Editor's Notebook

Silence Not Golden

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Organization believer acknowledging what many Jews won't
n a moment's notice, American Jews have been there
do: admit that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has little to do
— speaking up, if not on the front lines — when
with land or occupation and a lot to do with the grand plan
other ethnic or religious communities have been
of Islamic fundamentalists-turned-terrorists to eradicate the
beset by distress or moral attack. But too often, we seem
Jewish state. The Arabs clearly in power don't want peace.
frozen when the Jewish community must stand down such
As soon as we gave back Gaza and four settlements in
confrontations in Israel or the diaspora, including here in
Samaria, Hamas marched in the streets — taking credit for
America. It's a puzzling phenomenon.
the Israeli government's soldier and settler pullback, vowing
Left unchecked, this could threaten our existence as an
to up its fortifications and to re-engage the martyrs-for-Allah
American Jewry that matters. In many instances, we're quick-
(suicide bomber) brigade.
er to support Christian or Muslim groups that have been sul-
Claims to east Jerusalem and Judea are back on Hamas'
lied than to defend what we are as Jews.
radar. Thanks to its successful social service outreach as a
Out of fright, fear or lack of will, we let
cover for its terror wing, Hamas has the Palestinian Authority
anti-Zionists or Jew-haters trample us in
running scared as Palestinian elections near. In this case, the
hopes that the trouble just goes away.
P.A. is the better of two evils. But where's the sustained
Instead, our meekness fans the flames of
Jewish mobilization to spread the truth about both and try to
hatred.
rally moderate Palestinians?
This came to mind as I listened to a
Hamas has conditioned Palestinians to
former, self-avowed Muslim
terrorist tell a receptive
ROBERT A. Jewish audience how he
S KLAR
"The Jewish people don't want to
came to see the light of
Editor
truth and became a pro-
defend their case. The Jewish people
Zionist Christian. As Walid
like to be silent because, they say,
Shoebat, flanked by two bodyguards, spoke to
250 people at the Jewish Community Center
'We don't want to offend our enemy.
in West Bloomfield on Sept. 11, I realized he's
putting his life on the line on behalf of Jews —
We don't want to offend anybody.'
amazing, to say the least.
— Wlalid Shoebat
The failed Oslo accords of the 1990s awak-
ened Shoebat to "a dark world that hates
believe they have a right not only to Gaza,
Jews." The West Bank native called his war-
but also Tel Aviv. Where's the Jewish counter-
ravished homeland "the night of the living
conditioning to dispel this myth?
dead." His mission is to "to convert Christians to love Jews
P.A. President Mahmoud Abbas is of little help. His doc-
and convert the news media to love Israel."
toral thesis denied the Holocaust. And as the Zionist
Shoebat now understands that Palestinian propaganda
Organization of America disclosed, his Ministry of Culture
hoodwinked the world into believing Palestinians were the
cited a poetry collection honoring a suicide bomber who
oppressed and Jews were the oppressor. As Shoebat told us,
murdered 29 Israelis in Haifa as its latest Book of the Month.
"There is no refugee problem in history that is bigger than
More American higher education students, especially in
the Jewish refugee problem. For 2,000 years, Jews were
Ann Arbor and East Lansing, are versed in what to say, and
refugees. And they were persecuted in the Middle East. And
are confident to say it, when confronted on campus by anti-
no one wants to talk about that part."
Zionism. But too many still are silent because Muslim peers
Then Shoebat, 45, zinged Jews for timidity in the wake of
are better debaters in the student squares.
Palestinian terror against Israel — our ancestral homeland
Despite the Palestinian apologist fantasy
and what most binds us as a people other
that Jews control America, Jews stand to
than Torah.
lose status in America if we don't assure
"The Jewish people don't want to
that our university students are equipped
defend their case," he said. "The Jewish
to deflect hateful faculty and student rab-
people like to be silent because, they say,
ble-rousers. That's why Shoebat has made
`We don't want to offend our enemy. We
Have Jews tried hard
campus visits a must.
don't want to offend anybody.'"
enough to seek out
I applaud the Southfield-based Aish
Sure, we have some brave organizations
Palestinian moderates?
HaTorah for hosting Shoebat. He exem-
and individuals who stand tall, but not
plifies how one person can make a differ-
nearly enough. Many Jews ponder mat-
Can one person committed
ence. As he put it: "Herzl made a differ-
ters to death. Where's the urgency? We've
to a cause really make
ence. Moses made a difference."
let political correctness run amok.
a difference?
Worry about what you individually can
Shoebat blasted our silence as PA TV
achieve,
not what your organization can
showed blood libels against Jews as car-
Is the Jewish community
inspire.
"Don't
look at everybody else,"
toons and as Palestinian mobs desecrated
meek when others
Shoebat
said.
"Have
some pride in being
Joseph's Tomb. "The amazing thing is
trample our dignity?
a Jew."
that the Jews are so silent when they have
"What is wrong with being a Jew?" he
the best argument in history," he said.
Do we as a community
asked.
"Nobody can give me a good answer for
have one voice,
Nothing is wrong with being Jewish. In
the silence."
even on Israel?
fact, it's a privilege worth defending.
Here's a former Palestine Liberation

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