Sir, - James Adler now adds grievous misinformation to his consistent insidious anti-Israel bias. Under the guise of neutrality, he focuses on the Israeli settlements and views them as the sole cause of the anti-Israel Western criticism and mindset. Adler chooses to ignore the anti-Jewish and anti-Israel environment that has plagued this area for centuries and unfortunately continues to find new avenues of expression.
Even disregarding the pre-state Arab riots and British hostility, the emerging State of Israel was met by invading Arab armies, determined to wipe out the Zionist effrontery. The 1967 armistice lines were established after Israel again succeeded in repulsing attacks by the armies of all of its neighboring countries. Those cease-fire lines were never meant to define its borders. The land won at that time was indisputably part of the mandated Jewish Homeland, and never belonged to any other sovereign entity. In addition, what must be borne in mind is that all the Israeli blood that was then shed was in defense of Israel, against those who were bent on its annihilation, long before the existence of any so called West Bank settlements. In 1964 the infamous PLO Manifesto was proclaimed and called for Israel's destruction, unrelated to any connection with Israel's territorial expansion.
James Adler now joins a long list of Israel bashers who refuse to recognize the fact that the settlement issue merely provides an artificial and convenient disguise for an anti-Israel animus by villainizing the constructive efforts of some of Israel's most idealistic citizens. Hatred does exist, but any fair-minded analysis would determine that it is mostly directed toward Israel and not vise versa.
Petach Tikva
[Image credit: Wikimedia user Ling.Nut]
