1. And Then The Herald Published This - Some people apparently did not like my letter to the editor referred to in item 1 of last week's post. I would normally only post the link, but the links to the local paper expire quickly, so here are the letters:Insulting deflectionMark David’s vision of a world out to demonize Israel (Nov. 20 opinion piece) lends nothing of value to a rational debate. Raising the spectre of anti-Semitism as a prime motivation for chastising Israeli policy is an insulting deflection.
Few believe Israeli policies are bad because of Judaism. They are bad because Israel’s political system allows very little time for any ruling party or group to implement a long-term peace plan. It is a government constantly in flux, where unlikely coalitions seldom form consensus on the Palestinian issue. It is the actions taken by the state of Israel that rile world opinion.
Mr. David seems to believe that the rest of us don’t actually see what we clearly see. For over 50 years, the world has witnessed pain and waste in the Middle East. We know what an occupied territory looks like. We’ve seen, time and again, the thousands dead, the millions displaced, and have looked into the sunken eyes of the refugee camps.
Mr. David’s rant against the UN is a childish finger-pointing exercise, written to somehow mitigate Israel’s own bad behaviour. The point isn’t the actions of others, but the actions of Israel, and how those actions call into question Israel’s assertions that it is a co-operative, modern democracy.
Bruce Davies, Halifax
Can’t be above the lawRe: "Israel’s legitimacy under attack" by Mark David (Nov. 20).
The campaign that Israeli apologists, including Stephen Harper and Jason Kenney, are conducting to wrongly label any criticism of Israeli policies as anti-Semitism, is a charade. The policies of all countries must be open to justified criticism; Israel cannot be allowed this unique immunity from criticism that is not available to any other nation. Such criticism must not be equated with delegitimization of any state, including Israel. Critics of communism and fascism did not call for the elimination of Russia, Spain or Italy.
Israeli illegal occupation of Palestinian territories for the past 43 years defies international law and repeated Security Council resolutions. The practices throughout this illegal occupation violate virtually every article of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and are identified by international law as war crimes.
Mark David mentions the Hamas kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, but makes no mention of over 10,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, mostly without charge or trial. Rachel Corrie was crushed by an Israeli bulldozer when she was attempting to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian home.
Israel must abide by the UN Charter and cannot remain above international law.
Ismail Zayid, MD, Halifax
The second letter did not surprise me in the least, since the author has made the same points in pretty much very letter he has ever sent to the Herald. Remember too, that if you go to his website, the ENTIRE map of Israel is overlaid by the word "Palestine" - no mention of Israel.
I think that the author of the first letter needs glasses, if all he can see in the Middle East is pain and waste that is clear the author believes is caused only by Israel. He must have somehow had his sight temporarily averted during the attack of 6 Arab armies against the newly declared State of Israel, the expulsion of millions of Jews from around the Middle East (and the outright theft of much of their property), constant terror raids by fedayeen into Israel, the blocking of the Straits of Tiran by Egypt in 1967 that led directly to the Six Day War, the kidnapping and murder of 11 Israeli athletes during the Munich Olympics (the frigging Olympics!), the initiation of a major war by Egypt and Syria (on the holiest day of the Jewish year for extra special effect), the Lebanese Civil War, the Iran-Iraq war, the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, Saddam Hussein gassing the Kurds, the treatment by the Arabs themselves of the Palestinians (does he even know what Black September was?), the terror attacks against Israeli citizens on buses, in malls and religious gatherings, constant missile attacks from Gaza against Israeli citizens (living in areas that were sovereign Israeli territory since 1948), constant and virulent antiSemitic and anti-Israel content in the official media and education systems of almost all of the Arab countries in the area, as well as from the PA, Hezbollah and Hamas, and so on (just to name some "high points"?).
(victims of the 1972 Munich Massacre)
(Image From the Iran-Iraq War)
(Hamas Missiles being readied for launching into Israel)
(Kurdish victims of Iraqi Gas Attack)
No question - must be Israel's fault.
And as for my "rant" against the UN - which was in response to something that was raised in the original item my letter responded to - was not a deflection nor written as some form of mitigation. I guess the author also has had his sight diverted from the UN's constant obsession with Israel as as manifested by resolutions and criticism that dwarf that directed against any other member state.
I suggest that the author of that first letter raises no points that lend noting of value to a rational debate.
Let me make this clear for those like the first author, who apparently can only see certain things (hence my Walter Duranty reference), and the second author, who can only repeat the same things over and over and over again.
I am just one little guy trying to stand up for Israel (which by the way, I do not do blindly), and I have my own criticisms of the policies of the Israeli Government. But in the big picture, I am a nobody.
But you can criticize Israel all you want. Just do it fairly - criticize Israel the exact same way you criticize every other country. Examples: Don't whine about the separation barrier (which has been extraordinarily effective, by the way) without whining to the same degree about similar structures elsewhere. Don't whine about a so-called "siege" of Gaza without also acknowledging that Gaza shares a border with Egypt, that for years Hamas indiscriminately rained thousands of missiles on Israeli civilian targets before Israel took concerted military action (I wonder what the author's attitude would be if a group of loud teenagers lived next door), and that the Hamas Charter makes Mein Kampf and The Protocols of the Elders of Zion look like nursery school primers.
I've got some news for the (often hypocritical) critics of Israel - Israel can take your criticism, fair or unfair. It will recognize and respect fair criticism, even if it stings, and make appropriate changes. It will place unfair criticism in the trash.
But here's the thing. Israel is here to stay. Get used to it. And in a fair and independent debate, Israel's right to exist, its accomplishments and its values can stand proudly against any other country on earth every day of the week, and twice on Sunday (though Saturday we might be in synagogue).
Oh - and one last thing - read this - please.
2. And More About That Pesky UN - I've clearly misunderstood:
"His book points out that Israeli Arabs regularly state a preference for living in Israel rather than under Hamas or Fatah rule or other Middle East regimes. Many hold favourable views about Jews, says Fatah.
In addition, he reports that when he has randomly asked Israeli Arabs if they believe Israel is an "apartheid state," they laugh out loud."
(The Honourable Jason Kenney -
Canadian Federal Minister of Citizenship,
Multiculturalism & Immigration)
11. CSI:Beirut - There are so many versions of the CSI TV show that they might as well start this one for Beirut. Last week, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, not known for its warm and fuzzy view of Israel, broadcast a lengthy report on the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri - CBC News - World - CBC Investigation: Who killed Lebanon's Rafik Hariri?
This has spawned a small tizzy on the Internet:
Well, the evidence is clear. It must be the work of the Mossad.......that's a joke, people. My money is on Hezbollah doing the deed, assisted and directed by Syria and Iran.
12. Time To Lighten Up - I think that this is rather funny, and also rather accurate:
