For several years, the Muslim Student Union (MSU) at University of California Irvine (UCI) has organized a week-long event introduced as “Palestine Liberation Week”. This year’s theme is “Getting to the Root of the Occupation”. They advertise the event on the MSU website as:
This week, titled “Palestine Liberation Week: Getting to the Root of the Occupation” aims to educate and raise awareness on campus about the plight of the Palestinian people, who have been living under illegal occupation for almost 64 years, with the hope that this knowledge will turn into action.
I am all in favor of education, awareness and call to action, after all this is the reason why I teach and write on the subject of anti-Semitism. But this being said, we must honestly examine both the premise and the motive for such an event. If the event provides a platform for a balanced dialogue with equal opportunities for both sides to presents their perspectives, then we might even start to see some progress. Unfortunately, all I saw was one-sided xenophobia against Israel, Zionism and Jewish people.
THE FALSE PREMISE
I must admit that when I heard some of the speakers for this year’s event and how they promoted the need for justice, equality, tolerance and peace, I could have been impressed if it wasn’t for the fact that they rested their arguments on a faulty premise.
The preconceived notion that has underlined every single UCI anti-Israel event including this one, has been the same and it is the “fact” that Israel has been occupying Palestine for 64 years” (namely since the rebirth of the modern state of Israel). This is hardly a fact! Consider this and the following statements heavily documented in the excellent work by Mitchell Bard titled Myths and Facts: A Guide to the Arab-Israeli Conflict:
When the First Congress of Muslim-Christian Associations met in Jerusalem in February 1919 to choose Palestinian representatives for the Paris Peace Conference, the following resolution was adopted: We consider Palestine as part of Arab Syria, as it has never been separated from it at any time. We are
In 1937, a local Arab leader, Auni Bey Abdul-Hadi, told the Peel Commission, which ultimately suggested the partition of Palestine:“There is no such country as Palestine! ‘Palestine’ is a term the Zionists invented! There is no Palestine in the Bible.Our country was for centuries part of Syria.”The representative of the Arab Higher Committee to the United Nations echoed this view in a statement to the General Assembly in May 1947, which said Palestine was part of the Province of Syria and the Arabs of Palestine did not comprise a separate political entity. A few years later, Ahmed Shuqeiri, later the chairman of the PLO, told the Security Council:“It is common knowledge that Palestine is nothing but southern Syria.”
Bard continues and asserts Israel’s right to exist as he writes:
Israel’s international “birth certificate” was validated by the promise of the Bible; uninterrupted Jewish settlement from the time of Joshua onward; the Balfour Declaration of 1917; the League of Nations Mandate, which incorporated the Balfour Declaration; the United Nations partition resolution of 1947; Israel’s admission to the UN in 1949; the recognition of Israel by most other states; and, most of all, the society created by Israel’s people in decades of thriving, dynamic national existence. (chapter 1)
TRUTH: PALESTINIAN NATIONALISM IS AN IDEOLOGY THAT ONLY STARTED AFTER WORLD WAR I AND WAS PUSHED TO THE FOREFRONT OF THE MIDDLE-EAST CRISIS BY THE LATE YASIR ARAFAT AFTER THE SIX-DAY WAR. IT WAS DEVELOPED TO SERVE AS THE FOUNDATION FOR THE REAL MOTIVE
Anti-Zionists are painting over an existing canvas in an effort to change the original. They promote a lie banking on the world’s ignorance, apathy and attraction to the underdog, and they are making progress as we can see on campuses such as UCI. Their only goal is the complete destruction of Israel and what better way to do this than the delegitimization of the Jewish people and their right to the land?
TRUTH: ANTI-ZIONISTS ARE NOT INTERESTED IN JUSTICE AND EQUALITY BUT SIMPLY WANT TO STEAL THE LAND AND DISPLACE THE JEWISH PEOPLE IN AN EFFORT TO FACILITATE THEIR COMPLETE DESTRUCTION.
So, they orchestrate events like what is going on at UCI and also takes place on a myriad of other campuses all over the US. This is known as “Campus Intifada” and is part of the Global Jihad against Israel and the West.
Counting on the ignorance of their audience, the organizers invite and promote speakers who’s reputations precede them all.
Ben White spoke twice on May 7, 2012. He is a British journalist and activist who was also a speaker at the recent “Christ at the Checkpoint” in March 2012 in Bethlehem. Neither a Christian nor a Muslim, White distilled lies after lies about the plight of the Palestinians in “Apartheid Israel/Palestine” as he called it. He heavily promoted B.D.S. (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) as a method to cripple Israel. The same Ben White started his career with an article titled “Is it possible to understand the rise of anti-Semitism?” where he was justifying anti-Semitism when quoted saying: I do not consider myself an anti-Semite, yet I can also understand why some are. There are, in fact, a number of reasons.
Mr. White, anti-Semitism is racism against the Jews and you claim that you are against racism. Which racism may I ask?
The next day, on May 8, the main speaker was Imam Amir Abdel Malik Ali who has been a regular guest speaker at UCI. That man displayed no desire for reconciliation and/or dialogue but instead spewed his anti-Semitic venom and propaganda against Israel and the Jewish people.
I am still trying to recover from some of his statements like: “Al-Qaeda doesn’t exist!” This is the same man who boldly supports Hamas, Hizbullah and suicide bombers. So we must ask how these kinds of diatribes can possibly promote anything positive? Why is the Muslim Student Union inviting men like him year after year? Is it possible that the MSU has ties with the Muslim Brotherhood?
Actually, it is a fact as reported in the thorough and very sobering booklet “Muslim Hate Groups on Campus” by Daniel Greenfield (available here)
Let me remind you of the motto of the “Peaceful” Muslim Brotherhood:
“God is our objective.
The Prophet is our leader.
The Qur’an is our law.
Jihad is our way.
Dying in the way of God is our hope.”
Today, on May 9, the speaker was Holocaust survivor gone Palestinian activist Hedy Epstein. I was greatly saddened by the sight of a fellow Jew who survived the Holocaust and yet was sharing the platform with hate mongers such as Ben White, Amir Abdel Malik Ali and the likes. How can a Jew endorse, promote and share ideologies with groups who openly support the actions of Hamas, Hizbullah and suicide bombers? When during the Q&A, I asked Miss Epstein how as a Jew she could associate herself with those who openly want to kill her, her response was that she didn’t know yesterday’s speaker and/or topic, then she quickly changed the subject to Palestinian hunger strike victims. The connection completely escapes me!
Ignorance and/or denial will not protect you from the enemies of Israel and the Jews Miss Epstein, so you’d better watch your back!
In the past, I have been falsely accused of sending my fellow Jews to their death again because of my burden to share Messiah with them. I have been accused of cultural suicide, but frankly, the real suicide is that of Jews like Miss Epstein who hold hands with those who openly desire FOR ALL JEWS TO BE DEAD.
Additionally, some of the “Irvine 11” pro-Palestinian students arrested in 2010 after they disrupted a speech by Israel’s Ambassador Michael Oren in 2010, are also on the schedule under the topic “Giving a voice to the voiceless”. They were pretty loud for a group of voiceless victims if I recall.
Overall, the entire week is nothing but another installment of the anti-Semitic agenda of the Muslim Brotherhood and MSU supported by ignorant sheep following the wrong shepherd. How sad to see so many people driven to hatred and often even violence in the name of a false god. The god of the so-called “religion of peace”.
But what is sadder to me is that a university system would allow such displays of racism and bigotry on multiple campuses year after year. If this is what we are teaching the next generation of young Americans, the establishment of Sharia will not even have to be done by force, and this is a pathetic commentary on how corrupted our world has become.
Our human hearts are in need of cleansing and this can only be done by Yeshua the Jewish Messiah.
You should make an effort to meet some of these people that you dehumanize. I think you would be surprised at how much more you share than differ. Muslims and Jews have lived together in peace for so long. In Islam, Jews are highly regarded. It is only amongst the ignorant that hate for Jews can be conceived.
The reality is that peace will only come when we are all willing to listen to the other side. Palestinians and Israelis are both God’s creation. The more you allow yourself to forget this, the more you allow yourself to believe, and say, such hateful things over an entire people. You are Jewish, I am sure you can hold a special appreciation for how precious a life is and how horrible it is to falsely generalize over a people who might not be the same as you.
Honestly though, as more time passes, and more people are given the opportunity to find the truth, the more marginalized your type of writing will be. I don’t find it helpful to accuse someone of dishonesty in their writing, but you have some serious factual errors above. Judging by how well you write though, I find it hard to believe that you are that ignorant. It’s almost as if you choose to be blind to the truth. I assure you, that is no path to any real enlightenment.
It is ok for you to justify and support Israel’s actions. What is interesting though is that as much as you know the truth about some of the dark spots in Israel’s history, and as much work as you do to promote it, you will never have the courage to speak the truth about them so proudly because inside you know that the truth is indefensible for the sensible. Israel will always be the Jewish homeland, but that does not require us to exclude the natives. The conflict is no longer between Israel and Palestine. It is between those for peace and those for hate. I hope you will consider the former.
“Satan is the Muslim’s objective.
Their non-prophet is their leadership.
The Qur’an is incomprehensible.
Jihad & Hate is the Muslim way.
Dying & Killing in the way of Satan & no hope.”
Dear anonymous,
Why are you anonymous? Perhaps you are not certain on your stance which is O.K.
Your first paragraph:
You state in “Islam Jews are highly regarded”. Ha? Is there another Islam religion that no one but you is familiar with?
You state it is “only amongst the ignorant that hate for Jews can be conceived”. Since most Muslims hate Jews then you are implying that most Muslims are ignorant. I would agree with that and add all Muslims (and Jews) who reject Jesus as the Messiah are ignorant.
Paragraph 2:
You state that “peace will come when we are willing to listen to the other side”. I think Jews know where the Muslims stand and the Muslims know where the Jews stand. Talks continue and still no peace. The truth is until BOTH sides accept Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life, neither will have peace.
What was said in the article that led you to believe Olivier does not believe Muslims are God’s creation? Also, what did Olivier say as hateful over an entire people? I did not read any of that. Perhaps when you read the article you were defensive which means you did not want to hear the other side which according to you will never bring peace.
Paragraph 3:
What did Olivier write that was dishonest? I thought he referenced his facts quite well.
Paragraph 4:
You state Olivier promotes Israel’s dark spots. I have personally heard Olivier speak in-person twice this year in California. One of the key points in both presentations was the mistakes Jews have made and continue to make in regards to their rejection of Yeshua.
I am surprised you did not reply to Olivier’s last sentence of “Our human hearts are in need of cleansing and this can only be done by Yeshua the Jewish Messiah.” Do you realize Olivier included Muslims and Jews in this sentence? I am 100% certain that Olivier loves Muslims but hates their persecution of the Jews. And as the entire world turns towards hatred of the Jews he is taking a stance on their behalf. I am not Jewish but I do respect his stance and position.
If you’ve put your faith in Muhammad, Abraham, the Quran, or anything other than Jesus then you will never know peace and you will be in conflict in this life and the next.
Anonymous, have you accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life? If so then you know He is the prince of peace. If not please e-mail me and I would love to talk to you about it.
Love you both.
Gary