GAZA

The world today is struggling with an deteriorating economy and warfare in Asia and Africa. The latest in the Holy Land. There have been two letters in the courier that I feel merit a response. I have sent such a letter to the paper but I know that it is too long for valuable print space.

I am going to take the liberty to reproduce it here.

"Years ago I decided that the media was not a place to express my views about Palestinian-Israeli relationships. Almost every letter ever written has expressed a very biased view one side or the other on the continued conflict.I was not sure that I could seem to be impartial or realistic.

However, the present incursion by Israeli forces into the Gaza Strip and letters in the Courier the past two days by Rev. Nehemiah Thompson and Stanly Mozda has forced me to break that resolve.

Stanly Mazda calls for revisiting Resolution 181 “implement it, and make compliance compulsory and mandatory”; it has been over 60 years since the UN enacted Resolution 181 which created a nearly bifurcated Israel state and a larger Palestinian States out of the old British Mandate. Two separate distinct political entities.

Remember, Sir, who did not abide by that resolution? Who initiate military action in 1948? You would now destroy a realistic country that more nearly represents the ideas which we claim than any other Asian or third world nation.

What is now known as the West Bank was created by 181 to be an independent nation, Palestine. Instead Jordan assisted by the armies of Syria, Iraq and Egypt with Saudi support at once invaded the entire area of Palestine in an attempt to destroy the new Jewish home land. During the fighting, many of the refugees had fled the inroads of the Arab armies. None were truly welcomed by the Arab Nations who had invaded the partition lands. Israel did not prohibit those who had fled from returning.

Jordan in 1948 annexed what was referred to by the British as Trans Jordan, alluded to after the 6 day war as the West Bank, and seized Jerusalem destroying Jewish property and defiling their houses of worship. The Arabs denied the holy site of the Western Wall to Jewish worshipers. It was not until after the 6 day war and reinforced by the Yum Kippur War that Israel’s control of the Holy City made it possible for all faiths to freely worship at their religious sites. It did not need UN Sanctions or Resolutions to make Jerusalem an open city.

The UN never passed a single resolution during the Jordanian occupation demanding that Jews be given their right to worship in Jerusalem. Indeed if the record is checked to date there are about 60 UN resolutions condemning Israel and not a single one against Syria, Iran, Hezbollah or Hamas for acts of terrorism against the people of Israel.

Yes there is a crime against humanity in the continual conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. But face facts; the PLO supported by Syria and Iran, sworn to the destruction of Israel, did everything in its power to abort any peacemaking efforts. At the same time it always tried to implicate Israel as the culprit and would find willing receptors in the West. It is now Hamas, the militant part of the PLO, who seized control of the Gaza strip in bloody fighting from the moderate elements who are shooting rockets at random civilian targets.

Jordan and Egypt ultimately made peace with Israel and both profited from the relationship. On the negative side; it cost Sadat his life, murdered by members of an Islamic extremist group, perhaps Al Qaida itself. The PLO tried to take over control of Jordan.

Thompson refers to Rick Malwitz’s column as “cold, compassionless, insensitive, and even inaccurate (false witnessing). Each to his own, however I found that article to be a report on impressions from a personal visit to a town where people live under constant fear of death from rockets fired by a terrorist organization that has seized control of the Gaza Strip from the legitimate Palestinian “government”. Hamas is an organization that has never rescinded its vow to destroy Israel.

Mozda parrots the old saw that it doesn’t matter if a few Israelis die from rocket attacks. After all the strict control over the borders between Palestinian and Israel lands has almost completely stopped suicide bombings that only killed each time a few score women and children going about their daily life. The reduction in those bombings has not been as a result of Hamas good will.

I wonder if either or both letter writers would demand preventive action or instead be comfortable if, in their own daily activities, someone might drop a rocket on them from Washington Rock (the Golan) or Edison (Gaza). Would they be concerned that some fanatic loaded with shrapnel could seize an opportunity to blow him/her self up in the restaurant where they were dining?

I cannot conceive that either one would not insist that our government take action against those responsible. Nor would they insist in sparing a church or school if it were being used to store weapons or as a rocket launch site. If the Islamic terrorists install their military facilities among the civilian population, they must bear the greater responsibility for so many civilian casualties."

Tomorow I shall go back to pretty pictures.