The following is an email I sent to the moderators of /r/Palestine regarding a deleted submission by /u/WiseCynic
"Dear Moderators of /r/Palestine,
Today, one of your moderators - "WiseCynic" decided to ban me from your subreddit.
He did this after I made a post entitled - "I'm curious what everyone's thoughts are on Noam Chomsky's refutation of the Mearsheimer/Walt Israel Lobby Hypothesis (article linked)"
This posted linked this article from Noam Chomsky.
Thereafter, the following exchange took place.
WiseCynic:
Chomsky does not deny the factuality of M-W, he merely postulates his own theories on the subject and expresses his opinion that M-W could have done a more thorough job had they included his ideas in their study. His quibbles with M-W don't discredit the M-W study.
Also, this piece is almost a decade old. Why do you bring it here now?
ub3rm3nsch:
Sorry, but you're completely wrong. This is direct quote from the Chomsky piece:
But recognizing that M-W took a courageous stand, which merits praise, we still have to ask how convincing their thesis is. Not very, in my opinion.
He directly refutes their thesis.
Is this subreddit only dedicated to recent events? The occupation has lasted 67 years (based on the borders of the Partition Resolution without accepting its validity; & refuting that the 1949 armistice borders could be valid even assuming, arguendo, the Partition Plan is valid). A lot of what has been historically written is relevant. It's stupid to say otherwise. "Illegal Occupation" by Orna Ben-Naftali is a decade old, but it remains more relevant today than ever. SCR 242 was passed in 1967. Is it no longer relevant?
Why would you approach a discussion with me in such an argumentative and aggressive way? I'm not your enemy.
WiseCynic:
(quoting ubermensch) He directly refutes their thesis.
No, YOU are wrong. Chomsky is expressing his opinion that he isn't convinced. He's REFUTING nothing.
(quoting ub3rm3nsch) Why would you approach a discussion with me in such an argumentative and aggressive way?
If you came here to be agreed with, you're in the wrong subreddit. And nobody here is required to agree with everything Chomsky writes. This piece was relevant 9 years ago. Trying to make the case that it is relevant now is laughable. M-W were addressing the Israeli lobby in the US, not the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands, the oppression of the Palestinians themselves, and the human rights violations Israel visits upon Palestinians every day. You've got a logical disconnect there. Also, comparing Chomsky's few paragraphs about M-W with UNSCR 242 in how relevant they are is ridiculous. Or, in your preferred way of describing things, "stupid."
(quoting ub3rm3nsch) I'm not your enemy.
Then what was I thinking when I disagreed with you? Silly me! I should have just gotten on one knee and kissed your Ring of Entitlement, right? Please accept my most sincere ridicule, sire.
LOL
ub3rm3nsch:
I think you're spending way too much time on the internet if you're approaching conversations so defensively and combatively.
Came here to be agreed with? I asked what people's thoughts were about something, and you expressed something incorrect in an aggressive and argumentative way. Here's a recent debate between Chomsky and Omar Baddar where he again refutes the thesis. Chomsky believes that Israel's lobby isn't controlling or even significantly influencing U.S. foreign policy, but rather that it's the U.S. government who uses Israel to perpetuate the U.S. foreign policy.
Not only that, but you didn't even answer my question about Ben-Naftali and 242, because you likely don't have a clue what I'm talking about. Have you actually read any of the basic documentation on the situation in Palestine? If not, that would explain why you think this subreddit should be dedicated to news articles. Historical context is the most important thing about what's happening.
Here. Let's clear this up right now. What do you think are the most important and relevant legal and written sources in terms of advocacy? I'm curious.
If you're coming on this thread to create artificial debates where none exist, you're doing absolutely nothing for Palestinian advocacy. I know it's cool to wear the t-shirt to show your friends and all, but have you ever actually studied the historical context or lived - ever even been - to Palestine?
So could you answer me:
1) what you feel are the most relevant legal sources?
2) what your connection with Palestine is?
I'm curious what your credentials are to be attacking people on this subreddit, and to be making your claims. Having the status as a moderator gives you a responsibility to ensure the progression of advocacy to achieve self-determination for Palestinians, not a right to attack people posting on this subreddit.
It's moderators like you that completely undermine what could be a very valuable platform for Palestinian rights, because you've tied your personal ego up to this subreddit and turned it into a shrine to your yourself, rather than using it for the advancement of the Palestinians. Why would you be so selfish? What is wrong with you?
WiseCynic:
Your self-righteousness and lack of history with this subreddit lead me to believe that you showed up here only to start and have an argument. Even your post has NOTHING to do with this subreddit or the interests of our subscribers. Neither M-W's study nor Chomsky's reply have anything whatsoever to do with Palestine.
When the logical flaws and fallacies of your positions are pointed out, you take to insulting me personally. The idea that when you have no argument, you should attack the opponent - his character, his legitimacy, question his fitness to even HAVE the argument. Basic debate skills, certainly. Not something that hasn't been tried on every mod and most subscribers in here.
I advocate for the rights and the dreams of the Palestinian people. I also advocate for the rights and the dreams of homosexuals world-wide. How much gay sex do you demand I have to have before I can have credibility in that position? I advocated for the Catholics in Northern Ireland when something called The Troubles was in full raging swing. But I never fought the British Paratroopers nor was I present at the Bogside on Bloody Sunday. Regarding your attempt to tear me down personally, you have earned a grade of "Fail".
You showed up here out of nowhere to have an argument. You decided to create conflict in here with a post about something which has nothing to do with Palestine. You got your argument, but don't like what happened. Tough shit, kid.
If you want to continue to cause trouble in here, you can try. Do understand that if you decide to keep making trouble in here, you won't do it for long. Or ever again under the account you're using.
Now head out of here Skippy. Your mission is over.
ub3rm3nsch:
You started the aggressive conversation with me. You attacked what I wrote, and you were wrong.
Now you're accusing me of self-righteousness and a lack of history? That's doublespeak at its worst. You didn't answer either of my questions. Also, you're telling me that the biggest study ever conducted on AIPAC and the Israel lobby has nothing to do with Palestine?
Do you at all have a historical background on this conflict? What is your connection? What legitimacy do you have to be "representing" Palestine on this website, knowing nothing clearly whatsoever about the history or historical documents, and clearly never having even been to Palestine?
Also, your implicit threats to ban this account from your illegitimate fiefdom mean nothing. I'm on this subreddit on 10 different usernames. Usernames are free to create on this website. It only exposes your fear of what I'm saying. All you've done is expose yourself for completely being illegitimate and having no business to moderate this subreddit. I work with people dealing with Palestine professionally. If you feel that alienating professionals in this field is good for you or for this subreddit, you're sorely, sorely mistaken. I'll be sure to pass along to my colleagues to stay away from this subreddit. Thank you for that.
I just called you out for having absolutely no legitimacy, and your response is to threaten to hide that idea so that you can continue to pretend that you do. You're a fraud, and have no business moderating a subreddit having anything to do with Palestinians. We don't want people like you hijacking our cause. Now you fuck off.
I though you would like to know that you have someone moderating your subreddit who thinks that the Chomsky Mearsheimer/Walt debate about AIPAC is irrelevant to the situation in Palestine, and who doesn't know what SCR 242 is, nor seems to know any of the legal or historical documents related to Palestine. Moreover, this person seems to be using his position as a mod to promote himself and his own personal agenda of winning arguments on Reddit, rather than the Palestinian cause of self-determination.
As an international lawyer who works on the Palestinian issue, and who just finished writing an article with a former Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, I feel it's my obligation to let you know this.
The more senior mods might seriously consider removing this person from his position as a moderator on your subreddit, as he is only working to delegtimize it among lawyers and practitioners who work professionally on this issue. He is also censoring content directly related to the struggle against colonialism in Palestine, thereby doing a disservice to the subscribers of your subreddit."
I haven't heard back from the mods at /r/Palestine, so for now I've taken the remedial step of creating /r/Falastin.
I think it's extremely dangerous to have someone using his position as a moderator to win personal arguments on Reddit at the expense of sharing information that could be of use for activists and advocates for Palestinian self-determination. Moreover, this person is someone who has no basis of knowledge at all in the situation.
Edit: I received a reply from /u/FAREEQAWAL that I am posting (along with my response) verbatim
FAREEQAWAL
Hello, I'm personally not on Reddit too much these days for personal reasons and I check up on things every so often. When I read stuff like this I feel very uncanny because the /u/WiseCynic I know is nothing like how you're making him out to be. Furthermore, I see that you are adding this argument on several posts throughout Reddit attempting to further your discredit of WiseCynic. If you would like for us to take your Clair seriously, why on earth after only an hour of posting this in PM, spread it throughout Reddit? Not only does this make you look desperate to smear a good man, it makes you look desperate. I would strongly advise you to voluntarily remove your other post before I de respond to you via your other post.
Thank you for your prompt response. Fareeq Awal
ub3rm3nsch:
The only way to ensure accountability for someone like this person is public exposure.
It's a shame that someone abuses his mod position to the point that users have to take action on other subreddits, but that is what happened.
And I'm not "making him out to be" a certain way, because the conversation was posted verbatim. You would be able to read it for yourself if /u/WiseCynic hadn't unilaterally taken action to protect himself.
It's sad that someone abused his position in the way that he did. I've made sure the concerned communities on Reddit are aware that /r/Palestine is no longer a subreddit for the promotion of Palestinian rights, it's a promotion for /u/WiseCynic. Until this changes, I'll continue to shed transparency on this fact, and I stand by every word that I posted.
EDIT 2: Further replies
FAREEQAWAL:
You advise the other sub that you sent the mods a message and since they didn't reply you felt the need to advise /r/Arabs. Why do you feel the need to post this after only an hour after you PM the /r/Palestine mods?
ub3rm3nsch:
Will action be taken otherwise?
I've updated the conversation in /r/Arabs with our conversations (including this one). I would like to know what specific actions are going to be taken to deal with a moderator who doesn't seem to have any knowledge about Palestine and who is censoring directly applicable content.
The post to /r/Arabs is to let the concerned community know that a moderator of a subreddit that is supposed to be advancing the cause of their brothers and sisters in Palestine is actually taking steps to undermine that cause for personal reasons.
This is more important that me, or /u/WiseCynic. This is about people who are systematically being deprived their rights on a daily and ongoing basis, and a moderator who's treating that fact like a big joke. I find that personally insulting, and you're damn right I'm angry.
EDIT 3: from the same thread in /r/Arabs
FAREEQAWAL
As a mod of /r/Palestine, who hasn't even had a chance to read or digest all this information, has to point out that the message he sent to the mod PM regarding this issue was an hour ago.
ub3rm3sch
Yes, and until some concrete action is taken, I will continue to publicize the wrongful behavior of /u/WiseCynic.
The Israelis often say to the Palestinians, give us 6 more months....give us 6 more months. Well, guess what? Palestine has been waiting for "6 more months" since Sykes-Picot.
I work in advocacy. The only way to get anything done is direct and immediate pressure.
ここには何もないようです