In response to Yousef Munayyer’s article entitled “Thank you, Israel,” I feel that it would be wise to inform the reader of the points the flyer campaign is intended to make. While it must be admitted that the Student Alliance for Israel is not an unbiased group in regards to the Arab-Israeli conflict, it must be pointed out that every single point made about Israel in regards to democracy and civil rights is 100 percent true.

First of all, Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. No one would venture to say that Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia are democracies. Every person living in Israel was granted Israeli citizenship once independence was declared in 1948. This included Jews, Palestinians, Druze, Bedouins, Christians and anyone else who was there at the time. Anyone residing in Israel after a time has the right to apply for Israeli citizenship regardless of race or creed. All citizens are equal in the State of Israel. Non-Jewish citizens also have voting rights, and the right to run for office. There are currently Israeli Arabs that have been elected and are serving in Israel’s Parliament. Nowhere else in the Middle East can a country be found that is so committed to the values of democracy.

All Israeli citizens have freedom of religion. Unlike in many other Middle Eastern countries, where government is according to Islamic law, Israel is a secular state. In Israel, Muslims are allowed to mark Ramadan, Christians are allowed to celebrate Easter and Christmas, and anyone is free to practice no religion at all in Israel. Freedom of religion, speech, and press is guaranteed. Nowhere else in the Middle East would one be able to criticize one’s government, let alone publicly, but in Israel this is accepted as a valuable aspect of the democratic process.

The vast majority of Israelis would support a complete withdrawal from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as long as the security of the State of Israel could be guaranteed. The Palestinian leadership, however, has not been able to guarantee Israel’s safety from suicide bombings, as is apparent after Sunday morning’s suicide bombing in Jerusalem. Israel is fighting for its existence. Israel is fighting to remain the only democracy in the Middle East that truly respects the values of democracy and civil rights.

The last thing Israel wants is war. I know because I have recently been to Israel and I have interacted with Israelis. But what else can a country be expected to do in the face of such attacks besides defend itself? The Israeli people have decided that terrorism will not deter them, that they will not be pushed into the sea and that they are determined to remain the only country in the Middle East that truly respects the values of democracy and human rights.

David Hamilton,

UMass sophmore