Dear Campaign Member Organization,

If Americans Knew has just received a letter from the Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation interrogating us about a variety of allegedly dastardly actions that took place years ago, with the intention of expelling us from the Campaign if our answers are not satisfactory.

This interrogation, which we believe is absolutely unfounded and inappropriate, is the latest move in what I can only term a witch-hunt against pro-justice activists who some gatekeepers decide to attack. I hope that member organizations that do not support such witch-hunting and divisive infighting and attacks will object.

Ironically, the accusations against us stem from us fulfilling our mission: to provide accurate, transparently cited facts about Palestine (mostly unreported and unknown) to everyone possible in the United States. We believe that informing Americans is the path to changing U.S. policies – and that this is the way to bring true justice, security and peace to all the people of Palestine, Israel, the U.S. and indeed the world.

We must counter the massive misinformation being fed to the American public, and we reject attempts to censor, constrict, and limit our work.

Our accusers claim that my giving interviews to an obscure internet radio program indicates endorsement of the interviewer and whatever he may have published or stated elsewhere. In reality, as you know, writers, leaders, activists, politicians and others give interviews to all kinds of people and programs (from Fox News to Communist papers).

They also assert I am “associated” with all the websites that have posted my articles, even though sites repost my work without permission, compensation or even my knowledge (along with those of many other activists). The reposting, sharing or distribution of my work or If Americans Knew materials does not indicate endorsement by me or If Americans Knew.

However, we don’t copyright our material and support the “Creative Commons” internet licensing norm, which permits anyone to “copy and redistribute the material in any format.” We believe this advances both the freedom of the internet and our own mission to get accurate information out as widely as possible. (One website that didn’t cite the original source of my article has not responded to requests to rectify that.)

The accusers also claim that I did not do a sufficiently good job in a few interviews out of the probably thousands I have given. You can read details below in my response to the Campaign Inquisition (as well as at our website), but suffice to say that I do my best to get my message out in all interviews. I don’t pretend to be perfect, and (like most of us, probably) I often think later of things I should have said and better responses I could have given, especially when interviewers are confusing and hard to hear over internet phone connections.

Overall, however, despite imperfection and always falling short of the excellence I’d like to achieve, I’m proud of my efforts. Despite the amazing amount of time my accusers seem to have spent poring over my interviews, they seem only able to come up with things that I allegedly should have said.

Finally, the accusers attack a few of my writings, drawing on accusations certain pro-Israel organizations have long made against me, saying that I should have covered up some of the well-cited information I included. This is unacceptable. I believe that democracy requires a “free marketplace of ideas,” in which all information can be considered and sources followed up so that individuals can decide for themselves which information and arguments have merit.

Campaign member organizations could all file complaints against other members in our coalition – especially against organizations that work with and include Zionists, who are supporting war crimes, aggression against unarmed civilians, and apartheid-like conditions for the native people of Palestine-Israel.

Yet, we have all chosen not to do this, and for good reason. At If Americans Knew, we focus on getting accurate information out as widely as possible with the goal of bringing real change – justice and peace for all parties. We believe member organizations share this goal and therefore most remain focused on that, using diverse approaches and strategies that complement one another.

Below is the letter from the Campaign, along with my point-by-point response. The letter largely replicates an attack against us by Jewish Voice for Peace, whose accusations we have already thoroughly rebutted – Please see http://www.ifamericansknew.org/about_us/accusations.html. We have received tremendous support in response to this attack against us, and we have shared some of that response at the end of the page linked above.

Yet the Campaign has taken up these discredited accusations and even added a few more that repeat the accusations of pro-Israel organizations.

We find this Inquisition improper and a misuse of members’ fees.

If Americans Knew has been working on this issue devotedly year after year despite death threats, smears, obscene emails, threatening phone calls, and even an assault on me.

While many people were ignoring Palestine, we were working day and night to wake up Americans to the urgent facts. We built a website, conducted media studies and massive research, produced numerous written materials and have shipped tens of thousands of booklets, cards, fact-sheets, and videos all over the country — often filling last-minute orders so that groups could get them in time for their events.

I have written articles and a book , appeared on a myriad of radio programs and public access TV shows of all types, often at a moment’s notice, and have spoken all over the country to large groups and small ones – on campuses, in living rooms, libraries, Rotary Clubs, Veterans for Peace groups, religious groups of many stripes, Kiwanis Clubs, Socialist organizations, Democratic Clubs, social justice groups, at rallies and conventions; staffed booths everywhere from the US Social Forum to American Legion national conventions (where I was twice ejected for my polite and legitimate support of USS Liberty veterans) to get facts to everyone possible. I have stayed in hotel rooms and on couches, taken jets and Greyhound buses.

For years I left my family during Thanksgiving vacations to speak at American Muslims for Palestine conventions. I’ve been honored to give keynote addresses for a wide range of worthy groups, traveling all over the country to raise money for such groups as the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, CAIR, PAB, and numerous charities in cities across the nation raising money for Palestinians suffering and dying under Israeli oppression.

I did all this knowing that I was thereby exposing myself to a variety of potential perils, including malicious attacks on my character and on my organization. I was ready for this. I believed then, and I believe now, that if I did my best to work for justice and truth, there would be as many who would stand with me as would try to tear me down.

Through the years numerous people have told us that the If Americans Knew website is the most valuable one they’ve found on this issue, especially for reaching people new to the issue, and that my talks were the most effective they had heard on the topic. And now with the publication of my book, If Americans Knew is receiving even more supportive messages, many from newcomers to the issue and saying it’s the most eye-opening book they’ve read on the subject. This is not to brag; there are many people who have done and are doing amazing work on this issue, and we rely heavily on most of them — rather, it reflects our decade-and-a-half focus on reaching beyond the “choir.”

I have a life history of opposing racism of all sorts and of supporting justice. The If Americans Knew staff and I are committed to justice and dedicated to getting the facts out as widely as we possibly can.

It is strange that our accusers are dredging up events that took place years ago and combing my hundreds or thousands of interviews with even the most obscure hosts, in order to craft attacks on us. These attempts to create some kind of guilt by “association” and misrepresentations of my and If Americans Knew’s work mirror ADL attacks on us.

Defending ourselves against these attacks could easily force our tiny, shoestring-budget organization to put important projects on the back burner; as I write this, I’m leaving articles half-written and am delaying our billboard and other public outreach work. But we refuse to let it stop us, intimidate us, or long distract us. We’ll just work a little harder to keep pushing for change with all our skimpy resources and slim staff time — and then some.

Thank you for your time and, most of all, your work for justice and peace.

In solidarity for justice in Palestine,

Alison Weir

If Americans Knew

* * * 

LETTER FROM THE US CAMPAIGN TO END THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION, WITH REBUTTALS IN BOLDFACE

P.O. Box 21539 | Washington, DC 20009 | 202-332-0994 | www.endtheoccupation.org

July 2, 2015

Dear Officers of If Americans Knew,

We are contacting you on behalf of the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation. We have received a complaint from a member group claiming that If Americans Knew is in violation of our Anti-Racism Principles.

Which member group filed this complaint? A basic principle of justice is that the accused is permitted to face her accusers.

The US Campaign has developed the procedures below to ensure that violations of the anti-racism principles by member groups, either real or perceived, are addressed in a clear and transparent manner that protects the rights of both victims of racism and those accused of violating this policy.

We’re glad to hear that our rights are to be protected and that this process is to be transparent. Therefore, we would like to know who has accused us and to see their accusatory document. I will reply below on behalf of myself and our organization. I hope you will, in fact, read the whole response.

We have also been told by several individuals that they nominated me for the activist award. We would like to know how many people nominated me.

–Alison Weir

This procedure is designed to address behaviors/incidents/written materials/etc. that emanate from a member group and/or a leader/spokesperson for a member group that violate the US Campaign’s commitment to fighting all forms of racism and bigotry. This procedure is not meant to mediate conflict between or within groups or to address the behavior of individuals who are acting and speaking of their own accord, but rather to address member groups engaging in public acts of racism/discrimination/bigotry that reflect negatively on the US Campaign coalition.

Our procedures require that a committee comprised of two members of the US Campaign’s Steering Committee and the US Campaign Executive Director assess the complaint and engage in a conversation about the allegations. After discussing the issue with If Americans Knew, the committee will decide on, and pursue action within three months.

Potential actions include:

1. The committee may find that the complaint has no merit and dismisses it.

We have already rebutted these accusations publicly and have received tremendous support. This Inquisition should never have started.

2. The committee may find that the complaint has merit and is being addressed within the member group and therefore requires no further involvement by the US Campaign.

3. If the committee finds that the complaint has merit, but the incident appears to be an isolated event or that the group involved expresses an understanding of the identified problem and a willingness to address it, the committee may recommend that no further action be taken.

4. If the committee finds that the complaint has merit and the individual or member group expresses no willingness to sufficiently address the issue, the committee may recommend removing the individual or member group from the coalition. This decision must be approved by a 2/3rd majority vote of the Steering Committee. Once the member group is voted out of the coalition, the Steering Committee will inform the group about this decision.

5. Groups that are removed from the coalition are entitled to re-apply to join, at which point the Steering Committee will determine if the previous concerns have been dealt with before making a decision to welcome them back.

In order to begin our deliberations into these allegations, we request your cooperation by providing responds to the following questions by August 3, 2015.

1. One issue raised in the complaint relates to Alison’s multiple past appearances on the “Free American Hour” hosted by Clayton Douglas. The issue of her appearances on this show is also a key issue in the public dispute between If Americans Knew and Jewish Voice for Peace. Could you provide us with background on these appearances and how you see them as consistent with If American’s Knew’s “Principles” as they appear on your website?

Interviewing me or sharing my work in any medium does not indicate endorsement by me personally or by If Americans Knew. My views and positions are represented solely in our own statements and writings. We are not so much an activism organization as an informational one, and we focus on providing the most accurate, transparently sourced information we can.

With that goal and mission in mind, I have aimed from the first to reach beyond the “choir” of people who already know about and sympathize with the Palestinian plight. I have sought ways to reach a broad audience, inform Americans across the political spectrum and present the most factual, well-cited information possible – all with the goal of truly bringing an end to the ongoing Mideast tragedy, by preparing Americans to change policies that enable Israel’s criminal actions. Effectiveness has always been my watchword. The tragedy is far too great for anything less.

Therefore, I have long had a policy of appearing, within time constraints, on any show that invites me (as, apparently, do many other committed individuals), because I believe the information we have to share should be heard by everyone. I do not vet interviewers, but instead do my (human) best to own my own words by speaking with accuracy, fairness and intention. Similarly, we do not attempt to police who reposts my writings and our materials and are happy for these to be shared far and wide, without compensation (and often without our knowledge), in the belief that they speak for themselves and the hope that they can make a difference.

I have appeared on radio programs across the political spectrum from the far left to the far right, and some years ago even went on a right-wing Israeli talk show. I knew ahead of time that this show would be unpleasant, and, indeed the host frequently turned off my microphone while another individual attacked me on air with false claims that I was left unable to defend against. But I felt it was important to even try to reach Israeli listeners, including conservative ones.

I travel all over the U.S. and abroad to speak about the Palestine-Israel issue and the U.S. connection, If Americans Knew ships hundreds of thousands of informational materials (written by excellent diverse authors and researchers) to events and individuals, and I give media interviews to anyone who’s willing to consider the information I address. My goal is to reach every single person possible with essential facts to counter the misinformation so often being disseminated to Americans. I go to great pains to be accurate, transparent, and respectful of all people.

Accusing me of some kind of extremism for accepting interview requests implies that I should only share my message with people who already agree with it. These accusers claim that me giving an interview indicates that I endorse the views of my interviewers. This bizarre line of reasoning holds that appearances or interviews constitute “associations” or “affiliations” with the interviewing groups or individuals. This would mean that Professor George Bisharat’s appearance on Fox News indicated his endorsement of Fox, that the Corries’ “exclusive interview” by the American Free Press demonstrated that they worked with AFP, and that Ray McGovern’s interview with the same publication meant that he, too, was associated with AFP. This is both absurd and harmful.

Indeed, appearing on anyone’s show or consenting to be interviewed by someone never denotes association with or endorsement of that person’s views, as surely everyone knows. Authors, politicians, and others go on a great many shows of diverse people, from the left to the right, and such appearances do not indicate any kind of comment on the positions of the host.

Instead, I believe that the people who most need to hear my message are those who do not agree with me, whether because they support Israeli aggression, Islamophobia, or any other forms of supremacism or injustice. In the U.S., Israel partisans are working to inject fear and hatred of Palestinians, Muslims, Arabs, and Islam into every sector of U.S. society and are particularly targeting conservative portions of the U.S. with this poison, which is causing an alarming growth of Islamophobia in this country, some of it taking violent turns. This makes it especially important that I and others work to give the real facts to every portion of our population – without exception. There are a multitude of important facts that I try to remember to give all audiences, including the fact that Zionism does not represent all Jews and that there are many Israelis who oppose governmental policies. When I once forgot to include enough of this type of information, I went on that show again to clarify it.

As best I recall about this particular obscure radio show from five years ago, Douglas was from Oklahoma or somewhere similar, seemed to have had a hard life and was, I suspected, a bit down and out.

In his somewhat wandering, occasionally conspiracy-tinged questions, Douglas touched on a lot of out-there thoughts, but I recall that he differentiated between Jews and Zionists, spoke strongly against violence, decried Israeli oppression, and seemed to be striving to be a fair person. When at one point he failed to distinguish between Zionists and Jewish people in general, I corrected him.

(I’m told that some of those who seem to wish to “get me” are saying that he used an offensive term at one point, but I don’t recall anything of the sort. They may be referring to the term “Morlock” that he once used that I wasn’t familiar with, apparently from an HG Wells book, which Douglas used to refer to the global elite who exploit everyone, he said, including people who are Jewish.)

While someone has posted a transcript of one show (which may or may not be accurate), I actually went on his program several times, when I could squeeze it in (he asked me many times, but I usually didn’t have time to do it). My purpose was the same as in all my interviews: to use the opportunity to convey to the audience as much important information as possible in the limited airtime available to me – about the plight of Palestinians, my trips to the region, the media distortion on Palestine, how much money we give Israel, our responsibility to bring justice and peace, the real facts about Islam, the importance of opposing all racism, the fact that there are many Jewish-Americans who oppose Israeli oppression, etc.

This is what I try to convey to audiences whenever and wherever I can, as I believe that ending the long-standing injustice and horror in Palestine is the best way to protect human rights and to achieve security and peace for all parties and, indeed, the world. I believe the issue is too urgent to become distracted.

To reiterate: My goal is to try to reach everyone with the fundamental principle that all racism is wrong and to provide accurate facts.

2. Are you currently aware of the racist and anti-Semitic materials published on Clayton Douglas’ website and the racist and anti-Semitic content included in recordings of his radio show from both before and after Alison’s appearances on the program?

Perhaps you should ask him about that. I have not delved into that. If Americans Knew spends our limited time on providing information on Palestine to the general public through articles, videos, studies, written materials, billboards, advertisements, etc. This takes all our time. Sadly, we do not have the million dollar budget that seems to give some organizations time for these extraneous and divisive activities.

I am aware of the frequently racist, belligerent, and inaccurate information published and aired by powerful mainstream news organizations on the Palestine-Israel topic, but I still don’t hesitate to give interviews to those organizations whenever possible, and I have no intention of changing that policy. Wouldn’t you?

3. In Alison’s statement in response to JVP’s decision not to cooperate with If Americans Knew from May 20th, Alison states, “I have a policy of appearing, within time constraints, on any show that invites me”. Will this continue to be a guiding policy for If Americans Knew or will efforts be made to vet speaking opportunities to prevent future appearances on shows that are used to promote racism, anti-Semitism, or other discriminatory actions when the primary purpose of the appearance is not to challenge all discrimination and racism?

Answered above. It sounds like the Campaign has already come to a premature decision on this topic; please genuinely consider it. It will be tragic if portions of the activist community succumb to focusing on self-limiting their opportunities to inform the public, which are already so very hard to come by, given frequent media blackout and bias. If we become so focused on our own personal and organizational purity that we must even investigate interviewers and re-posters before sharing information, in order to avoid being tainted by supposed “association,” we are guaranteed to fail in ending this long-standing tragedy in the Middle East. I hope very much that we all share the goal, rather, of bringing an end to it.

I plan to use as many opportunities as possible to provide critical information to the American public on the plight of Palestinians, children being killed and tortured, massive numbers of people being imprisoned, Gazans being held in a large open-air concentration camp (all done through the use of American money), the media distortion on Palestine, our responsibility to bring justice and peace, the real facts about Islam, the importance of opposing all racism, the fact that there are many Jewish-Americans and Israelis who oppose Israeli governmental oppression, the importance of opposition to war and violence, etc.

4. Will you accept future invitations to speak on shows hosted by Clayton Douglas or Mark Dankof if an offer is made and time allows for an appearance? If yes, what principles would guide this decision?

Answered above. Dankof has also interviewed peace activists Ray McGovern and Jennifer Lowenstein, Israeli professor and author Ilan Pappe, and journalist and commentator Dilip Hiro, among many others. Will you be interrogating these people, also?

5. What is If Americans Knew’s current connection to Veterans News Now (VNN) which regularly publishes articles by Alison and lists her as a “Featured Columnist”?

None.

6. Materials on the VNN site (particularly its 9/11 investigations) would be considered by many to be anti-Semitic and the VNN sister site Veterans Today and its partner site Rense.com both regularly posts racist and anti-Semitic content. How does Alison’s relationship with VNN align with the If Americans Knew “Principles”?

Your ADL-like charges have nothing to do with us since we have no relationship with either website. However, I’ve just looked at Veterans Today and found articles by Josh Ruebner, Phyllis Bennis, Mazin Qumsiyeh, Mohamed Khodr, Arundhati Roy, Alan Hart, Stuart Littlewood, Uri Avneri, Stephen Lendman, and many more. Similarly, Rense.com contains articles by Hedy Epstein, Josh Ruebner, Alisa Solomon, Robert Fisk, and many more. Have you also asked these people about their “relationship” with these websites?

7. In the complaint concerns were raised about your 2009 article “Israeli Organ Harvesting ”. The concern expressed related not to the core content of the article but to the reference in the article to research that alleges that there was a factual basis for medieval blood libels. Reading the article in full it is apparent that the quote in question is used to point out how the research by a Jewish scholar into blood libel’s possible historic roots resulted in virulent attacks on that scholar in order to comparing those attacks to the unfair attacks against those who have written about Israeli organ trafficking including accusations that they are supporting a new blood libel. However, by juxtaposing these two cases it appears as if you are not only challenging the attacks on those reporting on organ trafficking but also the attacks on the author of the research on blood libels.

While recognizing the reality of Israeli organ trafficking and the importance of challenging attacks on those who raise up concerns about this organ trafficking which is now well documented, do you not find it problematic to hold up the idea that blood libel accusations might actually be based in historic reality and that they are not just a product of anti-Semitism? Is this connection you would make today?

I suggest you and others read both of my articles on this topic. When I wrote these, almost no one (outside of Palestine) was aware of this situation and, at that time, attacks came from all directions that even considering these accusations was “anti-Semitic”: Israeli Organ Trafficking and Theft: From Moldova to Palestine and Israeli Organ Harvesting: The New “Blood Libel”?

Regarding Israeli Professor Toaff’s book, I wrote:

In scanning through the reaction to Bostrom’s report, one is struck by the multitude of charges that his article is a new version of the old anti-Semitic “blood libel.” Given that fact, it is interesting to examine a 2007 book by Israel’s preeminent expert on medieval Jewish history, and what happened to him.

The author is Bar-Ilan professor (and rabbi) Ariel Toaff, son of the former chief rabbi of Rome, a religious leader so famous that an Israeli journalist writes that Toaff’s father “is to Italian Jewry as the Eiffel Tower is to Paris.” Ariel Toaff, himself, is considered “one of the greatest scholars in his field.”

In February 2007 the Israeli and Italian media were abuzz (though most of the U.S. media somehow missed it) with news that Professor Toaff had written a book entitled “Pasque di Sangue” (“Blood Passovers”) containing evidence that there “was a factual basis for some of the medieval blood libels against the Jews.”

Based on 35 years of research, Toaff had concluded that there were at least a few, possibly many, real incidents.

In an interview with an Italian newspaper (the book was published in Italy), Toaff says:

“My research shows that in the Middle Ages, a group of fundamentalist Jews did not respect the biblical prohibition and used blood for healing. It is just one group of Jews, who belonged to the communities that suffered the severest persecution during the Crusades. From this trauma came a passion for revenge that in some cases led to responses, among them ritual murder of Christian children.”

Professor Toaff was immediately attacked from all sides, including pressure orchestrated by Anti-Defamation League chairman Abe Foxman, but Toaff stood by his 35 years of research, announcing:

“I will not give up my devotion to the truth and academic freedom even if the world crucifies me… One shouldn’t be afraid to tell the truth.”

Before long, however, under relentless public and private pressure, Toaff had recanted, withdrawn his book, and promised to give all profits that had already accrued (the book had been flying off Italian bookshelves) to Foxman’s Anti-Defamation League. A year later he published a “revised version.”

Among the many citations for the article were:

http://www.bokus.com/b/9789170370939.html

http://www.tlaxcala.es/pp.asp?reference=8390&lg=en

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/829381.html
Ha’aretz. The Wayward Son, by Adi Schwartz, March 1, 2007

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/824152.html
Ha’aaretz, Bar-Ilan to order professor to explain research behind blood libel book By Ofri Ilani, Haaretz Service and The Associated Press, Feb 11, 2007

http://bloodpassover.com/index1.htm

http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/824152.html
Haaretz, Bar Ilan to order professor to explain research behind blood libel book, by Ofri Hani, Feb. 11, 2007.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/957357.html
Ha’aretz, ‘Historian recants theory that Jews killed Christian child in ritual murder,’ By Adi Schwartz, Feb 24, 2008

I also discussed this on my blog:

“My short section near the end of my article on Ariel Toaff’s suppressed book on blood libel was a very small part of the fairly long article, but, as expected, it has drawn considerable wrath from some quarters. Others have raised the question of whether it was relevant to include in the article, a reasonable question and one I pondered ahead of time, knowing the anger it would engender among those who wish such things to remain hidden. (Much more information on Toaff is here. A video of Toaff is below.)

Obviously, I decided in the affirmative. Given that virtually all Bostrom’s critics were using the epithet ‘blood libel’ in their attempts to block any real consideration of the article’s content, I felt that the successful silencing of an Israeli scholar who had raised significant questions about this very subject was quite relevant and useful for people to know about — especially since the Toaff controversy had been covered so extensively in the Israeli press at the time. I don’t like the idea that some people are permitted to know something, but that others are not supposed to learn about it.

If people read Toaff’s book for themselves, and I provided the link so that they could, they can see the content for themselves and determine whether they feel that his evidence supports the conclusions he had drawn or not. If they do feel that some small groups did do what he believes they did, this conclusion in many ways simply indicates that the Jewish population is basically similar to anyone else, since history shows that there have been sects in numerous religious groups, that have committed “religious” violence.

The problem is that some people believe that the Jewish population is better than all the rest of humanity; others allege it’s worse. My view is that individuals within this population run the whole gamut, just as in other populations.

The continual portrayal of an entire population that has never done anything wrong (as Alfred Lilienthal once discussed), and that is eternally the victim of allegedly bigoted, always baseless accusations is part of what buttresses the Israeli myth, replete with its astonishing claim of ‘purity of arms.’ (The fact that so many people can believe that the soldiers of one army — unlike all others — have never committed a single abuse is an example of the pervasiveness of this myth of extreme exceptionalism.)

I feel that the continual attempt to censor all negative facts and allegations – to suppress books and block investigations — is a dangerous, two-edged sword. Many people believe the myth, at least for awhile, which enables continued and expanded misconduct. Others, however, do not, and they, recognizing the suppression, sometimes then imagine a reality that is considerably worse than the actual facts — and such suspicions smolder and grow.

I believe it’s always better for the truth to come out.

8. How do the views on racism and anti-Semitism expressed in the article “Ali Abunimah and Gilad Atzmon at the OK Coral” published on Alison’s blog align with the If Americans Knew “Principles”?

As I wrote on my blog: “I BELIEVE IN THE FREE MARKETPLACE OF IDEAS AND SOMETIMES POST ARTICLES BY OTHER INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS WHEN I FEEL THEY CONTAIN INFORMATION OR ANALYSES THAT COULD BE INTERESTING FOR PEOPLE TO READ AND PONDER. SUCH POSTING DOES NOT NECESSARILY DENOTE AGREEMENT WITH THE ARTICLE AND DOES NOT NECESSARILY DENOTE AGREEMENT OR ENDORSEMENT OF THE AUTHOR AND OTHER ARTICLES HE OR SHE MAY HAVE WRITTEN IN THE PAST OR MAY WRITE IN THE FUTURE.”

To repeat, we stand by our own principles and statements:

Mission Statement

In a democracy, the ultimate responsibility for a nation’s actions rests with its citizens. The top rung of government – the entity with the ultimate power of governance – is the asserted will of the people. Therefore, in any democracy, it is essential that its citizens be fully and accurately informed.

In the United States, currently the most powerful nation on earth, it is even more essential that its citizens receive complete and undistorted information on topics of importance, so that they may wield their extraordinary power with wisdom and intelligence.

Unfortunately, such information is not always forthcoming.

The mission of If Americans Knew is to inform and educate the American public on issues of major significance that are unreported, underreported, or misreported in the American media.

It is our belief that when Americans know the facts on a subject, they will, in the final analysis, act in accordance with morality, justice, and the best interests of their nation, and of the world. With insufficient information, or distorted information, they may do the precise opposite.

It is the mission of If Americans Knew to ensure that this does not happen – that the information on which Americans base their actions is complete, accurate, and undistorted by conscious or unconscious bias, by lies of either commission or omission, or by pressures exerted by powerful special interest groups. It is our goal to supply the information essential to those responsible for the actions of the strongest nation on earth – the American people.

Our Principles

We believe all people are endowed with inalienable human rights regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, sexuality, or nationality. We believe in justice, fairness, and compassion and in treating all human beings with respect, empathy, and in the manner in which we would wish to be treated.

Disseminating Our Information

Our materials and information are available to all. We feel it is essential that these facts be learned by every possible person.

The positions of If Americans Knew are represented in our statements and writings alone, and the views of those who distribute our materials, articles, or interviews do not necessarily represent those of If Americans Knew.

Action Focus #1

Israel is the largest recipient of US. aid in the entire world. It receives more aid than that given to all the countries of sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, put together.

Israel receives about $8.4 million dollars per day from the United States, and there is evidence that the total cost to American taxpayers is closer to $15 million a day. Yet this information is almost never printed in American newspapers. Coverage of the Middle East in general, and of Israel in particular, virtually never reports this enormous American connection with this region.

Empowered by American money, Israel is occupying land that does not belong to it, is breaking numerous international laws and conventions of which it is a signatory, and is promulgating policies of brutality that have been condemned by the United Nations, the European Union, the National Council of Churches, Amnesty International, the International Red Cross, and numerous other international bodies. This truth is also rarely reported.

Through the money and weaponry provided by the United States, Israel is imposing an ethnically discriminatory nation on land that was previously multicultural. There is ethnic and religious discrimination inherent in its national identity, and a doctrine of the supremacy of one group over all others permeates its political, financial, and military policies. This also is virtually never reported.

There are a variety of organizations and individuals in Israel who are protesting their government’s policies, and who are working strenuously and courageously on behalf of human rights and justice. It is their intent to create a just and fair nation with equal rights for all its citizens. They are refusing to serve in the military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, and are actively trying to prevent Palestinian homes from being bulldozed. These actions are also not covered in the American media.

American support of the Israeli government is against our national interest on every level: It places us at war with populations whose desperate plight we are helping to create, and who, quite correctly, place the responsibility for their sufferings on us. It makes us an accomplice to war crimes and an accessory to oppression. This also is not reported.

In analyzing the American media, we are increasingly discovering a cover-up of appalling proportions. Israel is being protected, the news about Palestinians in particular and Arabs in general is being distorted, and the American public is being manipulated.

We believe strongly that if Americans knew the truth about Israel and Palestine — about the massive amount of our tax money that is being given away to Israel, and about the human costs of Israel’s American-financed militarism — they would demand an immediate re-thinking of our policies in this region.

It is the goal of If Americans Knew to inform the American public accurately about this area. Most of all, it is to inform Americans about our enormous, and too often invisible, personal connection to it.

Americans, through our blank check to Israel, are empowering the worst elements of Israeli society, and undermining those working for a just, peaceful, and nondiscriminatory nation.

We are driving the violence in this region.
We can stop it.

9. Does if American’s Knew find any of the statements put out in its defense and attacking JVP by people like Mark Dankof and Gilad Atzmon problematic and should the organization have any responsibility for challenging positions such as these which use anti-Semitism and racism in its defense?

We have numerous projects we’re working on and don’t feel it’s appropriate to take time away from these to engage in debate about the numerous articles and postings about us by others that can be found all over the Internet. I stand by my writing and our statements; other people’s writing and comments represent their views alone.

I suggest that Campaign staff focus your time, funded by all of us, on bringing justice to Palestine, rather than descending into in-club debates, engaging in witch hunts and producing lengthy spurious dossiers on fellow activists.

We look forward to your responses which can be emailed to us at director@endtheoccupation.org

Is the campaign also investigating groups that work with Zionists, have been published by Zionists, and / or contain Zionists who support not just racist words but horribly racist actions in Palestine?

Sincerely,

Felicia Eaves, Co-Chair, Steering Committee
Yousef Munayyer, Executive Director
Sandra Tamari, Member, Steering Committee