The letter of Hanoch Livneh, “Total destruction sought” (July 13), continues
the outpouring of half-truths and outright falsehoods from the pro-Israel
right wing.

The author asserts the pseudo-geographic sophistry that it is OK to
“transfer” the Palestinians out of their homeland because “there has never
been a Palestinian state.” Yes, after World War I, there were no specific,
internationally recognized borders demarcating “Palestine”; rather, there
were various districts of the just-defeated Ottoman Empire.
Nonetheless, the indigenous people had strong historic ties to specific
villages, cities and regions.

To push the Palestinians out because there are other Arab countries out
there is no different from the Serbs pushing the Kosovars out. We should
call such efforts by their real name: ethnic cleansing.

If Portlanders want to be more in touch with reality, I urge them to look at
the statements of those Israeli reserve officers refusing to fight the war
of the occupation at www.seruv.org.

NANCY HEDRICK

Status: Published July 25, 2002