Take off racist glasses and look at the Middle East with a more critical eye

THE continued description of “apartheid Israel” is certainly running very thin and other than Naushad Omar and his ilk, one would be stretched to find any more than that handful of bigots who buy into that hackneyed narrative.

But if your readers are indeed looking for apartheid countries, they need look no further than the Palestine Authority and the territory administered by that authority, as well as Hamas in Gaza.

In both territories Jews are “verboten” by official decree. But its not only Jews who are banned from living there – the Christian population of those two territories has shrunk to alarming numbers.

In fact, the very last store selling Christmas decorations in Gaza was forcibly closed by the Hamas regime more than five years ago.

But one can name any number of Arab states where apartheid practices are part of their political landscape and are unapologetic in the face of those racist policies.

I live in Israel where all religions are practised, tolerated and thrive.

Perhaps Omar would like to look at the plight of the Baha’i who were persecuted beyond belief to the point that every last Baha’i follower fled Iran for fear of death.

Mr Omar, no prizes for guessing where the world headquarters of the Baha’i faith is – right in the heart of Haifa, Israel’s third largest city.

Where else would those dwindling Christian communities from Palestine and Gaza relocate to but Israel, where they are free not only to practise their faith, but to engage and participate in all political activity, as one can see every four years – something that has not happened in the territories they fled from for decades. It’s time that Omar and his fellow travellers take off their bigoted and racist glasses and look at the Middle East with a more critical eye to see facts and truths instead of burying their heads in the sands of hatred and religious intolerance.