RE: Smearing, Silencing, and Antisemitism
Dear Editors,
Nobody questions (so I hope) Professor Bhabha’s right to criticize Israel. Nobody should even challenge his right to provide a selective, one sided, and even false history in the form of half-truths. And it is entirely off the point that I agree with much of what he says as to the former but disagree as to the latter. Where he crossed the line (even in the aforesaid article) is the denial of peoplehood to the Jews and their right to self-determination – in their historical land (where else?) – which the essence of Zionism as a historical movement and ideology is all about.
He should know better that in contemporary anti-Semite discourse ‘Zionist’ has replaced ‘Jew’ and hence be advised to be careful in his choice of words. And by the way, even as Zionism emerged in Europe, not only that the great masses of Jewish immigrants (as of the thirties of the last century) were genuine refugees (to whom until the establishment of the State of Israel other doors were closed), but at present, half of the Israeli Jewish population consists of refugees and their descendants from Arab lands.
Thank you for your attention to the matter.
Sincerely,
Professor Benjamin Geva