2005-10-05,+Being+Jewish+means+being+tolerant,+Kasrils,+Star

The Star, Johannesburg, Letters - October 4, 2005
=Being Jewish means being tolerant of all=

Debra Mankowitz’s attack on Noam Chomsky, Ilan Pappe, Allister Sparks and Virginia Tilley as being “some of today’s most powerful anti-Semites” is a charge that evokes outrage and disgust.

In her response to Sparks (The Star, September 29), Mankowitz lowers herself to the basest of levels by smearing highly respected, world-renowned authors with the anti-Semitic label.

Part of Jewish heritage is tolerance of other ideas, and Mankowitz’s crude response stands in stark contrast to that.

It has become routine that if anyone dares question Israel’s actions, let alone its right to exist, they will be bludgeoned with her type of invective.

Mankowitz’s diatribe is an example of the vicious intimidation that is exacted on those who exercise critical thought about Israel.

For years the Zionist movement has cowed many Jews and non-Jews into silence. People like Sparks and Chomsky must be commended for bravely raising issues, providing a thought-provoking perspective on a most complex issue.

Their objective is not destruction of the Jewish people, but attempts to understand and resolve the issues.

That the Palestinians are prepared to accept 22% of historic Palestine with Israel taking the rest is an extremely generous undertaking on the part of the Palestinians.

The proposed two-state solution is clearly to Israel’s advantage, but with no genuine moves forward to make this a reality from the Israeli side, the situation has reached an impasse.

A one-state solution, as explored by Sparks and Tilley, involves everyone living together in a single democratic state. The restructuring of states does not envisage sweeping any community into the sea, but rather introduces a new form of co-existence. It might not work, but given the impasse concerning the two-state solution, it is inevitable that a debate will develop.

It exposes the moral bankruptcy of the likes of Mankowitz to react in a totally intolerant and personalised manner, shamelessly playing the anti-Semitic card. She should be ashamed of herself.

Pretoria
 * Ronnie Kasrils
 * From: http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=228&fArticleId=2902717**
 * From: http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=228&fArticleId=2902717**