December 22: Out with Zoabi

Out with Zoabi

Sir, – With regard to “Panel bars Zoabi from Knesset election” (December 20), we were informed in a previous frontpage Post article (“Zoabi: If Balad’s banned, Arabs won’t vote,” December 9) that MK Haneen Zoabi has a first degree in philosophy and a second degree in communications. But it quickly becomes quite apparent that despite her advanced education, she lacks the ability to relate to the need for accuracy or truth with any degree of sanctity.

While Zoabi unhesitatingly attacks Israel with the obscene charge of racism, she blithely chooses to ignore the malicious and patent absurdity of the charge, based on the evidence of the opportunities afforded to her by both the democratic State of Israel and its liberal and accepting society.

She received her higher education from two of Israel’s important universities and was democratically elected along with several Arab colleagues to serve in Israel’s parliament.

These facts, it is worth noting, are in clear contrast to the existing realities in all of Israel’s nondemocratic neighbors.

What, however, makes Zoabi’s behavior more despicable is her joining the May 2010 protest flotilla aimed at breaching Israel’s security blockade of the Gaza Strip with the purpose of showing support for and providing encouragement to its terrorist Hamas government.

Zoabi dismisses this fact on the basis of the presence of parliamentarians from other countries.

Of course, they were from countries with clear anti-Israel agendas.

Therefore, it does not at all provide her with an excuse for her behavior, but rather makes it all the more contemptible.

As a serving member of Israel’s parliament, joining in a clearly anti-Israel effort in support of those who consistently call for armed conflict with Israel with the goal of our destruction, was in fact an act of treason and should minimally exclude the possibility for her reelection.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petah Tikva

More honesty, please

Sir, – Reader Hillel Goldberg (“Building plans,” Letters, December 20) asks: “Whom do the Berliners, Londoners, Muscovites, Parisians, Washingtonians and other ‘friends’ ask for permission to build in their cities?” The Right argues that east Jerusalem and the West Bank aren’t occupied; rather, they’re disputed. But even if they are “only” disputed, this is not true of Berlin, London, Moscow, Paris or Washington.

Rightist rhetoric makes it seem like Israel isn’t in the middle of a giant conflict, including one that’s over land. Why isn’t there more honesty?

JAMES ADLER
Cambridge, Massachusetts

There’s life on Mars

Sir, – Reader Robert Steiner from North Carolina asks us, “What do you want?” (Letters, December 19). Before he landed in North Carolina, did he come from Mars? Permit me to repeat some of his questions and statements: 1. What if Hamas... recognized the permanent State of Israel? 2. What if the Palestinians gave Israel all their weapons? 3. You should tell the Palestinians what they would get for such an action. Perhaps the response would convince them to actually lay down their arms.

Even a Martian who has had some contact with Mother Earth wouldn’t be quite that naive.

NAOMI FEINSTEIN
Nordiya

Sir, – Memo to Robert Steiner: You raise two what-ifs. You’ve obviously been away for quite a long time, so when you return from Mars try to arrange a stopover in Israel. We ought to have a chat.

You also ask what Israel would do if your what-ifs happen.

Funny, because in the same issue of this newspaper (“Poll finds majority of Israelis want a twostate solution”) it was reported that over two-thirds of Israelis favor a demilitarized state of Palestine side by side with the State of Israel.

From everything we see, hear and read in Israel, Hamas isn’t about to recognize Israel anytime soon, nor are the Palestinians going to give us all their weapons. We’ve come to take that for granted.

So we need to talk. Let me know when you’re coming. The coffee’s on me.

GERALD FLANZBAUM
Givat Olga

Unjustified dismay

Sir, – Susan Hattis Rolef (“Is Israeli diplomacy an election propaganda tool?,” Think About It, December 17) writes: “It is said that the Likud-Beytenu’s American elections advisor, Arthur Finkelstein, reached the conclusion that his clients can maximize their electoral support inter alia by means of an aggressive ‘the world is against us,’ ‘their attitude toward us today is the same as their attitude towards the Jews during the Holocaust’ campaign.”

Rolef goes on to ridicule Prime Minister Netanyahu and former foreign minister Liberman for all the steps they took to counter the usual unbalanced statements we have become accustomed to hearing from our so-called friends, who really know better than we do as to how to run our country and lives.

Her dismay at how Liberman reacted toward the EU’s opposition to Israeli construction in the settlements is typical of her leftist outlook, where it is better to cower before our adversaries, and also friends, without making too much of a fuss. After all, we are so indebted to those countries, which, as Liberman so rightly asserted, are soft with Hamas, just as they left Jews to die in the concentration camps.

I say to Rolef it is an undeniable fact that the world is against us.

No country should be in a position to tell us, a sovereign state, where we can and cannot build homes. This is a result of weakness on our part. It is also ridiculous that we must wait to hear that we have a right to protect ourselves (although only so long as we don’t harm too many terrorists). This is another sign of our weakness.

Rolef writes that the Europeans and Americans never accepted the legitimacy of Israel’s settlement activities in what they regard as occupied territories because there is no existential need for them. Our settlement activity – as well as being an existential need – is first and foremost because this is our land.

We need people who are not afraid to speak out and tell it like it is no matter whom it might upset. We must put ourselves first, now and always, never again to be at the mercy of others.

YENTEL JACOBS
Netanya

Better bodyguards

Sir, – Everyone knows that the Palestinian right of return would have the same effect on Israel as an Iranian nuclear bomb. In the past, had Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas agreed to give up this demand, he would be dead the next day. Today, though, he is feted as a hero all over the Arab world.

If now he would publicly renounce this demand in return for Israel giving up most of the settlements, including border changes, the Arab world would accept it. Not only the Arab world – with this obstacle removed the whole world would put pressure on Israel.

Here is a chance for two Nobel Prizes (although there would be a need for better bodyguards than Anwar Sadat had).

ANDREAS MEYER
Kfar Havradim

Dutch treat

Sir, – I am very sorry that my government didn’t openly support your people in the vote on the Palestinians’ status at the UN. I really regret this.

I would like to give you encouragement by sharing that more and more people in Holland stand with Israel and care for its people dearly. I am sorry to say that there are also people who don’t.

Please be encouraged by this message and the knowledge that lots of people in the Netherlands stand with Israel.

We are praying for you!

PETER PELLEMANS
Weert, Netherlands