LETTER: Supportive of terrorism

Though Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Noam Chomsky led an impassioned lecture on Israel Apartheid Week Tuesday (“Chomsky joins Israel “apartheid’ debate,” Wednesday, p. 1) and is a world-renown scholar of linguistics, he neglected to conduct a factually based argument and, instead, manipulated facts and truths.

Chomsky was disturbingly supportive of terrorism, especially that perpetrated against Israel, claiming that it is justified by “various grievances.” Terrorism exercises the deliberate use of violence against innocent civilians to enforce an agenda. While terrorism may successfully bring a certain group to light, such as Hamas, acts of violence against innocent individuals are never justifiable. Terrorism, as experienced by thousands of Israeli civilians, is an atrocious violation of human rights accords and is never a legitimate form of action.

Equally disturbing is Chomsky’s legitimization of the terrorist group, Hamas, the ruling power in Gaza that openly supports and engages in terror. Chomsky explicitly denies Israel’s right to self-defense. This is shocking, considering Hamas’ charter calls for the destruction of Israel and the murder of Jews. It states, “Our struggle against the Jews is very great and very serious. . . .The Movement is but one squadron that should be supported by more and more squadrons from this vast Arab and Islamic world, until the enemy is vanquished and Allah’s victory is realized.” Article 13 of the Hamas charter continues, “Initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences, are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement. . . .There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors.” It is not unreasonable for Israel to defend itself from a group who blatantly proclaims to perpetuate terror until, “the enemy [Israel] is vanquished.”
To Chomsky, it is vital to portray Israel as a place of violent oppressors. Chomsky does not question terrorism and genocide, as perpetuated by Hamas. Hamas denies innocent citizens of Gaza with basic necessities such as shelter, food and security. Hamas continuously and brutally murders members of the opposition, Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestinian National Authority.

Hamas persecutes Christian Palestinians in areas like Bethlehem and subjugates its own women. Chomsky neglected to recall that during the civil war between Fatah and Hamas, Israel allowed countless members of the Palestinian Authority to seek refuge within Israel’s borders, as they were turned away from other Arab nations like Egypt. He neglected to include that Israeli and Palestinian doctors give aid to countless Palestinians through Save a Child’s Heart, an Israel-based humanitarian group that provides heart operations for children. Most troubling is Chomsky’s omission of the pressing issue that the Palestinian government has continuously rejected Israel’s call for a two-state solution.

Noam Chomsky’s lecture demonstrated a lack of intellectual integrity. The Israeli- Palestinian conflict is incredibly sensitive with both Israeli and Palestinian civilians experiencing extreme hardships. Please examine this pressing issue from both sides. Do not allow yourself to be indoctrinated by a man who consciously overlooked fact. As long as Chomsky denies reality, his road to peace will never be successful.

Meggie Wyschogrod &- CAS 2012, Vice President of Boston University Hillel
Rachelle Rubin &- CAS 2012, Co-President of Boston University Students for Israel Arielle Adler &- SED 2011, Vice President of Boston University Students for Israel