(Your Voice in a World where Zionism, Steel, and Fire have
turned Justice Mute)

Dear readers of the Free Arab Voice:

Below you will find an English summary of a report written in Arabic
about a special program of the U.S. State Department called the
"International Visitor Program". This program invites annually
hundreds of professionals from different countries around the world,
ostensibly to meet and make connections with their American
counterparts. Special emphasis is given to teachers, journalists,
and potential leaders from foreign countries, such as Karazi of
Aghanistan, and Schroeder of Germany, who both attended this program
before they became presidents.

We were lucky enough to have journalist Fatima Smadi, a member of the
Media Committee of the Association against Zionism and Racism
(AZAR), participate in this program. She came back after only two
days once she discovered that, contrary to what she had been told in
Amman, she was to meet regularly with "Israelis".

The report exposes the program for what it is: An effort to normalize
relations with Zionists.

Ms. Smadi backs up this conclusion with excerpts from a report from
the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, which calls for
instituting such programs between Arabs and Zionists.

THE FREE ARAB VOICE
___________________________________________________________________________

"The International Visitor" A program aimed at increasing mutual
understanding or implementing hidden political agendas?

Washington, Fatima Smadi

The "International Visitor" is the title of the program sponsored by
the U.S. State Department, and implemented by the Department's
Cultural and Educational Bureau. But despite the proclaimed
objectives of the program, which concentrate on mutual understanding
and cultural exchange in the fields of economic development, women's
issues, justice administration, supremacy of law, democracy, American
studies, immigration and borders, and civil education, despite all
that, it is doubtful that the program's declared purposes are in fact
the only and true aims of the program. Many of the participants,
although the purpose of their visits held clear titles such as
"Muslim Women in America", are subject to repeated attempts to make
them meet with "Israelis" under the pretext that they are an integral
part of American society, which the visitor should allegedly be
familiar with! However, such attempts often encounter participants'
objections, who consider such an act as normalization with the enemy,
something that is clearly at odds with their political and patriotic
beliefs.

Hundreds of Arabs arrive annually to America to participate in this
program, many of whom encounter similar situations. Their objections
to these "normalization efforts", which, incidentally, are never
mentioned in advance as part of this program, are portrayed by the
program organizers as "disturbance . . . lack of respect for the
people or the place in which this activity is taking place". You
might be even asked to sit aside and remain silent if you refuse to
participate in these arranged meetings.

What is also noticeable, is that such American programs have markedly
increased after the 9/11 attacks and the second Intifada, which
dispelled illusions that the Arab street does not exist. The new Arab
generations, who grew up in the so called "Peace Culture", and who
would have otherwise forgotten about Palestine, started to send clear
messages that Zionist oppression and savagery, backed by American
weaponry, political and economic support, will not be met with
helpless negativity.

This American strategic support, does not stop at the financial and
political assistance for the Zionist entity, but transcends this to
setting up many programs aimed at so called curtailing "hostilities"
and encouraging communication between the two peoples.

Just so I am not accused of flinging baseless accusations, I invite
the reader to view the report of the Steering Committee of the
"Washington Institute for Near East Policy", issued in 2001, which
was translated into Arabic by colleague Amal Al-Sharqi, translator
and journalist. The title of the report in question is: "Sailing in a
Turbulent World: America and the Middle East in a New Century".

Under the heading of giving priority to fighting provocation, the
report says: Encouraging communication among the two peoples, and
minimizing hostilities between ordinary Arab and "Israeli" [the
quotation marks are by the writer] citizens is to be considered one
of the most important peace initiatives that the American
administration should strive to achieve. In this context, the
administration should secure immediate funding for a multifaceted,
high-level program that targets teachers, journalists, businessmen,
religious leaders, athletes, prominent "Israeli" and Arab public
figures, Arabs and Muslims, in order to fight incitements inside and
within their communities, and to find several meeting spots between
"Israelis", citizens of Arab countries and countries of Muslim
majority. Special attention should be given to non-elitist segments,
which are not usually included in these encounter programs between
the citizens of the two peoples.

In another section of the report, we find talk about the injustice,
ignorance, mistrust, and hatred that tints Palestinian - "Israeli"
relations... "This means that diplomatic progress will continue to be
marginal without solving this principal problem, therefore, more
efforts should be made towards investing in encouraging rapprochement
and fighting provocations in public speeches, especially in mass
media, schools, and religious institutions".

It is clear that the Washington Institute's recommendations are being
implemented effectively and institutionally, for America these days
is witnessing fervent and active endeavors to invite large
delegations of women, journalists, Muslim clergy, students of
religious institutes, university professors, and local leaders to
acquaint them with the American way of life and American policies
towards the rest of the world, preparing the visitors to become the
ardent promoters of the American model.

The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, which was established
in 1985, has intellectuals and special researchers, experienced in
the field of policy-making. These researchers master the Arabic,
Hebrew, Persian, and Turkish languages, and are experienced in
strategic and international relations as well as "Middle East"
policies, economy and history.

The institute is also one of the institutes of the Zionist lobby in
America, which works at protecting "Israeli" interests in the United
States, and is an important Zionist pressure tool over American
government institutions, forcing them to take decisions and stances
that serve these interests.

This Institute was first established as the Research Unit of the
American - "Israeli" Committee for Public Relations "AIPAC", which is
the single most powerful Zionist lobby institute in the United
States.