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Posted: 5/1/08 Section: Letters
Why is it that the rest of the world hates us? Is it because of our freedoms or democracy or is it more likely that it is because of our foreign policy?
Why is it that every time a politician runs for office he or she must prove that they are 100 percent pro-Israel and pay lip service to get elected in the U.S.? Why must Clinton, McCain and Obama have to bend over backwards to please another country to get elected in the U.S.? As the world's superpower shouldn't we be a fair referee?
If we think we are a fair referee, why does the U.S. have the most unbalanced news coverage and dialogue of the Palestinians-Israeli conflict? Even Israel has better coverage of the Palestinian side than we do.
If we are for peace, then why do we make pathetic peace negotiations?
Why didn't Israel move back to the 1967 borders (West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem) and give Palestinians the right to return or compensation and be done with this conflict?
If the Israelis act on the Arab League peace initiative, then every Arab country would recognize Israel and open their borders for trade. Why when Israel has almost 80 percent of Palestine do they want more in peace negotiations? Why in every peace deal ever offered does the U.S. and Israel take more Palestinian land in the West Bank and Jerusalem? These lands contain the Palestinian's water resources and make an unfairly split of the Holy city.
Why are Palestinians denied the right to return or compensation after 60 years while Jews anywhere have a "right to return"?
When Americans can understand these questions we will understand that people do not hate America, they just hate our foreign policy and do not take our moves towards peace seriously.
Jon Youakim
Senior in MCB,
Member, Students for Justice in Palestine
Why is it that every time a politician runs for office he or she must prove that they are 100 percent pro-Israel and pay lip service to get elected in the U.S.? Why must Clinton, McCain and Obama have to bend over backwards to please another country to get elected in the U.S.? As the world's superpower shouldn't we be a fair referee?
If we think we are a fair referee, why does the U.S. have the most unbalanced news coverage and dialogue of the Palestinians-Israeli conflict? Even Israel has better coverage of the Palestinian side than we do.
If we are for peace, then why do we make pathetic peace negotiations?
Why didn't Israel move back to the 1967 borders (West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem) and give Palestinians the right to return or compensation and be done with this conflict?
If the Israelis act on the Arab League peace initiative, then every Arab country would recognize Israel and open their borders for trade. Why when Israel has almost 80 percent of Palestine do they want more in peace negotiations? Why in every peace deal ever offered does the U.S. and Israel take more Palestinian land in the West Bank and Jerusalem? These lands contain the Palestinian's water resources and make an unfairly split of the Holy city.
Why are Palestinians denied the right to return or compensation after 60 years while Jews anywhere have a "right to return"?
When Americans can understand these questions we will understand that people do not hate America, they just hate our foreign policy and do not take our moves towards peace seriously.
Jon Youakim
Senior in MCB,
Member, Students for Justice in Palestine
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Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 39
Alumnus
posted 5/01/08 @ 1:06 AM CST
Why does the DI continue to publish letters by Youakim, despite his track record of fraudulent claims?
"If we are for peace, then why do we make pathetic peace negotiations?"
Wow, contradictions up the wall. (Continued…)
media analyst
posted 5/01/08 @ 1:24 AM CST
"why does the U.S. have the most unbalanced news coverage"
Bias is in the eye of the beholder. Youakim might be upset that the US media doesn't claim that Israel is distributing poison-coated candies to Palestinian children, or that the 2005 Tsunami was caused by an Israeli nuclear test along tectonic plates, as claimed by Palestinian media. (Continued…)
Fred the Duck
posted 5/01/08 @ 12:09 PM CST
>> Why is it that the rest of the world hates us?
Maybe you hate us, but the rest of the world doesn't. America is pretty popular in Subsaharan Africa. (Continued…)
Dave Johnson, UIUC
posted 5/01/08 @ 1:40 PM CST
"As the world's superpower shouldn't we be a fair referee?"
Please cut off the "we". I am not an apologist for the Islamofascist Palestinian movement, which handed sweets in the streets, in joy at 9/11, I am an American who loves his country. (Continued…)
Concerned Student
posted 5/01/08 @ 4:37 PM CST
It's really too bad that most SJP members act like Youakim. I saw some potential for Dialogue when reading Othman's articles the last couple of weeks, but with people like Youakim in SJP, it is clear that we simply cannot engage in dialogue. (Continued…)
Jon Youakim
posted 5/01/08 @ 5:56 PM CST
It's funny to see all you whining that I make false claims, when I do not. Just because you don't like to hear facts or perspectives that question Israel, doesn't make them false. (Continued…)
Abby
posted 5/01/08 @ 6:31 PM CST
"If what Israel was doing was right, then why are more and more Israeli soldiers and Jewish Scholars speaking out against Israel?"
This is a poor and misleading argument often used by pro-Palestinian groups to demonize Israel. (Continued…)
The Ghost of Youakim's Past
posted 5/01/08 @ 10:27 PM CST
Some quotes from Youakim's past letters (man, I have too much time on my hands right now):
5/2/05 - "Israel gained independence by mass murdering thousands of Palestinian men, women and children and stealing everything they ever had. (Continued…)
Wow, that was a little extreme
posted 5/01/08 @ 11:26 PM CST
Somebody definitely had too much time on their hands. It is clear that this author has a shaky track record, though. I hope that the rest of IllinIPAC and SJP can engage in more open dialogue. (Continued…)
TruthSeeker
posted 5/02/08 @ 1:13 AM CST
Let's be fair. There have been a number, exceedingly small, of palestinians who tried to hold the likes of ARafat and Hamas accountable, who tried to promote real peace. (Continued…)
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