Voice of the People                     

The Halifax Herald               Dec. 21, 2001

                                                                          

One-sided

Dear Editor:

Howard Kleinberg ("Has Arafat run out of lives?" Dec. 17) selectively blames Yasser Arafat and Hamas for the terrorism and violence engendered in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. There is not a word of blame for Ariel Sharon and Israel, and their continuing use of their mighty F16s and Apache helicopters and tanks to bomb Palestinian towns and villages, demolish thousands of homes, uproot thousands of olive trees and murder hundreds of Palestinian men, women and children, amongst other acts of terrorism.

There is not a word about the brutal and oppressive Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories that has been allowed to stand for over 34 years, in defiance of repeated Security Council resolutions and the Fourth Geneva Convention.

In the books of Mr. Kleinberg and other Israel apologists, do Palestinian lives or human rights count for anything, and must Israel remain above international law?

Ismail Zayid, MD, Halifax