There is a point when a political position
can become rabid; a point when rational arguments no longer
work because the holder of such politics believes that their
way can be the only way of seeing things and that all other
views must be suppressed.
Thus, we have the case of the cancellation
of the speaking engagement of one Bishop Desmond Tutu, world-renowned
human rights activist and one of the chief architects of the
South African Truth & Reconciliation Commission. To the
surprise of many, Bishop Tutu’s speaking engagement at St.
Thomas University in St. Paul, Minnesota was cancelled, apparently
because Bishop Tutu is a harsh critic of the Israeli regime
and its occupation of Palestinian territories. According
to startribune.com
of Minneapolis-St. Paul, the University decided to cancel
the speaking engagement because Bishop Tutu’s criticisms of
the manner in which the Israelis are treating the Palestinians
in the occupied territories would be considered hurtful to
the Jewish community.
Did I hear this correctly? Are we being told
that someone expressing an opinion critical of Israeli policy
— and indeed speaking the truth about the horrendous conditions
of the Israeli occupation — should be denied a right to speak?
Indeed, that is precisely what is being said and it is further
evidence of the rabidity and irrationality of the anti-Palestinian
fanatics who wish to deny any genuine discussion of the actual
situation facing the Palestinian people.
Bishop Tutu, it should be noted, along with
former President Jimmy Carter, have joined the legions of
human rights activists who have compared the Israeli occupation
of the Palestinian territories to the conditions that were
faced in South Africa by non-whites under the apartheid regime.
Understandably, such comparisons unsettle those who wish to
believe that it would be impossible for victims of the Holocaust
to perpetrate crimes against another people, but the documentary
evidence is very clear on this point.
Leaving aside, for a moment, whether one agrees
or disagrees with Bishop Tutu on comparisons of the Israeli
occupation with apartheid, there is a more fundamental question
with which we in the USA must come to grips. Simply put,
is critical discussion of Israel, Israeli policy, and the
occupation of the Palestinian territories off limits? The
answer, at least among anti-Palestinians, seems to be "yes,"
i.e., that unless one begins by swearing undying allegiance
to Israel, one cannot criticize the Israeli state. Further,
that criticism of the Israeli state is, ipso facto,
anti-Semitic.
To my knowledge, there are few other subjects
that are considered so off limits. The anti-Palestinian lobby
has been quite successful in intimidating many people who
would like to see a rational discussion of the Israeli/Palestinian
conflict and US policy towards the Middle East. Fortunately,
the tide seems to be turning — the publication of Jimmy Carter’s
best-selling book Peace Not Apartheid representing
an element of evidence of this — and there is a growing dissatisfaction
with the "off-limits" signs that seem to be posted
around any discussion of Israel and the occupation. It is
for that reason that the anti-Palestinian forces are becoming
less rational, more passionate, and, indeed, quite scared.
In this context, those who wish a rational
discussion of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict must stand
very firm and be prepared to speak out, indeed speak out quite
loudly. We need to protest the cancellation of Bishop Tutu’s
speech, but further protest the efforts to cancel Bishop Tutu
himself. In other words, through whispering campaigns and
innuendo, efforts are underway to defame the character of
and marginalize individuals such as Bishop Tutu, Jimmy Carter
and Nelson Mandela, not to mention the countless lesser-known
activists who dare to seek justice for the Palestinian people.
A light shines brightest immediately before
it goes dark. My sense is that the anti-Palestinian forces
have nearly reached that point and in their narrow-minded
efforts to suppress all discussion they have over-played their
hand. Time will tell whether those of us who wish peace between
Israelis and Palestinians and justice for the Palestinian
people will prevail when the other side burns out.
Note: Jewish
Voices for Peace was at the lead in blowing the whistle
on this cancellation and on the efforts to suppress dissenting
opinions.
BlackCommentator.com Editorial Board member, Bill Fletcher, Jr. is a labor
and international writer and activist, and the immediate past
president of TransAfrica Forum. Click
here to contact Mr. Fletcher.