LETTER: Palestinian propagandist ignores Middle East realities

It is extremely difficult for rational people to understand the motivation of those who live in SA and yet embrace monstrous dictators, ideologies, real apartheid, racism and policies that leave only death and destruction in their wake, which exist in every Middle Eastern country except Israel.

Just such sentiments were expressed in Terry Crawford-Browne's letter (“Israel is an apartheid state — legally and in practice”, November 23). He freely bandies about words like “apartheid” in relation to Israel and totally ignores apartheid in the surrounding countries and territories, where Christians, Jews and any other religious groups live only as second-class citizens.

He repeats, not for the first time, some of the appalling statements he has made over the past years. Most of what he writes is demonstrably unsubstantiated by credible sources, and he draws conclusions in total opposition to reality.

Crawford-Browne’s aim is not to fight genuine oppression, but rather to revile Israel, the Middle East’s only liberal democracy and the only country among its neighbours designated as “free” by Freedom House, which monitors the status of political, human and civil rights around the world. A Palestinian propagandist, he has the effrontery to deflect responsibility for the actions there onto Israel, a ploy that confounds description.

Don’t lecture Israel on its humanity when it has just sent 120 truckloads of food into Gaza to feed the Palestinian people there, and cares for Palestinians and other nationals in its hospitals for free.

The Hamas leadership is more interested in using Gaza’s population as human shields, launching rockets against Israel from within major civilian centres.

Israel does whatever it takes to defend itself from outright attack by terrorists. Don’t lecture Israel on what strategy it uses to protect itself.

Leaving aside international sympathy considerations, Israel and Jews above all don’t need another 6-million victims

Rodney Mazinter
Camps Bay

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