A controversial e-mail circulated through a Maxwell listserv, bringing the controversy of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to Syracuse University.

A recent e-mail forwarded from the Islamic Association for Palestine Web site over a Middle East listserv at SU advertises a book, ‘The Israeli Holocaust Against the Palestinians’ by Michael Hoffman and Moshe Lieberman, which discusses what they deem racism and systematic ‘slow motion holocaust’ currently perpetrated by the Israeli government against the Palestinian people and desire for the elimination of the Palestinian people as a ‘final solution.’

Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs’ Middle East Working Group listserv sent the e-mail.

‘We have nothing to do with this e-mail,’ said Abdul Zharl, executive director of the Islamic Association for Palestine. ‘I do not know what this book is about.’

The article contained in the forwarded e-mail, however, appears on the organization’s Web site.

‘When I got it, certain things jumped out at me; other groups using the term ‘holocaust’ is inflammatory,’ said Joel Miller, executive director of Hillel at SU.

Martin B. Cominsky, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, said that Hoffman has a history of denying that the Holocaust perpetrated against the Jewish people by the Germans during World War II happened.

‘He is a lead proponent where he rewrites things the way he wishes they were,’ Cominsky said.

Hoffman said he has his own beliefs about Holocaust denial.

‘Those who pretend that Israeli atrocities have not been systematically perpetrated against Palestinians are engaged in holocaust denial,’ said Hoffman, who also said the actions of the Israeli government throughout 2002 in places like Ramallah is an example of ‘low-intensity genocide.’ Hoffman also denied comparison between the ‘war crimes’ of Israel and the resistence of the Palestinian people and suggested that the Israeli government kills hundreds of Palestinian children yearly.

Cominsky said Hoffman often tries to bring his brand of truth to college campuses. ‘He tries hard to play the First Amendment against the truth.’

Hoffman accused Israel of state-sponsored terrorism and suggested that the violence in the Middle East can stop any time the Israeli government wishes.

‘The cycle of carnage can be stopped anytime Israeli forces withdraw to the 1967 borders and take the racist and homicidal settlers with them,’ he said.

Dr. Ahmednezar Kobeisy, adviser to Muslim students at SU, said he knew little about the book but that he was meeting with Miller and the student responsible for initiating the e-mail sometime Thursday.

‘When books are written there is always the possibility that they get more credibility than they deserve from supporters of the cause,’ Kobeisy said.

Dean of Maxwell John Palmer said that the e-mail did not go through the general Maxwell listserv but must have been part of a smaller mailing.

Mehrzad Boroujerdi, an associate professor of political science, said that the Middle East listserv has been compiled over eight years and consists of faculty and students from various ethnic and religious backgrounds. He added that no censorship exists on posts, but the rules allow only polite debate. Boroujerdi added that 80 percent of the posts on the listserv hold the latest information from the Middle East.

‘I assure you our listserv is not in the business of promoting antisemitic views,’ Boroujerdi said.

Miller stated the importance of people engaging in moderate and educational discussions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

‘Mutual understanding and, God willing, peace will work together to get some like-minded and moderate people working together,’ Miller said.

Published on October 17, 2002 at 12:00 pm