Margalit Talgan's letter to MK Hanin Zuabi

A letter to Hanin Zuabi – an Arab Israeli Parliament Member who was aboard the Marmara flotilla ship.

Written by Margalit Tal-Gan, an Israeli, daughter of Holocaust survivors, married to a 7th generation Israeli.



Miss Zuabi,

First and foremost “chapeau” for a very effective P.R. I must admit: I didn’t know of your existence until the flotilla provocation. In fact I still don’t know anything about you but almost everyone in the country knows of you and that is quite an achievement!

Please allow me then to ask you:

Besides of fame, what were you trying to achieve? You know as well as we all do that there is no shortage of food in Gaza, or any other commodities for that matter. Yes, Alas, there is a constant shortage of ammunition or materials that could be used in the production of weapons, and so it should remain! Gaza needs no protection! Gaza is not under attack! On the contrary, Gaza is a nasty aggressor who for years has been rocketing civilians on a daily basis! (never heard you comment on that!).

Let’s be honest: You did not truly believe that the flotilla was going anywhere! So, what were you thinking when you saw all those hooligans armed with knives and clubs and hatchets, that kept your company aboard the ship? That it was a masquerade ball? Did it occur to you that, as Israel’s Parliament Member you should have warned our army of what awaits our soldiers aboard? Did you try to stop that outburst of violence? What did you expect would happen? That maybe like the “Sarajevo Assassination that ignited 1st World War, your flotilla will ignite the Middle East? And then what? Let’s try to understand your logic:

You feel frustrated, bitter, discriminated, you believe that the regime in Israel is oppressing and ruthless and should be overthrown. Do you have any idea at all what awaits you personally should your aspirations God forbid, realize? Do you think that in a regime controlled by Hamas or Hezbollah or Elkaidah or Taliban women have any rights? Particularly independent ambitious women? What about nine year old girls? You may not have children of your own, how about little nieces? Can you imagine life in a regime where any dirty old man can purchase himself a nine year old girl and penetrate her vagina? And appalling as it may sound it would be legal and lawful and even encouraged !!! Did you think of that Miss Zuabi? Do you have any idea what oppressing tyranny is really like?

Did you know that the Islamic revolution in Iran was enthusiastically supported by the intellectuals? Who, like you, considered the Shah’s regime an oppressing tyranny that should be overthrown? Try to find out what they think today (Those who survived. Most of them didn’t !!). Ask them about life in the Islamic Republic. About freedom. About human rights. About women’s rights. I suggest you read “Reading Lolita in Teheran” by Azar Nafisi. or “A thousand Shining Suns” by Haled Husseini, or “Not Without My Daughter” by Betty Mahmudi.

Did you ever wonder why all the so called Arab countries in which live over a billion Muslims are all defined as “3rd world countries”?

Did you ever wonder why although the Shiite leaders condemn western culture as blasphemous and decadent, for their billion subjects the “west” is a desired immigration target?

Did you ever wonder why all those who apply for Family Reunion wish for it to be in Israel and not in Gaza, or “palestine” or Syria? Is it because of our standard of living? Or our human rights and freedom? Or our social and health security? So maybe, after all, we are not that evil?

Mentioning Palestine and Palestinians: Have you ever wondered whatever happened to the hundreds of millions (yes! Hundreds of millions!!!) refugees scattered all over Europe during and following 2nd World War? Entire cities were bombarded and destroyed! Dozens of millions of homes ruined! About fifty million lives lost, twice as many wounded and crippled! Hundreds of millions found themselves away from home, out of their countries! So, where are they? They couldn’t have vanished! No! they did vanish! They were rehabilitated!!! That is the answer of the “blasphemous” “decadent” west to refugee issues! Any refugees! And indeed the “west” poured incredible amounts of money in order to rehabilitate the Palestinian refugees, not knowing or refusing to acknowledge that the Palestinian leaders had no interest in solving the refugee issue! On the contrary, they did everything within their power in order to p r e s e r v e it! At the same time, they did like the idea of the money, so they preserved that too! Very carefully, in their (not so little) own private bank accounts!

In other words, Miss Zuabi , The solution does not lie in destroying Israel and replacing its free democratic regime with an extreme Islamic one.

Should that, God forbid, happen, you may enjoy, for a split second, the sweet taste of profound satisfaction, and the next split second you will watch not only your privileges taken away from you, but all your basic human rights! The Shariah Law does not acknowledge human rights, let alone women’s rights: Women are men’s property to be treated as they please! But you must know that ….

No, Miss Zuabi, destruction is never a solution! Your solution lies in Edjucation, and more education!!! Not brain wash!!! Not that childish nonsense about Paradise with it’s seventy virgins (In any event not meant for you …) Real free plural western - yes, Western - education that will raise free, moral decent human beings, capable of standing up for their rights without the use of knives and clubs, aware of their duties and place in society.



Miss Zuabi, I so much hope that the day will not come, when from the depth of an open grave into which our bodies would be thrown, I will whisper to you: “ I t o l d y o u u u u u …..”