# 449 – This is Why

This is Why

This may be repetitious for some of you, but..why do I write this Letter?

Almost as soon as I moved to Israel, I met people around the World who ‘were interested’. OK, so maybe I was the one starting the conversation on the subject of Israel, but that’s not the point. No one knew anything about this place, a country that was already ‘a household name’, thanks to Sinai war in ’56, 6-Day War in ’67, Entebbe in ’76 and Jaffa oranges.

That was not the problem. Hey, very few Israelis know anything about the Falkland War, Cuban Crisis, Biafra or the Native Americans. The difference is that we don’t go around acting as if we know, criticising at every opportunity, ignoring the fact that, e.g., the UN is blatantly anti-Israel, and that the Jews really do deserve just 1 little place to call home.

I felt the need to explain, defend, describe.

40 years on, and nothing has changed. Well, that’s not quite true. Some of the recipients of my Letter have changed their minds. And, of course, there are those who have been among the ‘disproportionate’ number of tourists who have been wowed by this place.

And a reminder, it would be even nicer and more relaxed if it had had just a few moments of peace in its history. We have built all this, despite the unfair global treatment.

So…there is a weekly English TV programme called ‘Question Time’. Been running 44 years. Format is a panel of usually 5 guests and a moderator, in front of +/- 100 audience ‘from across the political spectrum’. It is held at a different location each time. The format is questions from the audience, responses from the panel, comments from raised hands in the audience. Last week, they had a Conservative, a Labour, a Scottish Nationalist, an ex-Cons. Lady Minister, who happens to be Muslim, and the Editor of the Sunday Times, who happens to be Jewish.

[Pause…Sirens….we have family guests..one is handicapped…can’t get down the stairwell quickly…the explosions come quickly; sound close…I call expletives out of the window…they go back to the TV…..       I continue this Letter]

Normally 5-6 subjects, Around 10 mins each. But, unsurprisingly, 1/2 of this episode was dedicated to the Hamas/Israel war.

OK, maybe the panellists and the audience DO know something about Israel. Maybe 1 or 2 of them have been here – and the total 30 minutes just wasn’t enough to make their points. But, IN MY OPINION, they ALL needed to be recipients of my Letter. It was shocking!

I wrote notes; a précis of the 30 mins. 5 pages; I have difficulty deciphering my own scribble. And I don’t want you falling asleep. And we have overnight guests here. It’s late.

So, first THE question:

Is it possible to defend yourself while avoiding regional conflict and a humanitarian catastrophe?

And now some answers/statements/questions – plus some mini-comments from me in italics. 

* It all started on October 7 – Yes, but they’ll say….

* It all started in 1947 (much applause) – No, it didn’t. 

* Occupation, etc. – Don’t start all that again. We agreed to 2-states in 1947. Since then, we’re being attacked. We offered to give back territories won in war (previously occupied by Jordan), but were denied. We NEVER occupied Gaza; Egypt did. We lived there – peacefully – until we were attacked – and until Hamas took over, openly wanting annihilation of Israel. 

* Brutal bombardment of women and children – True, but carefully planned by Iran and Hamas. They knew exactly what they were doing. Planned for perhaps a year. Like 9/11. (And while we’re mentioning it, we also brutally bombed men). 

* Ceasefire? Humanitarian? – With whom? Hamas? Their charter wants us dead. It is certainly true that the Palestinians are the victims. But of Hamas aggression. (And others before. And where were the protesters when hundreds of thousands of Muslims were brutally murdered by fellow Muslims? In Syria, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Yemen, Jordan, Egypt etc. etc. Why now?). 

* Israel never wanted peace with the Palestinians; apartheid only – Rubbish – Come to Israel.

* Gaza is an open prison – Was never intended. They had every chance to B.A.D. – Build Another Dubai. The funds were there, but were always diverted by their leaders into their pockets, or to build a tunnel city. And Egypt also ‘controls the borders’. How about putting some blame on them? And on Hamas themselves, of course.

* UN are ‘puppets of the 1%’ – This was said by a Pro-Palestinian, qute clearly showing anti-Semitism. Wow! Do I wish it were so, instead of the actual situation of being almost the other way round. Reminder that Israeli Ambassador to UN openly called for resignation of the Sec-Gen. after his ridiculous words. 

* GB & France were to blame for the ‘division’ of the lands. They agreed ‘that the Jews were allowed to have a piece of Palestine’ – Absolute anti-Semitic distortion of history.

* Both Qatar & Turkey have been playing hosts to Hamas since their inception – True.

* Several times, Netanyahu’s right-wing Govt was blamed, and that it contains ultra-right-wing ministers, calling for the worst – I agree! Except…That’s now, not the first 74 years of Israel’s history. In fact, Israel started with very left wing leaders, who screamed for peace, but never succeeded. Slowly, the trend was to the right. Then the 50/50 split and 5 elections in 2 years.

The last coalition contained, for the first time, an Arab party! It wasn’t given a chance. The right was scared – and Bibi sold his soul to the Devil. In comes the most extreme right wing govt. we’ve ever had. Among other things, an easy target now for the anti-Israel block. But that’s cheating; what about the 74 years we tried to have peace??

(And still, during that time, the Abraham Accords were signed. We were on the right track! Saudi was hovering, ready to sign. A real light at the end of this awful tunnel. No wonder Iran gave Hamas the ‘green light’). 

* Bibi supported Hamas’ power, in order to nullify attempts at peace – Hmm, I do think Bibi has a lot to answer to. I do agree he has to go, for that suspicion, and for the horrible intelligence mistakes made on Oct 7. Many heads must roll; his should be the first. I hope that his blind supporters realise this. It is understandable that, after so many years’ experience of living in the Middle East, watching so many intra-Muslim wars, plus those against Israel, that Israelis don’t believe peace with the Arabs is possible.

But most do still believe in trying. Remember, despite 75 years of horror, we have 2 million peaceful Arab/ Palestinian/Israeli citizens. 

* The Scottish Nat. guy mentioned he was gay, and would rather live in Tel Aviv than in Ramallah, where Hamas would throw him off some roof-top. (He got the town wrong: Fatah are still in charge of Ramallah). Then the Journalist reminded him that the same thing happened to Fatah – also thrown off roofs during the Gaza civil war in 2007.

* The moderator asked ‘What should Israel then do with Hamas? Guy in audience said Israel should have dialogue with Hamas. Immediately have a ceasefire. It works! We did have talks with the IRA. It works!’ – Absolute rubbish. To put it simply, there was NEVER an IRA suicide bomber….

* How can Israel have talks with enemy that doesn’t recognise its right to exist? – I agree.

* Interesting – One guy ‘threatened’ the Labour man that they will lose 1.5 million (UK Muslim) votes because leader, Keir Starmer, was against ceasefire – Goodbye U.K.

* 2 wrongs don’t make a right – Dangerous ground here…How to respond to horror, especially when the horror’s game has no rules.

* Jewish journalist quoted from Hamas’ charter – Pretty convincing, but not when your mind is made up, and you are blind, and perhaps anti-Semitic.

* One in audience quoted Golda Meir: ‘There will be no peace until they learn to love their children more than they hate the Jews’ – True, that was HER quote, and not Hamas’. But, after what we have seen over the last weeks, can this be denied? 

* An American lady/journalist/White House employee etc.) reminded us of the hate speeches and demos taking over Uni campuses – Something is happening…

* Finally, the moderator has to bring this subject to an end. But she allows 1 more voice from the audience – a middle-aged gentleman…He says: No one has mentioned Iran, who are so obviously behind all this. They’ve done the same in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon etc., and now Gaza. Nor has there been mention of Saudi Arabia, and its obvious support for the Abraham Accords – a momentous act of peace. Iran cannot accept that split in the Middle East – and a reminder that they are NOT Arabs. (May not be such an obvious factor in many minds). 

Now is the time for that peace process to move forward

Brilliant finale!

Stephen