February 4, 2010
Dear Mr. Gul and Mr. Peres,
We too were embarrassed by the “Chair Episode” embarrassing, in which Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon sought to humiliate the Turkish Deputy Ambassador —and are relieved that our government has apologized for his inappropriate insulting behavior. Such behavior brought shame and embarrassment to Israel.
But this unfortunate episode should not detract attention from the substance of our alarm concerning the Turkish TV serial Valley of the Wolves, representing Mossad agents engaged in baby snatching. The details on this program are readily available from many sources. This presentation, and a previous one on the Farewell Program several months ago, apparently depicting Israeli soldiers shooting at a child followed by an image of blood spattering on a glass, recycled dangerously old blood libels used to incite to anti-Semitism. Such blood libels over the centuries have triggered pogroms causing the loss of much Jewish life. They were examples of state-sanctioned demonization and disinformation.
As scholars concerned with the protection and promotion of health and the prediction and prevention of genocide and genocidal terror, we recognize that --
Genocide --the willful and intentional destruction of life—results from human choices. Turkey should reject demonization, delegitimization, defamation, hate and incitement. It should choose respect for life and dignity, and work to promote life and respect for human life for all in the region.
We propose a positive approach. We suggest that Turkey show leadership in two lines of activity to advance core values of respect for human life and dignity.
The first line of activity is to promote regional cooperation in earthquake prediction, prevention and emergency response. Earthquake emergency response is a major priority issue in our region. Israel these past two weeks rushed aid to help the victims of the Haitian earthquake, and Turkey sent an aid group as well. In the past Israel aided Turkey and Armenia during their earthquakes in the same way that it aided Haiti.
The second line of activity is to promote a region wide approach to meeting the water needs in the mid and Near East. Turkey’s water surplus dwarfs the total demands of water-depleted countries in the region, and can be part of the solution to win-win solutions in the region. Turkey and Israel, together with other countries concerned with promoting life and well being, have much to do to advance cooperation on these existentially important problems.
We suggest moving on to a more positive approach to asserting our national identities and core values.
Respectfully,
Professor Elihu D Richter, MD, MPH
Head, Genocide Prevention Program
Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Public Health and Community Medicine
Jerusalem Israel
Associate Director, Institute on the Holocaust and Genocide
Director, World Genocide Situation Room, GPN GENOCIDE PREVENTION NOW
e-mail: elihur@ekmd.huji.ac.il
Professor Israel Charny, PhD
Executive Director, Institute on the Holocaust and Genocide, Jerusalem
Editor-in-Chief, GPN GENOCIDE PREVENTION NOW
Editor-in-Chief, ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GENOCIDE
Past President and Co-Founder, International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS)
Professor Yair Auron, PhD
Director, Genocide Studies Program, Open University of Israel
Associate Director, Institute on Holocaust and Genocide, Jerusalem
Dear Mr. Gul and Mr. Peres,
We too were embarrassed by the “Chair Episode” embarrassing, in which Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon sought to humiliate the Turkish Deputy Ambassador —and are relieved that our government has apologized for his inappropriate insulting behavior. Such behavior brought shame and embarrassment to Israel.
But this unfortunate episode should not detract attention from the substance of our alarm concerning the Turkish TV serial Valley of the Wolves, representing Mossad agents engaged in baby snatching. The details on this program are readily available from many sources. This presentation, and a previous one on the Farewell Program several months ago, apparently depicting Israeli soldiers shooting at a child followed by an image of blood spattering on a glass, recycled dangerously old blood libels used to incite to anti-Semitism. Such blood libels over the centuries have triggered pogroms causing the loss of much Jewish life. They were examples of state-sanctioned demonization and disinformation.
As scholars concerned with the protection and promotion of health and the prediction and prevention of genocide and genocidal terror, we recognize that --
(1) State sanctioned demonization and disinformation concerning members of a group defined by their national, racial, religious and ethnic origin are early warning signs, precursors, initiators, catalysts and promoters of genocidal agendas.
(2) Such demonization and disinformation, along with the use of dehumanizing language, have been precursors of genocidal mass atrocities in the Mid-East and Near-East, resulting in the deaths of 1.2 million Armenians, as well as tens of thousands Pontine and Assyrian Christians and Yezedis, nearly a century ago. At that time, Jews too were probably earmarked and a beginning expulsion of them from the Tel Aviv area in Palestine had begun but was canceled by international pressure. Turkey, unlike Germany, has yet to internalize the lessons from these past genocidal horrors and make amends for their occurrence.
(3) Currently there has been a frightening resurgence of Jihadist Genocidal antisemitism In the Muslim world. Its architects, notably the current Iranian Government, but also various Arab regimes, use dehumanization, delegitimization, defamation, disinformation, denial of past genocide and apply double standards to propagate their message, with disastrous effects—for everyone, including their own citizens.
(4) In the Mideast, political leaders often exploit the motifs of genocidal anti-Semitism—now repackaged as anti-Zionism, to gain power by positioning themselves as leaders of this wave. Such postures are in violation of all norms of respect for life and human dignity.
(5) Turkey will be playing with fire by participating in the spread of these motifs and its government should repudiate them immediately and not recycle them. Turkey today should not allow itself to be drawn into the orbit of Jihadist genocidal anti-Semitism.
Genocide --the willful and intentional destruction of life—results from human choices. Turkey should reject demonization, delegitimization, defamation, hate and incitement. It should choose respect for life and dignity, and work to promote life and respect for human life for all in the region.
We propose a positive approach. We suggest that Turkey show leadership in two lines of activity to advance core values of respect for human life and dignity.
The first line of activity is to promote regional cooperation in earthquake prediction, prevention and emergency response. Earthquake emergency response is a major priority issue in our region. Israel these past two weeks rushed aid to help the victims of the Haitian earthquake, and Turkey sent an aid group as well. In the past Israel aided Turkey and Armenia during their earthquakes in the same way that it aided Haiti.
The second line of activity is to promote a region wide approach to meeting the water needs in the mid and Near East. Turkey’s water surplus dwarfs the total demands of water-depleted countries in the region, and can be part of the solution to win-win solutions in the region. Turkey and Israel, together with other countries concerned with promoting life and well being, have much to do to advance cooperation on these existentially important problems.
We suggest moving on to a more positive approach to asserting our national identities and core values.
Respectfully,
Professor Elihu D Richter, MD, MPH
Head, Genocide Prevention Program
Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Public Health and Community Medicine
Jerusalem Israel
Associate Director, Institute on the Holocaust and Genocide
Director, World Genocide Situation Room, GPN GENOCIDE PREVENTION NOW
e-mail: elihur@ekmd.huji.ac.il
Professor Israel Charny, PhD
Executive Director, Institute on the Holocaust and Genocide, Jerusalem
Editor-in-Chief, GPN GENOCIDE PREVENTION NOW
Editor-in-Chief, ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GENOCIDE
Past President and Co-Founder, International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS)
Professor Yair Auron, PhD
Director, Genocide Studies Program, Open University of Israel
Associate Director, Institute on Holocaust and Genocide, Jerusalem
