www.justiceblind.com

Seattle Repertory Theatre (155 Mercer St Seattle, WA 98109

American Jewish Committee (P.O. Box 705 New York, NY 10150)

Anti-Defamation League (P.O. Box 96226 Washington, DC 20090-6226)

Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle (2031 3rd Ave Seattle, WA 98121)

StandWithUs (P.O. Box 341069 Los Angeles, CA 90034-1069)

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03/23/07

On Friday March 16, 2007, I had the pleasure of seeing “My Name is Rachel Corrie.” The play was not only wonderfully acted and presented, but the story was simultaneously inspiring and horrifying.

I was sad to see advertisements in the program by the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, the American Jewish Committee, Stand With Us and the Anti-Defamation League.

I am writing this letter to applaud the actor, director and the rest of the theater team that brought Rachel’s story to life, as well as to react to the ads in the program. The ads were inaccurate and unnecessary.

The program ads by the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, the American Jewish Committee, Stand With Us and the Anti-Defamation League were inaccurate in the following ways:

·         The Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle asserted that Rachel Corrie “fell in front of an Israeli Army Bulldozer” while “trying to stop an Israeli counter-terrorism operation that was preventing the flow of arms into Gaza.”

Whether Rachel accidentally fell under the bulldozer is certainly debatable (witnesses suspect she was intentionally run over); the point is that the action of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) was reckless (i.e., without regard to human life and property); thus IDF is legally and morally responsible for Rachel's death.

·         The ad by the American Jewish Committee, Stand With Us and the Anti-Defamation League suggested that Rachel “died when IDF bulldozers were searching for one of the more than 90 terrorist tunnels used to smuggle large quantities of explosives and weapons into Gaza.”

Rachel's own writings, as well as those of others on the scene, suggest that IDF forces were actually engaged in actions that violate international law (i.e., collective punishments such as destroying water wells and greenhouses). Israeli forces might also have been destroying terrorist tunnels, but the IDF was also involved in illegal activity when Rachel was killed.

·         The American Jewish Committee, Stand With Us and the Anti-Defamation League asserted that Rachel was “recruited by an extremist group ... used as a human shield” by a group that has “openly supported ‘armed resistance,’ a euphemism for terrorism.” They wrote that the group “exploited Rachel's idealism by intentionally asking her to stand in front of bullets and bulldozers.”

In fact, Rachel began working on activist causes as a young child. She was not used or exploited by anyone, but instead was moved by her own sense of justice and commitment to helping people in immense suffering. Further, I am sad that you see significant differences in Palestinian armed resistance & terrorism and Israeli counter-terrorist operations. Both sides kill innocent people through excessive force (e.g., suicide bombings by Palestinians and Israel firing missiles at suspected terrorists that kill innocent children). The actions of both merely serve to generate more and more attacks motivated by revenge. Israelis are no more innocent than Palestinians.

·         The American Jewish Committee, Stand With Us and the Anti-Defamation League claimed that “Israel was forced to act in self-defense to protect its own citizens.”

I reject this assertion on its face. Israel is in a position of power relative to the Palestinian people and therefore cannot be forced into any action. Power is understood to mean the ability to influence the actions of others or the ability to make others do what you want them to do often against their will. Israel has superior military force, much more vast financial resources and the support of the world's only super power. Nothing forces Israel to crush and humiliate the Palestinian people; this is done of Israel’s own free will.

Finally, the ads were unnecessary because, even if you disagree with my interpretation of the facts above, the bottom line is this – “My Name is Rachel Corrie” is (as suggested by the title) – the story of Rachel Corrie. You insult the viewers’ intelligence by asserting that it “does not tell the whole story” and that it is “an incomplete and one-sided portrayal” of the conflict.

Rather than inappropriately reacting to this woman's story through such ads (her story told directly from her own writings) a more effective strategy might be to tell the stories of the “other Rachels” you identified in your ads that were also killed in the conflict. This would help us better understand the “complex and difficult situation” facing the people of Israel and Palestine. Also, frankly, it might shock us into finally doing something to end the horrific violence coming from both sides.

You also ought to tell the truth that Israel has killed far more Palestinian “Rachels” than Palestinians have killed Israeli “Rachels” (a fact lost in your ad suggesting that one Rachel [Corrie] was killed by accident and many Israelis Rachels were intentionally killed by terrorists).

Israel is in a position of power and thus the burden for peace rests with Israel. I implore you to rise to the challenge and use your resources for good rather than more hate and resentment.

After talking with others who attended the play on the same night as I, I assure you that your message is not getting through. People are appalled at your ads.

Salaam and Shalom!

Sincerely,

 
Dr. Matthew Robinson

Associate Professor of Criminal Justice

Appalachian State University

Boone, NC 28608

(828) 262-6560

robinsnmb@appstate.edu