Yossi Schwartz, ISL the RCIT section in Israel/Occupied Palestine, 16.01.2022
The more the Zionists are accusing the left and the liberals, who support the Palestinians of Anti-Semitism, and at the same time forge close relations with the real Anti-Semites, the more this weapon of propaganda is losing its power. There was a time and not so remote when the accusation of Anti-Semitism was a powerful weapon in the hands of the Zionists and their supporters. A clear example was the witch hunt and the purging of Jeremy Corbyn and the left of the British labor party.
“Another clear example is the legislation that Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) recently championed that would help states ban contracts with people or organizations who advocate boycotting Israel. Rubio claimed opponents of the bill were “anti-Israel” and that boycotts are “discriminatory” against it. Republicans weren’t the only supporters of the measure, either; Democrats voted for it in large numbers, too. And their leaders — such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), who pushed Omar to apologize, (for saying that the ADL uses money to buy politicians) or Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.) — have adopted the Israeli talking point that BDS is anti-Semitic.” [i]
However, these days we see that growing number of people among them actors, film directors and screen writers are not afraid anymore from calling Israel an apartheid state.
Last week Emma Watson the star of the new Harry Potter movie playing Hermione Granger was accused by the Zionists of Anti-Semitism because she posted an image of a pro-Palestinian protest with the banner ‘solidarity is a verb’.
Danny Danon, who held the posts of science minister in Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations. Said: “10 points from Gryffindor (one of the four Houses of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the movie) for being an anti-Semite.” Israel’s current ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan wrote: “Fiction may work in Harry Potter but it does not work in reality. If it did, the magic used in the warding world could eliminate the evils of Hamas (which oppresses women and seeks the annihilation of Israel) and the PA (which supports terror). I would be in favor of that!” [ii]
But these Zionists were answered by more than 40 known artists who defended Emma Watson in a letter organized by Artists for Palestine UK, a cultural network standing together for Palestinian rights. These 40 include Susan Sarandon, Mark Ruffalo, Gael García Bernal, Jim Jarmusch, Peter Capaldi, Maxine Peake, Viggo Mortensen, Steve Coogan, Charles Dance and Harriet. Other are multi award-winning screenwriter and producer James Schamus (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), Oscar-nominated directors Asif Kapadia (Amy), Mira Nair (Salaam Bombay) and writer/producer Oren Moverman (The Messenger) double Palme d’Or winner Ken Loach (I, Daniel Blake), actors Michael Malarkey (The Vampire Diaries) and Matt McGorry (Orange Is the New Black, How to Get Away with Murder), and Emmy-winning production designer Gemma Jackson (Games of Thrones), Wolf Hall director Peter Kosminsky, and actors Liam Cunningham and Khalid Abdalla.
The letter says:
“We join Emma Watson in support of the simple statement that ‘solidarity is a verb’, including meaningful solidarity with Palestinians struggling for their human rights under international law. We oppose injustice anywhere in the world and stand with all those seeking an end to oppression.
We stand against ongoing Israeli attempts to forcibly displace Palestinian families from their homes in the East Jerusalem neighborhoods of Sheikh Jarrah, Silwan and elsewhere in the occupied Palestinian territory.
We recognize the underlying power imbalance between Israel, the occupying power, and the Palestinians, the people under a system of military occupation and apartheid, as described by Human Rights Watch, B’Tselem, Israel’s leading human rights organization, and by Palestinian and international human rights experts.
We condemn all forms of racism, including anti -Semitism and Islamophobia. Opposition to a political system or policy is distinct from bigotry, hatred and discrimination targeting any group of humans based on their identity. We see the former as a legitimate and necessary form of political and ethical expression and the latter as racism – pure and simple.
The late Desmond Tutu once said, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” Heeding Tutu’s moral appeal, we stand on the side of justice, freedom, and equal rights for all. This is the least we can do“. [iii]
In Australia, this Thursday the chair of the Sydney Festival was compelled to offer a public apology to the artists participating in the event upended by calls for a boycott due to Israeli government funding. He said:
“We are very sorry for the fact that we put artists in a situation where they felt compromised,” said festival chair David Kirk, adding that many artists found themselves either “in a position where they’ve felt the need to withdraw their work or continue with their work [and] have been subjected to pretty serious social media pressure to withdraw” [iv]
Thus, the realization that the Zionist state is an apartheid state is growing like a snow ball rolling down a hill collecting more and more material as it happened with the South African Apartheid where the boycott movement began in the 1950s. The UN general assembly passes many resolutions against the racist regime but they were toothless as the western imperialists in the security council vetoed any economic sanction or military action against the SA apartheid state for economic and political reasons till the last stage of the Apartheid regime.
The racists in South Africa could not use the propaganda of allegedly fighting Anti-Semitism. Instead they used the propaganda of fighting terror and communism.
In 1950, the National Party passed the Suppression of Communism Act, No. 44 that not only illegalized the South African Community Party (SACP) but also gave the Governor-General the right to declare any political party or organization unlawful at any time if they were found to be pursuing ‘communistic’ goals.
The Criminal Law Amendment Act, No. 8 prescribed the punishment for those protesting the government or any of its laws, for inciting or encouraging another person to protest, or for receiving or soliciting any assistance in organizing a protest. The Criminal Procedure and Evidence Amendment Act, No. 29 of 1955 as well as the Criminal Procedure Act, No. 56 of 1955 further increased the power of the government over dissidents. These Acts endowed judges and police with increased measures of autonomy and independence with regard to warrants and arrests.
The 1967 Terrorism Act was used by the police to pursue and prosecute various organizations and individuals who resisted state terrorism. Enforcement of the Act allowed for almost unchecked control by security forces over detainees, and many of those detained under the Terrorism Act reported abuse by police forces. Others died in detention.
The Zionist state was the best friend of its sister twin in SA. Both had close economic and military cooperation. On 22 September 1979 in the South Atlantic a secret 4 Kiloton test explosion of a South African nuclear bomb.
“There was circumstantial evidence that the test was a joint Israeli-South African project. Just after 22 September 1977 the Israeli Defense Minister and Colonel Amos Horey (a nuclear scientist with the Israeli armed forces) visited South Africa to meet Dr Abraham Rouse, head of South Africa’s Atomic Energy Board. The Israelis reacted to stories about their nuclear links with South Africa by withdrawing the press-credentials of a CBS-TV reporter and banning a book by two Israeli journalists” [v]
Israel today is where its twin sister was in the 1980s. Growing number of trade unions, student organizations, left wing and liberal have realized what is its class and political nature. This by itself and the economic boycott while important will not finish the apartheid state. Its end will come with the victorious Arab revolution that will establish the socialist federation of the Middle East where Palestine will be red and free from the river to the sea. In the meanwhile, the Palestinians struggling against the Zionist cruel and brutal regime are not alone as the solidarity campaign is getting momentum and another round of the Arab revolution is on the way.
For a Palestine red and Free from the river to the sea!
For a socialist federation of the Middle East part of the world revolution!
Endnotes:
[i] https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/02/13/how-us-politicians-use-charges-anti-semitism-political-weapon/
[ii] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/04/emma-watson-pro-palestinian-post-sparks-antisemitism-row
[iii] https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/1967-terrorism-act-no-83-1967
[iv] www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-sydney-festival-apologizes-to-artists-over-israeli-funding-fueled-bds-debacle-10538466
[v] Azim Husain “South Africa and Israel: A Strategic Triangle ” Third World Quarterly, Jan., 1982, Vol. 4, No. 1 (Jan., 1982), pp. 44-73