Schwartz Refutes Feldman’s Facts on Refugees

To the Editors:

I am writing in response to Adam Feldman’s article which you titled, “Student Responds to the Defenders of Zionism” in hopes that I can help educate Adam and others like him who are misinformed or just lack information. Refuting every point which he made would lead to an endless discussion. Instead, I will focus on the on the refugee problem.
The basis for Adam’s argument is “all refugees of all wars have an unalienable right of return…It cannot be traded for relocation or reparations.” Can Jews return and reclaim all their property from ancient Judea and Samaria? From Spain? From Germany?
If this is what Adam truly believes, I suggest that he take some time to read the Bible and learn about history. The sections that I am suggesting, Adam will find in the Quran, all Christian Bibles, and the Hebrew Bible. In all three, Adam will find that the land of Canaan is promised to the Israelites. In case Adam is not familiar with this area, its modern day location would be the land of Israel.
In Genesis, 47:28-31, Jacob (aka Israel) is about to die and requests that his son bury him in the land of Canaan, not in Egypt where he is living in exile. In Psalm 137, Adam will find a description written by the Israelites who were living in exiled land, yearning to return to Jerusalem. Yes, Adam, they were refugees writing about the same Jerusalem that exists today.
If you study more history, you will find that there was a sovereign Jewish state until the Romans kicked the Jews out around 70 CE, around the time of the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. So, according to your own views, the Israelites were refugees of the land of Canaan and would be entitled to the same rights that are guaranteed under the United Nation’s Declaration of Human Rights.
Adam writes that “almost a third of Jewish Israelis were born in America or Europe. Only 21 percent of Israeli Jews were actually born there, almost the same percentage that are Israeli Arabs.” Either Adam decided to make the data look more favorable to his argument or he doesn’t understand how to read the information. Next time you form an argument, please take the time to carefully read and understand your data. If you would like to look at it again, you can find it at www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/. Utilizing Adam’s criteria and what I wrote above, the balance are returned “refugees.” You should understand that the numbers above represent ancestry. It is certain that the vast majority of Israeli Jews are native born. You can find data that may be easier to read at www.cbs.gov.il/shnaton/st02-24_e.shtml.
Later, Adam writes that “a very large percentage already holds dual citizenship with the U.S.” What is a “very large percentage”? ?%?1%? Where did you get this idea that 30 percent could “return to the U.S.”?
One of the problems that the peace process faces today is that both sides continually are looking into the past. Although I use the Bible above to encourage Adam to reevaluate his beliefs, in no way would I suggest that because the Bible states that the Israelites were promised the land, it belongs to them. To borrow an idea from the rabbi that I work with, if we are ever going to achieve peace we need to look at today, April 26, 2002 and figure out what needs to be done to achieve an agreement which both sides will return from the table feeling happy with so that everyone can live together and have a sense of safety and security.
Another problem that the peace process faces is that of propaganda and ignorance. I have done my best to write this letter in an objective manner. If there is something that is not correct, I invite you to educate me and others in the community. If you have questions, I also invite you to e-mail me (Daniel.Schwartz@world.oberlin.edu) and I will do my best to provide you with facts.

–Daniel A. Schwartz
OC of ’01