Stop the Discrimination Now!

The United States government is violating a group of US citizens' civil rights and it has to stop. They want to throw a whole ethnic group out of their homes, and restrict where they can or can't live. Sounds racist, doesn't it? The White House, State Department and other agencies, right under the noses of us all, without a peep by us, are pursuing a deliberate policy of ethnic/religious 'cleansing'. They haven't started for real yet, but the plans are in the making. Who could possibly stand for this discriminatory behavior on the part of the American government against its own citizens in the year 2003? A class action suit demanding an injunction to stop these law-breaking plans needs to be filed in the courts.



No, I'm not talking about African-Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, Pacific Islanders or some small, exotic, unknown tribe from who-knows-where. I'm talking about a group estimated to encompass at least 8-30,000 people, whose members are known to all Americans. I'm talking about a group who's been persecuted and discriminated against throughout written history. It's a group who thought they found refuge in the US, and became good, law abiding citizens, only now to find themselves being treated differently than other American citizens. Their homes are in jeopardy, their livelihoods are threatened, and their way of life is under siege. We must demand that the US government cease and desist in this discriminatory behavior. We must demand that the government put an end to violating their civil rights and sue for redress in the courts, if necessary.



I'm talking about discrimination against American Jews who, once again, are being told where they may or may not live - this time by the American government.



In the darkest days of Czarist Russia, Jews were told where they couldn't live. They were restricted to the 'Pale of Settlement', to the west of Moscow and Petersburg. Most European cities until modern times segregated Jews into 'ghettos'. Earlier in European history, they were thrown out of county after country in the most brutal way. Muslim society in North Africa and the Middle East was no better, introducing the equivalent of the Yellow Star - distinctive clothing - by Islamic dhimmi law, from the 7th century onward, and restricting Jews to certain 'quarters' of the city. And now, in the 21st century, in the name of 'peace', Jews are being told that they will have to leave their homes or be forced out. Such a blatant violation of civil rights must be resisted by all Americans. Not to protect the Jews, but to protect themselves.



There exists in American law the concept of the 'Right of Eminent Domain'. Simply put, if a governmental body, whether federal, state or local wanted to build a highway through an existing neighborhood, and people would need to be moved out of their homes to accomplish that public good, the government has the right to force people to relocate. Of course, there would be zoning committee meetings, a judicial process of appeal and, ultimately, the payment of compensation. But if only the white people, or only the black people, or only the purple people were told they must move... well, you get the idea.



That is exactly what is taking place right now. It is not Puerto Ricans or Koreans being told, "You can't live there"; it's not women or men being told, "You can't join our club" - all civil rights violations, I might add. Only American Jews are being told - by the American government - that they will have to leave their communities, their homes, schools, business and farms in Judea and Samaria - the West Bank - and Gaza; American Arabs aren't being told that.



That is a civil rights violation, pure and simple.



You might protest that it will be the Israeli government that might expel people and not the American government, and that's partially true. But the American government - with its involvement in the 'peace' process, in the Quartet, in drafting the 'Road Map', in calling for the dismantling of 'settlements' - i.e., Jewish cities, towns, and villages - and the transfer of Jews, including American Jews, to another place - has been caught red handed, with its fingers in the cookie jar.



According to reports, the American CIA will be used to see to the implementation of the 'Road Map'. There will be a 'Special Operations Committee', whose main purpose is to see that 'settlement' activity is 'frozen' and 'outposts' are 'evacuated' - i.e., expel Jews, including American Jews, from their homes. Speaking at a recent American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference, Secretary of State Colin Powell plainly stated, "Settlement activity is simply inconsistent with President Bush's two-state vision," quoting the latter's recent statement, "as progress is made toward peace, settlement activity in the Occupied Territories must end."



You see, making plans, pursuing a policy, and calling for the expulsion of American Jews - and not American Arabs or non-Jewish American citizens married to 'Palestinian' Arabs - from some area, whether it is Hebron, Illinois, or Hebron on the West Bank, is a discriminatory policy that violates the Jews' civil rights and is patently illegal.



You might try to tell me that civil rights protections are for what goes on inside the United States only. Well, think through this one. Two American citizens who are living overseas, in Paris, Tahiti, or wherever, go to their local American Consulate or Embassy, requesting IRS tax forms, seeking to update their passport, to register the birth of a child, or any other standard service. One of the US citizens is white, the other black, and they request the identical service. The white guy gets processed quickly without any problems; the black guy is hassled. He's told to come back tomorrow, and that he needs to bring other types of documentation, etc. He decides that he's being treated differently than the white guy. He feels he hasn't been given the same type of consular services because he's black. He screams racial discrimination, calls his stateside attorney, and sues the United States government for civil rights violations. Don't you think that he might get somewhere in court?



Of course civil rights protections extend overseas. Of course American government agencies and their agents must follow American laws when dealing with American citizens overseas. Of course American government policy can't discriminate between different groups because of ethnic, racial, religious, or gender affiliation overseas.



All decent and fair-minded Americans must demand the US government stop planning this discriminatory policy. Write to your Congressman, Senator, the President, the media and tell them so.



The US State Department issues travel advisories for troubled areas, and it occasionally calls on its citizens to temporarily leave an area that it deems dangerous, but it never implements any policy to force American citizens to leave an area or country. Either it must call on all American citizens, Jew and non-Jew, to leave the 'West Bank' and Gaza, but do nothing to encourage them to be forced out - i.e., using the CIA - or simply trash this discriminatory policy just like racial segregation was trashed stateside in the 1950s and 60s.



Jews have a right to live anywhere they want in America. We wouldn't accept anything less today. Not for Blacks, not for Hispanics, and not for Jews. Why accept such blatant segregation of Americans, just because they're Jews and not Arabs. 'Palestinian' Americans aren't being told by the US government to leave Judea, Samaria and Gaza, their communities aren't in danger, and their livelihoods aren't being threatened. The same quality of treatment should go for American Jews, too.



The US government is breaking its own laws, in violating the civil rights of some of its citizens overseas. It must be stopped through the courts or the ballot box.



Where will it happen next, Paris and Tahiti, or New York, Texas and California?



Any ideas, suggestions, or offers to help work on this issue can be directed to Ariel Natan Pasko at [email protected].

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Ariel Natan Pasko, an independent analyst and consultant, has a Master's Degree in International Relations & Policy Analysis. His articles appear regularly on numerous news/views and think-tank websites, in newspapers, and can be read at www.geocities.com/ariel_natan_pasko.

(c)2003/5763 Pasko

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