Supposition and extrapolation

Letters

Editor: I am writing this letter in response to the unwarranted attack on my last letter and on my supposed intentions by Prof. Richard Rosenberg. ("No great revelations," Bulletin Letters, Jan. 25.) It wasn't my intention to produce earth-shaking revelations to dazzle critical professors. I was merely stating obvious connections which can be ascertained by any serious reader of the Bulletin.

Prof. Rosenberg's insulting attack on me (which was compounded by your front-page headline) was based on a faulty premise, skewed logic, supposition and extrapolation. Such a performance would hardly merit a passing grade in most political science classes. Prof. Rosenberg seems to be accusing me of red-baiting and of hating Jewish secularists. Contrary to the professor's supposition, I am not offended by Jewish secularists. This is because I believe that everyone has free will and will ultimately be accountable for his or her actions. Most Jewish secularists in Vancouver probably have no connection to Jews for a Just Peace.

What really offends me is the hi-jacking of the Vancouver Jewish peace movement by a tiny group of people, some of whom are also involved in the Peretz centre. This minuscule group uses your paper to overwhelm opposing opinions with excessive verbiage and repetitious rhetoric. They call themselves Jews for a Just Peace, but nothing in their message shows that they are interested in a just peace for Jews and for the state of Israel. They unquestioningly support the Palestinian Arab cause no matter how many Jews and innocent Arabs are murdered by Arabs.

I wish Jews for a Just Peace would be as candid in their intentions as are the Hamas terrorist spokesmen. Hamas has repeatedly stated that not only the territories but all of Israel is occupied Arab land. After their bloody suicide attacks on Jewish civilians in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Hamas leaders appeared on TV and said the only way for Jews to be safe was to go back to Poland or to America. Since opinion polls among the Palestinian Arabs indicate that the vast majority of them support Hamas and cheer at the announcement of every Jewish death, the only way for Israel to satisfy Arab demands is to commit national suicide and evacuate all the Jews from Israel.

Before the start of the Second World War, anti-Semites in Canada would taunt Jews with the expression "Go back to Palestine." Now the taunt seems to be "Leave Palestine (and Israel) or face death." I hope Messrs. Rosenberg and Aberle and their handful of supporters in Jews for a Just Peace will have the courage to stand up and clearly and unequivocally state where they stand on these fundamental Palestinian Arab demands.

Dr. Moishe Golubchuk
Vancouver

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