From: Ismail Zayid [mailto:izayid@eastlink

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

From: Ismail Zayid

To: Halifax Herald

Cc: Bev Dauphinee

Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 9:45 AM

Subject: Illegal occupation.

May 13, 2008

The Editor,

The Halifax Herald

Dear Editor:

Paul Schneidereit, in his article: ["Rethinking the settlements on Israel's 60th." May 13], is again indulging in finding pretexts for Israel's continuing defiance of international law, refusal to implement UN resolutions and to accept peace offers made by Arab states. There is not a word about Israeli illegal occupation of Palestinian territories that has been allowed to stand for over 40 years, in defiance of Security Council resolutions and international law. There is no reference to the brutal practices employed throughout this illegal occupaton, including extra-judicial executions, holding thousands of prisoners without charge or trial, torture, daily humiliation, demolition of thousands of homes and expropriation of land for the creation of illegal Jewish colonies [settlements] on Palestinian land. All these acts are in violation of virtually every article of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and are identified by international law as war crimes. He speaks of removal of some setllements, but not the major settlements that are suffocating Jerusalem and turning the West Bank into multiple non-contiguous bantustans, making the creation of a viable Palestinian state impossible.

Israel's 60th anniversary is also the 60th anniversary of its systematic expulsion of the indigenous Palestinians from their homeland and demolition of over 500 Palestinian towns and villages in Israel . This anniversary for the Palestinians is also the 60th. for the ctastrophe [al-nakba] that befell them. Schneidereit regurgitates Israel's excuses for their denial of the right of return for the Palestinian refugees to their homes, in compliance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and repeated UN reolutions. This right is fundamental.

He speaks of the threats Israel faces from its neighbours. Many of the wars, in 1956, 1967, 1978, 1982, 2006, were wars planned and effected by Israel against its neighbours. The Arab League states offered in 2002, and continue to offer, the Arab initiative of peace, offering Israel peace and security and full diplomatic recognition, if Israel will comply with UN resolutions and terminte its illegal occupation of Palestinian and Syrian territories and return to the 1967 borders.

Mr. Schneidereit speaks of Israeli democracy. This democracy is for Jews only, as affirmed by Israeli thinkers and human rights activists. the 1.4 million Muslim and Christian citizens of Israel do have the right to vote but little else. None of these non-Jewish citizens has the right to lease or live on 93% of Iand in Israel, and face legislated discrimination in their economic rights and privileges. Over 250,000 thousands of Israel's Arab citizens are internal refugees and their land is expropriated and some live in what Israel describes as "unrecognised villages" denied all basic elements of living, including health facilities and basic rights.

He describes President Carter as "pro Palestinian", for simply recording the fact that Israeli practices in the Occupued Palestinian Territories are of the apartheid stile, condemned universally in South Africa but allowed to continue in Israel.

Finally, peace and security will be assured for Israelis and Palestinians, in this tortured Holy Land, if Israel will comply with international law and accept the generous peace offer by the Arab states.

Yours sincerely,

Ismail Zayid, MD.