From: Ismail Zayid
To: Dal. Gazette
Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2002 9:23 AM
Subject: " Systemic cruelty in the Occupied Terriories."

 
 
Feb. 17,2002
 
The Editor:
The Gazette.
 
Dear Editor:
 
Congratulations to The Gazette on publishing the article by Rebecca Grant :{ "Systemic cruelty in the occupied territories.." Feb. 15}.
 
Rebecca Grant tells it exactly as it is. An illegal Israeli oppressive occupation has been allowed to stand for 35 years, in defiance of international law and repeated Security Council resolutions. The Palestinian people have been subjected to daily humiliation, demolition of thousands of their homes, expropriation of their land for the creation of illegal Jewish settlements, detention without charge or trial, torture, extrajudicial assassination and systemic violation of their human rights. All these acts are taking place in violation of The Fourth Geneva Convention, to which Israel is a signatory. Ironically, the Fourth Geneva Convention was formulated in 1949 to prevent the recurrence of the crimes committed by the Nazis agianst civilians, mainly Jews in Europe. Yet, today, Israel is in defiance of virtually every article of the Convention, for which it has been condemned by the UN Human Rights Commission, Amnesty International and Israeli human rights groups, including B'Tselem, and Israeli Commission for Human and Civil Rights.
 
It is the duty of the world community to call for immediate termination of this illegal occupation and for Israel to comply with international law, allowing the uprooted Palestinian refugees the right of choice to return to their homes, in compliance with The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and UN resolution # 194. This will bring to an end the deplorable killing of innocent Israeli and Palestinian civilians and ensure security and peace for both peoples.
 
Yours sincerely
 
Ismail Zayid