I was appalled to read Fred Ferate’s distorted letter (“The constant struggle,” April 15).
He erroneously states that I have described all Palestinians as savages. He should re-read my letter carefully and will find that I am referring to only those Palestinian Arabs that engage in terrorist attacks on innocent Israeli civilians such as the Fogel family. When such people in the Gaza Strip celebrate these inhuman killings by giving candy to their children it shows that they have no intention to live in peace with Israel. When Abbas and other Palestinian leaders make martyrs of Palestinian terrorists guilty of massacring and maiming Israeli civilians, that indicates they want to destroy Israel. Both Hamas and Fatah’s charters still call for the destruction of Israel and refuse to recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
In view of the existential threat Israel currently faces, a negotiated two-state solution may not be the right approach to attain an enduring peace, especially since the Palestinians do not wish to negotiate in good faith with the Israelis. Israel should not be pressured to commit suicide by continuing to make one-sided concessions against its national interest, and end up with indefensible borders.
I take strong exception to Ferate’s inference that Israel is an oppressive “apartheid state.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Israel is the only true democracy in the Mideast. Its population includes 20 percent Palestinian citizens who enjoy full rights as other Israelis. They enjoy a much higher standard of living than their brethren in neighboring Arab states. Some are members of the Knesset (Parliament), judges, cabinet ministers and ambassadors.
The general public should not be deceived by all the lying Palestinian propaganda lies stating that Israel has no connection to their ancestral homeland. Their claim to the land is far superior than that of the Palestinians. It has international law on its side. The Palestinians should not be allowed to steal the tiny sliver of land rightly belonging to the Israelis.