Middle East is not a black-and-white issue

I just read the “My Turn” column by Mr. Gregory (Daily Bee, April 28). I lived in the Middle East for a few years and worked with many Palestinian people. I found them to be just like you and me: They want to make a living, take care of their family and live a peaceful life.

What prompted my letter was Mr. Gregory’s statement that, to paraphrase, ‘those Palestine people should move back to Palestine.’ Believe me, the Palestinians would love to move back to Palestine, except most of that land is now Israel. He should look up "the Stern Gang" of the World War II era. They proudly called themselves ‘terrorists’ and murdered both British and Palestinians to found modern Israel. One of their leaders was Yitzhak Shamir, who ended up as prime minister in the early ’80s.

I would have thought that Israel would be the last country to commit genocide on someone else after the Holocaust. Yet the oppressive and apartheid policies that are Israeli government policy are there for the world to see. I do not support Hamas (they are terrorists too), but I do support the Palestinian people and the two-state solution. I also do not support Zionism and the Israeli government, but that should not be twisted into anti-semitism.

In closing, the Middle East is not black and white; there are too many shades of gray about who wronged whom first. But the current Israeli policy of trying to snuff out an entire people is just not right.

ROB HARRISON

Sandpoint