*Albert Einstein's 1948 letter to the **New York Times* If we want to understand the *real* history of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, we can turn to a trustworthy Jewish source: Albert Einstein. Einstein was a humanitarian and peace activist, in addition to being one of the greatest scientists of all time. What did this extremely intelligent, wonderfully wise and warmly humane Jew have to say about Israel's treatment of Palestinians? In his landmark letter to the *New York Times* in 1948, Einstein clearly and candidly explained why Israel's militant Zionist leaders were not to be trusted and did not deserve money or support from Americans. (You can find scanned images of the Einstein letter online, and because it appeared in a major American newspaper its authenticity is not in doubt.) The letter was also signed by Hannah Arendt, Sidney Hook and more than 20 other Jewish intellectuals who wanted to alert Americans and the larger world to the dangers of emergent racism, fascism, terrorism and religious fanaticism in the newly-formed state of Israel. They also foresaw and predicted the disastrous results we see today in Israel/Palestine. I have annotated the letter with [bracketed comments] to help readers better understand how the "Einstein Letter" relates to the present situation. Other prominent, world-esteemed Jews have strongly opposed the policies and methods of the militant Zionists, including Sigmund Freud <http://www.thehypertexts.com/Nakba%20Holocaust%20Palestinians%20Sigmund%20Freud%20on%20Zionism.htm>, Franz Kafka, Isaac Asimov, Erich Fromm and Noam Chomsky. They have been joined by great men of peace like Mohandas Gandhi <http://www.thehypertexts.com/Nakba%20Holocaust%20Palestinians%20Mohandas%20Gandhi%20on%20Palestine%20Israel%20Jews%20Arabs.htm>, Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu and Jimmy Carter <http://www.thehypertexts.com/Jimmy%20Carter%20Israeli%20policy%20is%20to%20confiscate%20Palestinian%20territory%20Nakba.htm> .
December 4, 1948 New Palestine Party Visit of Menachem Begin and Aims of Political Movement Discussed *TO THE EDITORS OF THE NEW YORK TIMES:*Among the* most disturbing political phenomena of our times *is the emergence in the newly created state of Israel of the "Freedom Party" (Tnuat Haherut), a political party closely akin in its organization, methods, political philosophy and social appeal to the Nazi and Fascist parties. It was formed out of the membership and following of the former Irgun Zvai Leumi, a terrorist, right-wing, chauvinist organization in Palestine. The current visit of Menachem Begin, leader of this party, to the United States is obviously calculated to give the impression of American support for his party in the coming Israeli elections, and to cement political ties with conservative Zionist elements in the United States. Several Americans of national repute have lent their names to welcome his visit. * It is inconceivable that those who oppose fascism throughout the world, if correctly informed as to Mr. Begin's political record and perspectives, could add their names and support to the movement he represents.* [Einstein made the point that supporting Jewish fascists like Menachem Begin was like supporting Nazis. Unfortunately, many prominent Americans have supported the fascist movement led by Begin and his disciples, who now firmly control Israel. Begin founded Herut in 1948. It was the political twin of the Irgun, a violent terrorist group headed by Begin. Both were ultra-right-wing organizations that opposed any ceasefires or negotiations with Arabs, preferring to expand Israel's territory in defiance of international law and the U.N. mandate that partitioned Palestine, defining Israel's borders. Before entering politics, Begin had been the preeminent terrorist in the Middle East, wantonly murdering British, Jewish and Arab civilians. His most notorious act was blowing up the King David Hotel in 1946. That explosion killed 91 people and wounded 46 others, most of them hotel staff and other civilians. (This remains the single most deadly act of terrorism in Israel/Palestine to this day.) It was not just peace-loving intellectuals who compared Begin to European fascists like Hitler, because David Ben-Gurion, Israel's George Washington and first prime minister, who was no shrinking violet, said similar things. But by the mid-1960s Israel's voters were swinging hard to the extreme right. A 1964 government resolution calling for the reinternment of Zeev Jabotinsky’s remains in Israel signaled Herut's and Begin's ascendency. (Jabotinsky was the creator of the fascist "Iron Wall" doctrine, which maintains that Jews must crush the spirit and will of Palestinians through superior firepower and sheer brutality, rather than seeking peace through diplomacy and compromise.) In 1977, the former über-terrorist Begin was elected prime minister in a landslide. In his book *Palestine: Peace, not Apartheid*, former U.S. president and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Jimmy Carter mentioned the sea change that took place in Israel's policies after Begin came to power. Begin's administration promoted the construction of illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza, in effect expanding Israel's borders by allowing robber barons to steal land from defenseless Palestinian farmers and their families. Begin also authorized the 1982 invasion of Lebanon, which became Israel's Vietnam. As Israeli military involvement in Lebanon deepened, and the Sabra and Shatila massacre shocked the world, Begin grew increasingly isolated. He resigned from politics in 1983, but his racist, fascist spirit lives on in disciples of his and Jabotinsky’s, such as Israel's current prime minister, Benyamin "Bibi" Netanyahu.] *Before irreparable damage is done by way of financial contributions, public manifestations in Begin's behalf, and the creation in Palestine of the impression that a large segment of America supports Fascist elements in Israel, the American public must be informed as to the record and objectives of Mr. Begin and his movement.* [Unfortunately, the American pubic, through their government, have supplied Israel with hundreds of billions of dollars in financial aid and advanced weapons. That "aid" has been used by Israel to practice large-scale ethnic cleansing in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. This ethnic cleansing begins with home demolitions (more than 24,000 according to the Israeli Committee Against Home Demolitions), which are followed by Israel's euphemistic "settlement expansions." Funding this wildly unjust system, which has been compared to a new Holocaust, has created the impression in Palestine and throughout the Muslim world that Americans are raging hypocrites when they talk about "equal rights," "justice" and "democracy." Muslims have correctly concluded that the U.S. will always support Israel, no matter how cruelly, brutally and offensively it treats Palestinians, Bedouins and other non-Jews in its quest for free land and ever-expanding borders. The results have included 9-11, two horrific wars, multitudes of lives lost on both sides, and trillions of dollars in unpaid war debt that threatens not only the solvency of the U.S., but also that of the free world. If the dollar plummets in value, or if the U.S. can no longer borrow money, what will happen to the economies of Germany, Japan, and other countries that rely on exports to Americans?] *The public avowals of Begin's party are no guide whatever to its actual character. Today they speak of freedom, democracy and anti-imperialism, whereas until recently they openly preached the doctrine of the Fascist state. It is in its actions that the terrorist party betrays its real character; from its past actions we can judge what it may be expected to do in the future.* [If we heed Einstein's wisdom, and judge Israel by its actions—apartheid, ethnic cleansing, strafing its victims in Gaza—rather than by oceans of self-serving propaganda, the racist/fascist nature of its government quickly becomes apparent. Or we can simply read what prime ministers of Israel and other prominent Zionists have said themselves. Please keep in mind that when the terms "transfer," "eviction" and "removal" are used, the Zionists are talking about ethnic cleansing: a crime against humanity. When the right of return is denied to Palestinians, this means the victims of ethnic cleansing are being collectively sentenced to remain stateless, rightless refugees forever. When the term "expropriation" is used, it means the theft of Palestinian land via superior firepower, which is armed robbery. Here now are the leading Zionists in their own words; you can judge for yourself whether Einstein was correct, or not ... "Spirit [ethnically cleanse] the penniless [Arab] population across the border by denying them employment."—Theodore Herzl, the founder of Zionism "This *REMOVAL* [ethnic cleansing] of the poor [Arabs] must be carried out *discreetly* and *circumspectly*."—Herzl (who obviously knew it was wrong) "It is our *right* to *TRANSFER* [ethnically cleanse] the Palestinians!"—Transfer Committee Director Yossef Weitz, who oversaw Israel's pogroms "We [Zionists] all applaud, day and night, the *IRON WALL*."—Ze'ev Jabotinsky, spiritual father of the Likud and disciples like Menachem Begin "This *IRON WALL *is our policy towards the Arabs. To formulate it any other way would be hypocrisy."—Jabotinsky "Zionist colonization ... must either be terminated, or carried out in defiance of the will of the native population."—Jabotinsky "Zionism is a *colonizing adventure* and, therefore, it stands or falls on the question of armed forces."—Jabotinsky "The Arab is culturally backward ... his instinctive patriotism ... cannot be bought, it can only be curbed by *major force*."—Jabotinsky "There is no justice, no law, no God in heaven; only a single law which decides and supersedes all: [Jewish] settlement."—Jabotinsky "I devote my life to the rebirth of the Jewish State, with a Jewish majority, *on both sides of the Jordan*."—Jabotinsky "The Islamic soul must be *broomed* [swept, ethnically cleansed] out of Eretz-Yisrael."*—*Jabotinsky "Hitler—as odious as he is to us—has given this idea [ethnic cleansing] a good name in the world."—Jabotinsky "Zionism is a *TRANSFER* of the Jews."—David Ben-Gurion, Israel's first Prime Minister, defining Zionism *as* ethnic cleansing/replacement "The compulsory *TRANSFER* of the Arabs ... could give us something we never had [even in Biblical times]."—Ben-Gurion "Jewish power, which grows steadily, will also increase our possibilities to carry out the *TRANSFER* on a large scale."—Ben-Gurion "With compulsory *TRANSFER* we can have a vast area ... *I don't see anything immoral in it*."—Ben-Gurion "It is impossible to imagine general *EVACUATION* without compulsion, and *brutal compulsion."—*Ben-Gurion "There are two issues here: sovereignty and the *REMOVAL* of a certain number of Arabs; *we must insist on both*."*—*Ben-Gurion "Before [statehood] our main interest was self-defense ... But now the issue at hand is *CONQUEST*, not self-defense."*—*Ben-Gurion "We should prepare to go over to the offensive. Our aim is to *smash* Lebanon, Trans-Jordan, and Syria."*—*Ben-Gurion "We must do everything to ensure they [ethnically cleansed Palestinian refugees] *never return*."—Ben-Gurion "The interests of security demand that we *get rid of them*."—Israel's second Prime Minister, Moshe Sharett "*TRANSFER* [ethnic cleansing] could be the *crowning achievement*, the final stage in the development of [Zionist] policy ..."—Sharett "We are equally determined to explore all possibilities of *getting rid*, once and for all, of the huge Arab minority."—Sharett "There is no such thing as a Palestinian."—Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir (later parroted by Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum) "They [the Palestinians] are as grasshoppers in our sight."—Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir "The Palestinians are like crocodiles ..."—Prime Minister Ehud Barak "We shall reduce the Palestinians to a community of woodcutters and waiters."—Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin "[The Palestinians] are beasts walking on two legs."—Prime Minister Menachem Begin "There is no Zionism, colonization, or Jewish state without the *EVICTION* of the Arabs and the *expropriation* [theft] of their lands."—Prime Minister Ariel Sharon "I believed and to this day still believe, in our people's eternal and historic right to this *entire* land."—Prime Minister Ehud Olmert "The killing [of Palestinians] is a good deed, and Jews should have no compunction about it."—Rabbi Yitzhak Ginsburg "[Land is acquired] by force—that is, by *CONQUEST* in war, or in other words, by *ROBBING* land from its owner."—Menachem Ussishkin "This the land problem ... the [Palestinian] Arabs do not want us *because we want to be the rulers*."—Ussishkin (who can blame them?) "Eventually we will have to *thin out* the number of Palestinians living in the territories."—General Eitan Ben Elyahu "There are no two peoples here. There is a Jewish *people* and an Arab *population*."*—*Benzion Netanyahu "We should *CONQUER* any disputed territory in the Land of Israel. *CONQUER* and hold it, even if it brings us years of war."*—*Netanyahu "[Zionism] will include withholding food from Arab cities, preventing education, terminating electrical power and more."*—*Netanyahu, predicting Gaza's fate Do we need any more evidence than what the prime movers of Zionism said themselves, and the terrible things they did, which confirm their self-incriminating words? -- -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. 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