That’s why, this month, we have chosen Sidney Kessler of Richmond, VA who wrote in response to a pro-Israel editorial in the Richmond Times-Dispatch:
The editorial, “Obama on Israel — Getting it right,” is an excellent analysis of the Abbas and Obama speeches at the U.N. Abbas continues to reject Israel’s roots to the land by not including Moses in his list of “divine messengers.”
Even more indicative of his denial of Israel’s right to exist, and his anger at the U.N.’s 1948 declaration establishing Israel, is the claim that Palestinians have suffered 63 years under the Israelis. Doing the math, that means Israel has been “occupying” from its beginning, with the Palestinians experiencing “Nakba” or “Catastrophe.”
From 1948, when the Arab nations attacked the new state the day after it came into being, until 1967, the Palestinians (they were Jordanians then) “occupied” the old city of Jerusalem. They burned synagogues, uprooted and desecrated cemeteries, and turned the Western Wall into a garbage dump. They tried to destroy Israel in 1967, and again in 1973. Murder, kidnapping and rocket fire continue to this day. That sounds like the Israelis are suffering the “Catastrophe.”
Sidney will be receiving some HonestReporting exclusive merchandise in the mail very soon for his efforts.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Congratulations also to Gary Katz of Long Grove, IL for this letter in response to a less positive editorial in the Chicago Tribune:
In an Oct. 8 editorial, the Chicago Tribune encouraged Israel to freeze settlement construction to force the Palestinians’ hand.
However, Israel previously froze all construction for 10 months, and the Palestinians did nothing but continue to incite against Israel during this period.
Thus, the Palestinian leadership has already demonstrated that it really does not seek a final peace accord.
Rather, it seeks more and more concessions, while giving up nothing and continuing to endorse terrorism, feature maps of “Palestine” that encompass all of Israel and tell its people in Arabic that any peace agreement will be only the first stage of eventually conquering all of Israel.
While the Tribune pointed out that Israel is diplomatically isolated, this has always been true.
However, while countries like Turkey and Egypt may freeze relations with Israel, other nations such as Greece and Southern Sudan are coming to appreciate Israeli democratic values and the benefits of being Israel’s friend.
Too bad the Palestinians have spurned so many chances to resolve this conflict.
They have consigned yet another generation of “refugees” to life in stateless limbo.
Remember to keep writing those letters and let us know if you are published!
Source material can be found at this site.
