By Vic Rosenthal
Some of the most effective anti-Israel propaganda lately comes from Jews. Some time ago, I wrote a piece titled With Jews like these, who needs Arabs? It doesn’t sound so clever anymore.
A student organization called the Union of Progressive Zionists (UPZ) is bringing a program called “Breaking the Silence” to American campuses. The program consists of former IDF soldiers presenting ‘testimony’ about army misconduct and mistreatment of Palestinians in the territories.
This can only be anti-Israel propaganda. Even given that the ‘testimony’ is correct, there is no context provided, such as the shootings and bombings that require checkpoints and roadblocks. There is no comparison of Israeli behavior compared to other armies in similar circumstances. And of course there is no ‘testimony’ about cases in which Israeli soldiers have taken risks to help Palestinians (I have first-hand evidence of such).
The UPZ is supported by several left-wing Israeli and US organizations, such as Meretz USA. It is a member of the Israel on Campus Coalition, an organization founded to promote pro-Israel activities on campus. The ICC is funded by Hillel and other groups, and at least one of them has suggested that the UPZ should be booted out.
I completely agree. There is no way that “Breaking the Silence” can be construed as anything other than another volley in the propaganda war against Israel. The fact that UPZ is availing itself of resources dedicated to helping Israel in order to present this to students already awash in pro-Palestinian misinformation is infuriating.
The UPZ declares itself to be Zionist and pro-Israel. This can only be true in the bizarrely post-modern world of today’s academy. Truly Zionist members of the ICC should insist on its removal from their coalition.
Technorati Tags: Zionism, Campus, UPZ, Meretz, Hillel, Israel
Years ago I was visiting the New School in downtown Manhattan where I encountered a group called ‘Compass’ .This group, ‘Matzpen’in Hebrew was my first meeting with Israelis bashing Israel. To my great sorrow I now meet such people everyday , simply by reading the newspaper ‘Haaretz’ which features a number of stars in this category.
I do not know if anyone has really figured out how to explain this phenomenom. My guess is however the best writer on the subject is the Harvard psychologist Kenneth Levin.
In any case it is no longer a minor element but a centrally important danger to Israel as there is a disproportionate number of such people in the media and academic life.