Fairchild on Farrakhan

In response to Halford Fairchild’s column “Overcoming Captivity to the Worst in Us,” Op-Ed Page, Feb. 2:

Fairchild, as a social psychologist, should know better than most that the big lie if repeated often enough can be perceived as the truth. In asking Louis Farrakhan (leader of the Nation of Islam) quite delicately to “find language that solves this conflict” (between some blacks and Jews), he says, “. . . but more important, Jewish Americans must bring pressure to bear on Israel to end its abhorrent ties to South Africa.”

Israel’s trade with South Africa is minuscule. Japan has overtaken the U.S. as the leading trading partner of South Africa; Great Britain has the largest number of companies there followed by West Germany, the U.S., France, Switzerland and many others.

And of black Africa? Zimbabwe has the strongest, most diversified economy of any black-governed country in southern Africa, and South Africa is its largest trading partner. Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia all trade with South Africa.

And where do you think South Africa gets its oil from? 76% comes from Saudi Arabia, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

Where is Fairchild’s condemnation? Anyone singling out Israel has another agenda in mind: that of de-legitimizing it, isolating it and creating ill-will among Israel, Jews and the world at large.

JACK SALEM

Los Angeles