Pramila JayapalWashington’s7th Congressional District2346 Rayburn House Office BuildingWashington. DC 20515Phone: 202-225-3106Fax: 202-225-6197Dear Congresswoman Jayapal,Last night, my wife who always calls me to the TV when you are on because she loves you and what you stand for told me that she saw you on TV calling Israel a racist country. Being somewhat of a self-taught scholar on Israel, and by the way not a member of any pro-Israel organization, I decided to write to you about this outrageous claim. I hope you will be as tolerant of my words as you are of America’s minorities.20% of Israel’s population are Arabs who live according to the same laws and have the same opportunities as Israel’s Jewish citizens. An Arab runs Israel’s largest bank. Arab and Jewish doctors and nurses attend the same schools and after graduation work side by side in unsegregated hospitals treating people of all religions and colors. Arabs serve in the IDF to as one person said to defend my country. Yes, Arabs can be and are loyal Israeli citizens. There are even Arab political parties, one of which served in the ruling coalition in the previous government.Can you imagine a Jewish political party serving in the Palestinian parliament or even a Jew being allowed to live in an Arab city or town? Yet it is Israel that is racist?Because Israel is holy to three religions, Israeli security goes all out to protect religious shrines and the people who visit them. In Palestinian areas, Jewish shrines are constantly vandalized and the people who visit there are threatened with violence resulting in devout Jews needing to be escorted by police. Of course, the negative PR people interpret this as Israel occupying Palestinian lands and regretfully well-meaning people uncritically accept this calumny.Did you know Congresswoman Jayapal that Palestinian leaders have stated that not a single Jew will be allowed to live in the country of Palestine but it is Israel that is racist ethnic cleansing state?Perhaps you have heard of the celebrity anti- Jewish figure Mohammed El Kurd and have even heard this charismatic figure speak. At a writers conference in Australia, he stated that he knew there is no apartheid in Israel. he just says so to insult the Jewish state and will continue to do so because I assume there are always people who suspend their skepticism when it comes to anti-Israel claims.Please don’t be one of them.You may have some problems with Israel’s polices but racism is not one of them.Respectfully yours,Larry Shapiro,
