[net.religion.jewish] Hanna K.

martillo@ihuxt.UUCP (Yehoyaqim Shemtob Martillo) (03/21/84)

Many reviews  of  Costa-Gavras'  new movie, _H_a_n_n_a _K., have  ignored
the  fundamental offensiveness of this film.  _H_a_n_n_a _K., _M_y _M_i_c_h_a_e_l,
_T_h_e _L_o_v_e_r and several other recent films and  books  represent  the
rebirth   or persistence of an old and popular genre of antisemitic
pornography.  In this  pornography,  a  dashing  non-Jew  typically
rapes  or  seduces  a  Jewish woman. The sexual conquest has always
been a metaphor for the subjugation or annihilation of  the  Jewish
people.  Usually,  there is an implication that the Jewish woman is
atoning for some sin (e.g. deicide)  committed  against  non-Jewish
people.

Arab Jews (like my family) find the story  of  _H_a_n_n_a  _K.  offensive
because  Arab  Muslims  are historical oppressors of Jews just like
Germans, Poles or Rumanians. Jews have no reason  at  all  to  feel
guilty  about  the  treatment  of  Arab  Muslims in Israel. Just as
the archetypical Black-hating Southern Red-Neck is supposed (unlike
the  ordinary southern  white laborer) never to have seen any crime 
in raping black women, Arab Muslims have  considered  raping Jewish
women  perfectly permissible behavior.  The black  community  would
find  extremely offensive  a movie in which a Black female attorney 
had an affair with a Red-Neck  client suspected of taking part in a
lynching.

A  truly daring  and original theme  for  a  book  or  movie  would  
have  described  an  Arab women who rejected Islamic fanaticism and 
bigotry  and  who showed her disgust at Islamic culture by taking a 
Jewish lover at risk to her own life.