Americans almost made it through the year without being subjected to yet another boring spiel from the Anti-Defamation League’s chief honcho and know-it-all, Abe Foxman. Unfortunately, on Dec. 27, 2003, the “Washington Post,” opened its Op Ed Page to the old windbag. If there was any justice left in the world, it should have made Foxman take out a paid advertisement in order to do his egregious pimping for Zionist Israel.

Foxman’s latest rant is entitled, “Open to Debate in Israel.” I wondered after reading it: Shouldn’t he be required to register with the U.S. Justice Department as an agent for a foreign-based principal? Huh? Keep in mind, that he makes $450,000 a year for being a one-man, hot-air propaganda machine. At a minimum, Foxman, a card carrying Zionist, should have been required by the editors of the “Washington Post,” to come clean, on the record, about all of his Israeli connections, so that an unsuspecting reading public would have been put on notice about his biases.

In any event, Foxman was all in a tizzy. No, this time, it wasn’t Mel Gibson’s soon-to-be-released movie, “The Passion of Christ,” that was arousing his ire. Foxman was upset because his favorite country, Israel, was recently criticized at Geneva, by Yossi Beilin, a former Israeli minister of justice, and Yasser Abed Rabbo, an ex-Palestinian information minister. They were advocating a peace plan for the Middle East. Foxman claims their action threatens, “to delegitimize and isolate the Israeli government.” He also whined that they were attacking “Israel’s fundamental legitimacy as a sovereign state.” Poor Israel! Poor Americans, too, who read Foxman’s contrived drivel!

The pompous ADL boss thinks this so-called, “Geneva Accord,” (an unofficial framework for Middle East peace), is all part of a sinister plot to “disrespect Israel’s democratic institutions.” Oh, come off it, Foxman! That sounds like classic conspiracy mongering to me.

Some critics, like Amnesty International, however, have dared to directly challenge Israel’s claim to be a democracy, particularly for its use of fascist-like death squads. I’m sure even Foxman would agree there isn’t anything “democratic” about Israeli thugs killing unarmed Palestinians, without a trial or even any semblance of due process of law. (And, by the way, when, if ever, is Elie Wiesel, who once wrote, “To remain silent and indifferent is the greatest sin of all...” going to address the Israeli death squads’ issue?)

In the last three years alone, over 152 Palestinians have been targeted for extra judicial assassination by the Tel Aviv-based operatives (phrmg.org). It would be interesting to know: How exactly do Sharon’s death squads function? Does the Israeli Cabinet have to officially approve of each designated murder? Is there a written record of the death squad meetings? Or, is it done, with nods and winks, by a death squad committee? Who decides in Israel, what Palestinian will be executed and which Palestinian will live? If an official in the Sharon regime insists that a certain Palestinian is a “militant,” does that unchallenged comment become a death sentence for the particular Palestinian? And, do Sharon’s death squads plan any targeted hits outside Israel: like say, in Iraq, Europe, or even in the U.S.? (If it’s the latter, I would like to know because my “Hate Mail” file is growing at an alarming rate since my latest book, accusing the Israel First Brigade of helping to bring on the Iraq War, was published.)

It is simply amazing to watch Foxman pontificate, in the media, ad nauseam, ad infinitum, about his beloved Israel, without once using words, like: “occupation,” “bulldozer,” “Rachel Corrie,” “Rafah,“ “torture,” “Sabra & Shatila,“ Apartheid Wall,” “refugee camps,” “displaced persons,” “demolition orders,” “UN Security Council Resolution 242,” “Jenin,” “collective punishment,” “human shields,” “illegal settlements,” “detention without trial” and “Geneva Convention.” How does Foxman get away with ignoring the truth about the tragic fate of the Palestinians under Israeli rule? How?

Meanwhile, you will never catch the ADL big shot explaining his sordid role in that sleazy scandal surrounding then-President Bill Clinton’s pardon of Marc Rich, a billionaire fugitive from U.S. justice (Salon.com). Wordsmith Bill Safire, “NY Times,” (03/26/01), was so embarrassed by that shameful episode that he demanded Foxman resign from the ADL to “demonstrate that ethical blindness has consequences.” Naturally, the reality-challenged Foxman declined to do so.

Foxman swears Israel has a “healthy democracy” because oppositional figures are heard all of the time. Sure, they are! Unless, of course, they are protesting its notorious Apartheid Wall, than they can be shot by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) with live ammunition, like Israeli activist Gil Naamati was last Friday (“Baltimore Sun,” 12/29/03).

Foxman suffers deeply for his right wing crony Sharon. He believes the Israeli prime minister has to make “difficult choices,” and that this peace business at Geneva, led by Beilin-Rabbo, paints an ugly “government-in-exile syndrome,” that makes Israel look like it doesn’t have a “free government.” Hey, anybody that subscribes to the “WRMEA” magazine, ((WRMEA.com), knows that there is nothing “free” about Israel’s government, especially because it has cost the U.S. taxpayers directly over $100 billion in aid, since 1948, “WRMEA,” 05/03), and $3 trillion in consequential cost, according to Thomas R. Stauffer’s “Cost to American Taxpayers of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict,” 06/03, “WRMEA”). The enemies, too, that our subsidizing Israeli terror has made for the U.S. in the Islamic World is another, continuing and important story, material to this subject matter, but too long to detail here.

Well, if the slippery Foxman, whose ADL organization was caught spying, in the U.S., on politically progressive activists back in the 90s, is publicly panning the Beilin-Rabbo duo, then it can proves only one thing: The bold seekers of peace at Geneva must be doing the right thing!

© William Hughes 2003

William Hughes is the author of “Saying ‘No’ to the War Party” (Iuniverse, Inc.). He can be reached at: liamhughes-AT-mindspring.com.