Palestinians, Israel and Mideast Crisis
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Arens revealed an intrinsic anti-Arab racism in a Times interview (Commentary, Aug. 21).
Reporter William Tuohy quotes Arens as saying, “Unfortunately, there is in some of the Arab world, including many of the Palestinians, this streak of fanaticism and brutality and lack of sharing in the values that we believe--in democracy and tolerance in not using violence unless it is absolutely necessary. It’s unfortunate.”
Substitute the word Jew for Arab and the Jewish community would justifiably label such a statement as anti-Semitic.
Arens also displays a fundamental hypocrisy: The Arabs use violence indiscriminately whereas Israelis use violence only when compelled to do so. Undoubtedly, Arens would have us refer to Syrian President Assad’s massacre of tens of thousands of his countrymen at Hama as an example of Arab brutality. What Arens would like us to disregard is Israel’s massacre of tens of thousands of Lebanese and Palestinians during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon because, as everyone should remember, the pretext for this invasion and its subsequent slaughter was the attempted assassination of an Israeli diplomat in London.
Arens wonders if it is possible to reach accommodation with Palestinians because of their “knee-jerk” support for Saddam Hussein. Israelis and Americans should be unsurprised at Palestinian support for Hussein. For more than 20 years, the Israeli people, bankrolled by the U.S. government, have enforced a violent and brutal repression of the Palestinian people. Suddenly, a man appears who promises them salvation.
Contrary to Arens’ claim that this current crisis undermines the Israeli left and dovish camp, it validates the belief that the Palestinians should have been allowed the opportunity to develop an independent and democratic state years ago.
The ADC condemns the Iraqi invasion and annexation of Kuwait and, while the ADC would like to have the legitimate government restored to power, it would be delighted if such a government were infused with democracy.
ARCH MILLER
Board Member, American-Arab
Anti-Discrimination Committee
Los Angeles Chapter