Don Krausz to the Middle East Monitor:

Dear Sir/Madam,

 

RE: ISRAEL, INDIA AND EGGSHELLS – BY IQBAL JASSAT.

 

I notice with interest that Iqbal Jassat has referred to Mahatma Gandhi in his article and quoted the late renowned and respected world figure.

 

Jassat quotes Gandhi as having said: “Palestine belongs to the Arabs.”

I find this quotation strange, although having followed Mr. Jassat’s utterances over many years I ought not to be surprised. If his quotation is wrong then it will not be the first time.

 

Any educated person knows that the history of the Jews in the Holy Land goes back nearly 4,000 years. One does not need a doctorate or professorship for this – just read the bible or the recent archaeological discoveries. Visitors to Rome will have seen Titus’ arch depicting his conquest of Jewish Jerusalem some 2,000 years ago.

 

A journalist for The Star, Sanjay Kapoor, opines that: “Israel is in no mood to provide explanations for how it is dealing with Palestinians.”

 

Israel should not have to. Time and again at the various conferences held under the auspices of US presidents Israel has publicly invited Palestinian leaders to come to the table and discuss peace. The last time was Benjamin Netanyahu on TV about one week ago. He is still waiting.

 

I own several books on Gandhi. One is titled “All Men are Brothers” and was issued by Unesco in 1958. It is a compilation of Gandhi’s statements in his own words. The other is called “The Life of Mahatma Gandhi” by Louis Fisher and appeared in 1951.

 

Iqbal Jassat’s quotation is conspicuous by its absence in both books nor do they contain any reference whatsoever to the Israel/Palestine debacle.

This is not surprising seeing that Gandhi was murdered on 30 January 1948, five months before the establishment of the State of Israel.

 

Two of Gandhi’s lifelong close associates were Jews. The BDS had not been concocted yet so it is unlikely that these two Jews were in a position to influence Gandhi adversely as far as the Jews in Palestine were concerned.

It casts doubt on the allegation in Jassat’s article that “Gandhi was opposed to Zionism and its plans to overrun Palestine.”

 

Overrun Palestine? Where they had already been since Joshua? Yes, during the turbulent history of Jewry they had been removed by the Babylonians, the Persians and then the Romans. But all these conquerors left behind their armies of occupation that depended on the local farmers for their food. And those local farmers were Jews.

 

One quotation by Gandhi should be of interest to Mr.Jassat:

“I would far rather that India perished than that she won freedom at the sacrifice of truth.”

Don Krausz to the Cape Argus: RE: PALESTINIANS LIVE UNDER APARTHEID. By Naushad Omar.

The Letters Editor,

CAPE  ARGUS.

 

Dear Sir/Madam

 

RE: PALESTINIANS LIVE UNDER APARTHEID. By Naushad Omar.

 

I lived in Israel from 1954 to 58, experienced much and was often in danger from Mujahedin, Palestinian terrorists. I had to be armed or protected during much of that time.

 

My first night of working in a kibbutz field in the Hartuv area near Latrun was noteworthy in that I was given a packet of sandwiches in one hand and a Stengun in the other. But that was in 1954, six years after the totally unprovoked attack on Israel’s 600,000 Jews by the Palestinians and five neighbouring Arab states.  6,000 Israelis were killed in that war and 30,000 wounded according to the British Encyclopaedia page 142, one percent of the Jewish population.

 

By 1958 things were different. Then I was drilling for oil in Israel proper within sight of Gaza and had 12 Israeli soldiers mounting two machine guns to protect my crew and myself from the murderous attacks emanating from Gaza….

 

Naushad states that “both of us know that the system of apartheid …in Israel is not sustainable.” I agree with him simply because there is no system of apartheid in Israel. I don’t know whether he has any recollection of apartheid and how non whites were affected. Judging from his line of reasoning he must have been much too young for that.

 

But consider the following:

 

The SA Constitution under the apartheid regime denied the black majority the most basic of human rights. Israel’s Declaration of Independence established a Jewish state with equality of social and political rights for

ALL CITIZENS, IRRESPECTIVE OF RELIGION, RACE OR GENDER.

 

South Africa’s apartheid laws were enforced by Parliamentary legislation.

There are no such laws on Israel’s statute books.

 

Black South Africans were oppressed only on the grounds of their colour.

Palestinians in the West Bank are not discriminated against on racial grounds as Arabs.

 

Black South Africans were not allowed the vote and were excluded from Parliament. Israeli Arabs are free to vote for any parties standing in elections, which gives them citizenship and the power to bring about changes in their situation. Israeli Arabs sit in the Knesset.

 

In apartheid South Africa there were distinctly separate and unequal education systems. The Israeli Pupils’ Rights Law of 2000 prohibits educators from establishing different rights, obligations and disciplinary standards for students of different religions.

 

During apartheid the judiciary was all white. Arab Israelis serve in the judiciary as well as in Israel’s Supreme Court. It was an Arab judge inIsrael’s Supreme Court who sentenced Israel’s former president, Moshe Katzav, to jail on a rape charge.

 

Black South Africans were not permitted to seek medical treatment in white hospitals. Every Israeli citizen, irrespective of race or creed, is entitled to equal medical treatment at all the hospitals.

 

Yes, there are security fences, walls, checkpoints, separate roads and other obstacles to terrorism, drive-by shooting and suicide bombers who have murdered 3,817 Israeli men, women and children and wounded 25,000 since 1948.

 

Of course this must be inconvenient for Palestinians trying to enter Israel.

But tell me Naushad, whose fault is that? The wicked Israelis or those that send them to commit terrorism against Israeli civilians?

 

I sincerely trust that your life in Tulbagh is as cosy as mine in Killarney, but that should not stand in your way of thinking and establishing truth same as I have had to do.

Don Krausz: RE: Revenge alone won’t curb international terrorism – by Dr. Pretty Tshisevhe.(Pretoria News)

4 December 2015.

 

The Letters Editor,

PRETORIA NEWS.

Dear Sir/Madam,

RE: Revenge alone won’t curb international terrorism – by Dr. Pretty Tshisevhe.

Dr. Tshisevhe makes valid points, the most important, I think, is her reference to

“hate-filled fanatics.”

I do not doubt that Western drones, carpet bombing and state terror play their part, but aren’t they only the second act in the tragedy? Isn’t the motivation hatred? Hatred caused by propaganda, through the media, by popular leaders hailing suicide bombers and other murderers of human beings, venerating the culprits, having their close family expressing approval and the hope that their other children will follow the inspiring example to martyrdom? It made more sense in the days of Saddam Hussein who would donate some $ 10,000 to the family of the killer, all for the greater glory of the Deity.

As long as the murder of innocents is viewed as a religious act, advocated by knife-wielding clergymen from pulpits who entice the immature with heavenly rewards, we will not eliminate such horrors. Women and girls are now stalking the streets of Jerusalem and Hebron armed with kitchen knives and looking for the unsuspecting. What is in it for them? Males at least have a welcoming committee of 72 black-eyed virgins, ready, willing and able…

Dr. Tshisevhe questions why there was no international campaign to “Pray for Palestine?” Excellent question! And why not for the 6,000 Israelis killed and 30,000 wounded when those Palestinians & Co. attacked Israel in 1948? (cf. British Encyclopaedia, page 142). Or for the 3,817 Israelis murdered and 25,000 wounded since 1948 in suicide bombings, drive-by shootings and holy acts of terror including the cutting of the throat of a three-month old in the Ittamar settlement? Does anyone recall this unbelievably despicable act being condemned by the Palestinian authorities?

Dr. T. writes of black lives being cheap. She is right. Should she not also mention the six million Jewish men, women and children murdered during the Holocaust, a true catastrophe that is being denied and neglected worldwide?

You see, Dr. Tshisevhe, as long as our consideration is only for ME, ME, ME, there is not going to be much improvement in the moral climate. And the “obscene amounts of money” spent on this mayhem don’t come only from Western governments.

Don Krausz to the Cape Argus:RE: ANTI-ISRAEL ACTIVISTS QUESTION WOOLWORTHS BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

The Letters Editor,

CAPE ARGUS.

 

Dear Sir/Madam,

 

RE: ANTI-ISRAEL ACTIVISTS QUESTION WOOLWORTHS BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

 

May I start by congratulating the directorship of Woolworths on their financial results for the year ending in June? Their reported operating profits are up 42 percent compared to the previous year.

 

I notice that the tactics of the BDS group have now shifted to presenting themselves as champions for poor violated Palestinian women and children. Judging from the increase in Woolworths profits during the past financial year, BDS efforts to harm the company have been a failure and so now they are trying sob stories.

 

Let us see how badly off the Palestinians actually are. According to the CIA World Factbook the poverty rate in Israel in 2012 was 21%, compared to theWest Bank figure in 2011 of 18%. Not much difference there. The 2015 life expectancy in the West Bank was 76 years. The world average is 70 years. In 2015 the infant mortality rate in the West Bank and Gaza was 13 per 1000 live births, compared to 27 per 1000 live births in other Arab states.

 

A Palestinian BDS supporter complained of the poverty under which they live. ”Everything is owned by the Israelis.” Strange, I thought that the West Bankand Gaza were controlled by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas respectively. But if women and children are being discriminated against then protests must be lodged.

 

Just as the Palestinians lodged protests when they attacked Israel in 1948, killed 6,000 Jews and wounded 30,000. cf. British Encyclopaedia page 142. Or when Palestinian and neighbouring terrorists since 1948 murdered 3817 Israelis and wounded 25,000. That explains the security wall and frequent checkpoints to prevent suicide bombers, terrorists, weapons and explosives from being smuggled into Israel.

 

According to the media Israelis are being attacked and murdered on a daily basis by Palestinians. Not long ago a three month old baby had its throat cut in the Ittamar settlement. Please correct me if I am wrong but I do not recall any expressions of regret by the Palestinian establishment.  

 

Today’s Star reports that an Israeli court found two Jewish defendants guilty of burning a Palestinian teenager who was attacked in revenge for the killing of three Israeli youths by Hamas “militants.” Palestinian authorities laud the murders of Israelis.