Distinguish between ‘pro-Palestinian’ and ‘anti-Israel’

Michele Engelberg

I disagree. How is it moral to condemn Israel for its response to constant barrages of rockets – over 11 000 since Israel withdrew from the Gaza strip in 2005! Where were the petitions against that? Or is it somehow acceptable for a civilian population to have to run for their lives at any given time of day or night?

Some would say that Israel’s response is long overdue.

To make matters worse are the dozens of terror tunnels that were dug with cement stolen from the Palestinian people. If one really cares about peace and especially about the welfare of the Palestinians, then where are the petitions protesting Hamas stealing from their own people? That would be a “pro-Palestinian” response. In fact we should distinguish between “pro-Palestinian” and “anti-Israeli” for they are not the same thing.

Lastly, claiming that anything anti-Israel is a stand “against racial, ethnic, religious exclusivism; against injustice and discrimination, etc”, only reveals that you know very little about Israeli society.

Israel is the shining light of the Middle East. Christians, Jews and Muslims, black and white, homosexuals, heterosexuals, men and women, live freely in Israel alongside people of all religious levels of observance. Israel is a “principled democratic and freedom loving” state. I only wish more of the Middle East would follow Israel’s example.

Johannesburg