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Citizens of Mideast should ally, not fight

Recently, a great deal of debate and controversy has been spurred in the Daily, stemming from the reprint of the Minnesota Daily article titled, "Israel a lonely champion of democracy" (1/24/96). As a U.S. citizen who believes in freedom and equality for all, and as an American Jew, I feel compelled to respond to some of the myths that have been presented by misinformed students via their letters.

I would agree that there is currently a great deal of discrimination and injustice occurring today in the Middle East. However, it is crucial to correctly identify the source of this problem.

The source of the problem is not the Israeli government, which continues to support democracy, freedom, legal elections, women's rights and justice. The source of the problem is not the Jewish people, who have a strong desire for peace and equality for all. The source of the problem is not Arab individuals, who also desire freedom and peace. The problems and injustice in the Mideast the direct results of the unfair and discriminatory practices of the governments of several Arab countries in the region.

For example, consider the case of Iraq where Saddam Hussein oppresses his people, murders those that oppose him and fails to guarantee any sort of freedom to the general public. Similar arguments can be made for Iran, Syria, Lebanon and other countries with oppressive governments. Arab people are mistreated in discriminatory Arab countries. All Iraqis desire to leave Iraq, yet they are denied permission by the Iraqi government.

Israel is not the problem. In fact, Arabs who live in Israel have more rights and enjoy a higher standard of living than their friends in neighboring Middle Eastern countries. The proof for this statement lies partially in the fact that Arab individuals who are currently residing in Israel have the right to emigrate to other Arab countries. However, as expected, almost none of them choose to exercise this right because they would not want to live under the oppression of say, the Iraqi government.

I want to make it clear that I am opposed to the Arab governments, based on how they treat their own Arab people. Most Arab Americans share that dislike of these oppressive governments. I am in no way opposed to Arab Americans, who are champions of democracy, freedom and political activism, in addition to being my friends.

Furthermore, I feel compelled to respond directly to a letter to the editor in Monday's Daily ("Israel's policies hurt Arabs," 2/5/96), which inaccurately displayed Israel as the aggressor in the multiple conflicts that have occurred in the region. Israel is a tiny country, which consistently engaged in wars only after being attacked first and thus was forced to respond in self-defense. (A lone exception to this was the Israeli bombing of Iraqi nuclear reactors. Condemned at the time by U.S. leaders, this brilliant Israeli intelligence move saved U.S. Gulf War troops from having to contend with Hussein who possessed nuclear weapons.)

Lastly, I was outraged at the letter-writer's unwarranted attack against (former Israeli Prime Minister) Yitzhak Rabin's character. Rabin was a champion of peace. Rabin worked tirelessly toward peace in the Middle East, and was killed during a peace rally. Rabin wanted to improve life for all of the people in the region. Rabin was a man who deserved nothing but praise and support. If the letter writer were to compose a "fair, accurate and well-researched" letter, he would learn that Jewish and Arab leaders from around the world support the peace process lead by Rabin. By viciously digging up the character of this "champion of peace," and by attacking Rabin, this writer has distanced himself from mainstream Arab and Jewish groups who are proponents of peace and equality. This inaccurate and unjustified character attack brings me to both anger and tears, while at the same time it should serve to completely undermine the writer's credibility as a political analyst. To put it in perspective, this outburst against Rabin is completely inaccurate, and would be similar to claiming that the great Martin Luther King Jr. was racist.

Jews and Arabs are not enemies. Jews and Arabs should be friends and allies, united against the common goal of dismantling oppressive Middle Eastern governments and replacing them with democratic systems that allow freedom to all. It is the dictatorial leaders of several Arab countries that are the problem. They murder their own people, destroy freedom and inundate their countries with inaccurate propaganda. I encourage all Jews and Arabs to join forces and continue to work toward the peace and freedom that Rabin desired. Communication and debate lead to education and understanding.

I am thankful that the Daily had the courage to help spark discussion on this important topic. I dream of a future in which all Mideast inhabitants can enjoy peace, freedom, family and education. Please make yourself a part of this ongoing dream.

BARRY ROSENBERG

LSA SOPHOMORE