Merlynn Edelstein is very selective in telling the ‘whole truth’

Don Krausz

There is merit in speaking up for the fallen and the weak. There is also merit in telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Merlynn Edelstein, however, is highly selective with the latter.

She refers to the “ethnic cleansing” of the War of Independence in Israel. Not one word about this totally unprovoked attack on Israel’s plus-minus 600 000 Jewish men, women and children by the local Palestinians and five neighbouring Arab armies.

According to page 142 of the British Encyclopaedia, 6 000 Jews died and 30 000 were wounded in the unequal fighting. She writes of the 700 000 Palestinians who were “forcibly expelled”. Once again, no mention of the approximately 800 000 Jews attacked, expropriated and expelled by the surrounding Arab countries for having the chutzpah to defeat Muslims.

She writes that these so-called refugees were not allowed to return to their homes. Quite so. Arabs and Palestinians have forced at least five wars on Israel. Their terrorist attacks and suicide bombings by a certain date had caused 3 817 Jewish dead and 25 000 wounded.

Hardly a day goes by without an attempted murder of Israelis. And now Edelstein laments that after 1948 a further 700 000 probably hostile Palestinians were not welcomed with open arms?

She claims to be quoting “high profile Jewish academics” as her sources. I notice that one is Ilan Pappe, notorious for stating that the only facts that he is prepared to consider are ones that support his notions.

She criticises Israel’s “hegemonic Zionist narrative”. Hegemony implies political domination. And after the loss of one third of the world’s Jews, Edelstein would recommend a state where Jews would not have such domination? Or after the Palestinian attack of 1948 in which the country lost one per cent of her Jewish population?

See how Europeans feel about their impending loss of hegemony! To the Jews of Israel it would have seemed like the opening of a gate with “Arbeit Macht Frei” written above it.

I find it a strange coincidence that on the day that her letter appeared there were also demands from (PA President Mahmoud) Abbas and the parents of the killed terrorist that they had apologies due to them from Israel. Tunnel vision!

Killarney, Johann