When I feel powerless, I write. Who can I write to? To US Jewish - TopicsExpress



          

When I feel powerless, I write. Who can I write to? To US Jewish Writers. Open Letter to Michael Chabon (sent to Pen International and his agent Steven Barclay) Dear Mr. Chabon, I thought I would appeal to you as a high profile US author of Jewish background to confer with other prominent US Jewish artists and appeal to your government to put pressure on Israel to stop its onslaught against the civilian population in Gaza. I am a writer (short stories, film scripts, a novel) and have been greatly inspired by the warmth, wit and expansive humanity of your writing. Werewolves in their Youth is one of my favourite short story collections, Kav & Clay describes male friendship better than Ill ever be able to, while Wonder Boys gets more wonderful every time I re-read it. Your stories are frequently enriched by being steeped in Jewish culture like my favourites of Bellows and Roths. I know that the State of Israel is a troublesome issue for the US, but I cant help but think that the current US administration would act more forcefully if they thought the US Jewish vote wouldnt desert them as a result of interceding on behalf of innocent children and women being blown to pieces. The death toll after three weeks of Operation Protective Edge tells the tale: 1,156 dead Palestinians, 53 dead Israeli soldiers, 2 dead Israeli civilians, 1 dead Thai civilian. Its a stark proportional difference in suffering. Support for Hamas had largely waned in Gaza before Israel rained white phosphorus down on children, shelling hospitals, UN-schools acting as civilian shelters (killing UN personnel), media buildings and residential areas. Hamas are terrorists and they should not be allowed attack Israeli civilians, but after a 7-year-economic blockade of land, air and sea, wouldnt you fight back too? Israel was furious with the FAA for the US flight ban on entering Israeli airspace, claiming this was the US hinting about an economic embargo. But if its perfectly safe for flights to come in as Israel claims, then just how much of a threat are Hamas rockets? The death toll nails the lie of Israels right to protect itself. Protests against this illegal action have been going on across the world, including a crowd in Dublin on Saturday numbering over 3000 people. We have petitioned our Department of Foreign Affairs who failed to carry out the wishes of Irish people when they abstained from the UN resolution censuring Israel. We have no voice. The people of Gaza are being slaughtered as the civilised world watches on. A firm diplomatic intervention by the US on humanitarian grounds is the only thing that will bring a lasting ceasefire. Meanwhile, John Kerry has been ridiculed in the Israeli media to discredit him. We all want to be on the right side of history, but I dont think we need to have the ghost of Harold Pinter appear bellowing Shame on Us All to tell which side that is. Yours sincerely, Nick McGinley
Posted on: Tue, 29 Jul 2014 19:53:02 +0000

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