Hypocrisy and hijacking
Sir: Mr Anthony Nutting, in his letter of September I, in which he fails miserably in trying to criticise negatively your editorial of August 18, is more hysterical than historical. He is entitled, as everyone, to his opinions (however biased they usually are), but few people (only the gullible and illinformed) take much notice of what he writes or says on the subject of the Middle East because he is nearly always so obviously wrong in his facts — not to mention his wildly exaggerated and inaccurate terminology — which of course does him and his cause no good at all.
(I) Israel does not have a "past record of cruel and unrelenting oppression of the Palestinians." On the contrary, it has been stated time and again by leading non-Jewish and non-Israeli commentators, writers and politicians, etc, that the Israeli occupation (however imperfect, and inevitably so) is one of the most humane and tolerant in all history. If Mr Nutting had free choice whether to be (a) an Arab under Israeli occupation, or (b) an Israeli under Arab occupation, there is little doubt — if he were to tell the truth — that he would choose the former. So, too, would the vast majority, for many obvious reasons.
(2) Israel does not "hijack Arab airliners." On one occasion the Israelis tried to intercept a Libyan airliner which was flying over Israeli territory in very suspicious circumstances; and it has been established that the disastrous loss of life —obviously unintentional — was a direct result of incompetence on the part of Arab airport staff and of the plane's captain. Israel did, on a more recent occasion, force down a Lebanese airliner in order to try to arrest ter'rorists — who intentionally murder Israelis and non-Israelis, regardless even of whether they be Jew or Gentile. In doing so, Israel was bending (perhaps even breaking technically) international law or convention. Mr Nutting knows very well that it is at least arguable that the Israelis were justified in taking the law into their own hands for the obvious reason that there is no international authority that is able or willing to deal with terrorists who indiscriminately murder Israelis and nonIsraelis alike, and Arab countries have harboured, condoned and even praised
Taking everything into account. for Nutting and his Arab proteges to accuse Israel of "oppression” and " hijacking " is very much a case of 'the pot calling the kettle black' and is hypocrisy at its worst. I suggest that even Mr Nutting does not honestly believe his rubbish —just as advertising copywriters do not believe their own wildly exaggerated and often untrue claims. Just as they do their clients more harm than good, by the same, token Mr Nutting does his ' clients more harm than good.
(3) Mr Nutting adds nothing to the vexed subject of the Middle East bY quoting one or two Israelis out of context. In any case, the Israelis, living (unlike their neighbours) in a virile democracy, often disagree among themselves — as do the British. What was obviously meant is that little Israel was unlikely (in the light of hindsight) to have been conquered by the Arab countries because of what proved to be their general incompetence, lack of fighting spirit, and perpetual disunityBut Israel still had to fight, and if she had not done so with such courage and determination — being heavily outnumbered in men and weapons — she undoubtedly would have been overrun and destroyed. Even so, some 600 young Israelis did fight for, but lost, their lives — a huge number relative to the population — in addition to which there were some thousands of casualties, and they too, fought for their lives. For them it was no "myth." Objective and impartial people would tremble to think of the treatment that would have been meted out to the Israelis if they had lost — the present situation, happily for the Arabs, is paradise by comparison.
Sane objective people hope, work and pray for lasting Arab-Jewish and Arab-Israeli peace and friendship, but people who write like Mr. Nutting only push it further away. Peace and truth are indivisible.
L. Gorden National Liberal Club, Whitehall Place, London SW1.
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