The following letter was published in The Day (of New London) on January 13. It's a typically biased, factually-challenged screed against Israel.
We follow the text with a Comment & Analysis in which we take comments in the screed and analyze them.
PP encourages people to write letters to The Day. These may be sent to letters@theday.com. The text of the letter is followed by an analysis which may be useful in composing a response.
We follow the text with a Comment & Analysis in which we take comments in the screed and analyze them.
PP encourages people to write letters to The Day. These may be sent to letters@theday.com. The text of the letter is followed by an analysis which may be useful in composing a response.
World Wants Mideast Peace Negotiations
In 1947, the United States used its economic and political power to push a partition plan for Palestine through the U.N. General Assembly, with no thought of the consequences. The Palestinians were never invited to participate in the process.
The fighting that ensued caused 750,000 Palestinians to flee their homes and end up in refugee camps, some in Gaza.
During these 60 years, the population in Gaza is now 1.5 million people crammed into a small area unable to sustain itself, with all entrances and exits controlled by the Israelis, making it one large prison.
One must ask, 'What have the Palestinians done to deserve being essentially locked up?' Certainly, trying to live in your own home is not a crime, and 60 years is a long punishment - and the jailer seems to have thrown away the key.
The war in Gaza must be stopped now. It will not bring peace. The world wants an end to this violence through negotiations, for a permanent peace.
This is the golden opportunity for winners of the elections in the United States and Israel to sit with all parties concerned to bring about justice and peace.
Sameer S. Hassan
Quaker Hill
Comment & Analysis
Comment: World Wants Mideast Peace Negotiations
[Analysis: The world may want Mideast peace negotations, but Hamas certainly doesn't. Hamas wants to destroy Israel. It's enshrined in its charter and its leaders keep hammering that message home.]
Comment: In 1947, the United States used its economic and political power to push a partition plan for Palestine through the U.N. General Assembly, with no thought of the consequences. The Palestinians were never invited to participate in the process.
[Analysis: Ironically, it was the Soviet Union and its satellites which warmly supported the Partition Plan, while American support was lukewarm. (See www.mideastweb.org/181.htm.) The United States even backtracked after the vote, proposing a trusteeship to give the Arabs and Jews time to reach an accommodation - even though the Arabs had made it clear they were not interested in any accommodation. (See avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/decad166.asp.)
The writer is correct that the Palestinians were never invited to participate in the process, but not in the way the writer's words lead the reader to believe, since at the time the Palestinians were the Jews, while the Arabs insisted they weren't Palestinians. The Arabs were strongly represented by the various Arab states. Indeed, the entire process was an exercise in trying to accommodate the Arab rejection of any solution which entailed the recreation of a Jewish state.]
The writer is correct that the Palestinians were never invited to participate in the process, but not in the way the writer's words lead the reader to believe, since at the time the Palestinians were the Jews, while the Arabs insisted they weren't Palestinians. The Arabs were strongly represented by the various Arab states. Indeed, the entire process was an exercise in trying to accommodate the Arab rejection of any solution which entailed the recreation of a Jewish state.]
Comment: The fighting that ensued caused 750,000 Palestinians to flee their homes and end up in refugee camps, some in Gaza.
[Analysis: The fighting, of course, was started by the Arabs. It is refreshing to see an anti-Israel writer acknowledge it was this fighting, not any Israeli actions, that caused the Arabs (remember, they were not yet calling themselves Palestinians) to leave their homes.
That they remain in refugee camps is not because of the fighting, but because of the deliberate decision on the part of their Arab brethren and their own leadership to keep using them as pawns.]
That they remain in refugee camps is not because of the fighting, but because of the deliberate decision on the part of their Arab brethren and their own leadership to keep using them as pawns.]
Comment: During these 60 years, the population in Gaza is now 1.5 million people crammed into a small area unable to sustain itself, with all entrances and exits controlled by the Israelis, making it one large prison.
[Analysis: Gaza was neglected during the 19 years (1948-1967) it was occupied by Egypt. After the Six Day War, Israel made huge improvements in its infrastructure, building roads, schools and hospitals, and the standard of living improved dramatically. The improvements halted with the outbreak of the first intifada in the late 1980's and things have gotten dramatically worse since Gaza came under the administration of the Palestinian Authority at the start of the Oslo Process.
That Gaza is unable to sustain itself is the result of its leaders' decision to concentrate on terror and destroying Israel rather than building a society.
While Israel controls its side of the crossings between Gaza and Israel, just as American controls our side of our borders of our neighbors (who are much friendlier to us than Hamas is to Israel), Israel has no control of the border between Gaza and Egypt.]
That Gaza is unable to sustain itself is the result of its leaders' decision to concentrate on terror and destroying Israel rather than building a society.
While Israel controls its side of the crossings between Gaza and Israel, just as American controls our side of our borders of our neighbors (who are much friendlier to us than Hamas is to Israel), Israel has no control of the border between Gaza and Egypt.]
Comment: One must ask, 'What have the Palestinians done to deserve being essentially locked up?' Certainly, trying to live in your own home is not a crime, and 60 years is a long punishment - and the jailer seems to have thrown away the key.
[Analysis: This is misleading. Administration over most of Gaza was given to the Palestinian Authority in 1994 and the Palestinian Authority was given complete control in 2005. They have been given their own home. The problems they have is that they have not been content with living their own homes; they insist the Israelis not be able to live in their own homes.]
Comment: The war in Gaza must be stopped now. It will not bring peace. The world wants an end to this violence through negotiations, for a permanent peace.
[Analysis: Unfortunately, Palestinian Arabs continue to flout the wishes of the world and have been unwilling to end violence and negotiate in good faith.]
Comment: This is the golden opportunity for winners of the elections in the United States and Israel to sit with all parties concerned to bring about justice and peace.
[Analysis: Unfortunately, Hamas has no interest in either justice or peace.]
No comments:
Post a Comment