From: Ismail Zayid
To: Guardian Weekly
Sent: Thursday, March 14, 2002 6:44 PM
Subject: Generous offer!

 
March 14, 2002
 
The Editor.
Guardian Weekly
 
Dear Editor:
 
It amazes me how some correspondents, like Dr Ottolenghi {"Why Sharon is Israel's leader" March 7} continue to be surprised why Arafat and the Palestinians refused Barak's so-called "best offer" and "generous offer", at Clinton's  Camp David gathering.
 
The offer made constituted giving the Palestinian a 'state' composed of multiple non-contiguous 'bantustans', with external borders under Israeli control, with large components of settlements, particularly around Jerusalem and elsewhwere, retained by Israel, and minimal withdrawal from East Jerusalem, and dismissal of the refugees right of return. What many do not realise is that Israel annexed large parts of the West Bank to Jerusalem, illegally.
 
Surely, it should be a fundamental requirement to obtain complete Israeli withdrawal from all illegally occupied territories, in compliance with international law and repeated Security Council resolutions. This illegal occupation has already been allowed to stand for 35 years. The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza strip constitute only 22% of Palestine. There is no generosity in returning illegally occupied land to its legitimate owners.
 
Israel must not be allowed to remain above international law.
 
Yours sincerely
 
Ismail Zayid, M.D.