SYNOPSIS OF ALAN DERSHOWITZ'S BOOK - THE CASE FOR ISRAEL - PART I

INTRODUCTION
Definition of anti-Semitism – attributing only to Jews the blame for a near universal bad trait, behavior or actions. The classic anti-Semitic story of Harvard president in the 20s –to not let the Jews in because they cheat When protests were made that other students cheat, he said, don’t change the subject, I’m talking about Jews. That’s still the story today internationally against Israel. Tom Friedman (NY Times) – Criticizing Israel is not anti-Semitic … but singling out Israel is.

Possibilities of peace. Can Arabs and Jews share the land or split it? There are alternatives – No Jews in Middle East, No Arabs in Israel, Palestinian federation with Jordan (or Syria!!). Or one state – binational. Noah Chomsky likes this though Lebanon and Yugoslavia failed in fratricide (oops, we’re trying to put back together like Humpty Dumpty 3 groups in Iraq). This is just the first instance where Dershowitz strikes specifically at Chomsky – I guess he doesn’t like him much.

Do facts count? Such as if and how were Arabs "pushed out" of Israel, “Sephardic” Jews out of Arab lands. Describes history – Jews always a presence in Jerusalem and holy cites. “Aliyah” – emigrations to Israel – beginning in 1880s and increasing. The “road map” of splitting Palestine with Jews and Arabs has been a continuing one – proposed in 1917, 1937, 1948, 2000 – it’s the Arabs who always rejected and the Palestinian state has only been a tactic after the 1967 war – losses of territory to Israel. Arafat to blame for peace process failure over many years, especially in 2000. A visit by an Israeli leader (Sharon) to (Islamic mosque) “temple mount” – was an excuse for Arafat to continue resistance “infitada” and scuttle the agreement for Palestinian state. Even Prince Bandar of Saudi agrees to blame Arafat. The terrorism is evil – and Israel’s self defense and targeted response cannot be compared – use the correct “moral” calculus – not simply body counts.

(RBs thoughts: These are criminal charges against Israel as well as the counter charges against Arafat, etc. But instead of proving innocence of accused to a shadow of doubt, we can examine the evidence Dershowitz will give on the “preponderance of evidence” as in a civil suit, where only minor harm may be alleged. This is only proper, as no criminal charges can be enforced in dealing with a sovereign state, not unconditionally defeated. This is to Israel’s advantage, as it is certainly not guilty of crimes against humanity, ane yet again the virtuous party when considering fault in preponderance of evidence – it is more sinned against than sinner. But what difference will this make if not in court of law – if not with Arabs, how about world opinion? , how about continuing US support depending on Americans still believing in Israel. This book comes a good time, when we are enmeshed in the Middle East as never before. What is our business there? Who are the good guys? Why do we support Israel? Why are we lumped together as imperialists?)

Dershowitz concludes his introduction on how as a “liberal” he can support the “villain” Israel. Simple, BECAUSE Israel is a nation accountable to the rule of law. Principles of morality and justice are on Israel’s side.

Chapters are Charges against Israel, in generally a chronological progression.

1)Israel created by colonial, imperial forces- as a “bastard child” of British imperialism. Truth: created by refugees of oppression – Russia, Eastern Europe, Germany, etc. How were Jews tools – they were oppressed and for most part Socialist whose Zionist selfdetermination was anathema to mainstream European thought – in fact the “powers” especially early on tried to stop or forestall the Jewish homeland or upset the balance by restricting Jewish immigration. From 1880 to 1903 – 10,000 to Palestine (while 1 million Jews to US!!) – 1st Aliyah – but no real Zionist political movement until 1897. ( We know the Biblical preceding history, then diaspora under Rome’s destruction of Jerusalem, continuing Islamic persecution then “tolerance” led to Jewish enclaves in Palestine. All thru history until Israel created state, impossible for Jews to “assimilate” in the Middle East as they have done so well in the US.

2)Did Jews displace Palestinians? Truth: - no it was underpopulated, no local govt., little control from Ottoman Empire (Turkey). Untilled land, migrant people – the Arab population only increased when Jews improved the area with agriculture, towns, European health and sanitation. King Abdullah said : “Arabs are prodigal in selling their land … and weeping over (it)”

3)Was there a Zionist plot? Truth: In the 2nd Aliyah 1904 -1914, more refugees came to Israel. There was born a Zionist philosophy, a political movement of self determinism. And yet they were still refugees, an oppressed minority within the Middle East, only controlling certain segregrated towns. Europe and Ottoman were allied against any real power to Zionist – but then came World War I.

4)Balfour Delcaration – Palestine belonged to Turkey – how could Britain give it away? Truth: Simple, Ottoman empire / Turkey lost the war to Britain. Jews “earned” a piece of the pie by sweat and blood by fight alongside the British and continuing to build an infrastructure of development and health improvements. League of Nations when created, the international body before the UN, took the Balfour Declaration as part of its mandate – 80 % of the land to Hashemite Transjordan (the core of this is still Jordan – but some to Syria, Iraq) – and 20% of Israel.

5)The Jews were unwilling to share the land!! Truth: it has always been otherwise. By their minority position – lack of strength, admittedly, as well as European cultural norms of tolerance allowed for Jews to generally not abuse their neighbors but to assist. Meanwhile, in the interwar period, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem was rising in power, and initiated or allowed “pogroms” – persecutions, riots, and and massacres of Jews. His plan – destroy, intimidate, deport – whatever worked to limit or eliminate the Jews.

6)The Jews rejected or worked to override the 2 state solution? Truth: Jews accepted, Arabs have always rejected. 1937 – British Peel Commission investigation into persecution of Jews. A plan in 1938 to support Jewish immigration in face of rescue from Nazi Europe. But by eve of war – 1939 – British undercut this with limit of 75,000 from Europe over 5 years!!

7)Jews exploited the Holocaust to gain sympathy over the years for Zionist plans in the Middle East. Palestinians, after all, were not at fault for the Holocaust. Truth: Dershowitz really warms to this charge since it gives a chance to expose the Grand Mufti and so many other Arab leaders as Nazis and supporters of not only Axis war plans in the Middle East but specifically the “final solution” of eliminating Jews from Europe and the Middle East.

I’ll end Part I at this historical juncture before the establishment of Israel