From: Ismail Zayid
To: Globe & Mail
Sent: Saturday, April 22, 2000 12:50 PM

Subject: Letter To Editor

Dear Editor;

Re: "Saudi Excuses" {April 22}.

Naomi Goldenberg is rightly critical of Mr. Chretien attempting to find excuses for Saudi human rights violations.

Interestingly, however, Mr. Chretien’s, like Mr. Goldenberg’s, concern for human rights in the Middle East is rather selective. Why was this concern not raised by Mr. Chretien during his meetings with Israeli leaders? Israeli violation of the human rights of Palestinians, under occupation, are longstanding. These include systematic torture of prisoners, arrest and detention for years without charge, demolition of thousands of homes, expropriation of property, creation of illegal settlements, amongst others. Virtually, evey article of the Fourth Geneva Convention is violated by Israel. Israel has been repeatedly condemned, for these violations, by the U.N.Human Rights Commission, Amnesty International, International Commission of Jurists and Israel’s own human rights organisations, including B’Tselem and the Israeli League for Civil and Human Rights.

We note that this week {April 17}, the U.N. Human Rights Commission adopted a resolution condemning Israeli violations in the occupied Arab territories, including East Jerusalem, including "in paricular the continuation of the acts of wounding and killing of Palestinians by Israeli soldiers and settlers, in addition to the detention of thousands of Palestinians without trial and the continuing of the confiscation of Palestinian lands".

We also note that Canada abstained on this reolution, which was adopted by the Commission. Is there no limit to our government’s hypocrisy and double standards?

Yours sincerely

Ismail Zayid,M.D.