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September 7, 2001/Elul 19, 5761, Vol. 53, No.48
Words as weaponsEditorialIt is a shame that a conference convened to combat racism became a forum that perpetrated the very hatred it sought to decry, and those it sought to defend were victimized by the pernicious hatred of others.The United Nations conference on racism in Durban, South Africa, could have raised world consciousness about intolerance and provoked meaningful discussion about the state of human affairs. Instead, it degenerated into an ugly manifestation of the basest form of anti-Semitism, leaving both the U.S. and Israeli delegations no choice but to walk, with the possibility as we go to press that their 15 European Union counterparts may not far be behind. The language of the conference's declaration - including references to Israel as "an apartheid regime" and accusing the Jewish state of "ethnic cleansing and other acts of genocide" toward Palestinians - was deeply offensive. It patently denigrated Israelis and Jews worldwide while seeking to deny the right of the Jewish state to exist. The words, and the ensuing headlines, exploded around the world, just as bullets spewed forth from yet another missive - a bomb in a suicide bomber's backpack that wounded 15 innocent bystanders on a Jerusalem street. This was the fifth such violent attack in Israel in two days. The week's events point out the deep and dark roots of anti-Semitism, and the potential, if left unchecked, for such vitriolic hatred to destroy any possibility for peace. Words can be weapons, as Israel's enemies well know, and the Durban declaration was just their latest sortie. The Palestinians have expertly waged a war of words, utilizing their textbooks, their pulpits, their news media to perpetuate hatred against the Jews. And yet, as seen in Durban, fanning the fires of anti-Semitism with inflammatory rhetoric may backfire. Rendering Jews as victims and targets causes us to harden our positions and impedes opportunities for reasoned dialogue. If Israel is ever to move forward on the path to peace, words must be tempered, just as the terrorist's attacks must be allayed. |
