Following strong reactions from the part of French Jewish organisations, the debate on the Middle East that was supposed to take place – Tuesday the 18th of January – at the French great school “l’Ecole Normale Supérieure” (ENS) was cancelled. A strange move considering the little political impact of the conference. So why bother?
The conference would have opened by a speech from the diplomat, and co-writer of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, Stephane Hessel. Recently, he published a book called: ‘indignez-vous!’ (Be outraged!) where he speaks up (on 2 pages out of 19) for the Palestinian cause and blames Israel for the situation in the Gaza Strip.
Unfortunately, the debate was fiercely opposed by the Council Representing French Jewish Associations (CRIF) and by several other Jewish associations. The author was particularly blamed for upholding the boycott of Israeli products, or more precisely of products coming from West Bank’s colonies.
Yet, it seems to me that such a boycott is far from justifying the numerous attacks the writer has been subjected to in the past months. Neither the boycott nor ‘Indignez-vous’ deserve the criticisms enounced by the president of the CRIF, Richard Prasquier, who, on the CRIF’s website speaks of ‘loath against Israel’, or ‘discrimination against a country’. The issue is not about Jews, Arabs, Muslims, or terrorism (which the author also denounces at many occasions in his book). Stéphane Hessel is just trying to draw the attention on a situation that deserves to be denounced. He does not advocate any form of violence against Israel. Nor does he raise any incredible, new, or shocking truth… For years now the world community is aware that Israel should withdraw from the Gaza Strip, and promote human rights for Palestinians. Last year, Catherine Ashton, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, visited several times the Gaza Strip, on behalf of the EU member states, calling for the relaxing of the embargo imposed by Israel on the Gaza strip. United States’ president Barack Obama also took position in favour of the end of the blockade (we can particularly recall that he took a strong stance against Israel when Tsahal attacked Gaza aid fleet last May). It is not that suprising that the situation in Gaza triggers reactions. People can be outraged that such a conflict sees no end.
The debate that was supposed to take place last Tuesday would have raised those issues, and the right to raise them goes hand in hand with our right to freedom of expression. Since when can we not condemn such an outrageous situation through peaceful means?
The most astounding part of the story is that, still on the CRIF’s website, Richard Pasquier prides himself on having contacted Valerie Pécresse – French minister of the Universities – and convinced her to cancel the Conference. It seems to me very disturbing that a high representative of the State complies with the desiderata of an association, without even giving any explanation motivating this act.
Indeed, the debate, I insist, is not about being pro-Palestinian or pro-Israeli. It is about understanding how a population, without consideration of its origin and its religion, lives isolated from the world, enclosed behind walls, entrapped in a conflict that deprives it of its right to basic conditions of living. According to the CIA’s (Central Intelligence Agency) World Factbook, 70% of the West Bank inhabitants live behind the poverty line. The report adds “fighting between HAMAS and Israel during December 2008-January 2009, resulted in the near collapse of most of the private sector, extremely high unemployment, and high poverty rates ».
It is mainly through dialogues and awareness that we will be able to make things change. That’s what Stéphane Hessel tried to tell us in his “indignez-vous!”, and it is, in my opinion, a wise piece of friendly advice.
Angela Shoeman
Membre des Cabris de l’Europe
