Israeli Incitement
To the Editor:
Re “Israel Arrests 5 in Crackdown on Online Incitement,” (Jan. 11):
Your article on the arrests of young Palestinians on the basis of Facebook posts supposedly encouraging violence against Israelis, is silent about the daily incitement against Palestinians by Israelis, even in the upper echelons of the government. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s recent speech following the murders in Tel Aviv is an egregious example of how the leadership of Israel encourage violence and hate against Palestinian citizens in their public comments. Why did The Times not report on that speech as incitement?
KAREN O’NEILL
Cleveland, Ohio
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The “Made in Israel” Label
To the Editor:
Your report on the newly introduced legislation to undermine the European Union’s efforts to hold Israel accountable to international law (“Bill Introduced to Combat EU Labeling of Israeli Products,” Jan. 13) is strikingly devoid of context. The European Commission’s effort to underscore Israel’s exploitation of the occupied territories is not an isolated example of exerting economic pressure on Israel. The increasing success of the international B.D.S. movement is also directed at Israel’s oppressive treatment of Palestinians. To suggest that “the policy carves out a special legal rule for Israel,” or that “making special rules for Israel has the undesired effect of reducing Israel’s incentives to take international law seriously” completely ignores Israel’s blatant and ongoing flouting of international law. It is Israel that conftinually moves the goal posts and refuses to play by the rules. Witness, for example, the Green Line, the separation wall, and the never-ending, illegal encroachment of settlements on Palestinian-owned land. It is heartening to learn that the European Commission is taking steps to censure Israel for its egregious behavior.
EDYE B. MELTZER
New York