KK-Forum,
Chomsky om boikotten.
Første trinn slik han ser det: Få USA til å stoppe våpenleveranser, jfr
Tyskland. Har ikke sett at dette er slagord i norske demonstrasjoner. Men
det må være det riktige.
"Israel acts within bounds
set by Washington, and the US has been providing the decisive military,
diplomatic, economic and doctrinal support for the crimes that are
condemned. "
Knut Rognes
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To: (Recipients of 'znetchomskychat' suppressed)
From: "znetchomskychat Listmanager" <listmanager@forum.zmag.org>
Subject: chomsky replies re Israel Boycott
Reply-To: "ChomskyChat" <znetchomskychat.44177@forum.zmag.org>
X-Mailer: O'Reilly WebBoard 4.0
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 2002 09:01:13 -0700
From: "Timothy Allen" <tim@zmag.org>
Reply from NC,
I understand and sympathize with the feelings behind this proposal, but am
skeptical about it, for a number of reasons. One is that our prime concern
should be ourselves: it's always easy to blame others; harder, and far more
important, to look into the mirror. That includes Europe too, though the
issue is particularly stark here, in the present instance.
The petition states that "the US seems reluctant to act and continues to
fund Israel." That's quite an understatement. Israel acts within bounds
set by Washington, and the US has been providing the decisive military,
diplomatic, economic and doctrinal support for the crimes that are
condemned. The US does not accept the basic UN resolutions, these and
others, and has vetoed the most important ones, which, if implemented,
could have largely settled many of the prime issues long ago. That
continues; there has been no break. Furthermore, what is said about
Israeli intellectuals holds in spades for their US counterparts, who are
far more complicit in crimes, even in this case, not to speak of
innumerable others. It seems a bit odd for us to be on a high horse about
that. Breaking contact with Israeli academics, artists, writers,
journalists,... means breaking contact with many people who have played an
honorable and courageous role well beyond what can be found here, and are a
much more substantial element within their own society.
I also think the emphasis is misplaced. The immediate goal should, I
think, be to compel the US government to stop providing the means for
enhancing violence and repression, and to stop preventing diplomatic moves
towards the international consensus on a political settlement that the US
has been blocking, unilaterally, for a quarter-century. That requires a
preliminary struggle: to break the doctrinal stranglehold that prevents
serious discussion of these issues within the mainstream of opinion, a very
broad spectrum, reaching to left-liberal sectors. A call for suspension of
arms transfers to Israel would be a natural first step, following the
course of Germany, which has already undertaken it. As long as we are not
able to achieve simple goals like that within our own society -- even to
bring them to the arena of general discussion -- I'm very reluctant to call
for breaking relations with people who, as a category, are considerably
more advanced than we are.
Noam Chomsky
At 09:35 AM 4/10/2002 -0400, you wrote:
>From: "C G Estabrook" <galliher@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu>
>
>Noam: What is your view of the following?
>Regards, Carl Estabrook
>
>"As of noon on Friday, more than 120 university academics and
>researchers from across Europe had signed a letter published in the
>Guardian calling for a European boycott of research and cultural links
>with Israel ... We are starting a similar campaign in the US. Below is a
>letter with similar contents directed to US academics and researchers.
>If you are willing to sign this letter, please send an email with your
>name and academic affiliation to boycotts@teacher.com.
>
>"There is widespread international condemnation for its policy of
>violent repression against the Palestinian people in the Occupied
>Territories and its denial of basic human rights such as the right of
>refugees to return to their homes and lands. The Israeli government
>appears impervious to moral appeals from world leaders or to United
>Nations resolutions. The major potential source of effective criticism,
>the United States government, seems reluctant to act and continues to
>fund Israel to the tune of billions of dollars per year.
>
>"However, there are ways of exerting pressure from within the US.
>Support for Israel comes from many US cultural and research
>institutions, including those funded from the US government with our tax
>dollars (through NSF, NIH, the Binational Science Foundation, and
>others). This is done through conferences, collaborations, grants, and
>contracts and involve both Israeli academic institutions and
>individuals. This active collaboration allows 'business as usual' while
>Israel engages in violations condemned by all human rights
>organizations. Israeli academicians have been rather reluctant to exert
>pressure on their own government and many actually contribute actively
>to prolonging the suffering of the Palestinian people (a recent Israeli
>academic conference even addressed the issue of 'transfer' or expulsion
>of the Palestinians).
>
>"Therefore, we declare a moratorium upon any further such support and
>ask our colleagues to join us in suspension of such contacts and support
>unless and until Israel:
> a) Abides by all relevant UN resolutions (UNGA 194, UNSC 242, 383,
>1402 etc.), and
> b) Complies with human rights as stated in the Universal Declaration
>on Human Rights and the Fourth Geneva Convention to which Israel is
>signatory.
> c) Opens serious peace negotiations with the Palestinians, along the
>lines proposed in many peace plans including most recently that
>sponsored by the Saudis and the Arab League."
>
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