Part V: A Personal Journey to Truth
[By Dr. Bill]
*Bill uses initials throughout his account in order to protect privacy
It was now around the late 80s, early 90s, and the director, I will refer to him as D.M., was invited to attend an Arab-American conference at the University of Massachusetts. He asked me if I wanted to come along and give a presentation as well. I agreed. First of all, I had spent an entire year at UMass going for a PhD in invertebrate zoology; until my wise Uncle Sidney confronted his semi-hippie nephew with an excellent question: “How do you intend to make a living?” Sometimes 20 year olds just need a smack on the brow. Secondly, I had never given any kind of presentation to a large audience.
That conference was well over thirty years ago, and I simply don’t recall what it was that I spoke about, but I do remember (how could I forget) receiving a standing ovation.
I then took questions from the audience and this I can never forget. I was asked by one young gentleman if the infamous Blood Libel was true. I’m sure those of you reading this know what that’s all about. I took pains, very carefully and very gently to disabuse him of that notion. The question really came out of left field, because it had nothing to do with my presentation. I’d never have that anti-Semitic lie as any part of anything I'd have to say. I even noted that the expressions on some faces indicated their disapproval of the very question. I guess I made my bones that day.
After the presentations it was time for lunch, which was buffet style, with everybody getting on line with trays and plates. A few people came over and insisted that I not stand in line, escorted me to a nicely placed table, and not to worry - they’d get me a nice selection of food. Which by the way was delicious.
As Jerry Garcia might say, this was a very strange trip. Out of several hundred people, I was the only Jew. Simultaneously I had never felt so alone, and yet more welcomed. The graciousness and courtesy of my hosts was unsurpassed.
During that time I gave a few other presentations at similar conferences; one was at Columbia U., and another at a college in central Pennsylvania.
After I.N. died, something happened with D.M. He seemed to have snapped. He started associating with this individual who seemed to come out of nowhere; who claimed to be an Israeli Jew, let’s call him I.S., but whose writings were replete with anti-semitic inferences. As a favor to D.M. I let this individual stay in my home overnight. Not only did he scare my wife but he asked to borrow a large sum of money. I made sure all of our valuables were locked away and hidden. This person floated around the east coast for quite a few months trying to ingratiate himself to several Arab groups including CAIR. Fortunately they were smart enough to see right through him. To this day I don't know whether he was just a run of the mill nut or an Israeli operative. Maybe both.
After that, the group basically fell apart, several members of the board including myself quit and it became moribund. The last straw was when D.M. said something highly prejudicial to me.
The important lesson here is that if you are a principled anti-Zionist, especially a Jewish one; you need to be highly aware of the true intentions of some who might be allies. Anti-Semites (I much prefer the term, “Jew-haters”) need to be given a wide berth if you are to maintain your credibility, integrity and reputation. Zionist organizations would like nothing more than to discredit you. Up until the past five or six years, they’ve controlled the narrative, they’ve controlled the media.
The far right Jewish Israeli Fascists are hurtling Zionism towards its absurd conclusion.
Years ago, I and a few others reached the conclusion that there will never be a two-state solution. The only logical solution, and this might simply evolve as a result of the inevitable demographics, is One State in all of the territory of the former Palestine Mandate, where there will be living a few million Jews, a few million non-Jews all having equal citizenship and equal rights.
I have some contemporary acquaintances whose parents were Holocaust survivors. They’re called 2Gers and bear the psychological scars of their parents. They verbally expressed the fear to me that the Jews were going to be thrown into the sea. Yes, it’s illogical and even childish, but their fear is real. Nothing I could say would dissuade them of that notion. The Zionists love that. Those poor souls are their most ardent supporters.
In 1975 the UN General Assembly passed resolution 3379 which was then repealed in 1991. All of it was political theater. This was the resolution that declared Zionism to be a form of racism. Naturally the Zionists went ballistic. Yet they got the reason that Zionism is racism all wrong. It only peripherally had to do with the way the settler colonialists and later the Jewish Israelis behaved towards the native population.
Herzl’s political Zionism WAS ALWAYS A RACIST NOTION. It was racist because it agreed with the “polite” anti-Semites (who didn’t want to be called Jew haters), that in spite of the great advances being made by many individual Jews after the ghettos of Europe were destroyed; it was impossible for Jews as a body to integrate and assimilate into European society. There was just SOMETHING about those Jews, can’t really put our fingers on it, but you know…. And Herzl said, they were right- there was just something in “the Jewish character” that made living in society impossible. Therefore the Jews need to leave. If that is not a racist notion, I don’t know what is.
Happy Chanukah, keep the lights on and pass the flame to the next one down the line. I will gladly entertain any questions. [Written during Chanukah 2023]
Stay tuned for Dr Bill’s postscript next week!
