2/25/2006

The Jewish Standard ran a full length interview with Aref Assaf, president of AAF on the proposed Arab Heritage Commission.   It is worth reading to read the concerns and comments of several Jewish leaders.  Previously, the Bergen Record ran a positive front page story.

The Daily Record featured a full page commentary by AAF on the legacy of Ariel Sharon. The Sunday edition  op-ed was complemented with a large cartoon of Sharon and also an opposing view by a defender of Sharon. Various versions of the op-ed were previously published in Aramica and the Herald News.

 Meanwhile, The Star Ledger refused to publish our commentary on Hamas's victory in the recent Palestinian elections. The submitted op-ed was an original piece not published anywhere else. Its central argument is that Hamas , given domestic and international variables can and in fact must change. To prove my point, I relied on the case of past Israeli parties and leaders who were once termed as terrorist and as soon a they joined the government they were integrated into regular Israeli politics and army.

 However, in  a series of emails, one can deduce that the Star Ledger's editorial team is strongly pro-Israel- more so than the Israeli' Ha'aretz. We plan to pursue their biased perspective by engaging them directly. It is of note that the Star Ledger has published very few stories about Arab or Muslim Americans. They rarely even republish stories authored by AP.

On their letters to the editor or opinion pages, one can discern that our views are rarely represented compared to those from the pro-Israel side or other communities. As the largest paper in NJ, the Star Ledger has an acute responsibility to cover news about our people. Instead of  publishing our editorial, and to add insult to injury,  they chose to publish an op-ed by Deborah Cohen, Editorial Page Editor of the Star Ledger, about an unknown backstabbing Palestinian lady  blaming the Palestinians for causing their own victimhood.

We urge you t to reed it and to send your comments to the paper. Write to Jim Willse Editor:

"Has general responsibility for every item appearing in Star-Ledger editorial columns. Happy to talk to readers about special problems or suggestions, "

Phone: 973-392-4127
jwillse@starledger.com

And also please write to Deputy Editorial Page Editor, Deborah Jerome-Cohen
Phone: 973-392-1787
E-mail: dcohen@starledger.com

Kindly CC your letters to AAF    

Here is an example of your responses:

From: address withheld
Sent: Sunday, February 05, 2006 12:44 PM
To: jwillse@starledger.com; dcohen@starledger.com
Subject: Response to "One daughter's revenge."

My heart goes out to the Nonie Darwish. Growing up without a father must have been difficult. For many years she has lived with the knowledge that it was an Israeli double agent who delivered the bomb that killed her father. Nevertheless, given her pain and emptiness it is not surprising that she continues her struggle to find closure by searching for someone else to blame for his death.

What is sad is that her search has made her into another weapon in the pro-Zionist's bag of propaganda tricks. If Ms. Darwish wants to talk about the Palestinian educational system and culture that is her prerogative. Nevertheless, I urge her to recognize and think about the damage she is perpetrating against the Palestinian struggle for independence and freedom from an oppressive, unjust and illegal occupation by Israel. The Palestinians are not responsible for their own suffering at the hands of the Israeli government.

Has Ms. Darwish visited the Occupied Palestinian Territories lately? I think not. If she had she would have a clearer picture of what the situation is today. The Israeli Apartheid like rules, regulations and ever changing laws created by the Israelis in which the Palestinians are forced to live under chip away at the self esteem and self worth of every Palestinian man, woman and child.

When people are systematically oppressed generation after generation they will react to that oppression. I unequivocally object to the use of violence by both Palestinians and Israelis. It would be my hope that the reaction would be in the form of nonviolent resistance to the occupation. I can tell you there is a growing movement of Palestinian nonviolent resistance to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories.

If Ms. Darwish wants to go out and speak about the Palestinian educational system and culture then I think there should be someone from the Israeli side who is willing to go out with her to talk about how human rights and international law are not taught in Israeli school nor are they part of Israeli society especially when it comes to Palestinians and other Arabs, and how the truth about how the Palestinians are treated is not accurately reported by all of the Israeli press.

Ms. Darwish claims that Palestinians have been trying to "prove to the Arab world that they are worthy of respect by never making peace with Israel." I am appalled that she believes the Palestinians are the ones holding up the peace process. Apparently she has bought into the Israeli and U.S. propaganda. There has never been an Israeli government that honestly tried to make peace with the Palestinians. The Palestinians do not have the power to do anything alone.

I have personally met with many Palestinians living in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Everyone I have spoken with is sick and tired of the conditions they and their families have been forced to live under. As they watch the continued construction of the illegal Separation Wall, many are feeling hopeless. They want an end to the occupation. They want peace. It is irresponsible for Ms. Darwish to claim anything different.

If there is to be a peaceful, just and sustainable end to Israeli Palestinian issues, then there must be a complete and honest discussion of how it can be achieved. That would include the truth about the occupation, the lack of human and civil rights for Palestinians, the number of Palestinian men, women and children killed everyday by the Israeli Army and Israeli Settlers, the real reasons for and effects of the illegal Separation Wall, along with a variety of other issues.

The truth is out there. Let us not be afraid to speak out about what is going on in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. All of the killing must stop. It is not achieving anything positive for anyone.

Everyone has the right to live in peace and security. Let us not forget that those rights apply equally to Israelis and Palestinians.

Donna Nassor, J.D.