Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor of Linguistics Noam Chomsky used his linguistic capabilities to manipulate the facts and distort the truth at a lecture on Tuesday (“Chomsky joints Israel “apartheid’ debate,” Wednesday, p. 1). Several of his key points demonstrated a disturbing view towards terrorism and terrorist organizations.
Chomsky stated that terrorism, especially when perpetrated against Israel, could be justified by “various grievances.” Any justification of terrorism — the deliberate and violent targeting of civilians to force an agenda — is extremely dangerous. No person or organization is justified in murdering civilians simply to prove a point. It is a heinous violation of human rights and is never legitimate.
Even more disturbing is Chomsky’s deliberate ignorance of Hamas. He never mentioned that the Israelis are defending themselves against this internationally recognized terrorist organization. Actually, the Hamas charter calls for more than terrorism &- it openly says that Islam will obliterate Israel, quoting the Hadith’s call to “fight the Jews and kill them,” and drawing extensively from the fraudulent and fiercely anti-Semitic text, “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.” Hamas is believed to have killed more than 500 people in more than 350 separate terrorist attacks since 1993. Since its violent takeover of the Gaza Strip in 2007, Hamas has targeted Israeli civilians by lobbing thousands of rockets at population centers in Southern Israel.
In omitting the true nature of Hamas’ “grievances,” Chomsky presents an intellectually dishonest and morally bankrupt argument. Neither side is perfect, but to completely ignore the faults of the elected government of the Gaza Strip is a crime in itself. The Israel/Palestine issue is a complex one. It is so complex, in fact, that one can understand how respected intellectuals can have such wildly different opinions.
However, what is not understandable is how one can lecture about this issue without mentioning Hamas. It is irresponsible and Chomsky should know better. It would be like discussing the conflict in Northern Ireland without mentioning the Irish Republican Army. Or worse, it would be like discussing the war in Afghanistan without mentioning the Taliban. It demonstrates much more about Chomsky than it does about Israel. Even if it means ignoring terrorists, Chomsky has his agenda.
So please, do your research, and learn about this issue &- from both sides. But for the sake of peace, and for the sake of the majority on both sides who want nothing more than to live in peace and raise their families, be extremely skeptical of the man who willfully ignored the elephant in the room for a two-and-a-half hour lecture, because, in this case, the elephant is wearing a suicide vest.
Adam Korn
CAS 2011
Boston University Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America Fellow
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