Palestinians also have right to security, not just Israel

Chad Mills writes that Paul Snodgrass was turned away from entering Israel because Mr. Snodgrass was a member of a "pro-Palestinian" group. By this, he implies that because Mr. Snodgrass may be partial to the plight of Arabs occupied under the Israelis, he must be a terrorist as all who support justice for the Palestinians must be. Does this mean Jewish Israelis in Gush Shalom and Ta'ayush will also be deported?

Mr. Mills is either wholly uninformed of the plight of the Palestinians ÷ and the growing international support for them ÷ or is an unabashed racist. I will assume the former and ask Mr. Mills that he take both sides of the conflict into account, since he obviously didn't in his almost-libelous opinion piece.

Mr. Mills doesn't shy away from proclaiming the so-called "right" of Israel to act however it deems fit, but omits the well-established rights the Palestinians have under the Geneva Convention. Why don't you mention the overwhelming number of Palestinians imprisoned and murdered by the Israelis? What about their right to security? And why are you supporting a state that gives rights and privilege to one class of people, when any decent American in their right mind would never tolerate such blatant inequality in this country?

But, Mr. Mills, since you are so fond of talking security and the Israelis, let's talk about the Irgun gang and Menachem Begin. Let's talk about the sinking of the USS Liberty. Let's talk about the Israeli settlers who were just convicted of trying to blow up an Arab girls' school. And let's talk about convicted spy Jonathan Pollard.

It seems, as Americans, that it would also be in our best interest to turn away Israelis from entering our country. In the name of security, Mr. Mills, we are waiting.

Kevin Weaver
San Francisco

Columnist ignores rights, would make great dictator

As a graduate of the University of Arizona and the co-founder of the Alliance for Peace and Justice in the Middle East, I am shocked by Chad Mills' erroneous article, "Snodgrass Denied Entry" in Friday's paper. Mills would make a wonderful dictator, denying innocent people basic rights based on their political views.

I think your readers deserve another perspective: Perhaps Israel did not allow Paul into the Palestinian territories because it does not want "activist-minded" Americans to witness the atrocities that they are committing against the Palestinian people on a daily basis. Suicide bombings are indeed disgusting and awful, but colonization of another people's land ÷ in direct opposition to repeated United Nations resolutions ÷ is terrible as well. Israel does not want Americans to know where their tax dollars are going. The United States is funding a war or colonization against the Palestinians, and it is safer for Israel to deport Americans than to have the truth be seen.

Noah Haiduc-Dale
UA alumnus

Interviewer's ÎOn the Spot' comments not exactly kosher

"On the Spot" is a Daily Wildcat column usually fueled by mindless banter between uninspired reporters and disinterested UA students or employees. Accordingly, I was not surprised to find an appallingly mindless and insensitive comment by reporter Shane Bacon in Friday's column. When asked by the interviewee if he was Jewish, Bacon responded, "No, but my roommate is hardcore Jewish, he has the big nose and everything." Apparently, being "hardcore Jewish" has nothing to do with a person's level of religious observance, but simply equates to how well that person's facial features fit Mr. Bacon's bigoted ethnic stereotype.

Although many people are guilty of harboring some such stereotypes, I think that most of them would have serious reservations about printing them in a daily newspaper that is widely distributed on a culturally diverse college campus. Mr. Bacon's comment is ignorant and offensive; I believe that both he and the editors who allowed this comment to be printed owe an apology.

Bradley Pack
law student