From: Ismail Zayid

To: Globe & Mail

Sent: Wednesday, January 18, 2006 10:34 AM

Subject: It is the occupation....

Canada Palestine Association,

P.O.Box, 1085,

Halifax, NS, B3J 2X1

Tel: 902 429 9100

Jan. 18,2006

The Editor,

The Glob & Mail.

Dear Editor:

Marcus Gee {" Failed state before its time" Jan. 18} regurgitates the usual excuses Israel uses in its contiuing excercise to abort the so-called 'peace process'. The prominence of Hamas, which is being used as the excuse for the failure of this process, is a new development, but Israeli failure to comply with international law has been ongoing for over 38 years. It is perhaps relevant to point out that it was Israeli intelligence authority that encouraged the creation of Hamas around 1987, to weaken the authority of the P.L.O., led by Arafat, and encourage dissention amongst Palestinians. The weakness of the Palestinian authority[PA] is a direct outcome of the oppressive brutal Israeli occupation using practices that stand in violation of virtually every article of the Fourth Geneva Convention. These practices and violations are defined by international law as war crimes. Furthermore, Dov Weisglass, Sharon's chief adviser assured us that given the conditions Sharon attached to resuming a peace process: "Palestinians would have to turn into Finns" before this could happen. "Effectively, this whole package called the Palestinian state, with all that it entails, has been removed indefinitely from our agenda," he said. "And all this...with a [US] presidential blessing and the ratification of both houses of Congress." Just in case someone may still have illusions, he explains that the proposed Gaza disengagement "is actually formaldehyde. It supplies the amount of formaldehyde that is necessary so there will not be a political process with the Palestinians."{Haaretz. Oct. 6, 2004}. As Ephraim Sneh, a Labor member of the Knesset, observed, "Formaldehyde, it should be noted, is the liquid in which dead bodies are preserved."

Be that as it may, why is it necessary to have any negotiations between Israelis and palestinians? Israel is in illegal occupation of Palestinian territory,that has been allowed to stand for over 38 years in defiance of international law and repeated Security Council resolutions. When Iraq illegally occupied Kuwait, in 1990, no one said that Kuwaitis and Iraqis must negotiate about this withdrawal, and one Security Council was passed, and when Iraq did not comply a massive force was sent and expelled Iraq from Kuwait and brought Iraq back to the pre-industrial age.

 All that is required now is international political pressure to be applied to oblige Israel to comply with international law and bring about complete termination of its illegal occupation of Palestinian territory, so that Israelis and Palestinians can come to live in peace together.

Sincerely,

Ismail Zayid

President, Canada Palestine Association.