Road Assignment
Vigiller M accepted the road assignment from HQ to visit the memorial to Rachel Corrie at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. M was to observe if there was any explanation for the death of this young woman on the memorial erected last fall, because the photo merely says: “Reflecting on Peace and Justice In Memory of Rachel Corrie 1979-2003”.
http://rachelcorriefoundation.org/multimedia/2013/10/untitled-06049.jpg
M reported back that although there was no explanation as to the cause of death there was plenty of room for one on the pedestal supporting the glass encased dove sculpture. There is nothing on this memorial that explains that Rachel was deliberately crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer as she attempted to protect the home of a Palestinian family in Rafa, Gaza.
We recognize that this is a public memorial, one that must pass muster with the College’s Board of Trustees. And of course this board must likewise pass muster with some pretty powerful minority groups in its community. So we ask why does this public memorial omit the names of the guilty? And who does this strange omission shield from scrutiny?
A Private Memorial
Let’s take a look at another memorial, this one placed on private property in upstate New York, but doesn’t omit the facts. It is dedicated to the memory of the village of Deir Yassin, Palestine and reads, in part:
Perpetrated by terrorists of the Irgun and Stern Gang, the massacre of Palestinian men, women, and children at Deir Yassin on April 9, 1948 is arguably the most pivotal event in 20th century Palestinian history.
The massacres symbolizes the Zionist quest to build a Jewish state on land inhabited for centuries by Muslims, Christians, and Jews. It marks the beginning of the destruction of over 400 Palestinian villages and the exile of more than 700,000 Palestinians.
https://www.deiryassin.org/poem4.html
As we recognize the fact that there exists NO public memorials to this massacre, can we imagine such a memorial passing muster with the Trustees of TheEvergreen State College, or with any college in America? Or would any city, county or state governmental body establish a memorial like this on public property?
Who is denying the American public of information that might affect their opinions on foreign policy? Why do they want to keep information like the memorial on private property away from public scrutiny? Dare we propose that it is the Jewish community which rallies their power to prevent this examination of the history of its Jewish state? Is it so illogical to identify and hold accountable this community – as JWPF does every Saturday morning – for the silencing of information vital to an informed public?
We don’t think so.
Comments?
Nine vigilers
Remember Deir Yassin this Wednesday
https://www.deiryassin.org/
Henry Herskovitz
Jewish Witnesses for Peace and Friends
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