an open letter by Gerry Gable, publisher Searchlight
Terry Fitzpatrick | 29.04.2003 10:02
We the undersigned call upon the Israeli government to immediately
refrain from the torture and murder of innocent Palestinian men, women
and children, and to institute immediate negotiations with the Palestinians for a just and lasting peace for the people of Israel.
refrain from the torture and murder of innocent Palestinian men, women
and children, and to institute immediate negotiations with the Palestinians for a just and lasting peace for the people of Israel.
Enough Is Enough - The Israeli and Palestinian Genocide Must
Stop:
an open letter by Gerry Gable, publisher Searchlight magazine
In recent weeks even the American public, shackled as it is by the
chains of a racist media, has woken up to the reality of the Israeli government's campaign against the Palestinian people. In Britain as in the United States, we Jews have been too afraid to speak out lest we too be smeared by the same powerful racist interests, but now we at Britain's leading Jewish anti-racist magazine have decided that enough is enough.
Searchlight magazine was founded in 1975 by the late Maurice Ludmer, a
dedicated and lifelong Jewish anti-racist and anti-fascist. When he
died in 1981, Maurice left Searchlight as his legacy not just to us Jews,not just to Britain, but to the world. Maurice, like the rest of us, was committed to a world free from hatred, racial bigotry and intolerance.
That is why we have opposed tooth and claw any platform for the Nazis
of the National Front and the BNP here in Britain. That is why like so
many of our fellow Jews we have striven to encourage multi-racialism and
assimilation. That is why we have never given up and never will give
up.
And that is why it saddens us to see the good name of the Jewish
people tainted and dragged through the mud by naked anti-semitism masquerading as anti-Zionism.
We deplore the suicide bombings, the terrible slaughter of both
innocent Israeli citizens and the horrendous self-destruction of young
Palestinian zealots. But much as we deplore, we understand. We
understand why Palestinians have become hated in Israel, and indeed throughout the Arab world itself.
We the undersigned call upon the Israeli government to immediately
refrain from the torture and murder of innocent Palestinian men, women
and children, and to institute immediate negotiations with the Palestinians for a just and lasting peace for the people of Israel.
signed
Gerry Gable, publisher
Mrs Sonia Gable
Steve Silver, co-editor
Nick Lowles, co-editor
Michael Cohen, photographer
Subscribe to Searchlight, Britain and Europe's leading Jewish anti-
racist and anti-fascist magazine:
fax: 020 7681 8650
direct e-mail:
community@s-light.demon.co.uk
Stop:
an open letter by Gerry Gable, publisher Searchlight magazine
In recent weeks even the American public, shackled as it is by the
chains of a racist media, has woken up to the reality of the Israeli government's campaign against the Palestinian people. In Britain as in the United States, we Jews have been too afraid to speak out lest we too be smeared by the same powerful racist interests, but now we at Britain's leading Jewish anti-racist magazine have decided that enough is enough.
Searchlight magazine was founded in 1975 by the late Maurice Ludmer, a
dedicated and lifelong Jewish anti-racist and anti-fascist. When he
died in 1981, Maurice left Searchlight as his legacy not just to us Jews,not just to Britain, but to the world. Maurice, like the rest of us, was committed to a world free from hatred, racial bigotry and intolerance.
That is why we have opposed tooth and claw any platform for the Nazis
of the National Front and the BNP here in Britain. That is why like so
many of our fellow Jews we have striven to encourage multi-racialism and
assimilation. That is why we have never given up and never will give
up.
And that is why it saddens us to see the good name of the Jewish
people tainted and dragged through the mud by naked anti-semitism masquerading as anti-Zionism.
We deplore the suicide bombings, the terrible slaughter of both
innocent Israeli citizens and the horrendous self-destruction of young
Palestinian zealots. But much as we deplore, we understand. We
understand why Palestinians have become hated in Israel, and indeed throughout the Arab world itself.
We the undersigned call upon the Israeli government to immediately
refrain from the torture and murder of innocent Palestinian men, women
and children, and to institute immediate negotiations with the Palestinians for a just and lasting peace for the people of Israel.
signed
Gerry Gable, publisher
Mrs Sonia Gable
Steve Silver, co-editor
Nick Lowles, co-editor
Michael Cohen, photographer
Subscribe to Searchlight, Britain and Europe's leading Jewish anti-
racist and anti-fascist magazine:
fax: 020 7681 8650
direct e-mail:
![](/img/maillink.gif)
Terry Fitzpatrick
e-mail:
terry@terryfitz.net
Comments
Hide the following 12 comments
Ahem
29.04.2003 11:01
In my view, the left should stay away from Searchlight. The magazine has made no bones about sharing info and cooperating with the British state and intelligence services when it comes to investigating fascists, but it the very same state apparatus that also investigates Marxists and anarchists. I think if you want to sup with Searchlight, you definitely need a long spoon.
The Crimson Expat
GOOD 2 SEE
29.04.2003 11:21
ich
I'm sorry but ...
29.04.2003 12:10
"And that is why it saddens us to see the good name of the Jewish people tainted and dragged through the mud by naked anti-semitism masquerading as anti-Zionism."
This is a ridiculous and offensive statement. To equate the valid criticism of certain attitudes within israeli society as 'naked anti-semitism' is just another version of 'we are totally innocent and have never done anything wrong'.
The fact that an increasingly large minority of israelis hold the veiw that the Palestinians are animals to be removed from their dwellings, that any way of doing this is valid, that 'god' gave the jews the land, and that criticism of this can be equated to a deep and unconscious hatred of jews (the standard definition of anti-semitism) has eroded any illusion that zionist thinking can be rescued from the trap set it by its more fanatical proponants.
"We deplore the suicide bombings, the terrible slaughter of both innocent Israeli citizens and the horrendous self-destruction of young Palestinian zealots. But much as we deplore, we understand. We understand why Palestinians have become hated in Israel, and indeed throughout the Arab world itself."
What on earth are you on?
You deplore the terrible slaughter of innocent israelis?
But you understand why the Palestinians are hated?
I think you deplore and understand less than you imagine the rest of the world does. Where is the disgust at children targeted by highly trained snipers? Where is the understanding that bulldozing unarmed young women opens peoples eyes to the hatred pouring out from israeli equivalents to nazies - the zionazies as they are increasingly called (and correctly so in this authors H.O.)?
I applaud the attempt to redress the scandalous media vacumn in relation to the unfolding GENOCIDAL agenda in the bizzarly named 'holy land' ... but D minus for effort.
jackslucid
e-mail:
jackslucid@hotmail.com
It's a start
29.04.2003 14:35
At least this is a start - a hesitant start, but a start nonetheless.
Some harsher criticism than 'it makes the rest of us Jews feel uncomfortable' would be welcome, but I guess we can't ask for miracles...
Bri.
Brian
hoax alert!
29.04.2003 16:15
Always remember, the newswire is open-source, anyone can post anything in any name. Any post could be a hoax.
kurious oranj
Kurious?
29.04.2003 21:36
Bummer - I really hoped they'd seen sense at last.
Too much to hope for, I guess....
Brian
Searchlight
30.04.2003 03:11
If you are looking for articles claiming that Jew control the media, Israelis torture children and that self-defense is genocide, I suggest [taken off. fuck off, nazi!]
Ogburn
explain please...
30.04.2003 05:31
natsocnet
Ogbum
30.04.2003 07:25
You mean self defence in the sense of stealing peoples land, bulldozing their homes, allowing hooligans to terrorise residents, blowing up occupied houses, collective punishment, firing air-to-surface missiles at tower blocks?
Fuck you and your self-defence.
You are supportig a morally bankrupt terrorist state - they reap as they sow, and I have no sympathy for them at all.
I don't call Israeli 'self defence' genocide - it's just war crimes, pure and simple.
It's fuckers like you that make fuckers like me feel anti-semitic, rather than anti-Zionist.
Where have the good Jews gone?
Bastard.
Bri.
Brian
Searchlies
30.04.2003 11:38
antifa
above
30.04.2003 15:07
Searchlight is a good source of info - if you're going to act on it, check out the info with other sources first. No-one's asking you to get into bed with it, or give it a gold star!
This is not to say that there aren't deep problems with the mag; however, unless you're a hermit, you'll probably interact with many organisations who work with the state, on a daily basis!
When I was researching the truth behind all the stuff about Searchlight, the websites that came up with info on it were 90something % fascist....
There are criticisms of Israel which are fully justified and not anti-semitic. There are also other criticisms which are anti-semitic. The term Zionazi is at very least offensive and muddies the water, rather than helping solve the situation out there.
Many of the comments you've all made about Israelis and Palestinians don't sound like they're based on having been over there, but are what you see that justifies the view you already hold. I have been out there, but how many people did I meet? Not enough to start making generalised statements about what is what, or who thinks what.
As long as people go on talking about 'the Palestinians' or 'the Israelis' as two distinct and largely coherent sides, you are continuing the occupation and hindering peace.
Using other people's anger to justify yours, and saying that is what makes you feel anti-semitic rather than just anti-Zionist is supremely dodgy. Watch it mate.
Anyway, this so-called debate could (& will) go on and on in countless different posts. Lets all just get out there (in the street, or in Palestine & Israel) and do something to make the situation progress, rather than seeking refuge in posting to Indymedia.
ISMer
Stop splitting hairs
30.04.2003 23:49
Stop splitting hairs
If I say; "Juden Raus!" then that is an unmistakably anti-semitic statement. If someone else says " Kick out all Zionists!" this is an unintentionally anti-semitic statement.
One statement is intentionally anti-semitic, the other is anti-semitic IN ITS EFFECTS!
It is for this reason that anyone who wishes to defend the Palestinians must be prepared to be labelled as anti-semitic. Nothing less will do the trick.
natsocnet