Case for Israel - Dershowitz - Part IV

22) Israel’s occupation of Palestinian lands has been the longest and perhaps most brutal in modern history. Truth: This is ridiculous, certainly there have been many long occupations such as Tibet and for a Kurdish homeland, and certainly the brutality is immense in many others. But not only is the occupation not “brutal” except by terms of the “cycle of violence” but of course the solutions for a homeland have been rejected.

23) Israel has denied Palestinians statehood. Truth: Never sought statehood as part of Jordan or Egypt or Syria. Again, Arafat has rejected agreement, but de facto has control. As we can see in today’s news, what he has control of in Gaza and West Bank, he doesn’t know how to govern from police to sanitation, let alone full sovereignty.

24) Israel’s policy of house destruction as collective punishment. Truth: An economic penalty for complicity with murder, it’s the terrorism that’s collective punishment against Jews. Similar to US policy of confiscation against drug dealers.

25) Is it “unlawful” to target for assassination terrorist leaders? Truth: Under laws of war, it is perfectly proper to target military leaders. The Israeli government has stopped short, repeatedly protecting Arafat, as the chief political leader though he is a terrorist as well.

26) A major barrier to peace is settlement of the West Bank and Gaza. Truth: There is no moral reason why ancient Jewish cities like Hebron and Bethlehem should be Judenrein ( to use the infamous German word for “free of Jewish presence”). But pragmatically the Jewish settlements in “Palestinian territory” are bargaining chips and any right of return should be denied and the present settlements abandoned for peace. Again, the current news shows the Sharon government calling for backing out of Gaza

27) The “cycle of violence” is the reaction of terrorism and retribution. Truth: Terrorism is a political tactic and increases when the terrorist leaders want it to be news (Suicide bomber may be recruited by “revenge” but are not autonomous, they are sent). When Israel does not respond, it continues. Firm military action and security measures reduce the number and severity of attacks.

28) According to the UN, Israel is a prime human rights violator. Truth: The UN spends too much time and effort on Israel to avoid looking at other member states. Israel operates under a rule of law under difficult circumstances., and a true analysis of civil liberty as noted by distinguished persons such as Justice Brennan would have this conclusion.

29) Moral equivalence between terrorism and Israel’s response. Amnesty International and Pope John Paul II seem to think so. Truth: the difference is based on the deliberate targeting of civilians versus the targeting of terrorists who hide among civilians.

30) The divesting of university investment in Israeli business. Truth: A campaign is being waged based on bigotry and misinformation. Radical apologists such as Noam Chomsky are trying to straddle the fence.

31) Why do Jews charge any critic of Israel as anti-Semitic? Truth: Mere criticism of Israel policy is not anti-Semitic but as he has shown, anti-Semitism will not be allowed to fester and grow by deceptive approaches whether holocaust denial / minimization, moral equivalence, denial of Israel self-determination and right to exist, denial of equality before the law in the international arena.

32) Why do so many Jews side with Palestinians? Truth: It’s not that’s there’s so many, but that Jews in the US and Israelis have freedom to dissent and hold a great variety of views while the lack of same in Muslim states makes realistic comparison impossible.