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Issue: August, 1991

Lanugage is partial. The language of conflict is especially partial. Few conflicts illustrate that fact more painfully than that in "the Holy Land." Is the conflict between Arabs and Jews, Israelis and Muslims or between Zionists and Palestinians? Careful. The language you choose directly reflects your education, your bias, your partiality, because bias is part and parcel of the language.

WAR IS FOUGHT AS MUCH WITH LANGUAGE AS WITH BULLETS. If you know the language, you can tell who is using it, who is on which side. Was it the Malvinas as the Argentines said or the Faulklands as the British called the islands over which they warred in 1983? Remember? That was a tough one for American media because we were nominally neutral and either choice reflected bias.

Lanugage is partial. The language of conflict is especially partial. Few conflicts illustrate that fact more painfully than that in "the Holy Land." Is the conflict between Arabs and Jews, Israelis and Muslims or between Zionists and Palestinians? Careful. The language you choose directly reflects your education, your bias, your partiality, because bias is part and parcel of the language.

Even the span of the conflict is an important point of bias. Is it an age-old conflict or a fairly recent one? Answer "ages-old" and you necessarily eliminate the manifestation of Zionism as a reason for conflict. If the conflict has gone on for centuries, as Zionists insist, then the 1920's insertion of Zionists into Palestine—beginning the wholesale taking of Palestinian land for exclusive Jewish use—had nothing to do with it.

Take the most misunderstood of the terms: "Zionism." Its common dictionary definition is "A movement for the resettlement of the Jews in Palestine." A prominent liberal Zionist defines it as the liberation movement for Jews. Neither definition deals with the inconvenience of millions of Palestinians living in the land of Palestine. Leave the problem to a catchy ditty: "A land without people for a people without a land." Poofff! They no longer exist! Ask the dearly departed grandmotherly Golda Meir and grandfatherly Ben Gurion, both of whom reiterated that there was never any such thing as Palestinians, only a few nomads occassionally passing through on camels.

Then there's the United Nations' definition of Zionism, equating it with racism because of the Zionist practice of excluding everyone but Jews from the land which Zionists call Israel and Palestinians call Palestine.

And let's not forget the Israeli government definition of "Palestinian"—None. Nada. As Ben and Golda said, there are no such things, they never happened. And to prove it, the Israeli government imprisons anyone who insists upon that definition&emdash;"Palestinian"—on his or her required identity card.

Another example. By every definition, a semite is as much an Arab as a Jew. But for all of us, "anti-semitism" means racism against Jews alone. Indeed, racism against Jews is the only kind of racism with its own definition. A chosen pathology for a chosen people? In any event, it is the conflict that has allied language to coopt in this case an inclusive term to convey an exclusive meaning.

More rapid fire examples: Zionists refer to "Israel," never to "Palestine." Zionists refer to "the Palestinian problem," never "the Zionist problem" or the "Israeli problem." Zionists refer to "Samaria and Judea," never to "The Occupied Territories." Zionist reference excludes the dozens of United Nations resolutions outlawing and condemning Israel's occupation of those Territories, including East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. Zionists are concerned with the defense of Israel, never with the defense of all the lands and peoples Israel has invaded and occupied over the decades.

Then there is the liberal Zionist whose eyes will well up at the first sight of "the origins of his genetic code," but cannot see the expulsion and murder of those Palestinians who dare claim the land of all their ancestors' birth. Indeed, liberal Zionist eyes may never see that millions of expelled Palestinians could feel the same about their own birthplace. Why, some liberal Zionists will even suggest that Palestinians—previously thought to be quite happy being themselves—are really misguided Jews who need only convert to solve everything. In other words, change the names, use other words . . .

Comments? Questions? Email the author(s) of Palestine Papers at mtorres@icehouse.net

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