Facing A Challenge Within:

A Progressive Scholars' and Activists' Conference on Anti-Semitism and The Left.

August 21 - 23, 2004

Oakland Marriott Downtown

Oakland, California

http://www.facingachallenge.com/schedual.htm



Re: "Anti-Semitism and the Left" - Oakland "Anti-Semitism" Conference

Friday, August 20, 2004

Dear Judy Andreas, Conference Co-ordinator:

I have just returned from three weeks in the Occupied Palestinian lands of the West Bank and Gaza, where I saw the effect that Israel's apartheid wall, it's continued theft of Palestinian land, and its Jewish-only roads in the West Bank have had on the lives of Palestinians. In Gaza, I saw the wreckage of what had been scores of homes and farms that had been destroyed by Israeli bulldozers, and spoke with and recorded the voices of those now forced to live in tents as they try to salvage the broken pieces of their lives.

Later, I met with anti-Zionist Israeli activists in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, all of whom I informed, as an example of the sorry state of affairs on this [US] side of the water, about the subject of your upcoming conference on what is alleged to be anti-semitism on the part of what passes for the left in the United States. (If there actually was a "left" of any substance in the US, such a conference would be laughed out of existence, since the notion that Jews are an oppressed group in the US, which seems to be your basis for organizing the conference, is palpably false by any reasonable standard.)

Judging from the agenda of the conference, the Israelis with whom I met, as well as I, would, no doubt, be considered self-hating Jews by your conference attendees, particularly since bringing justice to the Palestinian cause has a higher priority with the former than does maintaining what has been described as "the Jewish character" of the State of Israel. In fact, not only does that not seem to concern them at all, they would think, as I do, that the latter is the root of the problem.

Given that they are a tiny minority, it is nevertheless significant at this point in time, that in one instance, over 200 Israeli Jews, academics, journalists, etc., have signed a statement, drawn up on August 12, 2004, and known as the Olga Statement (named for Givat Olga, the location in which it was written), which recognizes the legitimate rights to live, in the land now called Israel, of those Palestinians who were expelled or fled from their homes in what was then called Palestine in 1948, as well as their right to participate as equals in determining the future of the whatever state will exist on that soil.

Another group, known as Zochrot (ref. Ha'aretz Magazine, 8/13/04), which has been in existence for more than two years, has been going throughout Israel, placing markers on the spots where more than 400 Palestinian villages once stood, explaining how the inhabitants of each village were driven from their homes in 1948 and their villages were destroyed. This, of course, has not stood well with most of their fellow Israelis, who would rather forget the crimes that were committed in creating the state of Israel and that continue to be committed in maintaining it. Zochrot ("Remembering" in Hebrew), formed originally by an Israeli reservist who had refused to serve in Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 1982, also supports the Palestinian right of return, a position that, judging from your conference agenda, would be considered "anti-semitic," or, at the very least, offensive to "Jewish sensibilities."

All Jewish sensibilities, of course, are not the same. My own, for example, accumulated over 70 years and admittedly in the minority, were offended by a statement attributed to you in the August 6, 2004, issue of J, the Jewish Bulletin, in which you "emphasized that while the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will certainly play a major role in the conference, no solutions or statements will be made regarding it."

And, as if that were not enough, in a follow-up letter to J (Aug. 13, 2004) you were anxious to make sure of that point, noting that the magazine's headline ("Unlearning anti-Israelism") "may have left the impression that the conference holds a position relating to Israel, Palestine or the conflict. It is important to know that the conference itself has taken no position on these issues."

Excuse me, but I find that "position" morally repugnant. But rest assured, I will not be attending such a conference.

Jeffrey Blankfort,

San Francisco, CA



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Tuesday, August 17, 2004

Re: "Facing the challenge?" - Oakland "Anti-Semitism" Conference

Judy [Andreas, Conference Co-ordinator],

I appreciate that there may be noble intentions behind this conference. We do need to unite against any forms of racism, including any form of hostility towards Jewish people. I do not pretend to know fully what will take place at the conference, or what perspective speakers and workshop leaders will be sharing with the participants. Yet, from my reading of the Workshop titles, and what has been written in the media about this conference so far, I have reason to be concerned.

I have seen a number of attacks against Jewish people here in the Bay Area, yet it has all stemmed from the work on behalf of justice in the Middle East. A Berkeley city official, a Jewish father of a young child, pleads for an investigation into the death of human rights advocate Rachel Corrie, and receives a phone threat. A man writes to the Berkeley Daily Planet and accuses Jewish individuals he names, because of their work for Palestinian rights, as “Jews who hate Judaism”. Speakers with the most extreme anti-Arab-Muslim stances and pro-militaristic, pro-torture solutions are invited on Berkeley campus by Hillel, and Tzedek, a Jewish group that was actually affiliated with Hillel, is forced to leave the organization when it questions the choice of speakers. And a few years ago on Berkeley campus I saw dozens of copies of a leaflet that advocated “retaliation” against those Jews who criticized Israel. (I gave a copy of this leaflet to the police for them to investigate, but it was of no concern to the pro-Israel group I approached).

These are real incidents of hostility against Jewish people, and yet this is not what the conference will address, it appears to me. Neither does it seem to address the attacks that non-Jewish dissenters are subject to, especially Arab-Americans, and the way anti-Semitism is used to fight any questioning of U.S.Israeli policy. It does not address, for example, the fact that large, established organizations such as the ADL are quite openly advocating policies that are viciously anti-Arab, and yet calls itself a fighter against anti-Semitism.

It is in this context that you say that there is "a prevalence of unchallenged anti-Semitism on the Left"? I just confess to being mystified by your apparent position. Despite claims that this conference is opposed to all forms of racism, there is a workshop that says that all must embrace Zionism, a political movement that has dispossessed millions of their land, homes, and their dignity. But then it promises silence on international issues. No dissent will be expressed here to oppose U.S./Israeli policy.

This conference, from what I can see, is as helpful to the cause of justice as those who warned obsessively about “communists” in the civil rights movement. I am concerned it will be used to stamp out dissent. Despite the participation of some good speakers, it just seems unlikely to be helpful.

Jim Harris,

http://www.tomjoad.org/



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Cross-Reference:

Zionist menu: Red Herring of "left anti-semitism" only 5!

- by Aaron S.

EXCERPT:

For some fake-left Jews and self-hating gentiles, so-called "left anti-semitism" is worthy of more attention than any of the real oppressions that wreak havoc on most of the world's people.

www.indybay.org/news/2004/08/1692493.php



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Cross-Reference:

OPEN EMAIL TO OAKLAND "ANTI-SEMITISM" CONFERENCE!

- by Joseph Anderson

http://www.indybay.org/news/2004/08/1692588.php

EXCERPT:

Jews are *NOT* an "oppressed" minority group in the United States. As an African American I can say this as a matter of fact, while still opposing incidents of real anti-Semitism, which do exists, and exposing real anti-Semites, which I have done. To say that Jews are oppressed in America is anywhere from an insult to a joke to those traditional minorities of color in America who really are oppressed.

Please see this post (http://www.indybay.org/news/2004/08/1692602.php), or go directly to the website, for more information on the Olga Statement referred to by Jeffrey Blankfort.

I think it is important to support such positive initiatives.

The "facing a challange" conference that we find in some ways troubling, will in no way impede or slow down our work in seeking justice for Palestine. I do not think it will have even a minimal impact in stopping the growing realization in the progressive community that we must end support Israeli apartheid.

tomjoad.org/OlgaAppeal.htm

The two fulcrums of anti Jewish hate in the Bay area are SF State and UC Berkeley.

SF State has an extreme left orientation on its faculty and on its administration. It also has a strong anti Jewish bias. People on the SF State administration actively encourage an anti Jewish world view.

In 1983-1984 I was a student at SF State. From the moment I first set foot on campus I was shocked by the activities of the Palestinian Student Union and affilliated groups and individuals.

In March of 1984 I wandered into a meeting room near the student union, following a number of other students and curious as to what was about to proceed.

As far as I could tell , every Muslim and Arab student on campus was there - Palestinians, Pakistanis , and Iranians. Local Islamic clerics in clerical garb were there selling anti Jewish hate literature. The guest speaker was H Rap Brown. What I heard later was the H Rap Brown, along with Stokely Carmicheal, received a monthly stipend from a Saudi religious charity, to travel around and give anti-Jewish hate talks.

There were approximately 300 people present. I was not noticed because I look middle-Eastern.

After greeting the assemblage with an Asaalaam aleikum, Mr. Brown launched into his hate lecture, and within 5 minutes he had everyone in the audience, excepting myself, shouting "Death to the Jews!" and "Death to America" at the top of their lungs.

The transformation of the faces of these students was quite remarkable . Their faces twisted and contorted like people turning into werewolves in a horror movie. They sprayed spit like rabid dogs and their eyes rolled back in their heads.

Interesting that the assembled students were shouting "Death to America" along with "Death to the Jews" (they were not shouting "Death to the Zionists," or "Death to Israel" but "Death to the Jews!"....the realization that they hated the US so much, despite loving the benefits of living here, making money here they can send back to the middle east, and going to school here, many at US taxpayer expense. Do we really need these people in the USA?

This was when I chose to leave. I have no doubt that people high up in the left wing administration of San Francisco State were aware of what happens at an H Rap Brown lecture and they encouraged it , along with encouraging further outrageous activities by Muslim Students and the Palestinian Student Union.

The San Francisco State Administration at that time, and from what I have heard - at present - is completely dominated by left wing, anti Jewish extremists -

I believe the UC Berkeley faculty and the city of Berkeley officials are dominated by people with similar political sentiments. Certainly there is no effort by UC Berkeley officials to curb anti Jewish demonstrations on campus or in the vicinity of campus. Look at what has happened in just the past year. Do not believe the fig leaf of "this is just anti Zionist, we are not anti Semitic" - these people hate and want to murder Jews, pure and simple.

I have always loved satire. Keep up the good work. Comedy makes the world a better place and we need more of this kind of relief.

Author: J Anderson (not Jim Harris)

By the way, the letter writers above in the original article are both *JEWISH*.

(Zionist Jews love to overlook these things.)



"The Left In the SF Area Hates Jews", Author: I Witnessed It, August 22, 03:37 AM: "Do not believe the fig leaf of "this is just anti Zionist, we are not anti Semitic" - these people hate and want to murder Jews, pure and simple."



Well, in fact, this must be 'true', because extreme 'leftist' faculty member Laurie Zolith, recent Director of the SFSU Jewish Studies program, once said (a few years ago) that,"the Bay Area was on the verge of a Jewish Holocaust!!"