From

To: lade0008@tc.umn.edu
Sent: Saturday, May 04, 2002 2:58 PM

Subject: Myths Galore.

I applaud your courageous statement, in The Minnesota Daily, May 1, demolishing two of many Israeli myths that our media and politicians continue to reproduce, as propagated by Israel. As you correctly stress, this myth propagation is not only dangerous for Palestinians, but also for those who engender these myths, namely Israel, and those who nourish them, as the US government and tax-payers do, and is a direct threat to peace in the Middle East, and world peace in general.

As you state, the current Saudi peace plan was offered by King Fahd of saudi Arabia in 1981 and was rejected, as the current proposal is being rejected by Sharon's government, which has no interest in withdrawing from occupied territories.That is not mention other Arab offers of peace, before and since, as you indicate.

As to the so-called " generous concessions " offer by Barak, which is continuously regurgitated, it was as you stated in your quotation of Robert Fisk's statement, merely the creation of bantustans under the complete control of Israel, maintaining the settlements, controlling the external and internal borders, the skies and water resources of this so-called independent state, let alone the issues of the refugees and Jerusalem. The only people who made "generous concessions" are the Palestinians who are willing to concede 78% of their historic land.

When talking of ' terrorism' and violence, ascribed to the Palestinians, no one seems to remember that the Palestinian people, in the West Bank and Gaza, have been subjected to an illegal oppressive occupation , that has been allowed to stand for 35 years, in defiance of international law and repeated Security Council resolutions. Furthermore, international law and the UN Charter entitle all peoples, including even the Palestinians, the right to resist foreign occupation. How long must Israel be allowed to remain above international law?