Dear Editor:
In the letter "Strike down Arafat," Yaron Brook shared with us a militant view about the situation in the Middle East without explaining how Yasser Arafat is the equal of Osama Bin Laden. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I haven't heard Arafat's declaration of war against America. The Palestinian struggle is not open or universal. It is not a mission of destruction for the sake of violence alone. The objectives are clear and legitimate: to end the Israeli occupation and live in peace with their neighbors. But as is the case with many blind supporters of Israel, a massacre is defined as the killing of Israelis, whereas the brutal murder of Palestinian civilians is totally ignored or dismissed as collateral damage.
Under the current circumstances, the existence of Israel is not in jeopardy. It is guaranteed by a nuclear arsenal and one of the strongest militaries in the world. What is really at stake is the survival of the Palestinian population suffering a brutal military campaign. What one can be sure of is that the skulls of Palestinian children will crumble when the soldiers crush them with their heavy shoes. The Israeli soldiers, with their heavy equipment, will survive, but it is doubtful whether their humanity will survive as well. By attempting to perpetuate a military occupation that is condemned by the whole world, Ariel Sharon is hijacking the future and is turning Palestinian and Israeli youth into killing machines.
What Palestinians ask of the American people is to help them gain freedom and dignity, two founding principles of the American nation. They hope the United States will be a fair broker who can bring peace to the area and save the dreams of children. We need your sympathy and understanding; we need you to realize that when the Israelis prick us, we bleed, that our children, if given the choice, would prefer video games to throwing rocks.
Hani Ismaeal
graduate student, English
Published on 11/17/05; 12:24:44 PM
