The World's Double Standard Directed Against Israel
In 1990 I wrote the following letter to the New Republic which was published in their April issue (sic!). I think it is still valid today because it demonstrates the double standard weighted heavily against Israel by the world at large, especially in relation to the absurd accretion by now of four generations of Palestinian "refugees".
Dear Sir;
Case no.1
The time is now; the year, 1990. The expelled have been denied entry to their "homeland" and their homes. By some standards they have been refugees for more than forty years, ever since their side lost the war they started. But everyone -- or almost everyone -- agrees that they have no right to return, that they must not think of themselves as refugees, and that the borders established at that time must remain intact. Both the United States and its old adversary, the Soviet Union, are joined in the firm conviction that nothing must alter the new more secure borders for the victor. So, Germans expelled from what is now Poland and what used to be Germany must not think that they have any right to reclaim their old territory and possessions.
Case no.2
The time is now; the year, 1990. The expelled have been denied entry to their "homeland" and their homes. By their own and many others' standards they have been refugees for more than forty years, ever since their side lost the war they started. But everyone -- or almost everyone -- agrees that they have the right to return, that they remain refugees until they do, and that the borders established at that time must not remain intact. Both the United States and its old adversary, the Soviet Union, are joined in the firm conviction that something must be done to alter the new more secure borders for the victor. So, the Palestinians expelled from what is now Israel and used to be British Mandated Territory must think that they and their descendents have every right to reclaim their territory and possessions.
Such conscious deployment of a double standard directed at Israel and no other state in the world is a discriminatory standard, and the name for it is, indeed, anti-semitism.
Professor Sally F. Zerker
Dear Sir;
Case no.1
The time is now; the year, 1990. The expelled have been denied entry to their "homeland" and their homes. By some standards they have been refugees for more than forty years, ever since their side lost the war they started. But everyone -- or almost everyone -- agrees that they have no right to return, that they must not think of themselves as refugees, and that the borders established at that time must remain intact. Both the United States and its old adversary, the Soviet Union, are joined in the firm conviction that nothing must alter the new more secure borders for the victor. So, Germans expelled from what is now Poland and what used to be Germany must not think that they have any right to reclaim their old territory and possessions.
Case no.2
The time is now; the year, 1990. The expelled have been denied entry to their "homeland" and their homes. By their own and many others' standards they have been refugees for more than forty years, ever since their side lost the war they started. But everyone -- or almost everyone -- agrees that they have the right to return, that they remain refugees until they do, and that the borders established at that time must not remain intact. Both the United States and its old adversary, the Soviet Union, are joined in the firm conviction that something must be done to alter the new more secure borders for the victor. So, the Palestinians expelled from what is now Israel and used to be British Mandated Territory must think that they and their descendents have every right to reclaim their territory and possessions.
Such conscious deployment of a double standard directed at Israel and no other state in the world is a discriminatory standard, and the name for it is, indeed, anti-semitism.
Professor Sally F. Zerker
posted by Professor Sal at 12:10 PM
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