It started as what I thought was a joke, or political satire: in the liberal and prestigious Huffington Post electronic newspaper, I read an article entitled ‘Let Specter Investigate the Flotilla Mishap” (the freedom flotilla) written by Michael Smerconish, the host of an American radio program. He said that the Israeli ambassador in Washington Michael Oren rejected an international probe into the raid on the Gaza-bound flotilla, but that the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left the door open as he told the UN Secretary General that any inquiry must be conducted responsibly and objectively. The article's author then adds: “In that case, I've got the perfect man for the job; Arlen Specter.” I thought that the writer was being sarcastic, but soon read his claims regarding Specter's abilities as a lawyer and as a prosecutor, as he cited Specter's chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee, his ethics and his work. As I read further, I expected that the author would conclude his article with something along the lines of appointing Specter as an investigator into the Israeli piracy against the peace advocates in the high seas, would be like letting the fox guard the chicken coop. However, the article ended with its author saying that a Specter-led investigation would be a welcome bridge over troubled waters. I admit that I was overwhelmed with anger as I finished reading the article. I stopped writing my daily column to respond to him. In a letter to the Huffington Post, I said that I thought the article was a joke, but that I should have noticed the word ‘mishap' in the article's title, when what had happened was piracy aforethought that ended with several people killed. I said that Specter is more Israeli than Netanyahu, as he has supported each war on the Palestinians, and against Arabs and Muslims, including the last two wars on Lebanon and the Gaza strip. I also said that extremists such as Specter justify the extremism on the other side, and encourage Israel to further extremism, and that were it not for these people, the Israelis and Palestinians would have reached peace long ago, and innocent blood would have been saved. I calmed down after writing my letter, and waited for it to be published. However, I was surprised to read a notification above it that said: “This comment is awaiting moderation before it can be published.” I became angry again. Previously, my favourite electronic newspaper did not publish a letter I sent in which I attacked the French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy, following his misleading campaign against the Egyptian Culture Minister Farouk Hosni during the election of the UNESCO Director-General. I thought there was a ban on my name in the Huffington Post, and thought of revenge by breaking a small sign bearing the name of the publisher and editor in chief Arianna Huffington, which I had brought with me from Davos after attending a dialogue session that she was supposed to attend. But I soon changed my mind because I appreciate and respect Arianna Huffington, and so started thinking about other ways to respond. However, my anger soon disappeared when I saw my letter was published among the comments on the article about Specter, after being approved. Specter has represented Israel in the Senate for 30 years. When his Republican Party abandoned him in Pennsylvania, he joined the Democratic Party. However, he lost the primary elections this month, and his political career and evil are over. By moving from one party to another, Specter is reminiscent of Senator Joe Lieberman, who used to be a Democrat until his party forsook him in Connecticut, where he ran for the elections as an independent, and garnered the support of the Israel lobby and enough funding to win. The last thing I read was that he said that Israel was exercising its right to self-defence in killing the peace activists. Specter and Lieberman never represented their country or defended its interests. Before being American, they are both extremist Israelis. There are many like them. For instance, if Senator Chuck Schumer were to be abandoned by his Democratic Party in New York, he would immediately defect to the Republican Party, because God appointed him to be Israel's guardian, like he said once, and not the guardian of America. Specter, who was a Republican at the time, supported the war on Iraq, as well as the Democrat Lieberman, to the extent of embracing George W. Bush and kissing him in gratitude. They then continued to support the war even after more than four thousand young Americans were killed in the course of the war, in addition to around one million Iraqis. Perhaps some readers will remember that Specter visited Iran in an attempt to bring Iran back to the fold of the United States and Israel, and also visited Syria to separate it from Iran, and Saddam Hussein to offer him a deal. He ran in the elections for president in 1996 but quickly failed and withdrew. I don't remember anything in his program except that he wanted to move the U.S embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, as this is apparently more important than the American economy. Those extremists are the enemies of America, as much as they are the enemies of peace, and anyone who supports them, defends them or find them excuses is an accomplice, instigator and a co-conspirator. [email protected]
