Palestinians is questioned, there are those who raise the specter of anti-Semitism, as in this growing disinvestment protest movement. Let it be clearly understood that Gibbs Magazine will discuss the issue of unfair and oppressive Israeli military actions against the Palestinian people, especially under the rule of Ariel Sharon, a brutal man, but our discussion is not meant to be, nor is it, anti-Semitic. I am old enough and aware enough to know that Blacks and Jews of America have walked hand in hand in fighting racism and prejudice in this nation; we are and have been an affinity group. Some of the first civil rights warriors were Jews; they fought along side us and died with us. Our histories are meshed in the struggle against bigotry. We will not forget this, and we are, therefore, offended when they are justly offended. 

With that said, we still will not turn our faces from injustice and oppression as it is occurring under Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister of Israel. He is as close to a fascist ruler as Israel has had, and the people of Palestine have suffered greatly at his hands. Sadly, it seems as if the leaders of peace have either died out or been killed by the Israeli people, and the way of peace they do not now know. 

Disinvestment  is not new; it is a concept that was used against South Africa. It, too, was started and propagated primarily on college and university campuses, as the oppressive nature of South Africa’s minority  government brutally killed the African majority. It was a successful strategy that brought that government to its knees.

In raising the disinvestment issue against Israel, students and political leaders are placing Israel along side South Africa’s past brutal, oppressive, and apartheid government.  This is infamous  company the nation of Israel is associated with. This is the wrong company for Israel to place itself in, especially since it is a nation twice born out of oppression. But their actions against the people of Palestine cannot go unnoticed for its brutal occupation.  

The disinvestment movement is an action Gibbs Magazine can support; racism against Jews, Gibbs will not and does not support. To support one is not to accept or support the other. Let it be clear, we support disinvestment as a way to bring Israel to a reckoning with its situation and secure peace.

Because Israel is a military superpower--they have the bomb in large quantities--it does not mean they can disregard a people who lack such military capabilities. As their greatest benefactor--giving them over $6 billion aid a year--the US should demand Israel bring peace to the Palestinian people; Ariel Sharon’s experiment with terror, military madness and might has not worked; so instead  of killing the leaders of peace in Israel and in Palestine, allow them to step up and lead. 

Instead of labeling those who call for peace in that region of the world anti-Semitic, as President Larry Summers of Harvard and Daniel Pipes of the Middle East Forum are attempting to do, they should perceive the disinvestment protests as serious attempts to bring some sanity to that holy but troubled land now in a state of confusion.

To support disinvestment because Israeli actions against Palestinians are unwarranted is not to take actions that are anti-Semitic in their intent or their effect. It is not Jewish hatred, as the ADL states. We reject the idea that one cannot take a definitive stand against the actions of Israel and say what the state of Israel is doing in the Middle East and the way they are doing it do not further the cause of peace without being anti-Semitic or Jew haters. Such a concept would preclude all critiques of wrong actions by anyone Jewish or the nation of Israel completely. In a free society, political discourse does not necessaily portend hatred. It is surprising that enlightened people would attempt to claim that it does. To take a stand is, instead, an attempt to say, stop the killings and bring peace to the region. Israel and America alone have the power to do so, but unless Ariel Sharon is brought under control, and mighty nations act responsibly, and not as cowboys, peace will never happen! []
Frank A. Jones
10/7/02

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