To compare ”the law of return,” which provided shelter and full citizenship to all Jews arriving in Israel, to the ”ethnic cleansing” by the Serbs is to equate affirmative action to racial discrimination. Leonard Larsen`s article of Aug. 12, ”The age-old notion of ethnic cleansing,” is, at best, an example of extreme ignorance. The law was enacted as a result of the extermination of 6 million Jews (more than half the Jewish population in the world) by the Nazis, when Jews were not allowed as refugees by any country including the U.S.
Mr. Larsen showed his true colors by describing Israel as ”one of the world`s most militant and violent. . . .” Let us review some facts: In spite of the terrible losses of life and property caused by Arab terrorists, no Arab was ever executed or sentenced to death by Israeli courts. In fact, the only person ever executed in Israel was the Nazi monster Adolph Eichmann.
Many terrorists who were sentenced to long prison terms for the killing of innocent schoolchildren and unsuspecting citizens were later released in exchange for Israeli citizens who were kidnapped, American hostages or remains of Israeli solders.
The Palestinians who were expelled are very few-those, who in clear violation of Israeli law, were engaged in activities against the state and its citizens. Jews were executed on lesser charges in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Egypt and other Muslim countries.
The famous Roman orator Cato used to finish every speech in the Roman Senate with the sentence, ”And Carthage must be destroyed.” Mr. Larsen seems to have the same fixation about the State of Israel.
