Al-Jazeerah Reader Michelle Yost Harassed for Writing a Letter Criticizing the Israeli Occupation of Palestine

Tonight (May 21) I received a telephone call from someone who says I have been nominated Jew hater of the year. I would like to clarify my position.

Unless this person is a child molester, serial killer or rapist I do not hate anyone. I do not believe anyone should foster hate in their hearts. I try not to hate anyone on the above list, but these types of people don't seem human to me.

As for any particular religious group: the only people I usually have a problem with is Christians as they are the only people who have ever pushed their beliefs on to me. They call it testifying-I call it a pain in the patooty! No one preaches like a Christian.

My neighbors, my family and complete strangers feel compelled to save my soul. Thanks anyway. So, any religious fanatics who read these letters, please don't tell me who I hate or who I should be. I will decide that.

Thank you,

Michelle Yost (less greiving, more cranky)

P.S. Don't call me again!

Editor:

It is so sad that there are people in the US who still support the Israeli occupation of Palestine and accuse anyone who criticizes the occupation practices as Jew hater.

Actually, those who support the Israeli occupation is the real Jew haters' They want the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to continue forever, which leads to putting Jews, Muslims, and Christians in harmsway.

In fact, the vast majority of Jews in Israel now - particularly Leftists and Labor Party supporters - are against the occupation and want to end it sooner than later.

This is not only harassment and intimidation but also a breach of a US citizen's civil right to express herself without fear.

I advise Ms. Michelle Yost and anyone else who experiences such intimidation to call the police and the FBI in their area. The calls can be tracked and offenders can be identified to law enforcement officers whose job is to protect people from such offenders.

Anyway, here is the letter, which was published in May 20, 2005, for readers who haven't read it before to judge for themselves.

Educate me please (about why the US government supports Israel)

Once upon a time I worked with people with disabilities. I met a man with Cerebral Palsy. He is Palestinian. I am ashamed to say that until I met Esmat, I had no idea what/where/who Palestine was or the horror facing the people of this nation. He had to educate me on the Israel war on Palestine and how their nation was demolished.

He was the most polite, patient person I had ever met barring my mother-in-law who I regard as a saint (I am not religious). He invited me into his home. I met his family. I helped him find a job but he did much more for me. He told me of the custom of welcoming your enemy when asked for help.

All of the insane propaganda about Islam fell from my eyes. His sister Heba became like part of our own family, helping me with my unruly daughter. First he and his family had moved to Kuwait-they had to flee for their lives-then to Jordan and finally to the US. I honestly don't know if they ended up regretting it.

On 9/11 I feared for their lives. I have not seen or heard from the family since. I cannot blame them for running for cover once again. I don't know why the American press does not accurately portray the struggle for freedom. How is it that thousands of Palestinians are dead and Israel so aggrieved that they built the new Berlin Wall? Isolating whole towns, building new settlements-perhaps I should call them occupations-in the lands set aside for Palestinians screams wrong to me.

Do we condone such behavior because we did the same to Native Americans? When I voice my dissenting opinion, I am jeered at and ridiculed.

I have been told I don't belong in my own city in Texas because I opposed re-election for Bush. I wonder that no one seems to see correlations between his policies and (god help me for saying this) the Nazis? If I were a religious person, I would pray sanity would return to the world. I would pray that the genocide of peoples would be fought against instead of glossed over as civil conflicts.

I would pray. Instead I write letters of support, I vote, I occasionally rant and rave about the disgusting injustices of the world. I also hope the world knows that not all Americans support Israel, or Bush for that matter. I hope that Esmat and his family are safe and happy. I hope that I will not be punished by Homeland Security for writing this letter. Am I being paranoid or simply realistic? Perhaps I will pray after all.

Michelle Yost