Letters to the Editor: Walk in Israelis’ shoes before criticizing their election choices
BETHLEHEM
By Gilad Atzmon
The recent elections in Israel have been widely praised as the first step towards a democratic state based on the right of the nation to self-determination and in this process many of the new MKs have been hailed as heroes of the struggle for civil rights, equality for all and free elections.
Unfortunately, many of these new MKs had to pass through the most difficult period of their lives under the Palestinian Authority in order to reach this stage.
In his interview with Al-Jazeera, David Ben-Gurion, the first Prime Minister of the State of Israel, who won a majority in the election on April 21, 1971, said that his party is not a political party, but an expression of his own views on the state of the Jewish nation.
The choice on the ballot in the elections, in which he did not run against the rival party Mapam, was one that reflected the current of public opinion and is a reflection of the struggle during which David Ben-Gurion was in his prime.
Israel has become a state under occupation and that includes the most sensitive places in the country. This is the reason why the Israeli army, as a consequence of its occupation, is responsible for daily violations of human rights.
Every human being is a child of the land and has its rights. That’s why the right of return of Palestinian refugees to their homes was never a right of the state of Israel, but a right for the refugees to be treated as stateless people.
Israel must be the country founded on principles of democracy and the right of every person to have his or her rights respected as a human being.
Gilad Atzmon
Kfar Hila
It is important for the Israeli nation that we vote for MKs who will uphold the nation’s values and principles and will bring us to the promised land.
No matter