Glasser writes that Green "emphasized the importance of continuing to encourage democracy" in the Occupied Territories. This confused me; the article continues, scant words later, that he stipulated that the most recent round of elections, won by Hamas, were an "insufficient" mark of a democratic order-a "culture of freedom is what's needed."
The article refrains from defining the concept. Israeli academic Tanya Reinhart offers some insight: " ... in voting for Hamas," she writes, "Palestinians were opting for a party which had no history of collaboration with the occupiers," in juxtaposition with what journalist Robert Fisk calls the "corrupt" Fatah party, which had promised to "control" the Palestinians. It seems surreal that by not voting for such a party the Palestinians betrayed democracy. In turn, Green commented that the view that Israel "is the grossest violator of human rights" was myth, and observed that Israel is a "champion of human rights." It is worthwhile to observe how Israel champions "human rights." Shortly after the elections, Dov Weisglass, Ehud Olmert's policy advisor, said that Israel would respond to the Hamas victory by "putting Palestinians on a diet … [they] will get a lot thinner, but won't die"; the government implemented this policy by shutting the Karni crossing for 46 days. Reinhart observes that Karni is "the major pipeline for food and industry supplies" to get into Gaza.
In late June, Israel further showed its commitment to human rights: After kidnapping two Palestinian civilians from Gaza, a serious violation of international law, Hamas retaliated by kidnapping Gilad Shalit, a soldier of what is uncontroversially an occupying army. Israel's response was telling: it retaliated by ravaging the entire Strip, leveling civilian infrastructure and murdering Palestinian civilians. Israeli journalist Gideon Levy writes that Israel's latest incursion into Gaza marks it as a state that "is no longer distinguishable from a terror organization," while Amnesty International condemned the ruin of Gaza's infrastructure, including its water supply system, as "war crimes."
Given that these interpretations and events are so undisputed, I was befuddled as to how Green's presentation, which seemingly neglected to mention them, was "pro-human," or "depoliticized," and remain stunned that the Student would run such an article in its news section.
Max Ajl '06
Editor's note: While we acknowledge that Green's statements may not be substantiated by actions of the Israeli state, we submit that the News section is not the proper forum in which to raise such concerns. In order to ensure objectivity, the article was limited to the content of lecture and should not be construed to be an endorsement of his statements.