Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, July 2000, pages 3, 73-75

Letters To The Editor

 

Articles Demand a Rebuttal

The two articles by M.M. Ali in your April 2000 issue are so biased against India and slanted in favor of Pakistan that they ask for a rebuttal. According to Mr. Ali India is run by Hindu fanatics, while Pakistan is a champion of human rights, especially in Kashmir.

Consider the two countries objectively. India has had numerous peaceful transfers of power since independence whereas Pakistan has had none. All it has had is rule by corrupt oligarchies punctuated by military coups. Yet Pakistan claims it wants a plebiscite in Kashmir which is more than the Pakistanis have ever had. It is to be remembered that Jammu is Hindu and Ladakh is Buddhist. What is there in Pakistan's history that would encourage one to believe that these disparate groups would be tolerated?

If you watched the recent trip by President Clinton to the subcontinent you must have been struck by the stark contrast between his visits to the two countries. Clinton was mobbed by enthusiastic crowds in India, while in Pakistan he had to use a decoy through empty streets preceded by seven decoy limousines. This in a country Mr. Ali claims is a long-time ally of the United States.

Is Pakistan the model of a society that the Kashmiris should aspire to?

With regard to the case of the Babri Masjid that Hindu extremists demolished, Mr. Ali would do well to recall the actions of Aurangzeb, the last Mughal emperor, who systematically destroyed Hindu temples and drove Buddhism out of India. Memories of such events die hard, as one can see in Palestine and Serbia.

I would ask the editors of WRMEA a simple question. If they were forced to choose between living in India and living in Pakistan, which would they pick?

Thein Wah, Ph.D., San Antonio, TX

First, Pakistan has had several free elections. Regarding the question to us, it would depend solely upon which country would allow us the freedom to publish a totally honest magazine like this one. Let's hope we won't ever have to find out. As for the Kashmiris, we think the question is, "If you have a choice between living in a state in India or in an independent Kashmir, which would you pick?" The fact that up to 600,000 Indian troops and paramilitaries are required to "keep order" in Kashmir, an occupied country of only 16 million people, makes the answer pretty clear. Continuance of the illegal Indian occupation of Kashmir, in our opinion, provides the greatest current danger of nuclear war in the world. The sooner the people of Kashmir are allowed the self-determination promised them more than half a century ago by the United Nations Security Council (including the U.S.) the safer we all will be.

 

Beautiful Timerman Tribute

I've just finished reading Richard Curtiss's tribute to Jacobo Timerman and had to drop everything to tell you how moved I was and to thank you. I've always admired Timerman and knew he was a critic of Israel's invasion of Lebanon, but your quotes from the book, and from your interview with him, revealed how eloquently he stated the case and how deeply he felt. Also the price he had to pay. I now admire him more than ever. The articles you and Andrew Killgore write about people you've known are one of my favorite features of the magazine, but this was one of the very best. Beautiful in fact!

Rachelle Marshall, Stanford, CA

 

Thank You for Book Review

I greatly appreciated your executive editor's review of my book, A Continent Called Palestine. It is one of the best I have read, because it pointed to the fact that there will be no more Christians in Palestine due to the Israeli policy of oppression and the aggressive violent assault of the Israeli religious right on Palestinian life and property. I am very grateful to you and I look forward to hearing if there were reactions to your review. With my very best wishes.

Najwa Farah, Thornhill, Ontario, Canada

Unfortunately some of the reactions were defensive ones from Christian ministers who obviously feel deeply conflicted about not doing more to defend their vanishing Palestinian co-religionists. Because we used the review to criticize the incredible passivity among some Christian ministers in the face of horrendous injustice in Palestine, we discovered that some find it easier to attack the messenger than the Israeli oppressors.

 

Three Christian Candle Lighters

You have long urged your subscribers to action in support of their beliefs. Here's a report on three Christians who believe "they made a difference."

Donovan Johnson of Bloomington sent me and Dominique Najjar, a Roman Catholic Palestinian-American born in Jerusalem, a photocopy from the Roman Catholic diocesan weekly, The Catholic Spirit, portraying an ugly Arab figure labeled OPEC, together with a letter from a local Zionist questioning Palestinians' right to their name: "A Roman name, only two thousand years old."

All three of us wrote to Archbishop Harry Flynn and I wrote to my parish priest as well. I received almost immediately a sympathetic note from my pastor. Both Donovan and I got similar letters from the archbishop, and Dominique was phoned directly by the archbishop, with whom he had a very empathetic 15-minute conversational exchange.

Is there a better example of how to "light a candle?"

C. Patrick Quinlan, Edina, MN

 

Caught in Between

Salaam and Grace in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and blessed greetings from Jerusalem.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for including my book, Caught in Between, in the listing of books mentioned in your magazine. It is encouraging to know that the Palestinian struggle and the pains of my people are voiced through your very fine publication.

I look forward to having the opportunity of meeting you, perhaps one day in Jerusalem. Until then, know that this comes with my prayers and continued good wishes.

Rt. Rev. Riah Abu El-Assal, The Episcopal Church in Jerusalem & the Middle East, Jerusalem

To next year, or at least next decade, in Jerusalem, when Palestinian Christians and all others can again travel there freely.

 

Skeptical on Farrakhan

I read with interest your article on Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan's acceptance of Sunni Islam. I hope this indicates a new tolerance on Farrakhan's part for other races and religions as well.

However, when you say he has been unjustly "demonized" by the media and imply that he is, in reality, a moral and socially responsible individual you go too far. He has made statements far worse than just criticizing Israel's well-documented human rights violations and actions of its American Jewish supporters. While I am well aware of the Nation of Islam's good work fighting crime and drugs in our inner cities, it does not excuse his numerous anti-Semitic slurs and his depiction of white people as a "subhuman species." These remarks have been amply documented by our liberal mainstream media.

These are not the words of a tolerant, moral and socially responsible individual. These are the words of a bigot. I am sure that the Washington Report understands that bigots come from all races and all religions. When Farrakhan apologizes for his numerous slurs, then I will believe that he has become a more tolerant, moral and socially responsible individual.

Larry Chilton, Cupertino, CA

We've made a point of asking people who know him personally whether Louis Farrakhan's adoption of Sunni Islam, which forbids racial discrimination, is genuine or not. The answers have ranged from an unqualified yes to an unqualified no, with the shadings providing the most interesting information. We're inclined to believe he's sincere, but is having trouble bringing along some of the supporters closest to him. Stay tuned.

 

My Reading Habits

I mainly read the Washington Report for two reasons: one, to keep up with the issues. Two, to use the facts in my discussions with mainstream Americans. I find any emphasis on religion to be offensive. Too many religious topics and ads give the impression that religious people with money have bought your magazine--thus, a loss of credibility.

George Khoury, Huntington, MI

Unfortunately, it is mostly the Muslim and Eastern Christian church groups who seem to have the moral fortitude to advertise in a magazine that supports human rights. We know there are secular people with businesses who have advertising funds, but many seem to be afraid of the dozen hate-mail letters they get from Zionist nutcases after each advertisement, and ignore the fact that hundreds of our readers go out of their way to buy the products advertised in our magazine. The long-distance phone companies that take inside covers in each issue report great results, and in fact would be crazy not to advertise in the Washington Report, since so many of our readers are looking for cut-rate overseas telephone rates.

 

Confusion About Addresses

I appreciate the pre-printed postcards that you include with each issue of the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs and use them regularly. But there still seems to be some confusion about the address on the cards. Please note that the zip code for the U.S. House of Representatives is 20515. For the U.S. Senate: 20510.

Paul Thomas, Chicago, IL

Thanks for staying alert. The cards are printed separately from the magazine, usually in a great hurry, and it's been one ##*&^ thing after another. But they certainly get results in terms of responses since they are used by our readers for their own representatives and senators, who do pay attention to what their own constituents think.

 

Published Or Not?

I can never stop being grateful for your tremendous efforts to present, against the powers of some misguided, organized Jewish groups, the true facts about the Middle East and the sadly wrong policies of our Congress and our administration. I hope that, in the end, truth and justice will prevail.

I'm enclosing a copy of a short letter I sent to The Washington Post last month. Since I am not a subscriber to that paper and I read it about once every week, I cannot aver that it was not published but I'll bet that it was not. I'm also enclosing a modest contribution to the Washington Report.

René Espinosa, Sr., Falls Church, VA

No, as far as we can tell your letter was not published in The Washington Post, but now it's in the queue for our "Other People's Mail." We also appreciate your support, not only over the years but also over the globe as our subscriptions have followed you to Latin America and back again. Nor do we consider joining the tenors in our Choir of Angels before the year's half over a "modest contribution."

 

Depressing and Too Long

Your magazine is depressing and too long, but I don't blame you for that. It is just a fact. I use pieces of your articles in my letters to editors and politicians. My top interests are the Arab states, Kashmir, and Islam in the U.S.

Samira Soliman, Austin, TX

 

Compulsive Copier

I am a "compulsive copier" of articles that I know contain information that the typical affluent and self-satisfied "coffee-klatcher' needs to know, whether he thinks he is adequately informed or not. (And he is usually not , no matter how many national publications he subscribes to.) I can hear you saying, "He's telling us!" I believe that "Other People's Mail" and "Letters to the Editor" are both very effective conduits to the ill-informed when they can be persuaded to read them.

A long time ago (too long) I had an urge to inquire whether George Thompson, about whom you recently wrote an obituary, was from the Louis Thompson family that I knew as a child in central Texas, whose birthplace was Kansas City. If, by chance, your late associate was the George Thompson I knew in childhood, I'd be sorry indeed that I did not check it out because I lost contact with the Louis Thompson family decades ago. Any personal leads for a follow-up?

Tell us more about the idiocies of Falwell and Robertson et al. (Fellow Lubbockite Grace Halsell be praised!) I know two of Grace's classmates very well and both hold her in high regard.

Anonymous, Lubbock, TX

We, too, hold Grace Halsell in the highest regard and are constantly impressed at the steady stream of tributes to her personal courage, writing skills and idealistic, selfless life that we receive. We have never mentioned before that although she is very active, she is suffering serious health problems. So if readers have messages to convey, now would be a good time, c/o this magazine.

As for the late George Thompson, another writer and speaker of phenomenal speed and professionalism, his roots were in New York. Any letters to our dear friend and his widow, Dolly, and his surviving son, Jordan (his son Glenn has died), can be passed on through Washington Report executive editor Richard Curtiss, George Thompson's friend and USIA colleague for many years.

 

Efforts Count

The Washington Report is an excellent magazine. Keep up the good work. I am a U.S. citizen and a native of Guyana, South America. My principal use for the magazine is to stay informed about meetings and seminars, useful books and how to make my efforts count. I will send my donation later. Thank you.

Azam Sakur, Queens, NY

 

Zionist Capture of U.S. Media

Tell us more about the history (1945-2000) of the Zionist capture of the U.S. media. In 1948 I was 10, living in New Mexico. In September the front page of our local paper carried a picture of an enormous crowd greeting Harry S Truman's campaign train. There were four- and five-story buildings in the background. The AP said this was Albuquerque, but I had been there. The tallest height on the Albuquerque skyline was a water tower. The AP was lying. I became interested in wire service lying. For the next 50 years I found a flood of lies, spreading over the entire media, as Israel's supporters gained control of newspapers, radio, television and Congress. This is a free country? No criticism of the Zionist conspiracy ever appears. I know because I have written dozens of unpublished letters.

Scott Nicholson, Bradenton, FL

A young guy like you may not remember, as we do, a story handed down in the John F. Kennedy family and published by Gore Vidal, a cousin of Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. It happened aboard that 1948 Truman campaign train, after Truman had twisted arms in November 1947 to get the U.N. to partition Palestine (unfairly with 53 percent going to the Jewish one-third of the population and 47 percent going to the Muslim and Christian Palestinian two-thirds of the population), and Truman's insistence in May 1948 on recognizing Israel before it defined its borders over the strong objections of his secretary of state, Gen. George C. Marshall. According to Gore Vidal, a couple of mysterious gentlemen came aboard the train, spoke with Truman and then got off, leaving behind a suitcase containing $2 million in cash. Thus the tradition began of presidential candidates backing Israel, right or wrong, not only to get the money, but to keep their opponents from getting it. And suitcases full of greenbacks are so easy to deal with compared to legal donations that involve all that cumbersome paperwork with the Federal Election Commission. It seems that you can buy a candidate and his country pretty cheaply if you know the mainstream media aren't going to blow a whistle on you.

 

Gift Subscriptions

I'm a reader who tries to read the Report from cover-to-cover as soon as it arrives. I am enclosing payment for subscriptions for Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) and Rep. Ernest L. Fletcher (R-KY). Never mind gift books for me. I do not need any more.

Anonymous, KY

Okay. But we'll send copies of our book, Stealth PACs, to the two congressmembers.

 

You're Almost Unique

As an Izmir-born son of U.S. citizens who were teaching abroad, I find that you provide an almost unique service of news analysis on the Mideast, notably Israel-Palestinian affairs, human rights and justice. Please keep up the singularly useful work you do.

Howard A. Reed, West Palm Beach, FL

 

Vulnerable U.S. Democracy

Reading your highly informative magazine for the past eight years has brought me to conclude that the unwillingness of the American administration to deal impartially with the Arab-Israeli debacle proves how dangerously vulnerable American democracy has become to the exertions of a politically as well as intellectually powerful Zionist minority. I am sure many people will arrive at the same conclusion as I did if they keep on reading your magazine and seriously analyze its contents.

Dorothy Bartman, Chicago, IL

We, too, are sure of this and that certainty (plus support from our friends) is what keeps us going.

 

FLAME, CAMERA Queries

As in previous issues of the WRMEA, your readers are expressing shock and anger over two of the most hard-line Zionist organizations, FLAME (Facts and Logic About the Middle East) and CAMERA (Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America).

In the summer of 1993, I wrote an in-depth article in the WRMEA about CAMERA, and mentioned that I had tried to investigate FLAME. At that time a friend took it upon himself to query the Internal Revenue Service about the flagrant misuse of the educational not-for-profit status for propaganda purposes. The IRS replied that since these organizations had been incorporated under state laws, enforcement was the responsibility of state tax authorities.

So far as could be learned at the time, neither FLAME nor CAMERA had ever filed annual reports with any state tax authorities disclosing their financing. This may still be true today.

For years, FLAME advertised exclusively in right-wing or pro-Zionist publications such as Commentary, Harpers and the Atlantic Monthly. Then, a few years ago, its coffers apparently swelled, and it began running ads in the left-wing Nation, to the horror of many subscribers. What those readers didn't know is that at the same time the hard-line propaganda appeared, the Nation began accepting commercial ads from the same source. A few reader protests about FLAME'S bigotry made it into the publication, but the Nation condemned them as a form of censorship. I wrote at least two of those protests, which the Nation refused to publish, inquiring about the possible connection between the appearance of commercial advertising with the FLAME ads.

That commercial advertising, as my research in 1993 had disclosed, derived from the mail-order company Haverhills of San Francisco. In fact, the same man, Fernando Joffe, who in May 2000 wrote the letter you published inviting WRMEA to publish FLAME's bigoted lies, heads both FLAME and Haverhills.

His letter in WRMEA boasts that his ads currently appear "in scores of other publications" besides U.S. News and World Reports, raising the question of where FLAME gets the funding to promote its proud bigotry? I believe the funding may come, directly or indirectly, from Israel. One of the letters sent to me years ago about FLAME's funding was written by Binyamin Netanyahu, then the Israeli ambassador to the U.S.!

Mitchell Kaidy, Rochester, NY

(Editor's Note: Mitch Kaidy's initial article entitled "CAMERA and FLAME: Pressuring U.S. Media" appeared in the July/Aug. 1993 Washington Report. His second article, "CAMERA Targets New York Times to Expose Anti-Israel 'Bias,'"appeared in the Jan./Feb. 1997 issue. In answer to our query, he says he has no proof of any direct or indirect funding to FLAME from a foreign government, nor does the Washington Report.)

 

Moskowitz's Rip-Off of Hawaiian Gardens

I was going through some old newspapers and found a letter to the editor of the Long Beach Press-Telegram (Hawaiian Gardens, CA is next door) from Feb. 2000 concerning the costs to local taxpayers of Dr. Irving Moskowitz's casino and the existence of a more favorable draft of the development agreement (i.e., $2.75 million subsidy on the purchase of the land and now $4.8 million for relocation of the prior businesses). As you know, Moskowitz sends the money from his casino to Israeli extremists.

Anyway, the Haim Dov Beliak Coalition, which is against Mr. Moskowitz's actions, has a Web site where more information may be found: <www.stop.moskowitz.org> Thanks again for a great publication.

Jane E., Long Beach, CA

 

Senatorial Race in California

California voters who are concerned about events in the Middle East have two candidates challenging Dianne Feinstein for the Senate who may become more sympathetic to our concerns than Senator Feinstein. Both Tom Campbell, the Republican candidate, and Medea Benjamin of the Green Party have public records of advocacy for human rights in the Middle East. Perhaps you might ask Rachelle Marshall, who is familiar with both candidates, to interview them for the benefit of your readers.

Kathleen C. Nimr, Martinez, CA

Good idea. We have to add, however, that incumbent member of the House of Representatives Tom Campbell has a much better shot at winning. Our own credo is that even if the Republican or Democrat isn't the perfect candidate, perhaps it's best to choose the better candidate from one of the two major parties than a third-party candidate who isn't going to win. (Unless, perhaps, she's a professional wrestler who coincidentally is gifted with a talent for expressing common sense in great sound bites and the state in question is as iconoclastic as Minnesota.) And, by the way, if human rights for all, including Palestinians, is your cause, Tom Campbell is your candidate. (We like Dianne Feinstein for other things, including her environmental record, but not at all on the Middle East.)

 

Dwelling on Present and Future

With great pleasure I received your magazine, which was provided to me by Marianne Nusseibeh. I am going to take this opportunity to write to you on the question of peace in the Middle East. Today is May 15 and that means it is the day in 1948 when we lost our homes and homeland, Palestine. But the question of Palestine and the struggle between Palestinians and Arabs, Jews and Zionism goes back to long before that. But I don't necessarily want to talk about the past. I want to talk about today and the future we all dream of--full of goodwill, cooperation, dignity and mutual understanding. A future of real peace for our children, grandchildren and to everyone who lives in the region.

I want everyone to understand a very important point. We, the Palestinians, and only we, are the victims. We are the victims of 400 years of Ottoman rule, of the infamous Balfour Declaration, then the aim of the British Mandate over Palestine to secure a National Home for the Jews in Palestine as a fulfillment of the Balfour Declaration. Then comes the weakness of our resistance due to illiteracy, and the lack of real understanding of the meaning of leadership, which puts the interest of the people in the first place. And then, above all, not understanding with whom we are dealing.

We lost in 1948 because we did not prepare ourselves--as we did more talking than planning and acting. We lost in 1956 because we did not take the matter seriously. And we lost in 1967 because we did not take lessons from what had happened in the previous two wars and did not try to understand with whom we were dealing.

We are dealing with a very well-organized enemy, i.e., the Zionist organizations that since the end of the 19th century have been preparing for the takeover by all means while we were dreaming of this leader or that leader to come and return our stolen land to us and kick out the occupiers. We trust more than we should and run after fine words and promises which in fact are only mirages. In Madrid and in Oslo we gave all our backing and support to the peace process thinking we were dealing with people who respect their words and signatures. We forgot with whom we are dealing and with whom we are talking.

Nothing would satisfy the Israelis, even if we gave them not 100 percent but 200 percent or even 1,000 percent of what they are demanding. Always there is something new that is not good for Israel's interest and security. Israel thinks that peace can be achieved by force and by bombing, killing and slaughtering innocents. Israel, the United States of America and the whole world should know and understand that real peace and security for the Middle East in general, and for Israel in particular, is in the hands of the Palestinians, and only the Palestinians. As long as the Palestinians do not regain our stolen rights, self-determination and dignity there shall never, ever be peace in the region.

Israel should understand that it cannot go on forever as it is now. Israel and only Israel should change its attitude toward the Palestinians and must recognize the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and give peace a chance to work by proving its goodwill toward us, not us toward Israel. When we feel Israel is honest and wants real peace, then we shall be the real and only partner, not anyone else.

The kind of peace I dream of is not only for Palestinians and Israelis. No, I want a peace that allows me or anyone from the region to travel freely without borders, passports, visas, false security or any other matter. A peace that allows all of us to live together as friends, neighbors and partners, and not anything else.

Ali Shawwa, Wabamun, Alberta, Canada

 

Wrong Photo Credit

In the April 2000 issue of the Washington Report, you erroneously credited the photo taken on Manger Square in Bethlehem (p. 3) to S. Olewine. The photo was, in fact, by me, Douglas Dicks. The photo that appears on p. 11 with the article entitled "Snow in Jerusalem" was taken by Sandra Olewine, as you have correctly indicated. Best regards,

Douglas Dicks, Catholic Relief Services, Jerusalem

Sorry. To err is human, but dumb nevertheless.

 

Making State Do Its Job

On p. 45 of your May issue there is a series of letters from a constituent (James C. Nance III) to Sen. Charles Robb, from him to Barbara Larkin at the State Department, then back to Robb and Nance. In the letter from Larkin to Robb, she writes:

"We are unaware of any recent specific cases where Israeli authorities have destroyed Palestinian cisterns or reservoirs." The letter goes on to talk about the constructive things the U.S. is contributing: two wells in the West Bank, sewage treatment facilities in Gaza.

Here's a follow-up idea: this letter suggests that State never heard about the cisterns demolished last year in the Baka'a. I'd like to use this to get the embassy/consular staff in Israel to make a field visit to the Baka'a Valley to see the demolished cisterns for themselves, and to watch the BBC video of the demolition.

It would help me if I could talk with James Nance III to find out if/how he followed up with State on this, and possibly to involve him in the process. Would you please forward this message to him and ask him to contact me?

Rich H. Meyer, Christian Peacemaker Teams Campaign for Secure Dwellings, 13416 CR 44, Millersburg, IN 46543-9726. Phone/fax (219) 642-3920 or < This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it >

All good ideas but of course it's State's job to do this and anyone concerned with the West Bank in State who tells you they never heard of the destroyed cisterns is a liar or an idiot since, based on reports even in the mainstream press, we enclosed a postcard in every copy of this magazine protesting the Israeli destruction of cisterns for mailing to Congress. We know our readers sent those postcards to members of Congress and we know that members of Congress sent them on to the appropriate agencies as Senator Robb did. To deny it happened when the postcard not only describes the actions but shows a photo of the results seems like lunacy. The executive editor of this magazine used to answer mail for both the White House and the State Department from the countries to which he was assigned as public affairs counselor or press attaché. If he'd ever written such a dumb letter to anyone, especially a congressmember, he would have been fired out of hand. It seems that those were the good old days when foreign service officers were expected to stay informed and tell the truth.

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