Edward Said as looked at by Russian Israeli writers:

The Strength of the Symbol

By: Munther Bader Halloum

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"The one who doesn't know is stupid, but if he knows and keeps quite he is a criminal"

Robert David wrote (a letter from Israel to Alexander Doughin), which was published in the Russian newspaper (Zaftra "Tomorrow") in the year 2000: He said"Every time you are complemented by Zionists and imperialists, you should look for a mistake that you have committed". The letter was written in response to a letter entitled "The Condemned Israel", published in the same newspaper  (Zaftra) issue No. 23 in the same year. The author of the article, which drove the leader of the EuroAsia movement in Russia, Alexander Doughin, to respond to David's article, Doughin was looking for allies among the Israeli extremist right wingers. David ( an Israeli Russian writer) chose Edward Said and Naom Schomsky as symbols of hostility towards Zionism and imperialism, and sees that in allying with them is a search for justice and the return of the rights to the (indigenous inhabitants). Our putting brackets around indigenous inhabitants is in concurrence with David's disapproval of Doghin's calling the Russian immigrants as indigenous inhabitants: "You call your new allies (indigenous inhabitants). There should  be a meaning for that, it is not a voodoo! How could we call the immigrants of yesterday, the occupiers and colonialists: indigenous inhabitants?"  Or it is enough for a Jew to climb to a height of eight hundred meters over sea level to immediately represent the EuroAsians indigenous mountaineers? Then after examining and keeping step with Doughin who is searching for historical basis that justifies the creation of  Zionism - the history of Zionism as a national movement- and in spite of all historical considerations, David reaches the conclusion that Zionism is very close to The National Socialist Party = Nazism. And in spite of all historical considerations, David concludes that it is impossible to go into alliance with Zionism or accept its friendship, the thing that even Nazism rejected: "There are Satanic forces that one should not ally with. It is not in futile that even The German National Socialists at the end could no more accept the many Zionist offers for friendship". As for alliance we should look for those freedom fighters who has a deep rooted contentment against Zionism and imperialism such as Edward Said. Thus Russia's friends in the Holy Land are those Palestinians and Israelis standing on international grounds hostile to imperialism. The most prominent enemies of America in our region are the Christian Palestinian, professor at Colombia University, Edward Said, and the Jewish Naom Schomsky, whom I support. At the time, when David's letter, crowns Edward Said as the  representative for a force that is endowed with a credibility, which qualifies it to be a strong supporter of the right of all the peoples of the world to live in freedom and be independence. Among the patterns of treason this letter gives are the cases of "South Lebanon Army"and the Army of Flasove during the great war against the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, which dedicates the denouncement of treason as a political rule for all those who fight for endeavoring the rights of any people in the world, thus defaming any body who  bets on powers, movements and parties of the same category of Nazism and its dear relative Zionism.

In contrast to this positive evaluation towards Edward Said as a Palestinian symbol for the fight against Zionism and imperialism, there is the Zionist view of Edward Said as a danger that should be eliminated, which proves in the negative sense what was positively proved the exceptional efficiency of Said as a Palestinian thinker and his importance in the academic circles. On this pattern the Israeli Russian writer, Israel Eldad, follows the Zionist traditions of mystification, falsification and relying for proofs on insipidity and closing eyes when facing the  great truth, thus symbolizing Said as an example of forging of facts by Arab information . At the time when it is difficult to defend Arab information , and not from the angle of its relation with Zionism, the scientific and intellectual history of Edward Said spontaneously defends him. This is what makes Zionists put all possible efforts to defame him. Eldad wrote an article entitled (The Skill of lying) published on the web on August 13th 2003, in which he attacks Arabs as individuals and as a nation, without fearing of being accused with being against Arabs or racism: "The  neutral observer would notice that the overwhelming color of Arabs is brown, the color of anti-Semitism and Nazism (...) and obscurantism has become one of the skills of Arab information. The Arab Nation (especially the Palestinians)  has many unbeatable masters in this art. Among those the journalist Cobi specified Said on the Second TV station. A month ago this journalist visited Switzerland where he interviewed one of the Palestinian leaders in the United States , Professor Edward Said, and called him the horn of Palestinian intellectuals." Ildad do not refrain from calling Said: "The notebook of lies", which reflects the extent of Said's exposure of truth, and confusion he caused to Zionists, as a symbol of Palestinian refugees, who was able due to the scientific and academic status he achieved by means of his perseverance, the firmness of his beliefs and the logical follow-up of his people's plight made others listen to his reasoning. Some support the oppressed and fight oppression, others cling to their falseness and the rest would simply shake their heads and surrender to their inability. Ildad proceeds by asking Professor Said about the possibility of coexistence between Arabs and Jews (by the way Said considers that to be impossible under a Jewish state). The question that should have been asked to justify the expenses of the trip was not asked.The purposed question is simple: Why do you lie Professor Said?

As for the basis on which Ildad founded his accusation of lying, is that "Said the important Colombia University professor ,"  is a descendent of a wealthy family - as per Ildad - and that he lived in Egypt under prosperous conditions "noting that he had never lived for one day in a refugee camp, and he has achieved not a bad academic position." Thus, according to Ildad, the good standard of living of Edward's father deprives him of the privilege of being a Palestinian, and this also deprives Edward who was born in Jerusalem of his Palestinian identity, and thus his right of being a Palestinian refugee: "The Christian Said family lived permanently in Cairo. His father was a wealthy businessman who constantly visited his relatives in Jerusalem, and during one of his visits in 1935 Edward was born. The birth certificate stated (born in Jerusalem and lives permanently in Cairo)". Ildad says without asking himself about the possibility of any reader, on condition that he is not blind, without comparing the situation of Said and the situation of other millions of Palestinians who were driven out of their country  by Zionists, who call themselves the indigenous inhabitants, to places they have no relation with. But let us forget about the predicament of moral shame, which politics is not concerned with, not to mention that Zionism doesn't bother with the great German dramatist, Bricht's saying: "Show me your means to love your aim!"  Ildad reaches a condition of craziness to ask Colombia University to expel Said, holding it morally responsible for his presence among its staff: "In Colombia University they do not like liars, some time ago one of the University professors was kicked out because of an untrue concurrences that he crammed. But in the case of Edward Said the university decided not to take action, as he is exiled and homeless; so he deserves pity."

The guard of the Palestinian home

It seems what enrages Ildad and his likes is not only Said's distinguished position in Colombia University, but the presence of his personality and his intellectual effect on Israeli circles, which transfers his efficacy into Israel itself, and faces it with a dilemma with itself: 'It is important to note that this notebook of lies is quite famous within the liberal Israeli circles, they learned from him and started to efficiently apply the "Saidi" methods in their struggle with the national Israeli camp." Said's influence within the Israeli interior is a fact, which affected many Israeli personalities, among whom is Robert David with home we started our research, also the Israeli Russian writer Israel Shamir who stressed in his book (Our past is  the matter of our Future) or (Old Losses) (Jafa 2001) on the importance of the right to narrate history, as Shamir says, quoting: "The brilliant writer Edward Said, who concluded in his book "Orientalism"   that monopolizing the right to narrate history is a powerful weapon used to control minds in the interest of the ruling elite, which is like the monopoly of printing currency, that is it is the core of authority". And here the Israeli Russian writer did not miss the opportunity to give the example of Gharoudi in France, the law of which defended Zionism's right to monopolize the right to narrate history in a manner that serves its interests, which leave truth without a podium to speak about it, it is a lump in the throats of those calling for it, and a hot tear in the weeping eye crying for its loss.

At the end I would like to conclude by quoting a saying that I read one day, saying that the stature of the slim academician -(meaning Dimitry Lichachiove) who was on duty during the war on the roof of the house of Boschkin to extinguish fires caused by Nazi bombs fearing the loss of his books and manuscripts, which protected the face of the city, Petersburg. But Edward Said's city is all of Palestine, and will be impossible to mess around with it in the presence of his stature accompanied by the strength of the symbol that he is.