Salam Dhaka has alerted the bangladeshi blogosphere to the appointment of a zionist, amongst others, as a PR man for Bangladesh. Richard Benkin has a certain way with words. And his talents have no doubt impressed the government sufficiently for him to have acquired this 5k usd per month contract. Richard penned a letter in Jewsweek sometime back entitled “Dear Bangladesh.” Full of sophistry, the article tried to woo Bangladesh into recognising the state of Israel. In the article, Benkin cleverly but superficially abstracted historical features of the two countries and issues affecting them, stripped them of all political , contextual and historical analysis - and then presented the two countries as if they were long lost brothers. Most insulting to anyone who subscribes to any notion of historical truth is how Benkin manages to distort a fundamental fact: that Bangladesh represented a resurgence against domination whilst Israel represents a wretched attempt at retaining western domination in a third world area.
And perhaps this is precisely why the Bangladeshi government want to employ such a clever scribe. Who better to put the right spin on things than Richard Benkin - someone whose mind is able to conjure up common cause between Israel and Bangladesh? Self-justification is at the heart of Israeli propaganda. No matter at what cost. Perhaps the bangladeshi powers that be feel its time to employ some of the same given that the elections are around the corner?
I can’t helping thinking whether there is more to it. Is Bangladesh preparing to recognise Israel as Morshed Khan seemed to hint last year? Are there trade-offs to be gained in terms of further American trade? In other words, can foreign policy principles be bought? We will have to wait and see. Israel, incidentally, was one of the first countries in the world to recognise Bangladesh. At the time Sheikh Mujib took a principled stance and refused any kind of relationship. ( It is worth bearing in mind that the Arab states dragged their feet on recognising Bangladesh - paying heed to the sensitivities of Bhutto. Indeed they only recognised Bangladesh after Bhutto won a major, and some would say unforgiveable, concession from Mujib re the trial of Pakistani soldiers for war crimes).
14 Responses for "Bangladesh and Zionism: The appointment of Richard L Benkin"
for a copy of the 3 contracts that BD government signed with the Washington Group, Ketchum and Richard L. Benkin you can go to http://www.shuchinta.com
Does Bangladesh want ties with Israel?
http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=95176
[…] imperfect world 2006 on the appointment of Richard Benkin as the PR man for Bangladesh. “In other words, can foreign policy principles be bought? We will have to wait and see. Israel, incidentally, was one of the first countries in the world to recognise Bangladesh.” […]
I won’t complain much if Bangladesh recognizes ( Is recognition by Bangladesh matter to Israel anyway?) state of Israel.
Palestinian authority ( Now even the palestinian version of jamaat, Hamaas) recognizes the existance of Israel, so does Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain ( ?), Oman.
We definitely can gain much from Israel in terms of investment, technology transfer in agricultural sector ( One side of Israel is not known to most of world is it’s stunningly successful agricultural revolution), military training. There is always a fear of loosing Saudi labor market. Well, Egypt, India didn’t loose the market despite having ties with Israel, then why should we worry.
I think it is the principal that matters. First of all Rumi, Hamas does not yet recognise Israel. And I think it would be foolish to think that the people of Egypt or Jordan voluntarily embraced the idea of recognising the legitimacy of Israel - those countries are ruled by leaders in submission to American dollars. The main question is will our leaders submit?
We have to remember the dark beginings of Israel, the decision to put it there was by an occupying power, not the inhabitants of that land (for over 1400 years)… and even then it was on the condition the people already there were not disturbed. Israel broke every rule and committed every war crime, to this very day, ethnicly cleansing Palestine. The question is, can Bangladesh’s friendship be bought? I believe when Israel delivers a just settlement to the people of Palestine, that is acceptable, and ends the persecution, then we can recognise the group of occupiers of Palestine, from around the world (they just have to say they are Jewish), untill then, they must deliver justice.
They are trying to buy our friendship, with lobbyists, and loans, etc… rather than doing the right thing, which is deliver justice to the people of Palestine.
The question is, do we drop the need to justice? Sell our friendship? Even General Musharraf (who probably gota start of david tattoo), has said there will not be formal ties with Israel until a final settlement with the Palestinians. Of course the Zionist media machine will shout anti-semitism to any such arguments, but we all know this isnt about anti-semitism, we have no problem with the religion of Judaism, this is about Israel ending its crimes, compensating its victims and just doing the right thing.
Our war heros fought and many paid the ultimate price (may allah reward them) for justice. How can we as a nation, betray them by so easily giving up a demand for justice for a few dollars? Maybe our leaders will submit, but I know for sure the people of Bangladesh will never ever embrace Israel till the illegitimate apartheid occupiers do the right thing.
The Palestinian authority DOES NOT recognise the state of Israel and indeed faces sanctions for not doing so. Whether they come to recognise Israel or not is a matter for them.
It would be a scalp of sorts for Israel if one of the most populous “muslim” countries, as they would no doubt seek to portray it, such as Bangladesh recognises Israel.
In the face of continuing Israeli defiance of UN resolutions, its disregard for the 1949 UN Geneva convention particularly in relation to the protection of civilians, and a myriad other infringements of human rights, international law and agreements, it would be a strange thing indeed if after all these years of principled policy, the Bangladeshi government were to forget about it all. Without any material changes on the ground and continuing Israeli “malpractice” and human rights violations in the occupied territories what kind of statement would Bangladesh be making?
The Agricultural revoloution from its inception meant the displacement of palestinian people. Kibbutz and the other types of farms were part and parcel of the militarisation of the area. Control of water, an issue cleverly raised by Richard Benkin and then not explained, destroys irrigation networks not to mention palestinian farms and livelihoods. The erection of the wall (see my earlier post on this) also has an impact on palestinian agriculture. Israeli military has razed thousands of hectares of land and uprooted hundreds of thousands, yes hundreds of thousands of olive, citrus and grape trees. The land and agricultural sector have suffered most of all the sectors of the economy. This explains much of Israel’s success.
Within the last 24 hours in the UK, an MP has called for sanctions against Israel if they don’t bring to justice those Israeli soldiers responsible for the killing of Tom Hurdall and James Miller. Again within the last twenty four hours Amnesty International has called for Israel to stop aerial bombardment of civilian areas in the Gaza strip. In February of this year, the Chuch of England disinvested in those companies involved in the construction of Israel’s “apartheid wall. ” Prominent British architects have called for a boycott of Israel. Israeli human rights groups such the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions have called for sanctions etc etc.
This is no time for giving Israel unearned plaudits.
How can Bangladeshis point fingers towards human rights violations in Israel when this country only ranks at the bottom of human-rights protection list?
It is just a case of religious chauvanism that prevents Bangladesh and many countries like her not to recognize Israel!
Are you thick or something mate? Look around, I point the finger at bangladesh too. In fact my bleedin blog deals obsessively with the denial of human rights in Bdesh in one way or another. Human rights activism - the type i subscribe to - is not an agenda for nationalism or hidden religious chauvinism.
zoinest alrady in bangladesh one of big zoinest party in bangladesh that is shangskritc who believe shangskritc in bangladesh including awami leage party, also their call islam as islamist terrorist, those people thir want to destroy islam in bangladesh and will do it. bangladesh awami leage party also call mojibur rohman he is a nation of father, and we muslim people are believe our nation of father is our prophet ibrahem SAS, thir call mujibur rohman as nation of father, so this is another proof their ”zoinest”. my message to all our muslim people do not support this people.
this zoinesim main master planner is robindhronath tagor and bangladeshi people love him so mach. he is plan was just destroy islam in bangladesh and that is uping in bangladesh.
All I can say is that you are a nut Mr SAJ. You are full of bile and hatred.
Interesting discussion that you have here.
First and foremost, Bangladesh recognizes countries with a much more severe human rights records, even when it comes to mass-murdering muslims. From the carnage-fields of Darfur, to the brutal syrian el-hama, to saddam’s butchering of over a million kurds (and the chemical gas attack at halabja) and yet, all were recognized.
but to compare israel to these countries does not make justice. we are interlocked with a vicious fight against arab nationalism, who would like nothing more than to push us into the sea, whatever the consequences may be. Given that, what would one expect in relation to conflict? hamas has set its aim to destroy israel totally, as it treats all of israel as dar-al-islam. there’s simply no compromising with that, period.
and as for the nakba of 1948, you would do well to monitor the parallels of Jews from arab countries (like myself). the numbers are striking, a damning evidence of how two-faced the call to recognize palestinian rights to the land are. after all, we’ve been 2,700 years (!!!!) in iraq, and we were kicked out and unceremoniously dumped with no rights whatsoever.
you need to talk with more jews instead of relying on biased media. but how can you, when you refuse to recognize israel, refuse to route phone calls and refuse to route mail?
WE ALL BANGALIS STAND UP FOR PALESTINIAN VICTIMS OF ISRAELI TERRORISM AND WE WILL NEVER establish relations with that terrorist and illegal country NAME ISRAHELL (WHICH STEALS BIBLICAL NAME ISRAEL )
FYI I KNOW THE HISTORY OF ARABIC JEWS AND WHY THEY HAD TO LEAVE THEIR COUNTRY AFTER MOSSAD HIRING MANY JEWS WHO WERE ENGAZED IN TERROR ACTIVITIES . ALSO THIS IS NEED TO BE MENTION THAT NOTHING HAPPENED BEFORE ILLEGAL JEWSIH IMMIGRANTS OF ISRAEL OCCUPIED THE LAND OF PALESTINE .EVERY ACTIONS DESERVE SOME REACTIONS
SEARCH FOR LAVON AFFAIRS
IN IRAQ AND EGYPT MOSSAD GANG PLACED BOMB IN JEWISH MAJORITY AREA . THEY HAD 2 GOALS . GOAL NO 1. IS TO ENCOURAGE JEWS TO LEAVE THEIR ARABIC COUNTRY BY PLACING BOMB IN JEWISH AREAS . GOAL NO 2 IS TO RAISE INTERNATIONAL OPINION AGAINST ARAB COUNTRIES INORDER TO GAIN SUPPORT FOR JEWISH CAUSE .
AN IRAQI JEW WROTE A COMPLETE BOOK EXPLAINING MOSSAD TERRORIST ACTIVITIES IN IRAQ .
In his book “Ben Gurion’s Scandals” Naeim Giladi (an Iraqi Jew ) discusses the crimes committed by Zionists in their frenzy to import Jews from Iraq to Israel in the 1950s
In his book “The Gun & the Olive Branch,” David Hirst describes in detail covert Israeli operations to scare Iraqi and Egyptian Jews into fleeing their homes for the “sanctuary” of Israel. In Iraq they did so by placing bombs in areas frequented by Iraqis who were Jewish, then starting whispering campaigns that scared people into emigrating.
[…] writings against Muslims are archived in the site: Dr. Richard Benkin | BangladeshiHindu.com [4]. Bangladesh and Zionism: The appointment of Richard L Benkin - imperfect | world | 2009 [5]. Sunita Paul?s unsubstantiated articles in the American Chronicle were also translated into […]
[…] [4]. http://shafiur.i-edit.net/?p=123 […]
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