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

From: Ismail Zayid

To: Halifax Herald

Cc: Bev Dauphinee

Sent: Wednesday, July 04, 2007 5:27 PM

Subject: Rewriting History.

Canada Palestine Association

P.O.Box, 1085,

Halifax, NS., B3J 2X1

Tel: 902 429 9100

       902.275.4898

July 4, 2007

The Editor,

The Halifax Herald.

Dear Editor:

Mr. Jon Goldberg in his column: {"MP's statements appalling" July 4}, is simply rewriting history. Ms. Alexa McDnough, MP., in her statement in the House of Commons, was stating the facts in relation to our Canadian government's unjustified boycott of the democratically-elected Palestinian Hamas government in Jan. 2006 and thus imposing sanctions, orchestrated by Israel, against the Palestinian people, who have been subjected to an oppressive illegal occupation for 40 years, that has been allowed to stand in defiance of international law and repeated Security Council resolutions.

Mr. Goldberg states; " There can be no peace with such an inherently militant and fundamentalist movement at the helm of the Palestinian Authority." Pray, if Israel was genuinely interested in peace with the Palestinians, why was that not brought about during the previous 39 years of occupation, before Hamas gained any authority, and decades before Hamas was even created? The facts are that Israel had no intention of allowing the creation of a an independent free Palestinian state. Dov Weisglass, Ariel Sharon's chief adviser assured us that given the conditions Sharon attached to resuming a peace process: "Palestinians would have to turn into Finns" before this could happen. "Effectively, this whole package called the Palestinian state, with all that it entails, has been removed indefinitely from our agenda," he said. "And all this...with a [US] presidential blessing and the ratification of both houses of Congress." Just in case someone may still have illusions, he explains that the proposed Gaza disengagement "is actually formaldehyde. It supplies the amount of formaldehyde that is necessary so there will not be a political process with the Palestinians." As Ephraim Sneh, a Labor member of the Knesset, observed, "Formaldehyde, it should be noted, is the liquid in which dead bodies are preserved." {Haaretz, Oct. 6, 2004}.

He accuses the Hamas government with failing to recognise Israel. Would Mr. Goldberg kindly tell us which Israel is to be recognised? Israel, since its creation in 1948 refused to define its borders. It is the only state in the world that remains with no defined borders, In conformity with its expansionist programme. David Ben Gurion, Israel's first prime minister, after Israel had already conquered 78% of historic Palestine, stated: " To maintain the status quo will not do. We have set up a dynamic state bent upon expansion." ["Rebirth and Destiny of Israel" The Philosophical Press, NewYork, 1954, p.4191]. And, accordingly, Israel proceeded in its expansionist wars against its neighbours, in 1956, 1967, 1978 and 1982. And we have now Mr. Olmert voicing clearly this expansionist programme, including large areas of the West Bank and the Jordan Valley.

It is time that Israel's apologists begin to understand the facts and call on Israeli leaders to comply with international law and UN resolutions, so that the Israeli people and the Palestinian people can live together, as neighbours, in peace and security.

Yours sincerely,

Ismail Zayid, MD.

President, Canada Palestine Association.