The fundamental problem with this analogy is that it misses one fundamental
point. One side in this battle is fighting for its homeland and its right (a
just cause), even if some of its members use terrorism and unjustifiable means.
On the other hand, the other side is not only committing atrocities (of much
larger scale) but it is also pursuing fascistic GOALS (ethnic cleansing).

Israel needs to be singled out the same way that South Africa was singled out in
the 80's. Somehow I don't think that the person posting this message was
complaining about the singling out of South Africa back then ...

-Aram



Ivan Handler wrote:
>
> --
> Ivan Handler
> Networking for Democracy
> [log in to unmask]
>
>   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Subject: Israeli boycott is curiously selective and seriously unhelpful
> Date: Thu, 18 Apr 2002 16:15:47 -0400
> From: "Arlene Ash" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: "Ivan Handler" <[log in to unmask]>
>
> (Ivan - could you post this for me? -A)
>
> Friends-
> I have recently received several e-mail notices calling for boycotts of
> Israel (one started by French mathematicians) through the Science for the
> People listserve.
>
> I ask my progressive friends to ask yourselves why Israel and Israelis are
> uniquely deserving of censure at this dire time? Are the mathematicians of
> France similarly upset by the racial venom of so much anti-Israel
> propaganda? Do they feel any responsibility for the sharp rise in
> anti-Jewish activity in their own country?
>
> The state of Israel has used its army in the ugly way that states typically
> do to put down severe threats to civil order; the Palestinians have adopted
> the grisly guerilla warfare of angry, desperate people without state armies.
> "Each side has been pointing to the atrocities committed by the other,
> 'forgetting' the atrocities committed by his own side." ("A War of Words:
> The Israeli and Palestinian Media Coverage of the al-Aqsa Intifada,"
> http://www.phrmg.org/monitor2001/nov2001-6.htm) Each side has powerful
> "friends" that support and encourage it to hate/fear/harm the other. Friends
> of peace must not be curiously selective in seeing evil. Our job is to
> disabuse all parties (most especially our own "side," if we have one) of the
> notion that more killing is the answer; we must drive, drag, and support the
> combatants away from death and towards peace.
>
> There are many, many countries that have killed - and continue to kill, and
> otherwise abuse and debase the lives of - more Arabs, more Muslims, more
> "rebels," more innocents, than Israel. How about boycotting Turkey for
> murdering Kurds? India (or Pakistan) for war mongering against each other?
> Saudi Arabia for internal human rights abuses or for worldwide funding of
> schools that preach racial hatred? The US for ...  there are so many
> reasons, including a long and continuing history of world-wide
> arms-mongering, murder and mayhem (not terrorism, of course, just "freedom
> fighting")? And, ...  there are so many other countries, religious fanatics,
> and other groups that routinely commit horrors under patriotic and messianic
> banners. Why, uniquely, Israel?
>
> At least Israel (however wrong so many of its actions are) - IS, actually,
> fighting for its citizens' lives. Israel's true friends have the formidable
> task of convincing it that the practical route to a livable state requires
> decent treatment of the Palestinians, diplomacy and de-militarization.
> Condemnations of Israel alone make this harder.
>
> People of good will must do whatever they can to condemn and stop BOTH
> Israel's current military campaign AND the suicide bombings. Both not only
> murder innocent people, they also harden hearts and undermine hope.
>
> No one-sided view of this rapidly escalating tragedy - where each side truly
> has terrible grievances and real fears for its existence - is helpful. How
> can we make it easier for both Israelis and Palestinians to be able to
> renounce the paths of anger and vengeance? How can we help them to grope
> their way painstaking way back from the brink?
> -Arlene