They lied to me! They betrayed me!
"They lied to me. They betrayed me. They lied to the Israeli left," remarked Haim Schor. His confession caused a little sensation in Israel because Schor was a leader in the Israeli left. He was the editor of AL Hamishmar and New Autlook which were published by 'Mapam' (Hashomer Matzir) a left pro-Marxist, essentially a Kibbutz movement. Schor, 75, sacrificed his life on the alter of real Israeli-Arab peace.
Recently, in an interview in the Israeli Daily Maariv Haim, Schor expressed the deep disappointment of the Israeli left from the behavior of the P.L.O.'s leadership: "Arafat is a super-liar," said Schor. They betrayed him personally. He feels like a victim of illusions and frustrations, a victim of the P.L.O. manipulations and propaganda. He, for many years, fought for peace. He met, more than anyone else, the P.L.O.'s leaders such as Nabil Shaat, for many years. Now he feels as if God has failed him, again.
Today he confesses he learned that their main instrument for destroying Israel is the lie. He is sure that the P.L.O., systematically, has applied a master plan to achieve their goal, gradually, step by step. He also points out their way of manipulations. We should note that Haim Schor, like others in his Kibbutz, or movement 'Mapam' (today a faction in Meretz whose leader is Yossi Sarid), was educated on the concept of socialism in which justice means an international justice, justice for Jews means, also, justice for Arabs. They used to sing once in his Kibbutz, the 'International', and Marxism meant a union of all the working people, the Israeli-Arab masses. In this interview with Orna Kadosh he told us how he, also, linked Palestinians to the American Left. And no one had contacts with Palestinians like Schor had. Like others, he fought against the Israeli Right and against Israeli militarism and for the establishment of a Palestinian state. Schor confessed that he was blinded by their lies and propaganda. He even confessed that the Israeli Left, indirectly, helped the P.L.O. to influence Israel's public opinion. Haim Schor is a person with integrity. He is honest. Despite his new belief he still objects to the Israeli settlements in the West Bank!
The situation is a tragedy for Schor, today a writer who lives in Tel Aviv and in his original Kibbutz, 'Shuval' in the Negev. Tragedy because he lost his son Avida in 1973. He was killed in one of Israel's most prestigious military operations in Beirut (see: Uri Milstein: Aviv Neurin). Haim Schor decided to publish a unique book in which he runs an imaginative dialogue with his son, the fighter, Avida. (Israel's Defense Ministry Publishing Company, Tel Aviv, 2001).
Schor is very critical of the Israelis who still tend to believe that the P.L.O. is serious about peace: "I cannot live with the fact that younger Israeli politicians are rushing to Gaza in order to meet Arafat. He is a liar and a murderer. You make peace with your enemies but only if they want peace. They are enemies who go on with their killings. Therefore, I think that Yossi Sarid and Yossi Beilin (and others)... should not go see Arafat..." said Schor to Maariv (June 22, 2001)
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