Ask a Jewish Israeli where his/her ancestors came from. Chances are they will tell you they came from Europe, Africa, Asia, etc., but not Israel. Ask a Palestinian and he will tell you that his ancestors came from Palestine and that his family has been living on this land for over 2000 years. Mr. Johnson wants us to celebrate Israel’s independence, so let’s celebrate.

Israel gained independence by mass murdering thousands of Palestinian men, women and children and stealing everything they ever had. Israel manipulates the Old Testament saying that God gave them the land, but not realizing that although the people may have been Jewish when God gave them the land, they are now Christians, Muslims and a few Jews due to the fact that Jesus and Muhammad made an enormous impact, especially in that region. What people don’t realize is that just because you are Jewish today does not and should not imply that your ancestors were those from the Bible.

The worldwide anti-Semitism, which peaked at the Holocaust, does not give Israelis the right to murder and slaughter thousands of Palestinians and take what is NOT theirs. Palestinians in the past have basically created a safe haven for pretty much every refugee in the world beginning with Saladin’s rule, if not even earlier. Palestinian Christians and Muslims are now fighting for their lives because of the prejudice and discrimination towards them because they are not Jewish. The reality of the matter is that Israelis are not fighting terrorism because Israelis are the real terrorists invading Palestine. In the end God will judge you for your actions. I can only hope that one day you will see what you have done is for greed and power, not peace or freedom.

Jon Paul Youakim

freshman in LAS