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The other side
To the editor, While reading "Don't hold your breath" I noticed that the true sufferers in the Arab-Israeli conflict were not even mentioned. Israelis suffered greatly during and after the Holocaust, but they should not be compensated through the oppression of the Palestinian people. First of all, the statement that, in 1948, Israel "fought for its independence and survival" is not too accurate because the many gruesome and heartless massacres that took place prior to the 1948 Arab-Israeli war were not mentioned. I would simply like to highlight one of them - Deir Yassin. The Israelis and the Mukhtar, or head of the village, agreed that if the Mukhtar told the Israelis of strange movements in the village they would spare the village, but the Israelis failed to live up to their promise. At around 4:30 am on April 9, 1948 Israeli gangs surrounded the village, and for two days, they killed men, women and children. Two hundred fifty people were murdered in cold blood, 52 of those people were children. This is a massacre that is imbedded in the hearts and souls of every Palestinian. After all, it signified Zionist treachery and intentions of wiping out the Palestinian people. Secondly, the article "Don't hold your breath" did not even discuss the Intifadah. The brutal killings and tortures of Palestinian civilians did not seem to appear. For people who don't know, the Intifadah was Palestinian civilians versus the Israeli army, rocks versus guns. Next, in the article, the PLO's goals were stated. They were to regain Palestine and destroy the Jewish State. At this point in time, this sounds disheartening, but if I lost my homeland, my identity and the entire world simply turned its back on me and my people, I would want to destroy my oppressor, the one that has been inflicting pain and suffering on my people for many years. Sure, the PLO has been working for peace lately, but that is because the lie that started in 1896, with the creation of Zionism, has become a reality to most people in the world, which makes the Palestinians look like terrorists even though they are fighting for what rightfully belongs to them. Inversely, plans for a greater Israel extend from the Nile to the Euphrates, which basically requires the annihilation of the entire Arab world. Finally, the media has completely blurred the Arab-Israeli conflict since who knows when. I just want people to be able to take a glimpse at the truth.
Basil Al Mousa |
