To: Globe & Mail

Sent: Thursday, October 26, 2000 12:05 PM

Subject: Palestinians’ Freedom

Canada Palestine Association
P.O.Box, 1085
Halifax, NS.
B3 J 2X1
Tel: 902. 429.9100

The Editor,
The Globe & Mail
Toronto

26 Oct., 2000

Dear Editor:

We find Mr. Marcus Gee’s article ["Palestinians squander their freedom", Oct. 26] a cacophony of diatribe and misinformation. He describes the Palestinians as fools, having "thrown away their best chance at freedom in 50 years". He states: "Ehud Barak went to Camp David and offered the most sweeping concessions ever tabled by an Israeli leader. The Palestinians would have gained almost everything they wanted". The Palestinians want no gifts or concessions from the Israelis, as Mr.Barak ‘generously’ offers them. What the Palestinians are calling for, if Mr. Gee cares to know, is complete freedom from an illegal oppressive occupation, that has dehumanized them, demolished total towns and villages and thousands of their homes, expropriated their land and created illegal Jewish settlements on their land, in violation of The Fourth Geneva Convention and Security Council resolutions. The Palestinian refugees who were systematically uprooted from their homes, by Israel, in 1948 and 1967, like myself, want the right to return to their homes, in compliance with repeated U.N. resolutions. The West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem have been under illegal occupation for the last 33 years, in defiance of international law and Security Council resolutions. These resolutions must be implemented and require no negotiation or bargaining. This was the practice that was adopted against Iraq’s illegal occupation of Kuwait.

As to Camp David, the 95% of the West Bank that he speaks of is not of the complete West Bank. It excludes the large areas that were illegally annexed to Jerusalem and the large areas which hold the illegal settlements and the numerous bypass roads that provide access to these settlements and suffocate Palestinian towns and villages. As to Jerusalem, to be the Palestinian capital, what is being offered are the villages outside Jerusalem, e.g. Abu Dis. As to the access of this so-called independent state to the outside world, it was to remain under Israeli control.

Finally, it is the responsibility of the U.S., and the rest of the world community, who claim to uphold international legitimacy and the U.N. Charter, to enforce Security Council and U.N. resolutions, regardless of Mr.

Barak’s and Mr. Gee’s gifts and concessions.

Yours sincerely

Ismail Zayid
President, Canada Palestine Association.