Ilan Pappe. A Cardboard Tiger?

As foretold by Aruri, and discussed earlier here, Dr. Ilan Pappe, until recently one of the Israeli "New Historians" and senior lecturer at Haifa University, has come to Vancouver and given a talk at the Public Library (VPL). He is now head of the History Department at the University of Exeter (UK). It was of no great surprise that like the other speakers here on the “Israeli – Palestinian Conflict”, he is opposed to a peace agreement that would establish a Palestinian state living at peace with the existing Israeli one. My earlier complaint that all the public here is allowed to hear on this is the far right voice of the CanWest press and what I called the “library left” reflected my ignorance as to how such library space is obtained: by the organizers paying for it. So I owe an apology to any of the librarians who view themselves as of the left. The StopPeace left is more descriptive, anyway.

Having referred to Pappe as the heavyweight among the opponents of two states (“the global consensus”), specifically in relation to Prof. Aruri, I would not have called him that on the basis of his talk here. I had read the transcript of the public debate he had with Uri Avnery in Tel Aviv before writing that, and he was much better there. But I doubt that he got anywhere near the applause and standing ovation that he got here. A new hero born for a new season.

When I arrived, ahead of the scheduled start, there were people prevented from getting in. The large hall was full. I had already experienced worse, when I tried to get a ticket for the “My Name is Rachel Corrie” play and was told at the Havana Theater that ticket sales would start half an hour before the play. I arrived a quarter of an hour before that and was told it was sold out, but if I waited (¾ hour), maybe....; but I was too angry to wait, in part because I knew that this had been arranged intentionally. Groups had been organized to fill the small theatre, to one of which my participation had been solicited (ostensibly it was a play for the general public). For the Pappe talk, at least a dozen or two of us were then allowed in (but apparently expected to donate more). I even had a seat, in the back row.

As a professor of History, Pappe promised a history lesson, and he is clearly qualified for that. I had already followed earier (on line) an unfriendly exchange with fellow “new historian” Benny Morris resulting from a negative Pappe book review by Morris in the New Republic. Pappe views Morris as not a historian, but just a chronologist, collecting and publishing facts, rather than also interpreting them. Pappe may view the latter as the main function of a historian, possibly even with a view to changing the course of history. If I understand him correctly, it would seem like an extrapolation of what Marx thought of the task of a philosopher. And he may have a litttle too cavalier an attitude about the importance of facts, data. At least in science (“natural philosophy”) theories ought to be in harmony with the empirical.

In the later stages, the history lesson acquired more of the character of a speech to inspire the masses, with opportunities for applauding audience participation. The proper terms ought to be used. The creation of what became Israel was just another colonialist undertaking. Even though it may not have been done by an East India or Hudson's Bay Company taking profits to the Mother country, moshavot in Hebrew are such colonies but also rural villages established in Palestine, Israel. Utopian colonies of the 19^th century in North America probably are closer to moshavim or kibbutzim. So what? The word conflict is not the right term for what's been going on between Israel and Arabs or Palestinians; in view of the great disparity in power. Nakba is not the right term for what will have 60^th anniversary observances organized next month, because a Nakba can be a natural catastrophe, too (Pappe deservedly emphasizes that he has been the Israeli historian with good enough knowledge of Arabic to have real access to Arabic sources).

The proper term is supposed to be “Ethnic Cleansing”. That is the title of his new book; and was the occasion of the most prolonged applause and everyone within sight upright in a standing ovation. Since I remained seated, I can't tell whether everyone in the hall stood up or whether the last few rows were one of those organized groups. I have no serious doubts by now that there was quite a bit of what is now called ethnic cleansing; even less that the claims of close to 800 000 people having been driven out of the country by force are not a worthwhile “Palestinian narrative” they ought to fool themselves with.

Nor could I recommend it as a narrative for Jews in North America (and elsewhere) who have had ENOUGH with 40 years of occupation of the West Bank”and Gaza and would like to see some peace and justice there. I am ending my membership in Vancouver's “Jews for a Just Peace”; not because those who call the shots favour what is being called a “one state solution”, but because of their consistent propaganda against an agreement by which a Palestinian state is established now to live at peace next to the Israeli one; while dishonestly pretending to be inclusive for all Jews who reject the occupation. Apart from a general dislike of deliberate dishonesty, I don't like to be manipulated, especially not by people clearly far less informed.

As to Pappe, who is well informed, I don't know enough about him to understand how he got to this point. After completing his studies, he directed research at Givat Haviva, to which I contributed $100 at about that time (for which the receipt is shown).

From Various

It became evident right then that those running that event in San Francisco were not people like kHaviva Reik, the young woman parachuted into Nazi occupied Slovakia during their uprising, but it must have been better at the institute named after her.

kHaviva Reik

Did he also come from the HaShomer HaTza'ir and what, if any, relation to Simha Flapan. Does he seriously expect to prevail? My guess is that his current celebration as hero of the StopPeace left will be as transitory as that of his predecessors. Maybe it already started that evening; when signatures were solicited for Mordecai Briemberg, who had chaired the meeting, and for whom a special committee is being formed, including Pappe. I had already there signed the statement to CanWest, although I'd rather have Pappe a little longer as the local hero; for reasons I hope to have the time to clarify.