Editor,
Richard M. Berthold joined academics' agitation propaganda against Israel in the March 14 edition of the Daily Lobo.
Agitation propaganda is used to discredit and delegitimize Israel's right to existential defense. Appallingly, Berthold juxtaposes the actions of Hitler's racist Nazi regime with Israel's justifiable security efforts as he declares "the haunting echoes of that same evil presence in Israel's policies."
There is no doubt that Berthold's polemic is aimed at promoting hate, bias and lies. While we hold the freedom of expression important, we also have the responsibility of calling to account those who question Israel's right to self-defense.
What is evil about protecting one's home and children from missiles from Gaza? What is evil about expecting a normal life without fear? What is evil about security measures to protect against suicide bombers?
What was Hitler protecting when he sent trainloads of Jews to the gas chambers and ovens? What was Hitler protecting when he enslaved thousands of Jews in labor camps?
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Berthold could have expressed his critical opinion of Israel's policies without using the most extreme example. He could also have, in an academic manner, critiqued both sides of the situation. For example, he could have compared Palestinian policies with Hitler's policy.
Allow me. Palestinian policies are more similar to Hitler's policy in that the latter also denied the Jews' right to exist, the right to defend themselves and the right to safety, education and health care.
The Palestine Liberation Organization's charter calls for the destruction of the Jewish state of Israel, calling it "illegal." The Palestinian Authority remains committed to replacing the Israeli community with an Islamic nation called Palestine.
Likewise, the pogrom referred to as Kristallnacht, or "The Night of Broken Glass," during the Holocaust served the same purpose as the suicide bombers and the Palestinian Authority in Israel. Germans attacked Jews in the street, in their homes and places of worship. Businesses were destroyed and cemeteries were vandalized.
Palestinian suicide bombers blow up buses, restaurants or any place where most people are likely to be. The similarities between Hitler's policies and the Palestinian Authority and Hezbollah would command volumes, as I'm sure Berthold knows.
The precautions following the Sept. 11 attack in the U.S. are only a tiny portion of what the Jews have lived with for many years. Whereas al-Qaida's motive was to inflict damage, the Palestinian motive is to eradicate the Jews completely from their land.
Furthermore, the Palestinians are bringing up their children on hatred, bias and lies. A new character has joined the cast of the Hamas children's show, "Pioneers of Tomorrow" - Assud the Bunny.
Assud's return from "the diaspora" followed the death of his brother, Nahoul the Bee, on the show. Nahoul was depicted as dying because he could not get to a hospital in Egypt for surgery.
Assud states, "We are all ready to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of our homeland. We will sacrifice our souls and everything we own for the homeland." He also vows to "get rid of the Jews and eat them up."
In light of the evidence, Berthold's inexcusable column is just another academic mirage to promote a jaded hatred for who knows what reason. For a more balanced view of the Israeli-Palestinian circumstances, please refer to the Middle East Media Research Institute.
Mae Eye
UNM alumna
