Re: [ha-Safran]: Oxfam and anti-Semitism
From the moderator: The following message will be the last message in this thread. Although the subject is very important, I strongly believe that it is off our focus. There are many other discussion groups that deal with the subject and anyone is invited to discuss it there. Yossi Galron Moderator of Hasafran From: David Elazar [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [ha-Safran]: Oxfam and anti-Semitism Where do I draw the line between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism. If a humanitarian organization montitors both Israel and the Palestinians and criticises the parties for what they believe to be wrong doings and comdenms terrorism and those who support it, I see that as legitiment. If an organization condemns only Israel, disregarding what's happening in other parts of the world (China's occupation of Tibet, Christians being massacred in Sudan, etc), then, even if there are Jews in the organization, I believe that these organizations (this would include the ALA) are influenced by anti-Semites with various degrees of anti-Semitism. Unfortunately there are also Jews and Jewish groups who indirectly aid and support anti-Semites or because of their positions in various organizations are afraid to speak out. I would like to bring your attention to the following article: ICRC's perverted priorities http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/Printercid=1078027569927p=1006953079865 By Don Habibi (professor of philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington) It is tragic that the self-inflicted plight of the Palestinians has dominated the agenda of the international community and diverted our attention from the countless innocent victims of human rights violations elsewhere in the Middle East and the world. David Elazar Rishon LeZion, Israel [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.geocities.com/d_elazar (home page) Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the AJL === Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
Re: [ha-Safran]: Oxfam
At least here in Spain, Intermon-Oxfam was brought into existance in 1956 by members of the the Compania de Jesus. During Franco, the Red Cross was an organization controlled by the government. Baden-Powell Scouts (the kind we are all grew up with in the u.s.a.) all but disappeared and the concept was taken over by the Church. This form of Scouts still exists as Scouts Junior. Happily Baden-Powell Scouts is enjoying a limited though definite revival. From 1992 for tax purposes and to qualify for government and other types of funding Manos Unidas, Intermon Oxfam, Caritas and other catholic run organizations came out from under the Catholic church umbrella and changed their tax status to NGO. The motive behind this was that the spanish population had basically stopped going to church and had stopped donating to church organizations. As soon as these organizations left the overt patronage of the Church, and converted themselves into NGO's, people started donating again thinking that the church was no longer involved (tsk, tsk). If you go here: http://www.intermonoxfam.org/page.asp?id=314 ...if I'm not mistaken, this is the Oxfam store-front in Valencia (could be somewhere else, but I was just down that way today and it certainly looks like Valencia). If it is Valencia (99.3% sure), this particular store was previously Manos Unidas and before that some other Help India thing and before that the last headquarters of the Seccion Feminina (Women's League) of the FET-JONS, better known as the (loosely translated), Franco Fascist Club: Falange Espanola Tradicionalista-Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional Socialistas. (If it sounds a little nazi-ish, your spanish isn't as bad as you might think.) Several generations of women who for the most part had very little interest in politics, from 1939-1977 worked in hospitals, day-care, government kitchens... as un-sung volunteer, un-paid labor. They didn't get so much as a plaque or a street named after them. Their two-year training would have been equivalent to a junior college degree in Domestic Science. It also included catholic religious and Francist political indoctrination. All women had to go through the Seccion Feminina training/volunteer work program if they wanted to get any government document, e.g., driver's licence, passport, university student, etc. Only if you were married could you get out of it. When Franco went, so too did the Women's League; in fact but not in spirit. The essence of the Seccion Feminina today has been converted into the un-paid, un-sung, volunteer section of all these organizations that we conceive of as non-government, non-religious. In Spain however, they may not be government but they are most certianly Catholic. I can not and will not deny the good that Intermon-Oxfam has done and continues to do all over the world. However, it is the spanish Catholic church that publishes their literature and it was no mistake that Israel did not show up in the spain-spanish Intermon-Oxfam tour book. Besos de Valencia Alba Toscano Sinagoga conservador/masorti La Javura Valencia (Espana) http://www.uscj.org/world/valencia Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the AJL === Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
Re: [ha-Safran]: Oxfam
Oxfam is an NGO from the UK. Their work is mainly dealing with fair trade in developing countries. While I do agree that is a political and historical mistake to speak of Palestine without reference to the modern State of Israel, I will not rush to label it as anti-Semitism. Many of the people in movements similar to Oxfam are Jewish. At the same time many anti-Zionist activists in the USA are also Jewish, for example the Neturei Karta ( http://www.nkusa.org )in upstate New York. Even within the Palestinian Authority region there are Jewish communities of ultra-orthodox that oppose the State of Israel and Zionism. I consider this a tragedy, but I cannot call it anti-Semitism. The anti-Zionism that is anti-Semitic is the kind of the OLP and those who publish books like the protocols of the Elders of Zion. This kind of anti-Zionism is clearly anti-Semitic. By the way Oxfam site is http://www.oxfam.co.uk/ There are Israeli movements that are anti-Sharon and also against some of the Zionism's political movements, but they are not anti-Semitic. Another NGO that publishes literature on the Middle East, which include material that I consider no only anti-Zionist but also anti-Semitic (meaning anti-Jewish) is the MCC ( http://www.mcc.org ). No all their anti-Zionist statements are anti-Semitic, but tragically many of their publications contain articles that are anti-Semitic. Another anti-Zionist organization, which I consider anti-Semitic in many of their activities, is the CPT ( http://www.cpt.org ) Shalom uvrakha lezman ziunut The best thing to hit the Internet in years - NetZero HiSpeed! Surf the Web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month -visit www.netzero.com to sign up today! Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the AJL === Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
[ha-Safran]: Oxfam
In a tourist guidebook published by Intermon Oxfam (Spain), Otros mundos (Viajes alternativos y solidarios), Israel is non-existent. There are guides to sites in Tel Aviv, Caesaria etc. in the Palestine section of the book. No mention of Israel. Copied from Carta de Sefarad, May 2004 http://www.sefaradeditores.com/carta/mayo2004.htm Turismo por Tel Aviv (Palestina). La ONG Intermon Oxfam ha editado recientemente en Espana un libro titulado: Otros mundos (Viajes alternativos y solidarios). Es una especie de guia de turismo en cuyo capitulo 13, pagina 106, se ofrece como destino Palestina. El mapa de ese destino recomendado llamado Palestina, es el que corresponde a Israel y a los territorios en litigio, y la guia recomienda que visitas hacer en Palestina. Por ejemplo, banarse en las playas de Tel Aviv o de Cesarea, pasear por el Neguev y acercarse a Mitzpe Ramon, etcetera. En la guia se proporcionan direcciones de varias agencias de turismo, en Jerusalen Este, Ramalla y Hebron, para que la gente se informe. Para Intermon Oxfam Israel, como Estado, no existe. Esta ONG para el Desarrollo cuenta con el apoyo de mas de 190.000 socios y colaboradores, empresas y entidades, y recibe cuantiosos fondos de entidades gubernamentales espanolas y de otros paises. (Gracias, Puncho) The address of the publisher: Intermon Oxfam (Spain) Chair: Josep Miralles; Director: lgnasi Carreras Roger de Lluria 15, 08010 Barcelona, Spain Tel: ++ 34 93 482 0708/0 Fax: ++ 34 93 482 0707 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Benjamin Richler Institute of Microfilmed Hebrew Manuscripts Jewish National and University Library POB 39105 Jerusalem, Israel 91390 Tel. 02-6586233 FAX 02-6511771 Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the AJL === Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: Listproc @ lists.acs.ohio-state.edu Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: galron.1 @ osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org
