The previous post, “Introducing Ethnic Cleansing” has been generously re-posted by a number of activist websites, including by Rela Mazali on The Only Democracy and Adam Horowtiz on Mondoweiss. The admins for all these sites asked permission, which was happily granted. However, I learned today from a pingback the piece was also re-reposted from Mazali’s website, without notice to either of us, on a strange little website known as “Shoah: The Palestinian Holocaust.” The admin or admins also took trouble to inject the strange term “Zio=nazi” into the article’s already strong-worded title.
Here’s what I wrote to the administrators, so far to no avail:
As author of the article you reposted without permission, I kindly ask you to remove it forthwith. The “Zio=nazi” term, which you had the audacity to insert into my headline, is inaccurate, counterproductive, and deeply offensive to many people who legitimately support some form of Jewish Israeli self-determination, but strongly and actively oppose violation of Palestinian rights. Furthermore, I notice your website pollutes the Palestinian struggle and legitimate criticism of Israeli policies with repugnant terms from the classical anti-Semitic vocabulary, such as “freemasonry.”* I would not want to be associated with such a site in any way. Thanks.”
*The (inane) link between Freemasonry, Judaism and New World Order ramblings is a tell-tale sign of anti-Semitism in its crudest form; so much so that Russian anti-Semites and pogromists profusely used the term “judomasons” (жидомасоны).
The “SHOAH” website, which has no information on who or what is behind it, appears to be mainly an aggregator of any and all negative information about Israel, with headlines carefully amended to appear as moronic and anti-Semitic as possible. It also has the nerve to note in its footer that “© 2010 SHOAH. All Rights Reserved,” which is news to me and most probably to all other authors being similarly libelled by association.
I’ve run a couple of inquiries on who might be operating this exercise in moral, intellectual and political embarrassment, but no one seems to be in the know. An activist friend similarly appalled suggested even it was a black op by some ultra-Right group or person trying to prove all critics of Israel are anti-Semites. While this is a possbility, I think the more honest and responsible thing is to assume this is the work of one of those fellow-travellers who seem to exist solely to prove the Hasbara’s worst slanders: Anti-Zionist anti-Semites, or anti-Semites who also happen to be anti-Zionist.
The subject of choosing allies on the left deserved an entirely separate post, but meanwhile, I wanted to ask for your help: Do you know who owns this website, or who operates it? Since my initial request went unheeded, I’m now aiming to expose whoever it is – and, unless they remove the post and apologize, I’m beginning to be pretty curious to explore legal avenues. Comment below or email me (dimis DOT notes AT gmail DOT com) if you happen to have any clues.