Honigman Vs. Syndicated Columnist Ray Hanania

Hanania's Having A Tizzy Fit...Ain't It Great!

By Gerald A. Honigman
MichNews.com
May 9, 2005

Now don't get me wrong. Ray Hanania at least sounds more reasonable than most Arab journalists when it comes to the topic of you-know-what. He'll accuse me of racism for saying that...as he has done on The Arab Street.com, in personal e-mails to me, and elsewhere. He accuses MICHNews, which first published my response, of the same.

As soon as my article, Hanania's Unreal Reality, was published--a response to his latest syndicated piece dealing with the Arab "right of return"--he fired off a personal note to me.

Big mistake...

All he could do was call me names. He never challenged anything I said. Good thing. Unlike him, I've been trained as a careful scholar and can document--with numerous, valid sources--what I state to the moon.

You see, Ray wants to have it both ways. As a survival tactic, given the track record of some of his murderous Arab brethren regarding journalists (you know, those who chop the heads off writers they disagree with), this is perhaps understandable. But the result is that he negates the alleged moderation he supposedly seeks by spewing much of the same time-worn venom that has poisoned any chance of peace between Arab and Jew for well over a half century.

Instead of me trying to explain all of this, let's take a peek at much of the exchange Hanania initiated and which is quoted from the original sources themselves.

Sooooooooooooo...

Check out some of the correspondence, and please read my initial article mentioned above that drove Ray bananas. Also, please show me where the alleged racism is. I guess when you can't answer with facts, some have to resort to name calling. Hanania is doing it full speed ahead.

Let's start with Hanania's initial tizzy fit note to me sent on April 30th at 3:29 PM. After reading my response to his latest article on MICHNews, here's some of what he wrote:

"At least I am not racist in my approach to the conflict ... shortsighted hatred -- your response -- helps contribute to the continued conflict. In a way, you are no different than the extremists on the Palestinian side. Denying Palestinians existed or minimizing their existence is pure hogwash ... just as those who deny Jewish rights are off base, too. You have much in common with the extremists, but that is far from unexpected."

What a pleasant surprise!

Here's some of my reply...

"Where did you do your doctoral studies on these issues? What universities recommend your work on their reference lists? I'll gladly share my credentials re these things with you--and this despite the fact that your boys have hijacked ME Studies in academia...oil $$$ support comes with a price.
Unlike you, everything I write can be documented with solid sources to the moon. Half or more of what you write is exactly the way I put it--either outright lies or fractured fairy tails.

Truth is painful. But it must be dealt with if true peace is really what you want...not the destruction in phases peace of the grave kind your boys have planned for Israel."

Ray then got back to me on May 1st at 2:56 PM. More name calling...

"I consider you one of the extremists on the Israeli side who seek to avoid serious discussions and instead slander those who try to break through the vicious cycle of fanaticism that threatens Israel and Palestine."

He also sent another one of his articles which, like the one I had taken on, did have redeeming qualities to it.

My adrenalin was now pumping. Responding to his again calling me an extremist, here's what he got back the same day at 4:29 PM:

"And I consider you one of the potential fakes hiding under the guise of so-called moderation to get more one-sided concessions from Jews while demanding nothing from your own murderous friends who will pay more attention to a donkey than they will to you. Jews will be expected to give away the whole shebang in return for vague promises from "moderates" who have openly admitted that any dealings with Israel will be a "Trojan Horse" hudna, "Peace of the Quraysh."

Drop your own toxic rhetoric from articles like the one I responded to if you want to be taken seriously by any but Jew schmuck fools...The rest of us have seen the light.

Below is another example of what another true Arab moderate published in his Annaqed, and several other Arab and/or Muslim publishers used as their own editorials as well...not to mention dozens of other non-Muslim print and web publishers who also used it. Not bad for someone who isn't a syndicated columnist like yourself.

Lots of extremism in this article too I guess...at least according to your sense of balance.

When I start advocating that Jews dish out to your own numerous, murderous brethren the same treatment that they have received from them--like deliberately targeting their restaurants, schools, buses, private homes, etc.--then it still wouldn't be extremism--only payback in kind. But I haven't done that. Continuous polls of the majority of your folks show that if Israel withdrew back to its 9-mile wide Auschwitz/'49 armistice line existence, it still would have no right to exist in their eyes. Read my lips for my response. But I, who have advocated fair rights for all--including two dozen Arab states formed mostly by conquering non-Arab peoples--am the extremist here in your eyes because I demand justice for others--Jews included.

Where, Hanania, can you find me writing anything contrary to what I just said above?

Now show me credible Arabs in power who state the same for Jews.

In short, your name-calling is a joke...and a bad one at that for a so-called comedian (you are he, no?)

How many Jews --me included-- have set up museums showing Arab body parts like your sick buddies have done (modeled on their herosim at the Sbarro pizzeria) for their Jewish victims?

How many Jews have filmed themselves playing with the body parts of Arabs the way your boys have done with Jewish victims?

Non-combatant Arabs killed have died because your sick friends have deliberately used them as human shields (against the Geneva Conventions, by the way).

How many Arab cars have been stopped and pregnant mothers and their kids deliberately massacred at point blank range--or Arab children kidnapped only to be found later in caves with their heads smashed against walls?

Extremism?

Don't think so.

I have ways I'd deal with all of this for sure--but it wouldn't be to stoop to the level of your comrades.

So, call me all the names you like, but any thinking soul understands the differences here.

Your heroes like Abbas got elected by running on a ticket for Israel's destruction-- but by other means.

Talk is cheap...including your own mixed messages. When it gets followed through with action, it might count for something. In the meantime, your buddies' destruction in phases scenario for Israel is unfolding nicely for you folks.

But I think you better understand that many have reached the end of their ropes regarding putting up with what the Arabs have been dishing out. The time is approaching when Israel will tell the world's hypocrites to go to Hell and will deal with its own rejectionist enemies the way everyone else has dealt with their own enemies--especially those who reject its very right to exist.

That's not extremism, Hanania...that's survival and fair.

Now read my own material and show me where my extremism is--otherwise focus on where the real extremism is--the kind that your own writing instigates further when you write the kind of stuff I responded to. Find one wrong statement below and challenge me--otherwise refrain from your ridiculous name-calling which only shows what you have to resort to because you can't handle truth. And I have never said that any one side had a monopoly of justice here...that doesn't exist in any conflict.

By the way, there's much I agree with in the article you sent...but you better reread my first article you read again regarding Israel's "original sin."

And you better understand the plight of more Jews who fled Arab lands where they lived for millennia than Arabs who fled the Palestine Mandate--many, if not most, who were indeed newcomers themselves, whether you want to deal with this fact or not (indisputable evidence here)--as a result of the invasion of Israel in '48 by a half dozen Arab states--which sent your own refugees to flight. Did you read the part in my first article which dealt with how UNRWA had to redefine the very word "refugee" to accommodate all the Arab newcomers? Come on now, Ray...

We both supposedly want a better tomorrow for all of the region's peoples--I know I do.

But think about my initial criticism of your own article again and how you reacted to it--especially since you bring the topic of criticism up yourself below (his other article)."

Stay tuned.

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