Not occupation, but reclamation

Yvonne Kaplan, Johannesburg

Paula Slier, too, a seasoned journalist, writes about “the Israeli occupation”.

I find it strange that these, and other erudite persons, buy into the media hype which uses the word “occupation”.

Anyone who knows the Bible, even superficially, knows that the land was given by the almighty to Abraham, north, south, east and west. It is not even “conquered territory”, which historically becomes the property of the conqueror.

It is, in fact, reclaimed territory.

Having grown up in South Africa, Sir Mick should remember that the express purpose of apartheid was separate development. It was aimed at dividing South Africa up into separate states ruled by tribal leaders.

Therefore, apartheid is exactly what Israel should be encouraged to avoid – the carving up of the minutely small amount of available land into areas ruled by tribal leaders!

How easily even educated and astute persons repeat words and ideas postulated by hostile media to create an impression of wrongdoing.

The Biblical land was reclaimed with the blood of the Israel Defence Forces. Why is this so difficult to understand?