Israel’s wall is for security

There are many inconsistencies and half-truths in Dr Firoz Osman’s letter that need to be pointed out (Dangerous US-Israel duo, February 6).

He equates the Mexican wall that US President Donald Trump wants to build with the “security wall” Israel built to keep out terrorists. The reason for building the wall was to keep suicide and car bombers from wreaking havoc in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, as we saw happen when Yasser Arafat gave the green light to these terrorists in response to Israel accepting the terms of the Oslo Accord. The minimum that any citizen of any country can expect from their government is “security from attack, terrorist or otherwise” and that is what subsequent governments in Israel have done.

Next is the assertion that Israel has encouraged Trump to ban Muslim immigrants from certain Muslim countries. Nowhere in any report has Israel supported or upheld the banning of people from any country. Yet I have never seen Dr Osman or any of his ilk objecting to the banning of Israeli citizens from Muslim countries such as Algeria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

Osman’s other assertion is Israel’s refusal to allow back refugees of the 1948 war. Truth be told, Palestinians left their homes in 1947-48 for a variety of reasons. Many left in anticipation of the war between Israel and her Arab neighbours. Others responded to the call of Arab leaders to get out of the way of advancing armies. Had the Arabs accepted the 1947 UN resolution, not a single Palestinian would have become a refugee.

And what about the estimated 850,000 Jews who have been expelled from various Arab countries due to anti-Semitism, persecution and so on? These people left or were expelled without any compensation for property or goods. Where was the world in condemning such action?

Sol Cowan

Highlands North