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Friday, January 11, 2008

Answering Discouraging Newspaper Letter to Editor Concerning Israel

Nadene Goldfoot
Today's Letter to the Editor in the Oregonian had a very discouraging letter from a writer in Beaverton that I tried to answer in 150 words, but felt I could not address his accusations properly, so I will try to answer them better in my blog. My short answer will probably not even by published.

He wrote that our government and Israel have agreed to continue taking more Palestinian land for another year while punishing or killing any Palestinian who resists.

Perhaps he does not realize that on November 29, 1947, the United Nations ended the British Protectorate of "Palestine" and created a partition which the Arabs turned down. When Israel was created by the United Nations in May 1948, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Trans-Jordan and Iraq attacked Israel. Ever since then Israel has offered land for peace which the Arabs have continually turned down. Their intentions have not been honorable. They want to destroy Israel, not live next door to her.

By attacking Israel and losing in 1967, Israel found itself in charge of much more land than in 1948. Actually, in the original documents, Israel was to have a much larger piece of land, but a great deal was taken in the offer of a partition that wasn't accepted by the Arabs. In a sense, they gained back what was originally promised to them. However, this land came into Israel's hands fairly. When a country attacks and loses, they lose the land they were gambling on. Thus Mexico lost Texas. This is a part of international law.

Israel is not continuing to take "Palestinian land". Israel pulled out of Gaza completely, and this was for peace. What has happened is that it is now a hotbed of terrorists who have not stopped shooting rockets into Israel. I'd say that was a bad move. The "West Bank" which is actually Judea and Samaria, originally Jewish land, has been designated to become "Palestine'. Olmert has said a million times that he will honor his promise, but first expects the Palestinians to stop their terrorism and stop attacking Israel. This was agreed to in the Oslo agreements and we are still waiting to see a stopping of attacks.

Israel is not taking Palestinian land and killing people who resist, but the Palestinians still allow terrorism and the attacking of Israel. If they want a Palestinian state, they first have to stop terrorism and reeducate their students to stop hating Israel by using better textbooks.

He stated that the USA should withhold further military aid and funding from Israel until it agrees to recognize Palestine on the pre-1967 borders. Israel has been the only democratic state in the Middle East, and shares its military expertise with the USA. He's asking the country that won the wars to give in to 1967 borders as if Israel were the loser. Since when does a country have to give in to the bullies? I'm afraid Olmert has even extended much of this on the condition of peace, which isn't being offered. Palestinians have not wanted to accept or recognize Israel. Why should we give back land to a people who want to do us in? We're not that stupid.

The writer also added that Israel should stop its illegal occupation and vacate all settlements. Bush even used the term "occupation" in Israel today, and Olmert had to let that one roll by. I guess we should stop our illegal occupation of Texas and vacate the Alamo. Israel is not occupying any land illegally. Attack and lose ground. That's what has happened with the Arabs in Israel. A crime needs punishment. It was a crime to attack Israel. The punishment is the loss of land they never wanted in the first place. They only want it now because Israel has done something with it. The commandment, thou shalt not covet, includes wanting Israeli land, and they have have been highly coveting.

The man in Beaverton ends his letter by stating that all settlements are an illegal aggression against Palestine. Israel feels that the land rightly belongs to them and they can build as they wish and need. Palestine is not an entity yet, and may never be until they wise up and stop their aggressions against Israel. No country in its right mind wants to have a state bent on the destruction of itself.

Interestingly, a new poll found that 62% of Palestinians (Israeli Arabs) who are living in Israel say they would prefer to live in Israel rather than a Palestinian state. They know that, despite problems in Israel, Israel is still a democratic state that offers them freedom of speech, assembly, religion, and the press and respects human rights in general and women's rights and gay rights in particular. All these rights would be denied under Palestinian rule.

Reference: Oregonian Letters to the Editor 1/11/08
Mitchell Bard Myth #284. Palestinians prefer to live in a Palestinian state.
Prelude to a Palestinian Bloodbath by Alan Caruba

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