Re: Letter on the Middle East War
The letter regarding the Middle East war is based on a skewed view of the area. Having served in the State Department as part of the Peace Corps, I have lived among the people of the Middle East on the zankat/street level. As such, I acknowledge the truth spoken by President Erdigan of Turkey: there is no moderate Islam. The children of Gaza (and elsewhere) chant “Kill the Jews, death to Israel” every morning in school. The current Middle Eastern war by this, not some mythical oppression. The Middle East has always been a home for Nazism since pre-WWII. The Mufti of Jerusalem was kept under armed guard because of his pro-Hitler stance. Even today one of the most read books is Mein Kampf. While living there I lost count of the times I was told that “Hitler was a very smart man”. The current plight of the Gaza Palestinians is the direct consequence of their own actions on October 7 th. Even the Arab governments of Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia will not accept them. Finally the writers of Oakland should be made aware: the cattle cars still sit on the railroad sidings- and wait.
–Michael Lindstrom, Castro Valley
