# 103 – Why I Write Letters

Why I write Letters

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According to my ‘records’ this is the 100^th ‘Letter from Israel’. (It’s not, actually). Time to look back, perhaps? I’ve actually filed this under ‘Why I wrote Letter from Israel’.

It is coincidence that this is such a (psychological) milestone. The leader comment in the Dec. 11^th Jerusalem Post made me think like this. It focused on Richard Falk, whom ‘we’ would call a very left-wing Jew, and whom we need like a hole in the head.

This 78 year-old gentleman was recently appointed ‘Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Territories’ by the UN Human Rights Council. (Gee, I hope the funds for this organisation are not being taken out of any taxes I directly or indirectly pay…).

Falk is one of the many who feels that Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians is making them ‘slouch’ towards another Holocaust – that Israel is a state with ‘genocidal tendencies’.

Immediately after Hamas grabbed control of Gaza, he already started pleading for the World to ‘start protecting the people of Gaza’ from Israel.

On Wednesday, after further rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza, and after Israel did, as predicted, allow another humanitarian convoy to enter Gaza, he still reported Israel’s policy towards the Palestinians as a crime against humanity. ‘Apartheid’ is a favourite word of his in this context.

His ‘council’ has just presented Israel with 100 demands on behalf of the Palestinians. Yet not one single demand of the Palestinians – not even that they stop the violence.

Article # 2 from the J-Post –

I gotta interject this subject with another article in the same paper, that connects so perfectly to an experience I had today. It referred to the danger Israelis are in when travelling abroad. Today, the trend of young Israelis is to have cheap and exciting adventures in the East, with India and Thailand being the favourite destinations.  Recently ‘freed’ from the 2 years (females) or 3 years (male) in the Army, often facing the sad and unending conflict with the Palestinians, the youngsters have established ‘little Israels’ in the Orient. And these are becoming potential targets for terrorists; travellers are being warned; parents are scared.

I very much doubt whether such fears are being felt by travellers from Israel’s neighbours.

I am writing this en route home from Amsterdam. I know Schipol is a large airport, and today was not the first time I was reminded of its sprawling design. Have you been in transit lately at Schipol? Add to that the airport authority’s need to locate flights to and from Israel ‘at the very end’ of the furthest terminal, and you will understand my query when I finally arrived at the gate: “I wasn’t expecting to have to walk to Israel”.

I doubt very much that Arab airlines are forced into such corners, that the passengers are constantly faced with armed guards as we are, and the planes accompanied by tanks and/or armoured cars.

Isn’t it obvious that, in this never-ending conflict, the aggression is being initiated mainly from one side, and defence on the other?

Article #3 from the J-Post –

Keith Dayton  is the US army general overseeing the training in Jordan of the Palestinians National Security Force for the West Bank. He was assuring Israel that the efficiency and power being instilled there would never be turned on Israel. They will have their hands filled with the unpredictability of the democratically-elected ‘other Palestinians’ who are threatening the potential stability of the West Bank (forget about Gaza).

What a mess.

And how sad that the innocent ignorance of the average outsider is turned against Israel instead of staying decently neutral. (I purposely made that sentence a little pompous in order to make those neutrals among you take a step back and think).

December 12, 2008

According to my ‘records’ this is the 100^th ‘Letter from Israel’. (It’s not, actually). Time to look back, perhaps? I’ve actually filed this under ‘Why I wrote Letter from Israel’.

It is coincidence that this is such a (psychological) milestone. The leader comment in the Dec. 11^th Jerusalem Post made me think like this. It focused on Richard Falk, whom ‘we’ would call a very left-wing Jew, and whom we need like a hole in the head.

This 78 year-old gentleman was recently appointed ‘Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Territories’ by the UN Human Rights Council. (Gee, I hope the funds for this organisation are not being taken out of any taxes I directly or indirectly pay…).

Falk is one of the many who feels that Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians is making them ‘slouch’ towards another Holocaust – that Israel is a state with ‘genocidal tendencies’.

Immediately after Hamas grabbed control of Gaza, he already started pleading for the World to ‘start protecting the people of Gaza’ from Israel.

On Wednesday, after further rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza, and after Israel did, as predicted, allow another humanitarian convoy to enter Gaza, he still reported Israel’s policy towards the Palestinians as a crime against humanity. ‘Apartheid’ is a favourite word of his in this context.

His ‘council’ has just presented Israel with 100 demands on behalf of the Palestinians. Yet not one single demand of the Palestinians – not even that they stop the violence.

Article # 2 from the J-Post –

I gotta interject this subject with another article in the same paper, that connects so perfectly to an experience I had today. It referred to the danger Israelis are in when travelling abroad. Today, the trend of young Israelis is to have cheap and exciting adventures in the East, with India and Thailand being the favourite destinations.

Recently ‘freed’ from the 2 years (females) or 3 years (male) in the Army, often facing the sad and unending conflict with the Palestinians, the youngsters have established ‘little Israels’ in the Orient. And these are becoming potential targets for terrorists; travellers are being warned; parents are scared.

I very much doubt whether such fears are being felt by travellers from Israel’s neighbours.

I am writing this en route home from Amsterdam. I know Schipol is a large airport, and today was not the first time I was reminded of its sprawling design. Have you been in transit lately at Schipol? Add to that the airport authority’s need to locate flights to and from Israel ‘at the very end’ of the furthest terminal, and you will understand my query when I finally arrived at the gate: “I wasn’t expecting to have to walk to Israel”.

I doubt very much that Arab airlines are forced into such corners, that the passengers are constantly faced with armed guards as we are, and the planes accompanied by tanks and/or armoured cars

Isn’t it obvious that, in this never-ending conflict, the aggression is being initiated mainly from one side, and defence on the other?

Article #3 from the J-Post –

Keith Dayton  is the US army general overseeing the training in Jordan of the Palestinians National Security Force for the West Bank. He was assuring Israel that the efficiency and power being instilled there would never be turned on Israel. They will have their hands filled with the unpredictability of the democratically-elected ‘other Palestinians’ who are threatening the potential stability of the West Bank (forget about Gaza).

What a mess.

And how sad that the innocent ignorance of the average outsider is turned against Israel instead of staying decently neutral. (I purposely made that sentence a little pompous in order to make those neutrals among you take a step back and think).

Stephen