Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 9, 1993 TAG: 9302090365
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
SHED NO TEARS FOR EXPELLED HAMAS
I FIND it difficult to understand your presenting Fahim Qubain commentary Jan. 23 criticizing the accurate, realistic and responsible reporting in Cal Thomas' column, "Israel vs. Hamas."Qubain's article is replete with distortions and lies about Israel and its treatment of Hamas. The reality is that Hamas is a fundamentalist terrorist group, tied to the fundamentalist Iranians. Their expressed cause celebre is to kill Israelis and destroy Israel. They are the ones who cheered the destruction of Israeli property and the murder of Israelis by Saddam Hussein's missiles during the Gulf War. They take open responsibility for the murder of Israelis and of those Palestinians who disagree with the Hamas' policy opposing peace talks. By expelling members of Hamas, the government of Israel is fulfilling its basic obligation to protect its citizens.
Qubain prefers to be concerned only with criticizing Israel for the plight of the 400 expelled to a "no-man's land with no food, water or medicines." Never mind that the news media showed them cooking, eating and surviving remarkably well for the past month. Never mind that Israel has granted them visitation rights by their relatives during their two-year expulsion. Never mind that they are stuck where they are because Syria's Assad occupies and controls Lebanon. Assad hates both the Palestinians and the Israelis and is using the situation to make political hay.
He has no room in his diatribe, either, to express concern over the truly outrageous treatment of Palestinians and other Arabs by their Arab brothers. Thus, the expulsion of thousands of Palestinians from Kuwait, in fact its entire Palestinian population, in 1990 and 1991 is not worthy of mention by Qubain. He finds no room to express concern over the "education" by Syria's Assad of 20,000 of his own citizens by burying them alive when they requested some representation in his government. The gassing and shelling of Kurdish Iraqis by Saddam in Iraq, the expulsion of 100,000 Palestinians from Jordan by King Hussein, the invasion of Kuwait, with the systematic looting of that country, and the contribution of Palestinians to the 15-year civil war that destroyed Lebanon are all insignificant historical blips, unworthy of mention. Only Israel's efforts to survive as a democracy in the midst of Middle East dictatorships affront Qubain.
Qubain clamors for respect for his people, but until they discontinue their barbaric treatment of their own brothers and sisters, they can anticipate little respect from Israel and other Western civilized nations. BERNARD S. GOFFEN ROANOKE