Friday, November 22, 2013

MP's response to my letter about funding convicted Palestinian terrorists

I have had a very fast response from my MP to the letter I wrote earlier in the week (in fact the MP responded within two days). It is very rare for an MP to respond so quickly (if at all) and this MP has actually taken the time to read the extensive supporting material I sent in addition to my letter. Note my response thanking the MP below.  While I strongly disagree with some of the MP's statements, I think the response was better than I could have expected -  especially as the MP is in the Labour Party in a constituency with a large number of Muslims. However, as you can see I did feel that I had to respond to the comment about "supporting Israel's right to exist".
MP's response (click to enlarge)
 My response:
I would like to thank you very much for your very speedy and detailed response to my letter concerning tax funds going to convicted Palestinian terrorists. I really appreciate the fact that you have taken this very seriously, have clearly spent a lot of time reading the material, and that you are going to raise the issue with William Hague. I believe this marks you out as an outstanding MP.
p.s. I note you said you were "a supporter of Israel's right to exist". This is a statement used by many MPs, which has always struck me as rather curious and I know many Israelis are offended by it.  To have ones' very existence even considered as open to debate is something that is applied to no other country in the world (many of which were created AFTER the modern day state of Israel,  and many of which were the result of either war, arbitrary colonial land demarcations or a mixture of both).  If a foreign diplomat asserted that they "support the UK's right to exist" I do not believe that this would be considered as expression of either great support or sympathy. 
Anyway, let's see what response I get from William Hague now. I think this issue is going to be harder for the Palestinians and their supporters to shake off as the usual 'response to Israeli aggression', especially as the same Palestinian Authority that is making such generous and long-term payments to terrorists are claiming they are unable to pay even small electricity bills to keep the people's power flowing.

2 Dec 2013 Update: The MP has sent a further response about the 'right to exist' comment.
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4 comments:

  1. Arthur Robbins10:45 pm

    The quote you've attributed to Martin Luthur King Jnr in the header of this blog is a hoax and not true. People reading this blog can easily ascertain that it's not true by searching Google.

    Much of what you've said about Palestinian prisoners is also highly inaccurate.

    I hope you are able to learn from Nelson Mandella's legacy that apartheid is not the way forward. It wasn't for South Africa and it's not for Israel either. He was once regarded as a terrorist too!

    Lasting peace based on mutual trust and freedom for all regardless of their faith or background is the only way forward.

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  2. Unknown8:34 pm

    The quote is true and your hoax claim has long since been debunked

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  3. Anonymous9:25 pm

    Arthur Robbins, Mandela WAS a terrorist and responsible for the practice of 'necklacing' along with his wife. Israel is not an apartheid state.

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  4. Mike Altman, Netanya10:02 am

    I was born in Bury, near Manchester and in March 1948 at the age of seven moved to Cape town, South Africa. After 20 years mostly under apartheid rule, in 1969 I moved to Israel. This is the Middle East and cultures here are different to what people in the West understand. Even so Israel has managed to create a thriving country that has changed the environment enabling greater individual freedom for all. This does not mean to say everyone is wealthy and equal like any other Western country. I should know, this is not an apartheid country like you had in South Africa and the United States. Your money and products like amazing meat from places like Argentina and New Zealand are confiscated and used to make a few rich and pay for the continuation of terrorism. If you want excellent meat at half price just visit Abu Ali near the entrance to Ariel to see where this very nice donation (to feed the palestinians) ends up. If a Palestinian wants to eat well he or she works in Israel building buildings or at one of the settlements. Soda Stream would have been a good example. Because of the environment here we have managed to do well with the little we had. I remember during one war Britain refused to replenish 105mm ammunition for our tanks they sold us. So now we make our own. I find it funny that Israeli systems are using cameras in London to keep you all safe. We developed these systems because we were the first on their list. You are there as well - that you can be sure of. If you have never visited Israel come and visit. We just had the annual Gay Pride march that 20,000 people flew in for. Tel-Aviv is probably one of the gay capitals of the world. Our neighbours kill gays - did you know?

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