אתגרש מס 7: מאבק בגזענות על ידי פרופ. רות גביזון
I have chosen to respond to Ruth Gabizon's power point and in particular the concept of "Zionism = Racism"
Gabizon defines Racism as either
1) a very serious form of discrimination or
2) a prejudice and feeling of superiority.
Clear historical examples of this are the apartheid policy in South Africa, black white relations in the USA (especially slavery) and gypsies and Jews in WWII. Gabizon emphasizes that it is important to fight racism because of its dangerous consequences and the acts that result because of racism. She claims that education and culture can lead to racism and that is why it is important to give the right education to prevent racism.
On November 10 1975 the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379, adopted by a vote of 72 to 35 (with 32 abstentions), "determine[d] that Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination".
On what grounds did so many countries believe that zionism is a form of racism.?
These countries linked Zionism to the notion Colonialsm/ Imperialsm where a country or nation has a feeling of superiority and believes it is their right to take over and rule foreign land, use its resources and exploit the native people.
The return to Zion was not motivated because of a feeling of power or superioriy to rule a land to exploit it resources and people for financial profit. The return to Zion has ancient biblical roots. The History of the Jews has been one of persecution expulsion and an unprecedented Holocaust. From the time Jews began to resettle in Israel they have always treated Arabs, Druze, Bedouins and Christians as equal human beings and have not in any way linked political policies to repress the dignity of these people. The complex political problems have clouded Israel's justice and morality.
Here is a quote from and Arab publication
I believe that zionism is racism, because in building Israel, the zionists were revising history, embracing the notion of racial superiority, an ideology that has empowered them to discriminate, with all of its associated social ills, injustices, and moral bankruptcy.
Posted: 11 Rabi-u-Thani 1422, 3 July 2001
In his address to the United Nations General Assembly the same day, 10. November 1975, Israeli Ambassador Chaim Herzog stated:
"I can point with pride to the Arab ministers who have served in my government; to the Arab deputy speaker of my Parliament; to Arab officers and men serving of their own volition in our border and police defense forces, frequently commanding Jewish troops; to the hundreds of thousands of Arabs from all over the Middle East crowding the cities of Israel every year; to the thousands of Arabs from all over the Middle East coming for medical treatment to Israel; to the peaceful coexistence which has developed; to the fact that Arabic is an official language in Israel on a par with Hebrew; to the fact that it is as natural for an Arab to serve in public office in Israel as it is incongruous to think of a Jew serving in any public office in an Arab country, indeed being admitted to many of them. Is that racism? It is not! That... is Zionism."
16 years later the resolution was revoked by Resolution 46/86 on December 16, 1991. In the history of the UN, this is the only resolution that has ever been revoked
Gabizon states that it is important not to overuse the term racism. The definition of racism becomes complex when dealing with anti - semitism. Biologically speaking a race of people is a group of people who have the same features or genetics such as skin colour hair colour and other physical features. But the term is also used in a sociological aspect as a group of people who have the same customs, beliefs etc.
Hitler defined Jews as a race, not as a religion or nation or culture. He took the biological definition and ironically got his scientists to "prove" it by measuring faces, noses etc. However, an Iraqi Jew does not have the same facial features as a Polish Jew, A Greek Jew does not have the same features as a Danish Jew. Yet for Hitler no matter what you looked liked, or behaved liked, or practiced Judaism or not, even if only one parent or grandparent was Jewish it was enough to have Jewish blood and be classified as part of the Jewish race.
When approached by a student who attacked Zionism, Martin Luther King responded: "When people criticize Zionists, they mean Jews. You're talking anti-Semitism."
Ironically the countries and individuals who proposed Zionism is Racism have twisted history and the concept of racism. Zionists have never expressed hate for a certain group of people or destruction of a people.
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