The Mideast in the Midwest
A Midwest Jewish Activist Helps Fight Zionist Mind Control in America
By Betsy Mayfield
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Henry Herskovitz at the April 23 demonstration in front of the Peoria, IL corporateheadquarters of Caterpillar, Inc. to protest Israel’suse of its bulldozers to demolish Palestinian homes. In March2003 an IDF-driven Caterpillar crushed to death Americanpeace activist Rachel Corrie (staff photo B. Mayfield). | |
[PALESTINIANS] are not a rabble but a nation, perhaps somewhat tattered, but still living. A living people makes such enormousconcession on such fateful questions [as colonialization] whenthere is no hope left. Only when not a single breach is visiblein the iron wall, only then do extreme groups lose their swayand influence transfers to moderate groups. Only then would thesemoderate groups come to us with proposals for mutual concessionson such fateful questions like guarantees against expulsion,or equality and national autonomy.…the only path to such an agreementis the iron wall, that is to say the strengthening in Palestineof a government without any kind of Arab influence, that is tosay one against which the Arabs will fight. In other words, forus the only path to an agreement in the future is an absoluterefusal of any attempts at an agreement now.
—Vladimir Jabotinsky, 1923
Driving from Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Ames, Iowa, in mid-January is not a trip one embarks upon without good cause. But Henry Herskovitzbelieves his cause is good. He knows that in America’s Midwesta public relations war is being waged to secure unquestioning supportfor Israel. The Jewish Michigander wants to reach the hearts andminds of Midwesterners. He seeks not to control minds, but ratherurges people—especially those raised to value Zionism above allelse—to become aware and to think for themselves. Herskovitz wantsJews and non-Jews to think about Israeli occupation; the falsesuggestion that all Palestinians are antidemocratic radicals; andthe tactics used to silence those who dare speak out in recognitionof the political, economic and social imbalance that Israel hasover the Christian and Muslim Arabs.
An American Jewish objector to Israel’s colonial and violent occupation of Palestine, Herskovitz made the trek to Ames, Iowa,with filmmaker Thom Saffold, to see if any members of the AmesJewish community would talk to him about American Jewish supportof the Israel-First policy. He came in response to a request byorganizers (including the author) of “Palestine Unabridged,” athree-month film series held at the Ames Public Library from Sept.11 to Dec. 11, 2003. The series offered alternative views on theIsrael-Palestine conflict.
Here in Iowa, Revisionist Zionists—the ideological descendants of Vladimir Jabotinsky—are determined “to make someone pay” forthe film series’ success. Some 30 to 50 Jewish and Christian Zionistsstill are stunned that the familiar accusation of “anti-Semitic” failedto shut down the film series, nor did slander, isolation or dirtytricks against series organizers have the desired effect. Of apopulation of 50,000, this small group of Revisionist Zionist sympathizers,aided by the Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines, tried toget two of our librarians fired, remove a leader of the Ames InterfaithCouncil, and dismiss a young Chicano activist who dared place a “PalestineUnabridged” poster in the window of his not-for-profit communityoffice. Explained one Zionist, “We cannot allow American institutionsto become a platform for anti-Israel thinking.”
But the Ames Public Library, the City of Ames and the organizations sponsoring “Palestine Unabridged” refused to be deterred by thefrequently employed tactic of interrupting and changing the subjectfrom Palestine to Israel. Initially, the Zionist opponents of freespeech and thought resorted to calling in a local fire marshalto turn on lights in the middle of the film “Rana’s Wedding” tosee if the library had allowed more people in the auditorium thanfire codes permit. The opening night ruse did not succeed, andthe show went on—for 11 more weeks. One hundred or more peopleattended each film and 30 to 60 participants discussed the issuesat a local coffee house on alternate weeks.
Have Cause, Will Travel
Henry Herskovitz has not always waved the flag for the Palestinian cause. An engineer focused on his successful career,Herskovitz spent little energy investigating what was going onin Palestine. Then, he retired. “I decided I had to go and seefirsthand what the conflict was all about,” he explained. “Of course,I had read about it over the years, but I really didn’t have agood grasp of the situation. I spent all my adult life using engineeringskillsto fix things, but I knew that I had to have experience to developreal insight into a mechanical problem and, certainly, into thisseemingly untenable human problem. Israel always seemed like agood idea to me, but I had questions.”
After a 2002 visit to Israel/Palestine, Herskovitz returned to Ann Arbor a changed man.His questions had been answered by firsthandexperience. Active in the Ann Arbor peacecommunity, Herskovitzassumed he would have no trouble telling his friends and fellowJewish community members about his trip and the disturbing realizationsstill reverberating in his head. He prepared a Power Point presentationabout the Israeli checkpoints, home demolitions, needless killingsand the attitude which he saw as destroying not only the Palestinians,but the Israelis, as well. Expectantly, Herskovitz called on thelocal rabbi to arrange a date for a showing. The answer was a shock. “No,” hewas told by Temple Beth Emeth (Reformed), Beth Israel Congregation(Conservative), Chabad House (Orthodox), and the Jewish CommunityCenter.
Herskovitz put himself on the line. He knocked on doors until all were slammed shut once and for all. Protest, he decided,was the only option. He formed a small group called Jewish Witnessesfor Peace and friends—with a small “f” for “friends” because hewants to make it clear that his concerns are Jewish issues. Heprinted up signs that read, “THIS IS NOT MY JUDAISM,” under a pictureof the Huwarra checkpoint; “STOP U.S. AID TO ISRAEL”; and “ANNARBOR JEWS SAY ‘END THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION.’”
On Sept. 13, 2003, as we in Ames were just beginning our film series, Herskovitz and a dozen others began weekly peaceful vigilsoutside Ann Arbor synagogues on Saturdays. They could not failto be seen by those coming and going to prayers and study.
After more than six months of weekly protest, Herskovitz says the best he can get from his “old” friends are comments such as,“Idon’t want to have a discussion with you, but I want to tell youjust one thing...”
Explains Herskovitz, “This one-way ‘conversation’ expressed how unhappy our vigils made [the woman]. As she walked away, we explainedthat it is not our intent to make anyone unhappy. However, herquestion begs inspection. If she had hung around, we would haveasked: ‘What is contained in our message that you find painful?And why is that message painful to you?’”
When Herskovitz came to Ames this past January 2004, only one Jewish friend of the author’s, a moderate Zionist, would speakwith him. Herskovitz gave him his card and said, “If you can get10 Jewish or Zionist folks from Ames to talk to me, I’ll driveback anytime.” That has yet to happen.
We Dared to Speak Out
Having produced a successful film series despite continuing efforts to silence us, Ames festival organizers are still payinga price for our determination. Economic threats, social isolationand hate-based rhetoric continue as our Zionist opposition is determinedto let the rest of the community know the turmoil they will createfor anyone who speaks out against the Israeli occupation. RevisionistZionists continue to insist on an official, public apology.
One series objector who now works for our local paper never fails to flaunt her disdain for “Palestine Unabridged” when she visitsthe Ames Public Library and talks to library staff. As she andothers told us on the last night of our program, “What you didwas a mistake.”
Other partisans of Israel have spent the last four months harassing the library board, demanding a public apology and “unofficial” censorshipthrough policy changes designed to deny the public access to programscritical of Israel. As Joel Beinin wrote in “Thought Control forMiddle East Studies,” his March 31 Common Dreams critiqueof the Zionist tweaking of Title VI of the U.S. Higher EducationAct, the idea is “to study, monitor, apprise, and evaluate” suspectprograms at American universities. According to Beinin, Washingtonneocons want “to assert political control over teaching, research,and public programs” so that Americans will remain oblivious toanything unfavorable to Israel or America’s support of Israelipolicy.
In Ames, Iowa, we are discovering that this kind of mind control is occurring outside the academy, as well.
Henry Herskovitz in Ann Arbor and our small group here in Ames have put ourselves on the line in an effort to make people awareofthe evils of colonization in Palestine and the use of the “anti-Semite” labelto stifle debate. As of mid-April, Herskovitz reported, the executivedirector of the Jewish Federation of Washtenaw County solicitedletters from socially prominent Ann Arbor community members. Thirteenpeople have responded, writing anti-Herskovitz letters to the localAnn Arbor news. Letters in support of “vigillers” are increasing,however.
Henry Herskovitz knows that peace starts with just one voice, and he is as encouraged as we are. Jewish Witnesses for Peace andfriends, the “Palestine Unabridged” series, and the actions ofInformation Age groups everywhere are signs of a growing grassrootsmomentum. The work for peace has just begun.
Betsy Mayfield is a writer and activist based in Ames, Iowa.
SIDEBAR Henry Herskovitz In His Own WordsJewish Americans Can Help End Conflict (letter to the Feb. 25, 2004 Ann Arbor News): Our group, formed last year, is called “Jewish Witnesses for Peace and friends.” We hold silent vigils in front ofBeth Israel Congregation primarily to raise awareness ofthe effects of Israel’s 36-year-old illegal occupation ofPalestinian land. Our venue is the synagogue, because theaudience we wish to address is mainstream American Jews,very much like ourselves. Many of the Jewish people who attend synagogue are those who financially and politically support Israel. Our goalis to end this funding of Israel’s occupation, financed byindividual contributions, and by our tax dollars and loanguarantees. Ending the occupation is the most logical andnecessary way to bring a just and lasting peace to the region.The estimated amount of money donated through these sourcestotals $15 million every day (Source: Washington Reporton Middle East Affairs). Our vigil accomplishes much more, however. To non-Jews, who might be critical of Israeli policies but too concernedto speak lest they be labeled “anti-Semites,” we offer themthe observance that Jewish Americans come forth and criticizethe Israeli government. The Jewish community can play a vital and significant role in reducing the continuing slaughter of innocents in Israeland Palestine, both Jewish and Palestinian. Many in our grouphave been to Palestine and have witnessed firsthand the horrorsof occupation. Henry Herskovitz, Ann Arbor On AIPAC’s Chicago Conference, “The Israel Summit—Tools for Action” Perhaps most shocking to this observer was the nationalist tone set by this conference. A large room with hundreds ofdining tables housed 1,600 attendees (650 students). At thefront, on stage, stood the speakers’ table flooded in brightlight. Flanking the speakers were four national flags: twoIsraeli (large and small) on the speaker’s left, and like-sizedUnited States flags, on his/her right. The show of power of this lobby was not limited just to physical surroundings. Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin and nineIllinois congressional representatives each spoke about theircommitment to Israel, and to the goal of AIPAC—“Stengtheningthe U.S.-Israel relationship.” Jesse Jackson, Jr. spoke ofhis AIPAC-sponsored trip to Israel, and thanked the organizationalong with local rabbis (esp. Rabbi David Saperstein) forthe privilege of traveling there. He declared “most moving” washis trip to Yad Vashem, Jerusalem’s Holocaust Memorial, andsubsequent “need” for the Jewish State. Congresswoman JanSchakowsky explained how helpful AIPAC is to citizens runningfor Congress: they will help the politician-to-be draft his/herIsrael solidarity statement. And wealth: Many of the 650 students in attendance were flown in at the expense of just three local businessmen.The ability to raise funds for Israel is just one of AIPAC’smany strengths. As peace activists dedicated to Palestinianself-determination, we have our work cut out for ourselves. |
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