‘Dangerous’ Dershowitz’s defence of Israel
WHEN Sydney's Festival of Dangerous Ideas program was released, Israel-watchers were impressed to see Alan Dershowitz's name on the schedule.
WHEN Sydney’s Festival of Dangerous Ideas program was released, Israel-watchers were impressed to see Alan Dershowitz’s name on the schedule.
That feeling soon turned to surprise when they read the topic he would be discussing with fellow human rights advocate Geoffrey Robertson: “The Sins of Our Fathers: Should the Pope Be Held to Account?”
Dershowitz explained to The AJN the subject was also a surprise to him.
“It was my proposal to the folks in Sydney that I debate the Middle East,” he said from Cambodia, his stop before Australia.
His expected adversary was Palestinian Prime Minister Salaam Fayad. But Fayad withdrew.
“I offered to debate anyone else on the Middle East,” he explained, but festival organisers preferred him to opine on sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.
At least Sydney’s Jewish community will get their fix of Dershowitz Israel advocacy, with the outspoken American addressing a town hall-style event at Central Synagogue on Sunday night.
Dershowitz, a professor of law at Harvard, is one of the world’s most famous supporters of Israel. The author of countless books, he defends Israel’s right to exist and behave as a sovereign and mature country.
He has other interests in the human rights sphere, but puts Israel above all else.
“I think Israel is the most pressing human rights issues of the 21st century.”
Why? Because, in his opinion, almost all of the world’s human rights advocates focus obsessively on the Jewish State. He used Cambodia as an example, saying that during the genocide in the South-East Asian dictatorship in 1975, the world was more interested in debating whether Zionism was racism. “People didn’t lift a finger on Cambodia,” he said, adding other atrocities, such as Tibet and Darfur, where ignorance continues.
“The professional human rights community is making a fortune from attacking Israel,” he continued, citing George Soros’ $100 million donation to Human Rights Watch, an organisation that has long been critical of Israel.
This week, the human rights watchers lashed out at Israel following the United Nation’s Human Rights Council’s controversial report into the Mavi Marmara’s attempt to break the Gaza blockade earlier this year.
Dershowitz questioned a number of aspects of that report, including why Egypt, which also maintains a blockade on Gaza, was not singled out. Condemning Israel is “the whole culture of the UN” he said.
“The Jewish community can fight against it by telling the truth.”
A prolific media commentator, he was unconvinced the latest round of peace talks between the Palestinians and Israelis would come to much.
“It’s not a waste of time,” he said. But recent comments by Palestinian PM Fayad — calling for two states, a Palestinian-Muslim one and a binational one — have left him less than encouraged. “I wonder whether the Palestinians are really serious,” he queried.
He maintained that one of the biggest barriers to peace was Iran.
“Iran is going to try desperately to prevent Israel from living in peace.”
He called on the US Government to guarantee it would prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. He also encouraged Israel to make peace with Saudi Arabia and Syria — both of which are also threatened by Iran’s bellicosity.
“Saudi Arabia is terrified of Iran much more so than Israel. Syria is also terrified of Iran,” he said. “This is a mega-battle between the US and Iran or the West and Iran” for influence in the region.
Asked how a man who was a self-proclaimed average school student and whose first job was separating hot dogs became the poster boy for Israel advocacy, Dershowitz was uncharacteristically bashful.
“I’m hated by Jewish left, by J-Street, and I’m also hated by the far right, the settlers,” he said. “I see myself as a centrist. I just care very much about the peace process, about Israel’s security.”
NAOMI LEVIN
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