Hating While Declaring "I Shall Not Hate"

This letter was published in The New Britain Herald on April 6, 2011 under the misleading headline "Reader takes issue with peace activist." The headline was misleading because the letter explained how the self-described "peace activist" is really promoting conflict rather than peace.

It's disappointing that Izzeldin Abuelaish, while promoting a book entitled "I Shall Not Hate: A Gaza Doctor's Journey on the Road to Peace and Human Dignity," effectively endorses the Arab terrorism that led to the unfortunate deaths of three of his daughters while spreading misinformation.

In the article published in The New Britain Herald March 31, Abuelaish is quoted as saying: "Get rid of the occupation and there would be no need for the rockets."

The rockets for which Abuelaish asserts a need are being launched from Gaza and are aimed at Israeli cities and towns.

This, by any reasonable definition, is terrorism. Anyone endorsing or excusing them, as is Abuelaish, is not promoting a message of either peace or human dignity.

Furthermore, according to the definition of occupation under that nebulous body called international law, Israel was never an occupier of Gaza. Even if one uses the term occupation loosely, any so-called occupation of Gaza by Israel ended in 2005, nearly six years ago.

I sympathize with Abuelaish's grief; nobody should suffer the loss of children. But that loss was a consequence not of any occupation, but of the thousands of Kassam rockets launched from Gaza at innocent civilians in Israel, even after Israel left Gaza, lock, stock and barrel.

Let us not hate; let us embark on a road to peace and human understanding. This is the road Israel and its supporters are trying to travel; obviously Abuellaish is not. I hope that changes.

Alan Stein
President
PRIMER-Connecticut
Promoting Responsibility in Middle East Reporting
www.primerct.org