----- Original Message -----

From: Ismail Zayid

To: Halifax Herald

Cc: Dauphinee, Bev

Sent: Friday, August 18, 2006 12:52 PM

Subject: Israeli State terrorism gets afree ride

Aug. 18,2006

The Editor:

The Halifax Herald.

Dear Editor:

Re: " Patrons of terror are getting a free ride" By Alex Wilner. Aug. 18, 2006

I find it appalling that you continue to allow such diatirbe to be inflicted on your readers.

The accusations of terrorism, directed at Hezbollah, Syria and Iran, are in contradiction of the facts on the ground. Terrorism in the Middle East was created by Israel and continues to this day. The late professor Israel Shahak, a Holocaust survivor, and then chairman of the Israeli League for Human and Civil Rights, wrote: "There is nothing new in the fact that Israel is a terrorist state, which, almost from its inception, has used its intelligence service (the Mossad) to assassinate people on foreign soil with any violence or terror it considers necessary for its ends."

The alleged cause for the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and the devastation brought upon an innocent nation is the capture, on July 12, of the two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah. Reliable press reports from France and others state that the skirmish actually took place across the Lebanese border. The noted journalist, Seymour Hersh, reported: "According to a Middle East expert with knowledge of the current thinking of both the Israeli and the U.S. governments, Israel had devised a plan for attacking Hezbollah - and shared it with Bush Administration officials - well before the July 12th. kidnappings."{ The New Yorker, Aug. 21, 2006}

Be that as it may, Israel is in illegal occupation of Lebanese territory for 39 years, has kidnapped around 10,000 Palestinians and Lebanese and continues to hold most of them without charge or trial for decades. As well, Israel continues, for years, to violate regularly Lebanese air space and waters. International law entitles all peoples, including even the Lebanese and Palestinians, to resist foreign occupation.

Mr. Wilner accuses Iran and Syria of being the godfathers of terrorism, for helping Hezbollah to obtain its weaponry used against the invading Israeli army. Should we not, accordingly, call the US as the godfather of terrorism for supplying Israel for the massive weaponry, including the bombers and guns, that have rained war on Lebanon killing over a 1,000 innocent civilians and destroyed the entire infrastructure of Lebanon?

Yours sincerely,

Ismail Zayid, MD.