The Editor;
The Globe & Mail
444 Front Street West
Toronto, ON. M5V 2S9

Tel; 902.429.9100

Jan. 31, 1998

Dear Editor:

Re, " Saddam Hussein’s wanton aggression" [Jan. 31].

Mr. Brian Morris, of Canada Israel Committee, is again re-producing Israeli mythology and re-writing of Middle East history.

The fable that Israel’s war of naked aggression against Egypt in June 1967 was " a war of self defence" has been repeatedly demolished by Israel’s own leaders words.

Yitzhak Rabin, Chief of Staff of Israeli army at the time, stated: " I do not think Nasser wanted war. The two divisions he sent to the Sinai would not have been sufficient to launch an offensive war. He knew it and we knew it." [Le Monde, Feb. 28, 1968].

Prime Minister Levi Eshkol stated: "The Egyptian layout in the Sinai and the general military build up there testified to a military defensive Egyptian set-up, south of Israel" {Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot, Oct. 18,1967].

Mordechai Bentov, an Israeli cabinet minister at the time, stated: "All this story about the danger of extermination [of Israel in June 1967] has been a complete invention and has been blown up a posteriori to justify the annexation of Arab territory" [Le Monde, June 3,1972].

Menachem Begin, while Prime Minister, addressing Israel’s National Defence College, on Aug. 8,1982, stated: ""n June 1967, we again had a choice. The Egyptian army concentrations in the Sinai did not prove that Nasser was really about to attack us. We must be honest with ourselves. We decided to attack him".[The N.Y.Times, Aug.21,1982].

Perhaps it is time that Israel’s supporters in Canada should heed Mr. Begin’s plea and practice some honesty on this score.

As to compliance with UN and Security Council resolutions, Israel has an unparalleled lead on all nations of the world, including Iraq, in its continuing defiance of Security Council resolutions. It would take pages to enumerate those, but let me Quote only two related to Israel’s wanton aggression against Lebanon, in 1978 and 1982.

Security Council Resolution #425 of March 19,1978,stated: "The Security Council calls upon Israel immediately to cease its military action against Lebanese territorial integrity and withdraw forthwith its forces from all Lebanese territory".

Security Council Resolution #509, of June 6, 1982, stated: "The Security Council demands that Israel withdraw all its military forces forthwith and unconditionally to the internationally recognised boundaries of Lebanon".

Israel, to this day, remains in defiance of this demand for immediate and unconditional withdrawal from Lebanon, besides its illegal occupation of Palestinian and Syrian territory.

Mr. Morris speaks of "Saddam Hussein is by all accounts continuing to develop and stockpile weapons of mass destruction and the means to deliver them". Is he not aware that Israel is the only country in the Middle East that continues to stockpile hundreds of nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them?

Or must Israel remain above international law?!

In view of this, perhaps those demanding the continuing application of economic sanctions against the millions of starving Iraqi children, let alone war, should consider Israel as fully worthy of the same treatment, if the practice of double standards is not to remain the order of the day,amongst us.

Yours Sincerely

Ismail Zayid,

President, Canada Palestine Association