============================================================ Debunking Charges of "Anti-Semitism" against the Sandinistas ============================================================ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --> [Send the 1-line message GET FSLN NICAJEWS ACTIV-L to ] [LISTSERV@UMCVMB.BITNET for a copy of this file. ] --> [Send GET ACTIV-L ARCHIVE ACTIV-L to above address for a ] [listing with brief descriptions of other files available] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [From: Turning the Tide (see below)]: Other charges too have been levelled against the Sandinistas in the propaganda war. President Reagan, with a representative of the Anti-defamation League of B'nai Brith (ADL) at his side, accused the Sandinistas of anti-Semitism on July 20, 1983 -- somehow overlooking a cable four days earlier from the US Embassy in Managua stating that it could find "no verifiable ground" to accuse the Sandinistas of anti-Semitism and that "the evidence fails to demonstrate that the Sandinistas have followed a policy of anti-Semitism or have persecuted Jews solely because of their religion." [84]. The charges have been reiterated since, but are denied by human rights activists who are highly critical of the Sandinistas in Managua, by a delegation headed by a Rabbi who had been a leader in the struggle against the anti-Semitism and terror of the Argentine neo-Nazis, and by a Panamanian Rabbi (a former Minister of the government who had been honored by the Latin American Jewish Congress) after a visit to Nicaragua. The Jewish Student Press Service reports that the ADL had "approached Presidental advisers with the idea of a deal" in an effort to "gain clout with the Reagan White House," accepted by the Administration who saw a way "to get the Jewish community to join the bandwagon" in the campaign to enlist public support for its Central American policies; the report cites officials in leading Jewish organizations, who denied the charges of anti-Semitism. [85] Meanwhile, the White House, the media and the ADL, while generally suppressing the cable from the Ambassador that reached Reagan four days before the July 20 accusation, also have yet to report the homilies of their favorite, Nicaraguan Archbishop Obando y Bravo, who declaims that the leaders of Israel... mistreated [the prophets], beat them, killed them. Finally as supreme proof of his love, God sent his Divine Son; but they...also killed him, crucifying him. [...] The Jews killed the prophets and finally the son of God... Such idolatry calls forth the sky's vengeance." [86]. [84] AP, Boston Globe, Sept. 21, 1983. [85] Rabbi Morton Rosenthal of ADL, letter, NYT, Sept. 27, 1983, responding to an op-ed of Sept. 13 by Ilana DeBare; Walter Ruby, _Jerusalem Post_, Aug. 21, 1984, _Genesis 2_, Sept. 1984; Americas Watch, _Human Rights in Nicaragua_; Ignacio Klich, _Le Monde diplomatique_ (Dec. 1983); Stan Steinreich, Jewish Student Press Service, _Genesis 2_ (sept./Oct. 1983). For Rabbi Rosenthal's reiteration of the ADL charges, see _Jewish Post_, Sept. 5, 1984; _Le Monde diplomatique_, June 1984. [86] _Human Rights in Nicaragua_. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From _Turning the Tide. U.S. Intervention in Central America and the Struggle for Peace_ By Noam Chomsky, 1985, South End Press, Boston. South End Press, 300 Raritan Center Parkway, Edison, NJ 08818 For a free catalog: 1-800-533-8478; send the 1-line message GET SOUTH END ACTIV-L to LISTSERV@UMCVMB.BITNET for titles from South End Press. ################################################################## Part 2 ################################################################## [From: Washington's War on Nicaragua (see below)]: One of the charges slapped on Nicaragua was anti-Semitism although it was discredited by many sources, including U.S. Ambassador Tony Quainton who cabled Washington in July 1983: "the evidence fails to demonstrate that the Sandinistas have followed a policy of anti-Semitism or have persecuted Jews because of their religion." Undeterred by the evidence, the administration pretended that Somoza associates who happened to be Jewish sough exile because of anti-Semitism [124] Edgar Chamorro recalled a meeting with three CIA officers in the spring of 1983 to discuss ways of promoting the contras inside the United States. One propaganda idea was to target American Jews by portraying the Sandinistas as anti-Semitic. According to Chamorro, the CIA officers "Said that the media was controlled by Jews, and it we could show that Jews were being persecuted it would help a lot" [125] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [124] See, for example, Jane Hunter, _Israeli Foreign Policy_ (Boston, South End Press, 1987), pp. 169-78; Franz Schneiderman, "bending Swords Into Plowshares: An Investigation of the Tensions between Israel and Nicaragua," Council on Hemispheric Affairs, November 26, 1985. [125] Jeff McConnell, Boston Globe, January 18, 1987. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Washington's War on Nicaragua, by Holly Sklar (page 243) 1988, South End Press, Boston South End Press, 300 Raritan Center Parkway, Edison, NJ 08818 For a free catalog: 1-800-533-8478; send the 1-line message GET SOUTH END ACTIV-L to LISTSERV@UMCVMB.BITNET for titles from South End Press. ################################################################## ============================================= T h e " N i c a r a g u a L i b r a r y " ============================================= * * ========= * Nicaragua * ========= * CONTRA TERROR Contras' origins; make-up; practices - documented FSLN H-RIGHTS Documented HRs comparison w/Somoza,Guat,ES,others FSLN MISKITOS Sandinista treatment of Miskitos;Charges & Realit FSLN NICAJEWS Debunks charges of Sandinista 'Anti-Semitism' * OXFAM84 NICARAG Oxfam America's 1984 report on Nicaragua, in full FSLN ACHIEVE Documented: achievements of the Nica. revolution * NICA-84 ELECTION Documented: Fair under Sandinistas; US subversion FAIRNESS NICA-USA Flwup:`Is Nicaragua More Democratic than the US?' NICRAGUA ELECTION Study in US subversion of '90 Nicaraguan election NOTE: ====================================== To get a file named FILE NAME from the archiver (files are two words separa- ted by a space), send the 1-line message GET FILE NAME ACTIV-L to: LISTSERV@UMCVMB.BITNET ====================================== ################################################################## ############################################################### # Harel Barzilai for Activists Mailing List (AML) # ################################################################ { For more info about ACTIV-L or PeaceNet's brochure send } { inquiries to harel@dartmouth.edu / mathrich@umcvmb.bitnet } To join AML, just send the 1-line message "SUB ACTIV-L " to: LISTSERV@UMCVMB.BITNET; you should receive a confirmation message within 2 days. Alternate address: LISTSERV@UMCVMB.MISSOURI.EDU Qs/problems: Rich Winkel, MATHRICH@UMCVMB.["MISSOURI.EDU" or "BITNET"]