STATEMENT

I had a personal experience of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict for the first time in 2004. I experienced the road blocks, the wall, the growth of "West Bank" settlements, interacting myself and hearing others' nightmare stories of their interaction with the IDF. As a Professor, I was shocked that Israeli laws on “Areas” prevented Israelis from collaborating with Palestinians in the “West Bank”. I was not allowed to go to Gaza and witness this open-air prison with over 2 million inmates. It is not surprising to me that Hamas took charge there and now has struck back. If someone grabs your throat, you strike back. Whatsoever a person sows, so shall he reap. But the full force of the Israeli electorate's total depersonalization of every living Palestinian only emerged in the present war. Hitler taught the Jews the weapon of starvation in the Warsaw ghetto and they have copied his policy by starving the Gazans. I have a large number of Jewish friends some of whom may now look at me as anti-semitic, but this second nakba compels me to say that in my book Israel has now become a pariah state.