Letters - 16 May 2014
From 'enemies of Israel?' to redundant Meeting houses
Enemies of Israel?
The shockingly unjust accusation Sarah Lawson (2 May) has levelled at British Friends should not go unchallenged.
I well remember seeing her advert announcing the creation of a group called ‘Quaker Friends of Israel’. Since I consider myself a Quaker (and Jewish) friend of Israel, I contacted her to express interest. Sadly, I learned that I would have had to cease all criticism and all opposition to Israeli policy in order to meet her rather odd definition of a ‘friend’.
Luckily, our government does not take a similar line in regarding all active opponents of their policies as ‘enemies’ – else millions of us would have been prosecuted as traitors for demonstrating against the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan!
I, myself, have mixed feelings about Britain Yearly Meeting’s participation in the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign against the military occupation of the Palestinian Territories. But I find it chilling that a Quaker should call into question other Friends’ sincere wish to do what they believe to be in the best interests of both Israelis and Palestinians, simply because she disagrees.
I was present at all but one of the several long and anguished debates in Meeting for Sufferings on the call to support BDS, and was impressed by Friends’ sensitive forbearance, their careful, respectful listening and the genuine concern for the wellbeing of all those affected by the conflict – quite a contrast with Sarah, who seems to have a closed mind on the matter and to care only about one group.
Stevie Krayer
Sarah Lawson’s article seems to be less than helpful to promoting her cause, the work of Quaker Friends of Israel, since she makes a number of assertions that are somewhat questionable.
Most of us, I am sure, seek to be as unbiased as possible in our attempts to address highly contentious issues of which the Israel-Palestine one is amongst the most fraught with anger and bitterness.
In her first sentence, Sarah refers to ‘the Israeli districts in the disputed territories’ as if this statement was indisputable. She also makes the surprising claims that “Palestine” had never existed as a state’, though to be fair it was governed as a UK Mandate from after the first world war until 1948, and that ‘Israel had regained the West Bank in 1967 from Jordan, which had seized it in 1948’. She also fails to mention the various UN resolutions criticising Israel’s military occupation of the West Bank and the illegal settlements.
Friends have been at pains to try and help the opposing sides to meet and seek ways forward but Sarah’s views betray a lack of objectivity, which is disturbing.
I wonder if she has ever had an opportunity to talk to the pupils of Ramallah Friends School, who might help her to understand the realities of life for young Palestinians under Israeli control?
Nigel Engert
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