Re: "Polarizing book speaks truths," April 3, by Matt Semansky.
This article outrageously refers to Israel as being "racist" and "fascist." Israel, as most enlightened people know, is an incredibly multicultural country with a rich cultural mosaic and an incredibly tolerant society.
Consider this if you will: An Arab (Salim Joubran) serves on the Israeli Supreme Court, the former Miss Israel (Rana Rasian) is Arab, the captain of Israeli soccer team Hapolel Tel Aviv (Walid Badir) is Arab, the former deputy speaker of the Israeli Knesset (Majalil Wahabi) is Druze.
Israel has accepted thousands of African refugees fleeing for their lives and welcomed thousands of Ethiopian immigrants. Jews and Arabs sing and dance together, swim at the Dead Sea, and are educated and shop together.
Don’t believe everything you read in the newspaper.
Mike Fegelman, Executive director, HonestReporting Canada
Reach out to Jews
I was dismayed but not surprised that Hamas and Fatah have opposed teaching the history of the Holocaust to Palestinian children starting in September ("Hamas warns UN," March 27). Many young Canadians who study this genocide are horrified to the point of being physically sick. The systematic murder of six million Jews is beyond fathoming.
Let’s bring this matter closer to home. What have we done to build bridges of understanding between the Jews and Gentiles who live here in Halifax? In view of the history of tensions between Jews and Christians, what have local church denominations done to show solidarity with their Jewish brothers and sisters?
April 11 marks Holocaust Day (Yom HaSho’ah) and April 19 marks Israel’s Independence Day (Yom Ha’atzmaut). It would be refreshing if even one church reached out to a synagogue saying: "The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."
Jennifer and Kirby Smart, Kentville
Regarding Nakba
Re: "Selective criticism," (April 3 letter) on Israel’s "Nakba law." The law allows that government to withhold or reduce budgets from government-funded bodies which deny Israel’s existence.
A sovereign state passes a law, amended after adhering to a truly democratic parliamentary process, that seeks to cut the budgets of institutions and bodies that reject its basic values. The state does not aim to minimize or ban criticism — everyone is still allowed to voice their views. It is just that the state will not finance its own critics and those who harm it.
Perhaps it is just me, but such a step seems reasonable, even a step that more states should adopt. Does it make a difference that the state is Israel?
Maybe, for once, the reflexive Israel bashers should instead concern themselves with events elsewhere in the Middle East — such as protesters shot by their own governments in Syria and Libya, women and gays being stoned to death in Iran, Christians being murdered in Egypt and Pakistan, and UN workers being murdered in Afghanistan. There don’t seem to be many letters from them about those subjects.
Mark David, Halifax