In October, New Hampshire Rep. Maria Perez (Milford) was campaigning for Palestinian rights. She tweeted “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” The phrase was attacked as “anti-Semitic” and the Democratic “Progressive” Caucus spinelessly kicked Perez off its executive board.
Perez was expressing the hope that Palestinians would have the freedom of self-determination, the freedom of movement and the freedom of human rights which are denied to them now. Rights for Palestinians equal anti-Semitism? Really? If your existence requires the denial of someone else’s human rights, you have serious soul-searching to do. Further, Israel’s prime minister, his party and (former Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu’s Likud party proclaim their intention for Jewish Israel to expand from the “river to the sea.” Is this acceptable where the other is not? Why?
Israel, to remain a Jewish and democratic state, must deny non-Jews meaningful political representation. They do this through discriminatory citizenship laws like the Law of Return. In the West Bank and Gaza, Israel controls the borders and who and what can go in or out as well as strictly controlling non-Jewish movements within these territories. Israel controls Palestinian land use, severely restricting home building and routinely evicting non-Jewish Palestinians to make way for Jewish settlements or “nature reserves” or military training areas. [Sources: abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/israel-set-3000-west-bank-settler-homes-week-80755401, jpost.com/Israel-News/In-Area-C-battle-IDF-approve-seven-new-Israeli-West-Bank-nature-reserves-614237.]
Using a charge of anti-Semitism to deny Palestinians their basic human rights is reprehensible. Perez should be applauded for her principled convictions – not punished.
Tricia Saenger
Temple