An interview: Dr. Raouf Halaby says: “All the Gulf Arabs Are Sleeping in The Same Bed with Israel

Dr. Halaby was born in Jerusalem and came to Ouachita Baptist University as a student in 1965. He graduated in 1968 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and earned his Master of Science in Education degree in 1970. He also earned a Doctor of Education in English in 1973 from East State Texas University.
Dr. Halaby began teaching at Ouachita in 1973 as an assistant professor of English. He was promoted to associate professor of English in 1980 and was named a professor in 1988. In 1994, he was named chair of the Department of Visual Arts.
Ouachita Baptist University dedicated the newly named Dr. Raouf J. Halaby Art History Lecture Classroom and honored Dr. Halaby, Professor Emeritus of Visual Arts and English, during a reception held Dec. 5, 2017. The classroom in Moses-Provine Hall honors Dr. Halaby for his 42 years of service at Ouachita.
In what follows Mr. M. A. Moumen interviews professor Halaby.
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Mohsen Abdelmoumen: How do you analyze the unconditional support of the United States for Israel’s criminal Zionist entity?
Dr. Raouf Halaby: Unfortunately, American politics has been plagued with bribery in the form of political campaign contributions. Money buys power, access to media, and the ownership of media centers. Whether newspapers or TV, access to and ownership of these forms of communication by special interest groups, gives them the power to control how people think. Hollywood is another means of “brainwashing” people and helping the masses form opinions whose sole purpose is propaganda.  Just think of all the movies and documentaries about the Holocaust, produced and aired on TV, and movie theaters. 99% of these movies deal solely with the Jewish experience of the Holocaust, yet rarely do they deal with the suffering of other victims. Another factor is the rise, since 1980’s, of the Christian Zionists who exert much power on all branches of government. Their belief that modern day Israel is a fulfillment of the prophecy leads them to support Israel, no matter what.
In your opinion, why does Israel’s Zionist entity benefit from total impunity? Where is international law in the face of its multiple crimes?
The U.N. has proven that it is a farce.  A glorified entity with no teeth gives the U.S. and Europeans undue power to affect all resolutions. Just think of the over 50 U.N. Resolutions condemning and demanding that Israel return land, abide by international law, and treat Palestinians humanely. With full support from the U.S., none of these resolutions have been implemented. Unfortunately, the powerful have committed multiple crimes against humanity (Vietnam, Cambodia, Iraq, Syria, Libya) with full impunity. International law is set up by the strong and wealthy to protect their interests.
Why such an influence of the Zionist lobby on the various US administrations, whether it is Trump, Obama, or other presidents?
As the saying goes, “It is all about the Benjamins.”   Last presidential elections cost each candidate close to a billion dollars. This money comes mostly from corporations and special interest groups. Then, after the person retires, he must raise money for a Presidential library. This runs into millions of dollars. A dear friend who worked for the Saudis told me that he carried a check for 30 million dollars from the Saudis and handed it to the Clinton folks at the opening ceremonies for the Clinton Library. Three wealthy American Jews have donated over 300 million dollars to Trump’s campaign.
At the moment when there is an awareness about the criminal policy of the Zionist entity of Israel as seen with the BDS movement in the West for example, Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, etc., are normalizing their relations with Israel, as seen at the recent Manama conference. How do you explain the wave of normalization of Israel’s criminal entity by some Arab countries?
Tragically, the Palestinian problem has been used by all the Arab countries to give them a shield and cover to hold on to power. All the Gulf Arabs are sleeping in the same bed with Israel. Israel helps in spying on opposition entities, and selling arms to brutal Gulf theocracies. Had there been a will, the Arabs could have forced the U.S., way back in 1973, to implement a resolution to the Palestine tragedy. The foolish antagonism between Shia and Sunni serves Israel and the West. Jordan was and still is, a CIA collaborator, Egypt is run by a dictator, and all the Presidents, kings, and rulers-for-life in the Arab world are holding on to power through brutal force. And corruption is rampant. Normalization with Israel is merely inviting a sophisticated intelligence entity, with the very best spying technology, a technology developed off the backs of Palestinians under occupation, to be used to control the masses.
How do you explain that every time a voice is raised against Zionism and the criminal policy of the Zionist entity of Israel, it is accused of anti-Semitism?
Even though the Palestinians are also Semites, the Israelis and their henchmen around the world, especially in the U.S. and Europe, have used the anti-Semitic mantra as both, a shield, and a weapon. A shield to give cover to Israel’s, heinous crimes, and a weapon to keep Holocaust sympathy alive. The saying that those who have the gold have the power is apropos for this case. It takes money to buy politicians, control the media, and brainwash people. Besides, there is an ethnocentric dimension to cornering the collective mind; i.e., conflating anti-Semitism and Zionism as a solely Jewish experience; this has been an ingenious use of propaganda.
How do you analyze this aberration, this calamity, which they call “Deal of the century”?
In 1917 the Bloody Brits assured the creation of a colonial Zionist entity in the heart of Palestine. This was the first nail in the Palestine coffin… After WWII, the U.S. took over. President Truman knew that there were more Jewish votes in America than there were Arab votes; he nailed the second nail in the coffin. And ever since, successive European and American presidents have been nailing more nails in the coffin called Palestine –  the Europeans as silent partners, with Arab complicity. The deal of the century is the other bookend to the 1917 Rape of Palestine. “The Deal of the Century” is not only an aberration, but it has sealed the fate of Palestine. Think about a child who grows up with no discipline, disregarding parental and societal rules. Instead of being punished, he is rewarded; he grows into a belligerent adult who does as he pleases.
What do you think of the Trump administration’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel’s Zionist entity?
Donald Trump is a real estate wheeler-dealer whose sole purpose in life is to make a buck at someone else’s expense, whether it is legal or not. Moving the embassy was undertaken as a way to pay off Jewish donors.
Recently, we have noticed Jared Kushner’s role in the “deal of the century”. How do you explain the important role played by Trump’s son-in-law, the believer Zionist Jared Kushner?
The Kushner family has a history of violations, legal and otherwise. Trump’s appointing him as chief negotiator is proof solid that Trump is inexperienced, he is a showman, he abuses others and U.S. and international laws; he is egotistical, impulsive, petulant and dangerous.
When will the Zionist criminals who massacred the Palestinian people, particularly in Gaza but also throughout Palestine, be brought to justice?
The Zionists, unfortunately, will never be brought to justice, not in our lifetime. In recent years Justice has gone AWOL.  The apathy that has taken over modern times is heartbreaking. Just think of all the trouble spots in the world where justice has turned into tyranny, abuse, exploitation, and dehumanization.
The just cause of the Palestinian people is a cause that concerns all humanity. Do you not think that despite betrayals, compromises and deals, the Palestinian cause will one day triumph?
For over twenty years I have maintained that the cause of Palestine has been buried in the vault of history. And the Palestinians have to assume a measure of responsibility; their leadership is corrupt and inept, they are divided and, in some ways, tribal. They were too trusting of others, especially their so-called Arab brothers, and the U.S., and they have had their legs broken, their dignity robbed, their lands stolen, and their every breath choked by an angry, mean, brutal, spiteful, conniving, full of anger and revenge peoples exacting revenge for what the Germans did to them. I will venture to say the following: should Israel decide to ethnically cleanse the West Bank of its Palestinian population, the Arab World will do nothing, and the West will see it as an opportunity to make conduct business and make money. Greed and exploitation began with the Crusades and has gone unabated to this day.
What do you think of the Algerian people’s unwavering support for the just cause of the Palestinian people?
My deep appreciation for Algeria’s, and, by extension, her children’s always keeping the Palestine tragedy front and center. Other Arab countries deserve a vote: Syria, Iraq, and Libya. And I am convinced that the Arab Street (to use the phrase), under the right conditions, will rise up in anger and rage on behalf of Palestine.
When I lived in Lebanon (1959-1965) I was a member of the Beirut 2 Sea Scout Troup. Our scoutmaster was an Algerian; we worshipped the ground on which he walked. And we wanted so badly to emulate him.
If you’ve not read Edward Said’s book under the title Culture and Imperialism, it might be worth your time. He takes the Brits and French to task about their imperial/colonial brutalities. Said also takes Sartre to task about his support of French colonial occupation of Algeria.
Please wear your grandfather’s martyrdom as a badge of honor. He gave his life to a good cause.
La Mère France est très terrible. Elle est le diable personnifié (Mother France is very terrible. She is the devil personified).
This piece first appeared in The American Tribune.

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