Wednesday, September 13, 2006
31 December, 1996
The Editor
The Pioneer FAX:2672928
Mumbai PHONE:2673085
Sir,
Apropos your editorial ‘Shalom, Mr. President’ (30/12). It is true that there are no permanent friends and enemies in politics; only permanent interests. Still any nation without reference to its commitments to justice, peace and human rights, cannot hope to aspire for honourable place in the comity of nations. India had sided with Arabs against Israel on the principles of freedom from colonial imperialism. Around the time India received its independence, a string of nations received a boost in their struggle against the western colonists. Palestine was supposed to be one of them. However, just as in the case of India, which got its freedom with the British deliberately dividing the nation in the hope of future stranglehold between feuding parties, they left Palestine with a high-handed partition under the influence of European Jewish financiers. A Jewish state was imposed on Palestine, just as a new state was created out of India. We are still suffering from that British perfidy and should empathise with Palestinians who are still struggling to get their state and their freedom. Israel with the active assistance and encouragement of western countries has made a colony of Palestine and freedom struggle of Palestine is not over yet. India, therefore, should clearly define its stand on Palestinian freedom struggle and her own contribution to the conflict resolution efforts, which have acquired more importance and urgency, after coming to power of Benjamin Netanyahu, the hard-line Likud leader, who has systematically aborted all terms of agreement, so meticulously worked by well-meaning intermediaries, including Norway and USA. India should demand that President Weizman should take back a message from India, that Israel should follow the accord in letter and in spirit, so that Palestinians who were fighting for their independence at the same time that India herself was struggling against British, should at least get their goals, even now, though after the passage of half a century. India owes this much to its own glorious memories of freedom struggle.
#176
The Editor
The Pioneer FAX:2672928
Mumbai PHONE:2673085
Sir,
Apropos your editorial ‘Shalom, Mr. President’ (30/12). It is true that there are no permanent friends and enemies in politics; only permanent interests. Still any nation without reference to its commitments to justice, peace and human rights, cannot hope to aspire for honourable place in the comity of nations. India had sided with Arabs against Israel on the principles of freedom from colonial imperialism. Around the time India received its independence, a string of nations received a boost in their struggle against the western colonists. Palestine was supposed to be one of them. However, just as in the case of India, which got its freedom with the British deliberately dividing the nation in the hope of future stranglehold between feuding parties, they left Palestine with a high-handed partition under the influence of European Jewish financiers. A Jewish state was imposed on Palestine, just as a new state was created out of India. We are still suffering from that British perfidy and should empathise with Palestinians who are still struggling to get their state and their freedom. Israel with the active assistance and encouragement of western countries has made a colony of Palestine and freedom struggle of Palestine is not over yet. India, therefore, should clearly define its stand on Palestinian freedom struggle and her own contribution to the conflict resolution efforts, which have acquired more importance and urgency, after coming to power of Benjamin Netanyahu, the hard-line Likud leader, who has systematically aborted all terms of agreement, so meticulously worked by well-meaning intermediaries, including Norway and USA. India should demand that President Weizman should take back a message from India, that Israel should follow the accord in letter and in spirit, so that Palestinians who were fighting for their independence at the same time that India herself was struggling against British, should at least get their goals, even now, though after the passage of half a century. India owes this much to its own glorious memories of freedom struggle.
#176
