There is no equivalence between “freedom of speech” and Janet Peto’s thesis – by Harry Lieberman

To: “OISE Dean” dean.oise@utoronto.ca

Dear Julia O ‘ Sullivan,

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my letter.

I agree with you, whole heartedly, with the principles of freedom of speech and expression. It was, after all, a Jew, who fought for the legitimacy of making ‘genocide”- (coined by) Raphael Lemkin- a crime after the Holocaust. It was, in fact, a direct result of the lack of “freedom of speech” in Hitler’ s Germany that helped precipitate the Holocaust. Contrary to Janet Peto’s thesis , Europe and the world after the Holocaust was less than kind to Jews , “white” or black and the incidence of anti Semitism is not on a decline in Europe or the world, to the contrary statistics point to a thriving growth in anti Semitism.

It is no coincidence that there were 3.5 million Polish Jews pre-Holocaust and there are less than 1000 Jews left in Poland today or that the entire Jewish population in the Arab Middle East has been effectively cleansed. On a side note , it is Israel that took in “Black Jews” from Ethiopia and it is Israel where Black Muslims find refuge from an ongoing genocide in Darfur.

There is no equivalence between “freedom of speech” and Janet Peto’s thesis. In fact Janet Peto’s thesis is an outright act of discrimination against Jews.

Today the “media” and “academia” have clearly confused “free speech” with “ honest and factual speech”.

This “thesis” is the type of speech that promotes and encourages anti Semitism. The irony of Janet Peto’s “thesis “ is that it alleges Jewish “hegemony” at a time when anti Semitism in the world is at an all time high! The contradiction could not be factually more obvious!

The University of Toronto might claim that it is Janet Peto’s thesis that makes allegations of “manipulative white Jews , but the fact is that the University of Toronto has become a participant to Janet Peto’s attack on Jews. This “collaboration” is contrary to “higher learning” expected from a prestigious University .

Sadly the University of Toronto , with the help of Janet Peto, have thrown another “log “ into a fire of anti Semitism that has been burning against Jews for thousands of years.

Any wonder Jews feel a little over whelmed to say the least? It is not like Jews are over populated- 14 million- out of a world population of 6 billion – or “expansionist”- Israel is 20,000 sq. km of “Palestine” which is in fact 130,000 sq. km in size! Needless to point out Janet Peto’s silence to how “Palestinians” are kept in “refuge camps” in the largest part of “Palestine” by their Arab brethren.

The latter are only “facts”- not much interest in facts these days! That might explain why on May 31st of 2010 the CBC described Gaza as “ having one of the worlds highest infant mortality rates” ! An out right lie when in fact Turkey, Egypt have higher infant mortality rates than Gaza. Well at least when that lie was pointed out the CBC did an on air retraction that no one probably noticed and it is that type of “lie “, left un checked, that fuels a thriving anti Semitism. Something that the U of T should consider in regards to Janet Peto’s “thesis” that can be easily debunked by a high school student with a minimum education in the history of the Middle East, Europe and the Holocaust!

The title of this “thesis” alone makes that quite obvious – “The Victimhood of the Powerful”: “White Jews, Zionism and the Racism of Hegemonic Holocaust Education” (Janet Peto)!

I am a Jew – I am white-and my parents are Holocaust survivors. Janet Peto’s “thesis” is a personal attack on my parents and millions of Jews just like my mother and father – the majority are not “rich and powerful” and my mother is not “white”! Actually she is really white…the kind of pale white color that 16 year olds turn when they see their entire family ( 5 brothers, one sister and parents) murdered in front of their eyes. I have yet to see any factual statistics in Janet Peto’s “thesis” that points to a “powerful white Jewish hegemony”. Does a wild guess(Janet Peto’s thesis) coupled with a self serving ambition count as academia at the U of T? So what that Janet Peto is a Jew does not absolve her of discrimination. Some people suggest that Adolf Hitler had Jewish ancestry!

The “Jew” once again dominates the world using ‘guilt” of the Holocaust as currency to convince the world to give Jews a break? You have got to be kidding!

Jews have laboured for everything they own . When it comes to Jews the “exception” ( Bernie Madoff) are the example to support the demonization of Jews, while the rule( over 180 Nobel Prizes) are over looked. Is that what the “ powerful white Jewish holocaust hegemony “ is about?

In case it has escaped your attention the definition of “Hegemony” is the “dominance of one social group or nation over another”! What a sad day for “academia” when a people who have one of the longest history of being persecuted are now alleged to be “dominating over others”! Add that this thesis has the blessings of the prestigious University of Toronto.

History that points to the demonization, persecution, including pogroms, racism,humiliation, ethnic cleansing, and genocide of Jews could not be more obvious. I can assure you that given the longhistory, (an obvious one if ever there was an example ), of the persecution of Jews , that Jews happen to rank pretty high when it comes to human rights and generosity to the world.
It is enshrined in Judaism and Jewish culture. I believe that Mount Sinai Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital are a short drive from the University of Toronto. I would suggest a close look at the names of those who have made donations to these hospitals as not an exception to Jewish philanthropy but actually the rule!

Nothing remotely close to Hegemony can be attributed to “white Jews” , many of whom have suffered for only one reason, and whose only crime was(is) being Jewish while striving for success, given all of the obvious and voluminous obstacles Jews have faced and face without excuse. PhD’s, Doctorates, significant scientific discoveries etc. are not gratuitous because of the guilt of the “Holocaust”!

Sadly at least two things can be learned from Janet Peto ‘s “thesis”:

One is that” anti Semitism” a unique form of “racism” against Jews and has an unusually long shelf life in spite of the contradictions and obvious lies debunked over and over at nausea,“Blood Libels” and currently Janet Peto ‘ assault on Jews and Holocaust survivors.

Two : Is that the University of Toronto is helping to perpetuate the exact reason why Jews continue to be, and feel, persecuted by giving legitimacy to the lies and out right lies against Jews, the very reason why Jews to this day find the world a very unsettling place to say the least. I imagine your “version” of “freedom of speech” supports fully Iran’s “Holocaust Denial Conference”?

Bias and obvious lies perpetuated for self serving ambitions is something that a University with any standard should be able to see! Jews such as my self are deeply offended by Janet Peto, and the University of Toronto lack of clarity and good judgement.

Janet Peto’s “thesis can be summed up in the words of one Matthias Kuntzel “:

“While racism usually makes people “small” in order to enslave, exploit or expel them, anti-Semitism makes the Jews delusionally “big.”

The most important characteristic of anti-Semitism is a conspiracy theory that holds the Jews responsible for both capitalism and communism, for aids, revolutions and financial crises — in short, for every “inexplicable” catastrophe of modernity.” (Matthias Kuntzel )

I am certain that Janet Peto will have her rightful place for her thesis (with the blessings of the University of Toronto) on a shelf right next to the infamous ‘Blood Libels” and Norman Finklesteins “Holocaust Industry “ edition number two – a book that alleges that Jews profit from the Holocaust” 1

Well Mr. Finklestein- a Jew- may have a good point- after all his book alleging Jews make a profit on the Holocaust is selling so well that he is on his second edition! I wonder if Janet Peto will present
Thesis II – I might suggest from Star Wars success a title called , “The Jewish Empire Strikes Back”! All 20,000 sq. km of it including some 14 million Jews world wide!

In case you have not taken the time to read Janet Peto’s thesis here it is for your review!

Personally it reads like a young girls auto biography offering nothing more than an insight to the struggles of the troubled personality of Janet Peto.

“ my rebellion against the oppressive beliefs of my parents, teachers and religious leaders”(Janet Peto)

https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/bitstream/1807/24619/1/Peto_Jennifer_201006_MA_thesis.pdf

Regards

Harry Lieberman