[WCUSP] Fwd: When Criticism of Cluster Bombs is "Anti-Semitic"-Petition by US Jews wanting to cut off aid to Israel etc.

[Odile Hugonot Haber]

Counterpuch / Weekend  Edtion

http://www.counterpunch.org/heller09022006.html

In a very encouraging development  hundreds of U.S. Jews are calling
for strong measures to be taken  against the Israeli government
including a cut off of U.S. aid  and U.N. sanctions. Over 800 have
signed the statement calling  for "U.S. Jewish Solidarity with Muslim
and Arab Peoples  of the Middle East". It states "we are outraged by
the violence being perpetrated in our name both as Jews and as  U.S.
citizens. We, the undersigned, represent Jews across the United
States who are choosing to stand in solidarity with the  peoples of
Gaza and Lebanon". It includes the statement,  "There is no Jewish
safety in a country that rehearses the  violence and persecution
which Ashkenazi Jews experienced for  centuries through the
annihilation of the Palestinian people  and their homeland." The
signers are collecting money for  a full page in the New York Times
and are just $800 away from  their goal. The petition can be found at
http://www.jewishsolidarity.info/petition.php


Blanket Immunity from War Crimes

When  Criticism of Cluster Bombs is "Anti-Semitic"

By STANLEY HELLER

September 2 / 3, 2006

The Israeli paper Ha'aretz reports that  the head of Germany's Jewish
community accused a minister in  Angela Merkel's German government of
"anti-Semitism"  because of the minister's statement on Israel's use
of cluster bombs. Development Aid Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul
had  asked for a United Nations probe into Israel's use of cluster
bombs in civilian areas of Lebanon.

Charlotte Knobloch, president  of the Central Council of German Jews,
complained about what  she terms a growing "anti-mood [sic] against
Israel and  the Jews" in Germany. [Ha,aretz August 30] Merkel, who
made absolutely no criticism of Israel during the fighting,
immediately met with Knobloch to "soothe Jewish ire"  according to
Deutche Welle [August 31]

The U.N. humanitarian chief  Jan Egeland revealed this week that of
the estimated 100,000  unexploded cluster bombs lying in Lebanon
almost all of them  were fired in the last few days of the fighting
when  the terms of the ceasefire had already been set. The Guardian
(UK) reports Egleand said, "What's shocking--and I would  say to me
completely immoral is that ninety per cent of the cluster bomb
strikes occurred in the last 72 hours of the conflict, when  we knew
there would be a resolution," he said.

It was known that in the last  days of the war the Israeli army was
engaged in a desperate attempt  to have some "victory" and rushed
troops here and there  in an attempt to have a photo shoot near the
Litani River. What  was not known until now was the blind spite that
sowed the ground of South Lebanon with a massive number of bomblets.

Cluster bombs are delivered  by a large canister and disperse over a
wide area, a sort of  lethal piñata. The bomblets come in many sizes.
Some  are tiny, even smaller than 2 inches in diameter. Kids are
constantly  trying to kick them or pick them up with the result in
the loss  an arm or leg or even death. "Every day people are maimed,
wounded and are killed by these ordnance," said Egeland. The UN
official based his estimate on the reports of the UN Mine Action
Coordination Centre which has traveled through 85%  of Lebanon. The
casualty figures as of 29 August from unexploded  ordnance rose to 59
people, including 13 killed and 46 injured.

Responding to U.N. reports  of cluster bombs being found in Lebanese
civilian areas the U.S.  government has begun an investigation to
determine if cluster  bombs have been responsible for civilian
casualties. It seems  far fetched that the Bush Administration would
do anything other  than shower Israel with more money, but the Reagan
administration  did ban export of cluster bombs to Israel for six
years for its  misuse during its 1982 Lebanese invasion.

The Zionist Ultras have been  circling the wagons on this issue, not
giving an inch. They  hysterical statement by the German Jewish
leader was typical  of many.

Responding to a report by Human  Rights Watch charging Israel with
war crimes in its conduct of  the war in Lebanon that was written by
its director Kenneth Roth,  Rabbi Avi Shafran of Agudath Israel has
called Roth "loathsome."  An editorial in the New York Sun accused
Roth of "de-legitimization  of Judaism" because his group condemned
Israel's strategy  as "an eye for an eye." Rabbi Aryeh Spero in
Human  Events Online referred to Roth as a "human rights impostor,"
and likened him to "Nazis and Communists." On Sunday,  the Jerusalem
Post published an op-ed by NGO Monitor's Gerald  Steinberg titled
"Ken Roth's Blood Libel." [quotes  from Kathleen Peratis, Washington
Post August 30] The fact that  Kenneth Roth is Jewish and his father
fled Nazi Germany makes  no difference to the Ultras. If you are do
not support Israel  110% you are a Jew-hater, a renegade, a self-
hater, and a holocaust denier. Get it?

In a very competitive field  Abe Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League
took the prize for the  comment showing the most utter stupidly. In
attacking Human  Rights Watch he said if Hezbollah was not made to
pay an "overwhelming  price" for rocket attacks "the Holocaust would
be in  the works". [Peratis, Washington Post]

Jewish Disgust  with Israel

In a very encouraging development  hundreds of U.S. Jews are calling
for strong measures to be taken  against the Israeli government
including a cut off of U.S. aid  and U.N. sanctions. Over 800 have
signed the statement calling  for "U.S. Jewish Solidarity with Muslim
and Arab Peoples  of the Middle East". It states "we are outraged by
the violence being perpetrated in our name both as Jews and as  U.S.
citizens. We, the undersigned, represent Jews across the United
States who are choosing to stand in solidarity with the  peoples of
Gaza and Lebanon". It includes the statement,  "There is no Jewish
safety in a country that rehearses the  violence and persecution
which Ashkenazi Jews experienced for  centuries through the
annihilation of the Palestinian people  and their homeland." The
signers are collecting money for  a full page in the New York Times
and are just $800 away from  their goal. The petition can be found at
http://www.jewishsolidarity.info/petition.php

It was after the 1982 invasion  of Lebanon that U.S. Jews in
significant numbers began open and  trenchant criticisms of Israel.
Chomsky's watershed "The  Fateful Triangle" was published that year.
Hopefully there  will be even bigger shows of outrage this time around.

Stanley Heller is chairperson of the Middle East  Crisis Committee in
Connecticut. It's website is www.TheStruggle.org  and he can be
reached at mail at TheStruggle.org