The message from an Israeli think-tank all pro-Palestinian activist groups need to hear
What it found was that the various anti-Israel efforts have failed to properly coordinate and unify their messages. The organizations do not operate under the aegis of one overall group; in many instances, they act separately from one another. Unlike Israel, with its National Information Forum, there is not a single anti-Israel group which takes overall responsibility for setting a unified agenda.
Moreover, the Palestinian Authority’s role and influence on anti-Israel advocacy is limited. “More than anything,” contends the study, “the conduct of these bodies reflects the anti-Israel advocacy campaign’s absolute failure to unify organizations and activists in this context around a single, coherent, official message.”
“Apart from basic principles,” it continues, “these groups lack a common idea or common goal that could consolidate them as partners in one official body.”
That’s an echo of what I have been writing in various articles for quite some time. At the risk of getting myself red-flagged by some if not many pro-Palestinian activist groups as well as by Zionism, the mainstream media and the Arab regimes, I’ll repeat myself. Most if not quite all pro-Palestinian activist groups everywhere are doing their own little things in splendid isolation and are like flies to be swatted away by the Zionist monster. Some will say I’m not being fair because pro-Palestinian activist groups are assisting the process of isolating Israel. That’s true but only at the margins. Pro-Palestinian activist groups could not point to any significant success if Israel’s actions and policies were not turning much of the world off.
The right time for co-ordination and a unified agenda with a single, coherent message is now. And to my way of thinking what that coherent message should be is obvious. The only real prospect for a peaceful resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict is via the creation of one state with equal rights and security for all. But as I indicated in my last post, for this to become the driving idea of a coordinated and unified agenda, the occupied and oppressed Palestinians would have to set the ball rolling by demanding and bringing about the dissolution of the Palestinian Authority, in order to make Israel fully responsible and accountable for its occupation.
That would create a new, dynamic political environment within which pro-Palestinian activist groups of all faiths and none would have their best chance of making a real difference in the struggle to change the course of history – provided they put their act together and were united and coordinated.
One of the merits of a global campaign for one state with equal rights and security for all is that the message is a positive one. It is about care and concern for both Arabs and Jews in Palestine. And that would resonate with many, many people around the world.
Israel has its NID. Perhaps what is most needed on the other side is a PNID.
Footnote
The above should not be taken to mean that I believe the countdown to catastrophe for all can be stopped. It might already be too late. I am saying only that a united and coordinated global campaign for one state with equal rights and security for all offers the only real prospect for trying to prevent a final Zionist ethnic cleansing of Palestine, which could trigger another great turning against Jews everywhere if the rising, global tide of anti-Israelism was transformed into classical anti-Semitism.
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Prof. Taheri:
January 2nd, 2013 at 2:41 pm
We must know the roots of the Occupation if we are to ever free Filastin.
And its roots, unfortunately, run deep.
Before 1948, Filastin was ruled by a series of empires. “Palestine” was the name given to southern Bilad al-Sham (Greater Syria) in the second century by the Romans, in an attempt to break the Jewish adherence to the land. This was a century after the Temple (Beit al-Maqdis) was destroyed and more than a million Jews massacred.
The Jews stopped fighting the Romans only after they had no more fighting men standing. Conservative Christian attitudes toward the Jews and Filastin can be epitomized by the words of Evangelist William Eugene Blackstone, who proclaimed in 1891 that “the Jews never gave up their title to Palestine… They never abandoned the land. They made no treaty, they did not even surrender. They simply succumbed, after the most desperate conflict, to the overwhelming power of the Romans.”
This is what we are up against.
The Jews persisted through the centuries under the various empires, after the Arab invasion of 635AD (which the Jews fought alongside the Byzantines), and after the Crusade massacres of the 11th Century, which decimated much of their population.
Few in the Muslim Ummah know that Jewish customs, religion, prayers, poetry, holidays, and virtually every walk of life, documented for thousands of years—all revolve around Filastin and al-Quds. They pray for al-Quds in every prayer, after every meal, in every holiday, at every wedding, in every celebration. The whole Jewish religion is about Filastin and al-Quds. Western expressions such as “The Promised Land,” and “The Holy Land,” did not pop out of void. They have been part of Western knowledge and tradition dating back to the beginning of Christianity and earlier.
After the Crusades, the Jews lived peacefully with Arabs, often in the very same villages, as in Pki’in, in the Jalil, until the Zionist immigration of the 19th and 20th Centuries. Article 6 of the PLO Charter calls for the acceptance of all Jews present in Filastin prior to the Zionist immigration. These Jews were simply another ethnic group in a region composed of Sunnis, Shiites, Jews, Druz, Greek Orthodox, Catholics, Circassians, Samarians, and more. Some of these groups, like the Druz, Circassians, Samarians, and an increasing number of Christians, are actually loyal to the Zionist Entity.
Incidentally, genetic studies show that the Zionist immigrants are closely related to groups like the Samarians who have lived in Filastin for thousands of years—a fact that Zionists view as a moral stamp of approval on their presence in Filastin.
Few in the Muslim Ummah realize it, but it will take a lot to free Filastin, and, as described in Jonathan Bloomfield’s award-winning book, “Palestine,” knowing the occupier is an integral part of planning the struggle.
pabelmont:
January 2nd, 2013 at 8:08 pm
“That said” it is hard to imagine that the continuation of the occupation “in the manner to which it has become accustomed” and the settlement program (ditto) has anything whatever to do with the failure of Palestine’s propaganda efforts. Almost all governments voted with Palestine for quasi-statehood in the UNGA. Their populations — it may be assumed — did not disagree.
Israel has clearly lost the propaganda war.
And Israel has won the war to avoid punishment for its blatant breaches of international law.
Why? Perhaps only because of support from the USA and AIPAC-like organizations world-wide and various corporations and business ties. It is well within the power of the countries that voted for Palestinian quasi-statehood to organize a coordinated BDS-like movement — with substantial and real sanctions for non-compliance — to induce Israel to comply with UNSC 465 (which had no sanctions) and ICJ (July 2004), which likewise had no sanctions. UNSC 465 demanded removal of all settlers and dismantlement of all settlements (buildings). ICJ-2004 demanded dismantlement of the wall.
The nations could do it. They do not do it, despite near-universal public disapproval of Israel’s settlements, 45-year occupation, and war-crimes.
The reason for this inaction cannot be propaganda successes by Israel or failures by Palestine. The reason is power politics.
Richard Steven Hack:
January 3rd, 2013 at 4:28 am
I agree with Pabelmont above. The world COULD today change the situation. They don’t and they won’t.
Alan’s suggestion that a world wide coordinated anti-Israel effort makes sense – until you realize that for it to succeed it would have to transform the UNITED STATES ELECTORATE to force the US CONGRESS – currently owned and operated by the Zionist Lobby – to support any UN initiatives to alter the current situation.
This is, frankly, impossible. There is NO WAY the US electorate is going to take up the cause of the Palestinians any time soon – REGARDLESS of any anti-Israel effort by the existing groups, even if all of them combined under one single leadership with one single message.
It is NOT that Israel has effective propaganda that is the cause of Israel’s success so far. It is that Israel has effective TIES with the rich and powerful who control the US Congress and the US media.
Israel spent the last sixty years worming its way into the US political system. They spent millions, perhaps hundreds of millions, doing so. They have the support of the rich who run the military-industrial complex, the oil companies and the banks.
There is no way ANY anti-Israel group is going to be able to compete with complete Israeli control of the US media and US politicians.
Fergeddaboudid.
joanne:
January 3rd, 2013 at 5:34 am
Richard Hack, Do “they” have the support of the complex/matrix of control or are they THE complex/matrix of control? Seems to me the techno-military-commercial-political “establishment” must be pretty darn consolidated around “western” institutions of economic/social/ecological predation….(?) And all those computers and satellites and trade routes all in place…
Vera Gottlieb:
January 3rd, 2013 at 8:40 am
The one-state solution will never have a chance as the ingrained hatred of Palestinians is too far advanced. Why should Palestinians live in a country (that was stolen from them) that will subject them to all kinds of shenanigans (not any different than what goes on now), when the formation of a state of Palestine would restore their dignity and freedom to live as they see fit without being hated by another culture.
maryam:
January 3rd, 2013 at 10:41 am
It’s us versus both the Israeli and the US governments, and the US news media. We do not have the money or the media control, but we struggle to make ourselves heard via flotillas, marches, blogs, photos, comments, BDS, Israeli Apartheid Week, petitions, art, music, public speaking and more. True, we have our differences, and we contend with infighting, accusations of anti-Semitism and terrorism, but we are generally on the high road, where Israel is not. Most of the world sides with the Palestinian people, and this is behind the progressive isolation of both Israel and the US. Oddly, people who lament the Netanyahu government and wish for a more moderate regime are unwittingly wishing for a longer perpetuation of the occupation. They should leave Bibi at the wheel and stand back while he drives Israel off a cliff.
Rehmat:
January 3rd, 2013 at 4:45 pm
In February 2010, Tel Aviv-based security and socioeconomic think tank Reut Institute’s report “Eroding Israel’s Legitimacy in the International Arena”, submitted to the Zionist government warned that Israel is “facing a draumatic assault on the very legitimacy of its existence as a Jewish and democratic state (another Zionist myth). The groups promoting this delegitimacy aim to isolate Israel and ultimately turn it into a pariah state“.
The report cited the increasing anti-Israel demonstrations on campuses, protests when Israeli atheletes compete abroad, moves in Europe to boycott of Israeli products and threats of arrest warrants for Israeli leaders visiting London (UK).
The report highlighted the major hubs independent bloggers in London (UK), Toronto (Canada), Brussels, Madrid (Spain), San Francisco (US) and Univesity of California (US) – using internet to challenge Israeli point of views and project the Zionist entity as worse than the Nazi regime. The report also admitted that the anti-Israel groups and individuals with the exception of a small minority – are not Muslims or Arabs or Palestinians but mostly liberal Christians and Jews. The later believed that the actions of Israel in occupied Palestine and Lebanon were fuelling anti-Semitism in the West.
According to the report these “delegitimizers” co-operate with organizations engaging in legitimate criticism of Israel’s policy in the occupied territories such as, Amnesty International and Human Right Watch, “blurring the line between legitimate censure and delegitimization. They also promote pro-Palestinian activities in Europe as ‘trendy’.”
Israel’s ambassador in London (UK), Ron Prosor, added his ‘Islamophobe sauce” into Hasbara curry by saying: “The combination of a large Muslim community, a radical left, influential English-language media and an international university center makes London fertile ground for Israel’s delegitimization”. In simple language, the con-man wants the world to believe that BBC, the Bank of England, Oxford and the British government – are all owned by Muslims and not controlled by the Jews or the pro-Israel Zionists. One would wonder, why France which has Europe’s largest Muslim population (between 6-8 million), had a former Mossad agent, Sarkozy, as country’s President while both its foreign minister and defense ministers are Zionist Jews?
http://rehmat1.com/2010/02/14/report-israeli-hasbara-propaganda-is-failing/
David King:
January 5th, 2013 at 12:17 am
Sorry; I think this is all wrong.
The problem as I see it Alan; is with your starting point. Your often write articles based on what the zionist are thinking and saying.
I have had my own experiences with zionists. What I understand about them, is that they are not very smart. I know the propaganda says otherwise but that is why I state it clearly here. This is a fundamental point people must understand. Zionists have a very low intellectual level. They are not able to reason or think for themselves.
This whole carriage you have developed in this post Alan, runs along a rail that says the problem facing ersatz israel today can be blamed on israel. Either the Hasbara department, or the israeli government or perhaps so other zionist group.
Here is the earth shattering news. It is pointless for the zionists to blame their train driver because the course the issue is now following has been set by others. The have lost control and have not realised it yet.
Another point. The zionist paid the US government to do it’s bidding. It also produced propaganda to convince the masses. When the zionists believed the propaganda was working it was not. The unfortunate truth is that at that time, no one really cared about Palestine. Now people are learning what is happening there. They are looking at the old propaganda and at the new propaganda; and this is what is convincing people that is israel is in the wrong. Yes, you read that right. Go back to my foundational point. That is that the zionists are not intelligent. Their propaganda stinks. It is so obvious and the people so odorous that public opinion has moved against them. So while the zionists argue among themselves on who to blame; the public look upon them and see what I see. That all zionist talk is solely justification for murder. And the public is not buying it.
A few quick points. Firstly it is true that there is a lack of unity among Palestinian supporters. I will also say that you are right that now is to the time for people to come together and push for a single state.
Secondly, this lack of unity is because it is a grassroots movement and i don’t believe it has hurt at all. I think more than anything, it is responsible for converting people who would otherwise not care about the Palestinian cause. Why, because it makes it all just so believable. They are the common people against the shiny corporate warmongers. David against Goliath if you will.
Long live Palestine.
maryam:
January 6th, 2013 at 12:49 pm
You don’t manage to maintain a 64 year occupation, bribe and wheedle influence in the most powerful country in the world’s foreign policy, control most of the news media, develop the world’s biggest surveillance and weapons industries by being stupid. Zionists are smart and they are organized.
David King:
January 6th, 2013 at 7:24 pm
Dear Maryam;
you are referring to those who run the zionists. The zionists are the rank and file dummies. I don’t believe those at the top who call the shots refer to themselves as zionists.
Rehmat:
January 7th, 2013 at 3:05 am
British veteran writer and author Patrick Seale wrote on January 3, 2013: “The curse from which the Arabs are suffering is the flare up of hate between Sunnis and Shi’is. These brothers in Islam – worshiping the same God and honouring the same Prophet – behave today like irreconcilable opponents. Nothing has weakened the Arabs more than this fraternal feud, and nothing has brought greater joy to their enemies“.
http://rehmat1.com/2013/01/07/president-assad-im-not-leaving-syria/
Bob:
January 12th, 2013 at 9:44 pm
David King. I think you are right about the ordinary Zionists. They cannot be smart as they allow their Masters to centrally control all direction. Their real masters: The ones using the whole shebang to benefit their Military Industrial Complex possess the power of manipulation all tyrants murderers and pedophiles covet. They seek to groom us all for their abuse. We must not let them.
Even with centralized control the Public globally see it as rotten. Theft Murder Genocide and Corruption can be window dressed all you want and they remain as they are. As the saying goes: “You can’t polish a turd!”
maryam:
January 13th, 2013 at 7:41 am
“They seek to groom us all for their abuse.” Nonsense, and a non sequitur.
The people who are interested in “furthering America’s interests around the globe” are oblivious to the effects this has socially and economically on the populace of any country they come into contact with, just as they care little for what their insistence on huge military spending is doing to the US budget and the American taxpayer. Obama is set to push Hagel into the Defense secretary slot, and it is expected that both of them will begin measures to reduce the military budget. We will see how far they get with a Republican-controlled Congress.
Bernard Katz:
January 13th, 2013 at 8:31 am
Alan hart said: “The only real prospect for a peaceful resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict is via the creation of one state with equal rights and security for all.” However, the failure of this as a potential peaceful resolution is very predictable. How are you going to convince 5.979 million Israeli Jews (latest figure from Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics) to accept such a single state? Your peacful resolution is a pipe dream, nothing more. Even with strong international pressure, as long as the USA backs Israel’s government (even luke-warmly) and as long as Israelis continue to vote for right wing coalition governments, it is a non-starter. A much better strategfy, imo, is to work to raise international AND US pressure on Israel to negotiate a two state resolution. That also will be EXTREMELY hard to acheive, but at least it is more rea;listic. A significant majority of both Israeli Jews and Palestinains have consistently polled for that end and contionue to do so.
Bob:
January 20th, 2013 at 12:38 am
maryam said…
“They seek to groom us all for their abuse.” Nonsense, and a non sequitur.
On an Plutocratic level: No. But plutocrats see this and exploit it. The Jews themselves have been groomed and abused by their élite over centuries. This is the challenge for the Jews themselves. Maryam I would expect you to see how the Jews are manipulated by a small élite hell bent on Global Feudal Control. But then again this weakness is not confined to the Jews as I am reminded of daily:-(
maryam:
January 20th, 2013 at 12:50 pm
Bob, I do not believe in the Illuminati. Believing that there is a nebulous “they” made up of “elites bent on global domination” is the ultimate mind closer. While you fantasize about this star chamber plotting something out of Orwell’s 1984, the real culprits are busy making an ungodly mess out of reality.
Bob:
January 23rd, 2013 at 1:13 am
Maryam, the actions I see are too fragmented to be a matrix of domination. I’m sure there are those attempting domination but those on the other hand who white hattedly pull it apart. But some will attempt it but as I try to describe this is how they break down. Looking at élites’ (and I talk of many) their actions and interests do defy each other. They are indeed in conflict with each other but do not wish for the interference of ordinary people. They display the desire for their whims to be fulfilled ignoring the misery they cause on others.
OK groups of psychopaths do band together to seek dominance their relationships based on mutual binds but do they always pull it off?
maryam:
January 23rd, 2013 at 10:08 am
Politicians get into politics because they love power. This is the unfortunate truth. There are no secret cabals, no cryptic symbols on dollar bills, no star chambers holding meetings on how to enslave the masses. I’m so fed up with this childishness that I grind my teeth. Perhaps the real “conspiracy” is to make people believe this drivel so that they don’t see the real problems, or understand that they still have the power to solve them.
Bob:
January 27th, 2013 at 1:49 am
Very ordinary people have the power to solve these problems. The Petit Bourgeoisie were demonised by the Soviets for this reason. Just feudal Barons: Nothing more. The monster dwindles to nothing.Not even a feudal baron: A land grabber without a title.
baidu censor:
April 10th, 2013 at 4:01 am
Other countries censor content and not just rogue regimes such as the Iranian mullocracy. Poor people! http://www.baidu.com
toms shoes:
June 24th, 2013 at 8:01 pm
What’s up friends, its enormous article The message from an Israeli think-tank all pro-Palestinian activist groups need to hear – Alan Hart concerning educationand entirely explained, keep it up all the time.
Jyostna:
July 7th, 2015 at 7:07 am
“There are those who see Judaism as ‘the religion of the Jewish People.’ This book will not psalee them. For it indicates, unmistakably, that the origins of Judaism were not in ‘the Jewish people’ and that the best and finest of Judaism today transcends the Jewish people.”“Judaism is to do justice and to have mercy and to walk humbly with God; and all the rest is commentary and of secondary importance.”Elmer Berger, A Partisan History of Judaism