Source: sputlink.blogspot.com

Famed Author Alice Walker is making headlines for her refusal to authorize an all-Hebrew version of the classic book The Color Purple, the 1982 novel about inhuman treatment of a poor black girl in the rural South.

The 68-year old acclaimed author and activist recently sent a letter to Yediot Books, an Israeli publishing house, politely requesting that her book not be republished “at this time” because of Israel’s inhumane treatment of its neighbors in Palestine. In the letter, which was also published on the website of the “Palestine Campaign for the Academic & Cultural Boycott of Israel,” Walker writes:

“Thank you so much for wishing to publish my novel THE COLOR PURPLE.  It isn’t possible for me to permit this at this time for the following reason: As you may know, last Fall in South Africa the Russell Tribunal on Palestine met and determined that Israel is guilty of apartheid and persecution of the Palestinian people, both inside Israel and also in the Occupied Territories. The testimony we heard, both from Israelis and Palestinians (I was a jurist) was devastating.  I grew up under American apartheid and this was far worse.  Indeed, many South Africans who attended, including Desmond Tutu, felt the Israeli version of these crimes is worse even than what they suffered under the white supremacist regimes that dominated South Africa for so long.

It is my hope that the non-violent BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement, of which I am part, will have enough of an impact on Israeli civilian society to change the situation.”

The letter also goes on to mention the personal significance of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winning novel, “to rid humanity of its self-destructive habit of dehumanizing whole populations” including Walker’s insistence that the film version not be shown in apartheid South African.  She writes, “I lobbied against this idea because, as with Israel today, there was a civil society movement of BDS aimed at changing South Africa’s apartheid policies and, in fact, transforming the government.”

Walker roots in the BDS movement against Israel can be traced back to her nuptials to a Jewish law student in 1967 when she started learning more about the sorted history of the country, this according to an interview with Foreign Policy magazine. Last year, she would join the flotilla of ships, which sought to break Israel’s maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip in hopes of bringing supplies and raising awareness of the situation there. Already, pro-Israel groups are jumping on Walker, accusing her of being Anti-Semitic, including right-wing conservative blogger Debbie Schlussel, who called Walker’s act a far-left pronouncement from a “self-important Ms. Thang” and “excessively-hyped, lesbionic screedist.”

However, Walker is not the only artist willing to take a stand against the heavy-handed practices of Israel. Artists Against Apartheid, an international alliance committed to equal rights and justice, as well as the elimination of apartheid worldwide, has also called for cultural boycotts of Israel and is supported by hundreds of artists around the world, including former Pink Floyd front man Roger Waters, Carlos Santana and Elvis Costello.

The Israeli conflict/occupation is now in its fifth decade. Despite international pressure for Israel to stop the of expansion of its original stated 1948 boundaries, that country continues to increase the number of settlements into Palestinian territories – often times by military force and in violation of international law. This has resulted in not only the displacement of Palestinians from their homes but also a wave of violence from both sides including suicide bombings by Palestinians within Israel and the death of thousands of civilians along the Gaza Strip.

by Selam Aster

When I saw Harvey Weinstein on the news over the weekend, discussing his company’s  film “Miral,” I was a bit surprised. Miral is a movie about the Israel-Palestine conflict told through the perspective of Palestinian women. Needless to say, it’s controversial since it comes by way of a Jewish producer, Weinstein, and a Jewish director, Julian Schnabel. At a recent premier screening of the film at the United Nations, the American Jewish Committee and the Anti-Defamation League protested, obviously unhappy with the less-than-flattering portrayal of Jews in the never-ending struggle for land preservation and conquest in Israel.

Growing up in California, I knew many Jewish people. When I first came to understand how modern-day Israel came to be, I asked one of my Jewish friends what he thought about the displacement of so many Palestinians. All he could say is that he supported Israel because he was Jewish. I kept badgering him for a more worthwhile explanation of his support but I was unsuccessful. Later, I would come to understand that this was just the code of conduct. But even after so many years, I still don’t accept it. Would I, as a Black person, defend certain projects (no matter how advantageous it was for my people), because I was Black? No.

For many Jews, when it comes to Israel, loyalty trumps all. The lens that an average Jewish person may use to assess the other ills of the world become foggy when it comes to Palestine. It certainly makes me wonder about the dangerous role of religion. There are many injustices present in the world but what’s so concerning about the Israel-Palestine conflict is that it is one that cannot be fairly assessed (or called out) because of the delicate nature of money and power involved.

I do admire Weinstein for going where few would expect him to go. He’s obviously proud of his Jewish heritage but also proud of his own individuality and sense of judgment. Schnabel himself is married to the woman whose story inspired the film, and contends that despite the fact the Palestinian perspective takes priority in this film, his intentions are to promote balance.

“I love the state of Israel. I believe in it, and my film is about preserving it, not hurting it,” he told the LA Times. “Understanding is part of the Jewish way, and Jewish people are supposed to be good listeners. But if we don’t listen to the other side, we can never have peace.”

(AJC) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Obama conferred twice yesterday at the White House, but the tone of the meetings was apparently chilly. As the Washington Post notes, the meetings had little of the pomp that normally accompanies a visit by another head of state.

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