![['A new website launched by Israel’s Ministry of Tourism promotes visits to the country by evangelical Christians, offering information on places of interest, events and tour guides. ']](https://saltwire.imgix.net/israel-tourism-1219182.jpg?cs=srgb&fit=crop&h=568&w=847&dpr=1&auto=enhance%2Ccompress%2Cformat)
I write regarding the Telegram letter from Majed Khraishi, “You can’t cherry-pick historic fact,” Jan. 4.
Make no mistake, there’s no “dispute” about how the Jewish people have a legitimate historical, legal and ancestral claim to the land of Israel, having lived there uninterrupted for three millennia.
Importantly, you cannot “occupy” your own land. Jews are indigenous and sovereign to Israel. Why does Mr. Khraishi deny Jewish rights to self-determination in their historic homeland?
If Mr. Khraishi is really concerned about the “cruel and inhumane treatment” of Palestinians, he should place the blame at the footsteps of Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.
In Gaza, Hamas reigns supreme. The Islamist terror group holds Palestinians hostage there as it regularly commits double war crimes by firing rockets at Israeli civilians while hiding behind Palestinian civilians. Hamas siphons tens of millions of dollars of foreign aid money that it allocates towards its genocidal efforts to wipe Israel off the map. At the same time, Hamas imposes violent Sharia law, murders gays, dissidents, ethnic minorities and political opponents, and represses free speech and censors journalists.
In the West Bank, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is now 12 years into what was to be a four-year term and is an unpopular and corrupt leader. Abbas’ Palestinian Authority TV regularly incites Palestinians to hate and murder Jews and to support the destruction of the Jewish state. The Palestinian Authority is known for its corruption and cronyism, where billions of aid dollars have been squandered.
Mike Fegelman, executive director
HonestReporting Canada
