Shalom from Israel to the readership of the Prince George Citizen.
I was very gratified to read
Mr. Peebles' comments on the longtime involvement of my brother, Norman Dale of Prince George, in the fight for the rights of First Nations.
Our family has its own roots in the also long-oppressed Jewish people whose persecution did not end even with the re-establishment of Israel in 1948 after a 2,000 year dissolution.
What I can say to the First Nations is that for us, the Jewish people, a commitment to education, Biblical values, and democracy has been the key to both survival and progress - we have a virtually 100 per cent literacy-numeracy rate, we are a theocracy, alcoholism is rare, and we are the only country in the Middle East where women and gays suffer no discrimination.
Arab-Israelis serve in the IDF, sit on the Supreme Court and have the same full medical services as do Jews.
Some of these things are, I believe, already in your reach - health services and, I expect, absence of legal discrimination against special groups amongst you.
But only you can seize all possible educational opportunities and only you can make the absence of alcohol in your lives a point of honour.
Make yourselves ready for the day when you may have your own nation within Canada - no more reservations!
Good luck.
Ari Dale, Israel
