Mondoweiss Lies To Diss StandWithUs

Those of you who venture out on the 'net to view some of the "truth-optional" sites commenting on Israel and the Middle East have undoubtedly come across Mondoweiss, one of the darlings of the "see, even the Jews hate Israel" set.  Like many of these sites, it claims to be a "news" site covering developments from a "progressive Jewish perspective".  And like many of those sites, there is no hint of anything except a steady diet of anti-Israel diatribe, as well as links to sites such as If Americans Knew (run by Alison Weir, one of David Duke's favorite Israel haters-- isn't it great how nice progressive Jews can agree with a neo-Nazi about Israel?), Jewish Voice for Peace sites, and even the site of Richard Silverstein, whose method of responding to any challenge to his belief system is to throw a tantrum of ad-hominem attacks.

Now Philip Weiss has chosen to get all verklempt over a quote criticizing Jewish Voice for Peace and the frankly anti-Semitic Sabeel for wrapping their anti-Zionist ideology in feel-good wrappings of "peace".  He devotes an entire post to trying to refute the charge that another fake "peace" campaign on transit systems in the San Francisco Bay Area has the underlying goal of the elimination of the Jewish state of Israel.  Here was my quote in J Weekly:

"“Though their ads suggest they are in favor of ‘peace,’ their website explicitly calls for the elimination of the state of the Jewish people,” Dr. Mike Harris said on behalf of StandWithUs/S.F. Voice for Israel. “They actually oppose peace between a Jewish state of Israel and an Arab state of Palestine.”

Weiss seems to take great umbrage at the suggestion that JVP and Sabeel want to eliminate the existence of a Jewish state.  He quotes extensively from the "Build Peace" site referenced on these ads (which actually redirects to JVP's "Two Peoples One Future" site).  He quotes rather quite extensively from that site to justify his position. And conveniently chooses to leave out the two sentences at the crux of the matter.

Under the question of "What would a comprehensive peace between Israel and Palestine look like?" their website repeats the fiction that has been promoted by anti-Zionist groups as a means of ending Jewish rights to national self-determination:  

"A comprehensive peace would also include recognition of the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes. That starts with Israel’s recognition of its role in the expulsion of refugees and creation of the refugee crisis in 1948, and public acceptance of resolution 194 and the right of refugees to return as it legally agreed at the time Israel joined the United Nations in 1949."

Two big lies, both of which are quite relevant to the statement that they want to eliminate the Jewish state.

Certainly for descendants of the refugees created by the Arab war on the Jews of Palestine, no such right exists.  Anti-Zionists try to point to UN Resolution 194 as justifying their statement-- yet resolution 194 (a nonbinding resolution of the General Assembly in 1948) states the following about refugees:

"Resolves that the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or in equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible.

Instructs the Conciliation Commission to facilitate the repatriation, resettlement and economic and social rehabilitation of the refugees and the payment of compensation, and to maintain close relations with the Director of the United Nations Relief for Palestine Refugees and, through him, with the appropriate organs and agencies of the United Nations;"

Nothing about "rights", and absolutely nothing to justify the exceptional status given the descendants of Palestinian refugees by the UN, which allows all descendants of the 1947-8 Arab refugees to claim refugee status and live off the international community forever. By contrast, the equal number of Jews who became refugees from Arab countries, as a result of the decision of their governments to expel and persecute them, were given virtually no assistance at all. 

The lie perpetuated about Israel's admission to the UN-- that it required Israel to repatriate the population that had made war upon it-- disintegrates upon reading the text of the resolution admitting Israel to the UN: 

Having received the report of the Security Council on the application of Israel for membership in the United Nations,Noting that, in the judgment of the Security Council, Israel is a peace-loving State and is able and willing to carry out the obligations contained in the Charter,
Noting that the Security Council has recommended to the General Assembly that it admit Israel to membership in the United Nations,
Noting furthermore the declaration by the State of Israel that it "unreservedly accepts the obligations of the United Nations Charter and undertakes to honour them from the day when it becomes a Member of the United Nations",
Recalling its resolutions of 29 November 1947 and 11 December 1948 and taking note of the declarations and explanations made by the representatives of the Government of Israel before the Ad Hoc Political Committee in respect of the implementation of the said resolutions,
The General AssemblyActing in discharge of its functions under Article 4 of the Charter and rule 125 of its rules of procedure,
1. Decides that Israel is a peace-loving State which accepts the obligations contained in the Charter and is able and willing to carry out those obligations;
2. Decides to admit Israel to membership in the United Nations.

Yes, the resolution RECALLS Resolution 194 (adopted on 11 December 1948); and it notes the explanations of the Government of Israel, and therefore decides that Israel is admitted. No contingencies, no amendments, no probationary period.  Period.  

Why is this, indeed, the heart of the issue?  Because the Arabs have recognized for decades that the refugees were useful as a political weapon against the right of the Jewish people to national self-determination.  Nasser recognized this back in 1961:  "If the refugees return to Israel, Israel will cease to exist." The demand for the "right" of 4th generation descendants of these refugees to return is no different now than it was then. Calling for that is calling for the end of Israel as a Jewish state.

I don't know why Weiss is so concerned about this; after all, I haven't seen anything he's written that actually supports Israel as the state of the Jewish people. So I don't know why he'd be upset at the claim that his anti-Israel friends at JVP or Sabeel are being misrepresented.  Of course, Mondoweiss also published a post last month claiming that they needed to raise funds because their website was "under Israeli attack", then after their fraud was exposed, deleted pages holding both the fraud and their admission of it.  So their veracity is questionable in any case.

Therefore, allow me to issue a simple invitation.  If any of the leadership of JVP or Sabeel want to refute my statement, and endorse a true "two state solution"--  peace between a Jewish state of Israel and an Arab state of Palestine-- please feel free to send a comment.  I'll post it.  Philip Weiss can even link to it.