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Speaking The Truth: Zionism, Israel, And Occupation | 
| Author: Michael Prior
Publisher: Interlink
Category: Book
List Price: $17.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 1183485
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.8
ISBN: 1566565774
Dewey Decimal Number: 301
EAN: 9781566565776
ASIN: 1566565774
Publication Date: September 30, 2004
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Product Description
In this collection of original essays, 12 internationally respected scholars and experts examine the ethical and strategic issues of the Palestine-Israel conflict, and offer us a rare window into the realities behind Israel's military occupation. It is an essential resource for anyone who wishes to understand the causes, underlying tensions, injustices and the tragically ongoing occupation.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Well-sourced clarification on this long-running conflict November 1, 2005
18 out of 26 found this review helpful
I am impressed with the collection of writers in this description of how Zionism plays an unfortunate role in the perpetuation of the Israeli Occupation of Palestine. It is quite a tribute to Michael Prior that he gathered this group of respected and influential Americans, Europeans, and Middle East natives, including academics and theologians, who have moral convictions on why this occupation needs to end now, and why. Details of history are presented, moral clarifications on Israeli relations with the UN, that all put together, paint a broader picture of the conflict that most Americans have never been given. If you are wondering why the need for the end of this occupation is imperative now, this is your source.
Once you have read it and agree with its perspective, you will be in the company of Albert Eistein, Ghandi, Noam Chomsky, and other intellectual role models who have warned against a one-race state. This book clarifies the contradictions being set by Israeli efforts that truly oppose our American values.
 Dishonest and immoral January 13, 2005
14 out of 66 found this review helpful
Truth is an inherent value. But when I speak the truth, I don't boast of it. I simply tell people that it is they, not I, who must judge the validity of what I say. And that they need to verify what they hear, whether it is from me or from anyone else.
These authors have more than a little nerve when they say they are speaking the truth. Of course, most of what they say isn't true at all.
Desmond Tutu leads off with a vicious introduction. Tutu was all in favor of human rights in South Africa. But he sure isn't in favor of human rights in the Levant. And he's opposed to human rights for Levantine Jews.
Michael Prior writes about the challenge of historical truth and morality. Well, what he writes clearly shows that this challenge is far too much for him. And the Reuthers are simply more of the same.
Ilan Pappe is next, and he says that the Israelis are in "denial." Actually, I think Israelis typically have a very good knowledge of the history of their region, maybe better than almost any other group in the world. But even if many Israelis had some misconceptions about their history, what relevance would that have?
Then we get to Daniel McGowan, who writes about Deir Yassin. I think this battle was indeed a key victory in the struggle for human rights, on a par with Gettysburg or Stalingrad. It was ugly, as over a hundred people died. But that was a small number when you compare it with Stalingrad. Or Gettysburg.
Ask yourselves if you wish the Germans had won at Stalingrad and just kept winning after that. It would have made hash of Soviet Russia. But at the cost of having all of Europe under a terrible and arbitrary tyranny. Stalingrad wasn't pretty, but it was a battle which had a good result for our species as a whole. And Deir Yassin wasn't pretty either. But it was one of the first battles in which the Jews actually fought back in their war for survival. And while the Jews may not have needed to win at Deir Yassin any more than the Russians needed to win at Stalingrad, eventually both sides needed to win somewhere or condemn quite a few people to misery.
That's not the picture we get from McGowan, who treats Deir Yassin as a Jewish war crime! As far as I am concerned, what he writes is simply pro-terrorist propaganda. While I certainly do not insist that he applaud Deir Yassin, I think he ought to admit that many good people do applaud it and for good reason. And I do insist that what he does say about Deir Yassin be honest. After all, didn't the title of the book say something about truth?
The rest of the book is no better. There are some articles on Christians in the region which make everyone look bad. There's an article by Paul Eisen, who wants to speak the truth to the Jews. The truth would indeed be a good idea! Too bad he doesn't do it. Naseer Aruri then discusses the Arab "right of return." More arbitrariness, more disregard for human rights. What's next? Maybe an explanation of why the Arabs have a right to "return" to Spain and expel the Spanish?
Elizabeth Barlow says that we need the will to act. I thought about what would happen if we took her advice, and the implicit advice of the other authors. Perhaps if we all did that, we'd wind up getting rid of our whole species, once and for all.
What we need instead of books like this one is the placing of more value on truth, justice, and human rights.
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