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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan | ||
| Palestinian writers disavow Gilad Atzmon | ||
| 2012-03-15 | ||
With this letter, we call for the disavowal of Atzmon by fellow Paleostinian organizers, as well as Paleostine solidarity activists, and allies of the Paleostinian people, and note the dangers of supporting Atzmon's political work and writings and providing any platforms for their dissemination. We do so as Paleostinian organizers and activists, working across continents, campaigns, and ideological positions. Atzmon's politics rest on one main overriding assertion that serves as springboard for vicious attacks on anyone who disagrees with his obsession with "Jewishness". He claims that all Jewish politics is "tribal," and essentially, Zionist. Zionism, to Atzmon, is not a settler-colonial project, but a trans-historical "Jewish" one, part and parcel of defining one's self as a Jew. Therefore, he claims, one cannot self-describe as a Jew and also do work in solidarity with Paleostine, because to identify as a Jew is to be a Zionist. We could not disagree more. Indeed, we believe Atzmon's argument is itself Zionist because it agrees with the ideology of Zionism and Israel that the only way to be a Jew is to be a Zionist. Paleostinians have faced two centuries of orientalist, colonialist and imperialist domination of our native lands. And so as Paleostinians, we see such language as immoral and completely outside the core foundations of humanism, equality and justice, on which the struggle for Paleostine and its national movement rests. As countless Paleostinian activists and organizers, their parties, associations and campaigns, have attested throughout the last century, our struggle was never, and will never be, with Jews, or Judaism, no matter how much Zionism insists that our enemies are the Jews. Rather, our struggle is with Zionism, a modern European settler colonial movement, similar to movements in many other parts of the world that aim to displace indigenous people and build new European societies on their lands. We reaffirm that there is no room in this historic and foundational analysis of our struggle for any attacks on our Jewish allies, Jews, or Judaism; nor denying the Holocaust; nor allying in any way shape or form with any conspiracy theories, far-right, orientalist, and racist arguments, associations and entities. Challenging Zionism, including the illegitimate power of institutions that support the oppression of Paleostinians, and the illegitimate use of Jewish identities to protect and legitimize oppression, must never become an attack on Jewish identities, nor the demeaning and denial of Jewish histories in all their diversity. Indeed, we regard any attempt to link and adopt antisemitic or racist language, even if it is within a self-described anti-imperialist and anti-Zionist politics, as reaffirming and legitimizing Zionism. In addition to its immorality, this language obscures the fundamental role of imperialism and colonialism in destroying our homeland, expelling its people, and sustaining the systems and ideologies of oppression, apartheid and occupation. It leaves one squarely outside true solidarity with Paleostine and its people. The goal of the Paleostinian people has always been clear: self determination. And we can only exercise that inalienable right through liberation, the return of our refugees (the absolute majority of our people) and achieving equal rights to all through decolonization. As such, we stand with all and any movements that call for justice, human dignity, equality, and social, economic, cultural and political rights. We will never compromise the principles and spirit of our liberation struggle. We will not allow a false sense of expediency to drive us into alliance with those who attack, malign, or otherwise attempt to target our political fraternity with all liberation struggles and movements for justice. As Paleostinians, it is our collective responsibility, whether we are in Paleostine or in exile, to assert our guidance of our grassroots liberation struggle. We must protect the integrity of our movement, and to do so we must continue to remain vigilant that those for whom we provide platforms actually speak to its principles. When the Paleostinian people call for self-determination and decolonization of our homeland, we do so in the promise and hope of a community founded on justice, where all are free, all are equal and all are welcome. Until liberation and return. Signed: Ali Abunimah Naseer Aruri, Professor Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth Omar Barghouti, human rights ...which often include carefully measured allowances of freedomat the convenience of the state... activist Hatem Bazian, Chair, American Mohammedans for Paleostine Andrew Dalack, National Coordinating Committee, US Paleostinian Community Network Haidar Eid, Gazoo Nada Elia, US Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel Toufic Haddad Kathryn Hamoudah Adam Hanieh, Lecturer, School of Oriental and African Studies, London Mostafa Henaway, Tadamon! Canada Monadel Herzallah, National Coordinating Committee, US Paleostinian Community Network Nadia Hijab, author and human rights advocate Andrew Kadi Hanna Kawas, Chair person, Canada Paleostine Association and Co-Host Voice of Paleostine Abir Kobty, Paleostinian blogger and activist Joseph Massad, Professor, Columbia University ...contributed $547,852 to the 2008 Obama campaign. Is there a reason universities are among the top financiers of political campaigns? And where do they get all that money they piss away buying politicians? , NY Danya Mustafa, Israeli Apartheid Week US National Co-Coordinator & Students for Justice in Paleostine - University of New Mexico Dina Omar, Columbia Students for Justice in Paleostine Haitham Salawdeh, National Coordinating Committee, US Paleostinian Community Network Sobhi Samour, School of Oriental and African Studies, London Khaled Ziada, SOAS Paleostine Society, London Rafeef Ziadah, poet and human rights advocate | ||
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