The Jerusalem Post today published this outstanding letter by pro-Israel Swedish writer Ilya Meyer:
Obama's Tibetan silence
Sir, - China invaded Tibet in 1950 and exiled a million Tibetans
to China, replacing them with a million Han Chinese. Now US President
Barack Obama says, "We did note that while we recognize that Tibet is
part of the People's Republic of China, the United States supports the
early resumption of dialogue" ("Obama, Hu vow cooperation but produce
few deals," November 17).
Two years before the Chinese army invaded Tibet, five Arab
armies invaded Israel. Israel fought off its aggressors and later
created essential strategic depth by retaining some of the territory
(Judea and Samaria) captured during its defense, territory previously
illegally occupied by Jordan. Obama maintains that territory Israel
captured in the pursuit of its defense must be handed over to its
aggressors and that any construction there is problematic.
He could adopt the wording he used with China: "We did note
that while we recognize that Judea and Samaria are part of the State of
Israel, the United States supports the early resumption of dialogue."
But he does not. He stays silent on the construction of housing
for a million ethnic Chinese in Tibet and acknowledges Tibet as the
property of China, while criticizing the construction of 900 apartments
in Gilo ("No limits on Gilo building, government declares," November
18), a suburb of Jerusalem on land once occupied by Jordan and captured
by Israel in its defensive war.
The double standards are breathtaking.
ILYA MEYER
Gothenburg, Sweden
