Dear Ambassador Jones,
It is with more than disappointment that I have learned that the American government and the Embassy here in Israel are boycotting Jerusalem Day. It is obvious to all that it is fear of offending Muslim 'sensitivities' that this is taking place.
Need anyone who knows history be reminded that Jerusalem has been the capital city of Jews for 2,000 years until 1948 - long before Islam was born? That same history shows that even during those years when this land was under various foreign rulers there was always a Jewish presence here? That Jews were the first Palestinians since the Romans gave Judea that name in order to break Jewish ties to the Land? The Arabs did not even call themselves 'Palestinians' until long after the Jewish State was reborn - and that for political expediency!
Who does not know that the League of Nations and the Balfour Declaration gave the British Mandated Government the responsibility of creating a Jewish Homeland in what is today Jordan and Palestine - yet 78% of that promise was awarded to the creation of an 'Arabs-only' state of Jordan - known as 'eastern Palestine' with the remaining 22% to be a Jewish state? Instead, there were even pogroms against Jews in Palestine prior to 1948 by those who supported Hitler and contributed to the decimation of European Jewry as well as pressuring the British not to open the gates to the Jewish homeland .
Israel has faced war after war and nineteen years of estrangement from the heart of her history and religion. From 1948 -1967 - during which time the Jordanians illegally controlled the eastern part of Jerusalem, Jews were prevented from praying at the Western Wall, 56 synagogues were destroyed with just one remaining. The ancient Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives was laid waste and headstones were appropriated for Jordanian stables and latrines!! .Since then that same enemy has continued to destroy proof of the Jewish Temples on the Mount as well as other holy places. They have demonized the Jewish State and are carrying on a worldwide campaign to delegitimize Israel - denying the Holocaust - when even the Nazis kept meticulous records of their own evil. We know only too well that the only reliable guardians of Jerusalem are the Jews who respect the presence of all faiths.
The unbridled violence that engulfed the Jewish community both prior to 1948 and after was the precursor to the terrorism confronting the entire free world today; its goals are the annihilation of Israel and the United States as well - for a start. The international network of terrorism is thriving and we are not even standing up and saying 'Enough' !!!
Now is that time. The Middle East conflict is part and parcel of the whole picture. Israel is at the forefront of the same battle facing the rest of the world. If democratic Israel is not supported fully against a barbaric enemy it weakens our fight to turn back the fanatic Islamicist world which is emboldened by every concession.
Not recognizing and celebrating the legitimate unification of Jerusalem - a city that became free for all religions in 1967 - is nothing less than appeasement of those destructive forces that wish to control all of the land and, eventually, all of the world.
Finally, when President Bush was campaigning for the Presidency, one of his first promises was to move the American Embassy to Jerusalem, the Eternal Capital of Israel. Had that been carried out immediately, upon his ascendancy to that office, it would have sent a clear message to friend and foe alike, that the United States of America recognizes its loyal friends and honors its obligations.
As a proud American - no matter where I am - I regret that the Bush administration does not recognize that celebrating Jerusalem Day with Israel would be a show of solidarity with a small country that shares many of its own dreams - a haven for those who seek freedom and are willing to contribute to the betterment of life for all through peaceful participation. Not joining in the festivity is a statement in the other direction; there is no neutrality.
Justice demands that Jerusalem remain united . Celebrating Jerusalem Day would show the world that
Israel's rebuilding and restoration in this ancient-modern city for the past 40 years is a symbol of her deep love and respect for a universal city that has been in her heart for centuries and will remain so till the end of time.
Sincerely,
Chana Givon
in beloved Jerusalem
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