Rumors of Arafat AIDS and poisoning erode hopes for peace
Arab American Media Syndicate, Monday Nov. 15, 2004
(Permission granted to reprint)
By Ray Hanania
Normally when there is a discussion about Gays and the issue of AIDS, Jewish American leaders are among the first to stand up and decry the disease and defend the rights of Gays.
In fact, I have always admired the Jewish American community for their righteous stand on civil rights, and their sensitivity on the issue sof AIDS.
Of course, when the attention is on an enemy who stood in the way of the proclaimed Zionist dream to build a Jewish homeland in all of Palestine, many Jewish Americans and pro-Israel advocates are quick to set aside their humility and transform into racists with no end to their hate.
How else do you explain the sudden pre-occupation in the causes of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's death?
When he was alive, many Jewish leaders bit their tongues when Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon threatened to murder him.
Murder is so unbecoming of any race, you would think that Jewish American leaders who drawn a line in the sand when it comes to hatred of Palestinians. Surely, it is a violation of the high moral principles that are reflected in Judaism. Although while Jewish Americans are quick to point out Arafat's crimes, they seem blind to the crimes of their own people, likeSharon, Yitzhak Shamir and Menachem Begin.
So you can imagine my shock when I read the comments of many Jewish American leaders and pro-Israel columnists who claimed President Arafat died of AIDS.
Suddenly they are concerned with his health?
More likely, it's a reflection of their own moralbankruptcy. They seem to be enjoying the death of another human being just a little too much. In fact, the enjoyment reflected among Jewish American leaders is so disgusting, it makes me sick to think that some of those expressing this kind of hatred were once considered friends.
Former White House speechwriter David Frum, one of the new anti-Semites leading the American racism against Arabs and Muslims,
Frum wrote, "Speaking of media bias, here's a question you won't hear in our big papers or on network TV: Does Yasser Arafat have AIDS?"
He continued, "We know he has a blood disease that is depressing his immune system. We know that he has suddenly dropped considerable weight -- possibly as much as one-third of all his body weight. We know that he is suffering intermittent mental dysfunction. What does this sound like?"
Keep in mind, Frum is the man responsible for coining the ridiculous phrase, "Axis of Evil," when we know that evil permeates every nation, religion and race.
But he's not alone. The king of Arab hate-mongering is Daniel Pipes, the person President Bush appointed to the "Institute for Peace," writes that rumors that Arafat had AIDS are "plausible."
And his hate-web site has an open forum where his readers are encouraged to celebrate in the viciousness.
President Arafat was 75 years old when he died. Do you have to have a cause? Could it be that Arafat died an early death in part because of the inhumane conditions he was forced to live in at the Muqata, the Palestinian headquarters which was rubbled in an Israeli attack led by Ariel Sharon that was intended to destroy the peace process?
And imagine how Jewish Americans act when the shoe is on the other foot.
I have read in many Arab media that Arafat was -- gasp! - poisoned by the Israelis.
And how are the pro-Israeli crowd handling that?
Frum has reportedly called the poison rumor, "anti-Semitism."
Pipes writes, "Of course, some Palestinians have hatched a conspiracy theory about Israel poisoning Arafat."
Oh. But the AIDS rumor is not a "conspiracy theory." It's "plausible?"
Much like the Israeli hypocrisy on the issue of terrorism - only Palestinians are terrorists, they assert - their silence on the ridiculous rumor that Arafat had AIDS screams the word "shame!"
I think it is all shameful on both sides. Do you think there are some responsible Jewish and Palestinian leaders who might stand up and put an end to this disgraceful pandering to ugliness on both sides?
END
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