|
An alien limb
on the Arab body
By Dr Sami Alrabaa
Israel is the 'arch enemy' number one of Arabs and
Muslims. Israel was founded by Zionists, acquired independence in
1948, and became a full-fledged member of the UN. After Arabs,
backed by the Soviet Union, lost two major wars against Israel in
1967 and 1973, they tried to defeat Israel, at least politically.
They submitted to the UN General Assembly a resolution in which
Zionism was declared a 'racist movement.' The General Assembly of
the UN adopted resolution 3379 on Nov 10, 1975 by a vote of 72 to
35, with 32 abstentions. This resolution determined that 'Zionism is
a form of racism and racial discrimination.' The resolution was
revoked by resolution 4686 on Dec 16, 1991, and since then 'Zionism
and racism' is referred to in debates about Zionism and
Israel.
Resolution 3379 was adopted by a majority of
two major blocs of totalitarian regimes; by Soviet-led and
non-aligned states that depended on Arab oil and aid. Major world
democracies voted against the resolution. By the way, the majority
of the UN state members are ruled by repressive regimes, and condone
discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities. The irony of
it all is that some of these states are members of the UN Human
Rights Council.
Arabs and Muslims still insist that
Israel is a racist, decadent, expansionist, and illegal ensemble.
They often refer to it as the 'Zionist entity.' established by
racist Zionists.
Since the establishment of Israel over half a
century ago, Arabs have been delaying, not to say paralysing,
development and cracking down on any opposition; all in the name of
Arab Karama 'dignity' and 'struggling' to gain back Arab 'stolen
land' from Israel. As a matter of fact, they have been merely giving
lip service to the Arab-Israeli conflict. They never actually mean
what they say. Arabs are renowned for being masters of rhetoric.
While Arab and Muslim countries have remained poor and
underdeveloped, Israel enjoys democracy, a vibrant cultural life,
and a technologically and industrially advanced economy. In 2006,
Israel was ranked 23rd out of 177 countries in the UN Human
Development Index, the highest ranking in the Middle East and third
highest in all of Asia.
But are Israel and Zionists really
as racist as Arabs and Muslims say they are? Alex Grobman refutes
this allegation in his book 'Nations United.' Here are some of his
arguments: Arabic is an official language in Israel on par with
Hebrew. In addition, it is as natural for an Arab to serve in public
office in Israel, as it is as incongruous to think of a Jew serving
in any public office in an Arab country. Over half a million Kurds
are not allowed to speak their national language. Syrian Kurds are
not even recognised by the Syrian regime as a minority. Now, who is
discriminatory? Unlike the situation in most Arab states, all
faith-followers; Muslims, Christians, Bahais, as well as others have
the right to practice their religions the way they please. All these
people as well as ethnic communities, including Druze and Bedouins
have the right to exert their cultural heritage and all of them are
citizens of the State of Israel and possess the same passports their
fellow Jews have. By contrast, until recently, Syria refused to give
its Kurdish citizens Syrian identity cards and passports.
Palestinians who live in the State of Israel enjoy some
political and cultural freedom as well. They have their own parties
and have the right to vote in Israeli national and local elections
like all other Israelis. The current Israeli Parliament has four
Palestinian members. Azmi Bshara is one of them. He and his fellow
Arab MPs are free to travel to all Arab states, something that is
inconceivable for all Arabs. Arabs who visit Israel are persecuted,
accused of being spies, tortured, and jailed. Some Arab countries do
not even admit foreign nationals as tourists if their passports
carry a visa for Israel. Now, one really wonders, who is racist? The
Zionist Israelis, or Arabs? Arabs abuse the Palestinian
refugee issues. They allege that Israel would not allow Palestinian
refugees to return to their homes back in Palestine. After the Oslo
treaty between the PLO and Israel in the mid 1990s, lots of
Palestinians were allowed to return to Palestine including staunch
enemies of Israel, Grobman says. Syria and other Arab countries
turned down the offer and keep exploiting the refugee issues in the
world arena, also in the UN.
The Syrian regime does not permit
its Druze citizens to visit their relatives and friends in the Golan
Heights, which Israel occupied in the 1973 war, and vice versa.
Almost everyday the Druze on both sides of the border stand with
loudspeakers and talk to their relatives and friends. With this behaviour
the Syrian regime is violating one of the basic principles
of human rights. Besides, Arabs are not allowed to contact people
living in Israel. They are not allowed to know the truth. Grobman
cites Professor Bernard Lewis who says, "Arab fixation with
Israel is the licensed grievance. In countries where people are
becoming increasingly angry and frustrated at all the
difficulties under which they live - the poverty, unemployment,
oppression - having a grievance, which they can express freely,
is an enormous psychological advantage... The Israeli-Arab conflict is the only
political grievance that can be openly discussed."
A research study, which I conducted with my students on Arab
school textbooks and media reports, shows that Arab schools and
media teach and disseminate the vilest anti-Jewish hate. They demonise Israel and Zionists.
"For decades the Arabs have been
obsessed by memories of past glories and prophecies of future
greatness (without Israel)," Grobman says. 'Israel, an alien limb in
the heart of the Arab body' is hampering development in the Arab
world. Defence is devouring national resources, Arabs claim. Indeed,
Arab textbooks and the media highlight historic clashes between
Muslims and Jews and ignore good relations between the two peoples
during old times in the Arabian Peninsula. By contrast, Israeli
schools and media are more balanced towards Arabs. They simply warn
of danger from hostile neighbouring Arab countries, but they do not
blatantly incite hatred against Arabs. Arab governments have used
Israel and Zionism as a monster to, "divert attention from their own
critical domestic social and economic problems." Grobman says. Arab
leaders are not much concerned with Israel occupying Arab land as
much as they are concerned with Israel becoming a role model for
democracy and development, which would eventually be conducive to
put an end to totalitarian Arab regimes.
Political analysts
believe that the Arab-Israeli conflict is primarily an Arab-regime
problem. This conflict is benefiting the agenda of Arab regimes but
absolutely not the legitimate aspirations of Arab masses. If Arabs
were free to express their mind, they would resort to peaceful means
to resolve the conflict. On both sides of the conflict there are
people who are interested in peace. Arab regimes are hindering peace
because they are benefiting from keeping the flame of the 'conflict'
burning and burning. Having said all the above, it is laughable and
ludicrous when Arab regimes and fellow totalitarian regimes at the
UN General Assembly accuse Israel and Zionism of being racist and
discriminatory. These regimes are twisting facts on the ground. Grobman concludes by citing the late Egyptian President Anwar
Al-Sadat who said, "The Arab-Israeli conflict shall not be resolved
by military force but by peaceful means."
Sheikh Abdul Hadi
Palazzi, Director of the Cultural Institute of the Italian Islamic
Community, says, "Grobman's book is a valuable tool for all students
on campuses where the Arab/Israeli debate needs to be de-fanged.
Muslim and Arab students can learn the truth from this book and see
how callously contemporary Arab dictators of the Muslim world have
manipulated them and deformed Islam in order to promote their
anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish agenda."
|
