From: Ismail Zayid

To: Globe & Mail

Sent: Monday, February 20, 2006 11:50 AM

Subject: Israeli state terrorism.

 

Feb. 20, 2006

 

The Editor,

The Globe & Mail.

 

Dear Editor:

 

It is the height of audacity for the Israeli ambassador, Alan Baker, [Letter "Jailed for a reason" Feb. 20], to speak of Palestinian terrorism, and justify the holdig of elected members of Palestinian legislature without charge or trial. Israel and its leaders, Menachem Begin, Yitzhak Shamir, Ehud Barak and Netanyahu, amongst others, created terrorism in the Middle East, and the state of Israel continues its state terrorism, unchallenged.

 

Under its illegal occupation of Palestinian territory, which has been allowed to stand for over 38 years, in defiance of international law and repeated Security Council resolutions, Israeli practices are in violation of virtually every article in the Fourth Geneva Convention, and are defined, by international law, as war crimes. These practices include extra-judicial assassination, torture, collective punishments, denial of health care, demolition of thousands of homes and expropriation of property for the creation of illegal colonies[settlements]. These practices have been condemned by all international human rights bodies, including Amnesty International, Human Rights watch and Israeli human rights group B'Tselem.

 

It is time that Israel is called upon to comply with international law and terminate completely its illegal occupation of Palestinian land and allow the Palestinian people to live unmolested in their own homeland..

 

Sincerely

 

Ismail Zayid, MD.