Letter: Palestinian Leadership Cynicism

Letters to the Editor
Boulder Jewish News

Dear Editor,

Bruce Ticker states that Amani Barakat “has been listed as chair of the national coordinating committee of Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition which proclaims on its website “that the Palestinian Arab people…are entitled to live anywhere in Palestine which encompasses present-day ‘Israel’, the West Bank and Gaza Strip.” (“War and Peace: The Shape of Teachers’ Anti Israel Drive“, Bruce Ticker, July 1, 2021).

The Palestine Return Coalition wants the right for Palestinians to live anywhere they want including within Israel, yet the Palestinian Authority has stated that Palestinian refugees will not be awarded citizenship in the state of Palestine nor will they be allowed to settle within the Palestinian governed areas. So it’s OK for refugees to move to Israel but not to Palestine.

The cynicism of the Palestinian leadership using Palestinian refugees to break down Israel but not permitting them to become citizens of Palestine is breathtaking. Regrettably west coast teachers unions are going along with this brutal treatment of the refugees which suggests that they are aligned with the effort to destroy Israel and have no real interest in the well-being of the refugees.

Al-Awda’s declaration that Israel is part of Palestine denies the legitimacy of Israel as a Jewish country. Nothing could be more antisemitic than this. It is disgusting that California’s teachers are engaging in this racism.

Sincerely yours,

Larry Shapiro
Calgary, Alberta Canada T2V 0K6