From: perlman@qso.Colorado.EDU (Eric S. Perlman)
Subject: Re: Israeli soldiers kill Palestinian boy
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1992 15:25:57 GMT

In article <1992Dec16.074456.14015@muddcs.claremont.edu> gmeltzne@jarthur.claremont.edu (Goof) writes:
>In article <23066@venera.isi.edu> arens@ISI.EDU (Yigal Arens) writes:
>>In article <1992Dec16.004724.8176@colorado.edu> perlman@qso.Colorado.EDU (Eric S. Perlman) writes:
>>>
>>> In article <23061@venera.isi.edu> arens@ISI.EDU (Yigal Arens) writes:
>>> >In article <1992Dec15.182856.23705@colorado.edu> perlman@qso.Colorado.EDU (Eric S. Perlman) writes:
>>> >>
>>> >> ...  I do know that numerous
>>> >> PLO-affiliated activists who've stated even slightly non-standard
>>> >> opinions have been forced to seek protection from Israeli authorities
>>> >> not for being collaborators - which they're not - but just for speaking
>>> >> something that some party or other doesn't approve of.
>>> >
>>> >This often repeated claim is absolute nonsense, completely untrue.  But
>>> >here's Mr. Perlman's chance to redeem himself: Please post the names and
>>> >circumstances under which PLO-affiliated activists who've stated
>>> >"slightly non-standard opinions" have "sought protection from Israeli
>>> >authorities".  Come on.  Let's see you do it.  You say "you know" of
>>> >"numerous" such cases.  Describing ten (10) cases would be enough.  OK,
>>> >five (5).  Alright -- just two (2).  Can you provide us ONE (1) example
>>> >of a PLO-affiliated activist who did no more than state a slightly
>>> >non-standard opinion, and as a consequence was forced to seek protection
>>> >from Israeli authorities?
>>>
>>> Steven Emerson, in the November 23,1992 edition of the New Republic,
>>> documented two such cases, Dr. Arens; I will be happy to post the
>>> information when I get home.  The claim is true.  I'd like to know what
>>> your sources are, Dr. Arens - I think you, not I, need a chance to
>>> redeem yourself - badly.
>>
>>"The claim is true"???  You claimed you "knew" of "numerous" such cases,
>>and The New Republic is not exactly a neutral source with respect to
>>Israel -- but no matter.  Let's see those two (2) cases.  Then we'll
>>talk.
>	
>	This I find amusing.  In your above paragraph, you steadily lower
>	the requirement to finding only one (1) example.  Now that Eric
>	found one you require him to find 2 other.  Of course you probably
>	don't count his example since the New Republic is "not exactly 
>	neutral"  but somehow I expected you to discredit the source.

Unfortunately, I expected this tactic from Dr. Arens.  When faced with
facts, he either retreats, only to pop up later, after what's been
stated has been forgotten, or attempts to discredit the source, based
completely on innuendo.  If Dr. Arens wishes to impugn the source, I
suggest he post a substantive reason why Mr. Emerson himself is a poor
source.  Otherwise, considering that both the New Republic *and* the LA
Times document this case - as witness Ron Evans' article on the subject
- I think he is being seriously naive. 

-- 
"How sad to see/A model of decorum and tranquillity/become like any other sport
A battleground for rival ideologies to slug it out with glee." -Tim Rice,"Chess"
     Eric S. Perlman 				 <perlman@qso.colorado.edu> 
  Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, University of Colorado, Boulder
Newsgroups: talk.politics.mideast