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Salient. Official Newspaper of Victoria University of Wellington Students Association. Vol 40 No. 23. September 12 1977

Leo Durden replies

Leo Durden replies

Dear David,

In reply to 'David G. Macpherson's' letter in Salient of 5 September, "Rejoinder to Leo Durden" that my existence is as real and as permanent as the State of Israel; I exist now and I shall exist forever.

As for being told that I am a hyprocrite—I resent this outright lie. At the beginning of his letter, 'D.G. Macpherson shows that he doesn't know who I am, but then goes on to label me a hyprocrite, If he knew me better, he would know that I attend almost every SRC etc. and vote possibly very much in the same way as he does on most issues. He is talking about my condemnation of the purchase of the IATA agency by NZUSA while I support the State of Israel. Where is the conflict?

The racial discrimination in South Africa is something that I feel very strongly about since, being a Jew, I know what discrimination is. We have had 2,000 years of being discriminated against. Hence I feel empathy with all peoples around the world who are being discriminated against. I know that 'David G. Macpherson would ask why I am discriminating against the Palestine people by supporting Israel. I do support the State of Israel, however imperfect it may be but do not think that its absorption in a democratic secular state of Palestine would lessen discrimination on either side.

There are many aspects of Israel society and political policies that I do not agree with (for instance, Israel's trading associations with South Africa) but I do not see this as a valid reason to destroy the State of Israel. We do not agree with all of the New Zealand government's policies but we certainly do not advocate that the state of New Zealand be destroyed and that all immigrants to New Zealand go back to their countries of origin, leaving New Zealand to the Maoris, or do we, 'David G. Macpherson '? If so, shall I drive you to the airport tomorrow?

I support self-determination for all peoples, be they Palestinian, Jordanian or Jewish, so where is the hypocrisy in supporting my own people's national existence on its ancestral homeland?

Shalom,

Leo Durden.