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Dear editor:
Bruce Ticker is correct. The many recent anti-Israel protests were driven by a Progressive group-think that labels Israel as the creation of Zionists who stole Palestinian land and continue persecuting Palestinians. Zionism, in Progressive thought, is so horrible that no right-thinking, good-hearted person should have anything to do with Zionists. (“Column: ‘Pure Make-Believe’ – Separating Divestment from Antisemitism,” Boulder Jewish News December 12, 2024)
But these arguments fly in the face of history. The Arabs of Palestine never had self-rule. Many descend from families which moved to Palestine (site of ancient Israel) only after Zionists had improved the area’s living standards by buying land and improving its productivity, building schools and hospitals, and creating self-defense units. Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire (of which Palestine was a small part), the empire’s land was divided into modern states and the Zionist community had a de facto government ready to rule. The years leading up to and following Israel’s rebirth were marked by Arab-initiated violence. Between 300,000 and 700,000 Arabs fled Palestine, only to be condemned by Arab nations to perpetual exile; their descendants have grown to be 6,000,000 Palestine refugees under UNWRA’s rolls. Their leaders demand that Israel allow the ”refugees” to “return” to the homes the “refugees” claim their parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, … lost in Israel. But their leaders, abetted by UNRWA, have also taught the “refugees” that killing Jews is a Muslim’s ticket to Heaven. Much reported “Israeli Persecution of Palestinians” is simply Israeli response to Palestinian attacks on Israeli civilians – attacks for which the Palestinians are honored and rewarded.
https://www.algemeiner.com/2024/01/11/pas-pay-for-slay-payments-to-rise-by-1-3-million-per-month/
In contrast, Israel absorbed and uplifted 800,000 Mizrachi Jews who were driven from their homes in the Muslim countries of the Middle East and North Africa in the first three decades following 1948. The descendants of these Mizrachi Jews comprise nearly half of Israel’s current Jewish population. Every position in Israel’s governance has been filled, at one time of another, by someone with roots in the Mizrachi communities. And the descendants of Arabs who chose to remain in Israel now comprise 20% of Israel’s population. They enjoy full civil rights, such as voting, standing for election, suing the government, and serving as judges. More than 20% of Israel’s doctors, nurses, and pharmacists are Arabs. Although they are not subject to the draft, Arabs can volunteer to serve in the IDF. Yoseph Haddad, an Arab who chose to serve, noted, “The letters stand for Israel Defense Forces, not Jewish Defense Forces.” Replying to charges of Israel being an apartheid state, Haddad further noted that he had trained and given orders to Jewish soldiers, something that never would have happened under apartheid.
https://youtu.be/dZ62bhMFQ1Y?si=YtcuBEnnfSEpKn-9
It has been pointed out that people who swear they’ll stop using all Israeli-developed technology would find themselves deprived of a great number of modern conveniences, such as cell phones, USB ports, thumb drives, Mobileye, and Apple phones.
And we should also recall that, when natural disasters strike, even in places far from Israel, Israeli rescue teams are often the first on the scene and often provide the best assistance.
https://embassies.gov.il/MFA/AboutIsrael/Pages/Israel-humanitarian-aid.aspx
Lastly, even as Israel is fighting to protect its people from many enemies who seek to destroy the nation-state of the Jews and annihilate her people, Israel is striving to avoid civilian casualties, even in areas where terrorist groups have deliberately tried to expose their own people to danger.
https://thehill.com/opinion/international/4295601-human-sacrifice-is-central-to-hamass-strategy
So why are the “Progressives” condemning Israel? Because of what Israel is (a Jewish state), not what Israel does (tikkun olam: trying to make the world a better place). Divestment is antisemitism!
Toby F. Block
Atlanta, GA 30341
