Democratic Palestine : 39 (ص 11)
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- عنوان
- Democratic Palestine : 39 (ص 11)
- المحتوى
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nian people on the other.
In parallel, the government of the newly established
state of Israel caused the transfer of the mass of Jewish com-
munities in the Middle East and North Africa to Israel to
replace the dispossessed Palestinian people as ‘hewers of
wood and drawers of water’ allegedly for the sake of their
own redemption.
Alongside the primary contradiction between the
occupied Palestinian people and the Israeli government,
there is formed inside the Israeli society an additional con-
tradiction between the ruling sections in Israel who predi-
cate their future on the continued repression and occupation
of the Palestinian people on the one hand, and those sec-
tions of the public in Israel who did not predicate their
future on the continued repression and occupation of the
Palestinian people, and who are themselves mislead by the
government of Israel. There are today important divisions
between the government of Israel on the one hand and
Israeli democratic and progressive individuals and move-
ments who are not Zionists and who rebel against the Israeli
occupation and the continued repression and exploitation of
the Palestinian people, as well as the broad Israeli left and
the Israeli peace movement on the other. Our aim is to con-
vince these latter sections of the public in Israel, in particu-
lar those from Middle Eastern and North African origin
(Oriental Jews), that the possibility for a political and social
alternative based on equality and unity with the Palestinians
is the only way for a solution of their own discrimination
and oppression inside Israel.
Throughout the course of human history, people have
joined hands in common struggle for justice, equality and
peace. Throughout the course of human history, govern-
ments have failed in their attempts to criminalize dialogue
for justice, equality and peace, and to legislate against co-
operation and common struggle. The government of South
Africa tried and failed, and the government of Israel tried
and failed. Dialogue, cooperation and common struggle a-
gainst apartheid legislation and for justice, equality and
peace are as inevitable in Israel as they are in South Africa.
Disinformation
We did not expect to start our col-
umn on disinformation by attacking the
British daily, The Guardian. On the con-
trary, it generally has quite informative
coverage of international events in its
pages of World News. However, we have
not been able to ignore the grossly
slanted coverage given to the Palestinian-
Israeli conflict by Ian Black, the news-
paper’s correspondent in Jerusalem. In
pre-intifada days, one got the impression
from Ian Black’s articles that he seldom
went off the beaten track to get his story,
i.e., he usually contented himself with
repeating the statements of official
Israeli sources. We noted, however, that
the intifada did sometimes lead him to
venture into the Palestinian community.
Still, his articles did not match those of
many other honest Western journalists
who, at least at the start, wrote vivid
accounts of the Palestinian upsurge
against the occupation, and conveyed the
human aspects of the intifada as well.
With the intifada «in retreat»
according to callous observers and Israeli
officials, Ian Black returned to his old
habits. Several of his articles this May
violated basic standards of honest report-
ing. A lengthy article on May 14th, enti-
tled «An average day in the war zone,»
reached the point of slander against the
Palestinians. Black describes what he
terms the «bizarre alliance» of the PFLP
with Hamas, pushing for more strikes
and militancy (see Democratic Palestine
38 for discussion of this issue). Black then
goes on to say: «Palestinian radicals are
urging more and more confrontation
because peace in the streets will defeat
their goal of maintaining the intifada.
Yesterday’s desecration of Jewish graves
in Haifa - far behind the old «zreen line»
border - may have been inspired by this
same dangerous school of thought...»
This in effect accuses Palestinians, speci-
fically the PFLP and Hamas of commit-
ting desecration, whereas the Israeli
police arrested a Jewish man in connec-
tion with this crime the same day it was
discovered. Ian Black knows this very
well. He himself signed a small article tel-
ling of the arrest, which appeared two
pages later in the same Guardian edition.
We long ago stopped expecting that
Ian Black would give the Palestinian
struggle its due in media coverage, but we
do have the right to expect a degree of
journalistic honesty and integrity from
him and The Guardian’s editors.
Equally dishonest and disgusting
were some of Ian Black’s comments in
the May 23rd Guardian. While describ-
ing the protests in the Galilee after the
May 20th massacre in Rishon Letzion,
Black gives some historical background
by recalling the events of Land Day 1976 -
so far so good. Then he feels called upon
to write: «It was at that time that young
Arabs began to break away from the twin
strangleholds of the Communist Party
and jobs-for-the-boys inducements of the
Zionist parties.» The Israeli Communist
Party, Rakah, is well known to be the
party that has consistently defended the
rights of the Palestinian Arabs living in
the Zionist state over the years. While
there are differing opinions as to the cor-
rectness of Rakah’s political line, it
would be difficult if not impossible to find
a single Palestinian who would agree to
equating this party with the Zionist par-
ties. What gives Ian Black the right to do
so? @
Beit Sahour
-photo by Tordai
coaye
. - هو جزء من
- Democratic Palestine : 39
- تاريخ
- يونيو ١٩٩٠
- المنشئ
- الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير فلسطين
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