Ms. Sylvia Allen {Letter " Israel diverse" Jan 8,2002} does not have to take Andrew Lindsay's or Ismail Zayid's word to see that Israel practices clear discrimination against non-Jewish citizens. All she has to do is to look at Israel's Basic Laws.

The Law of Return entitles any person of the Jewish faith to acquire immedite Israeli citizenship, on arrival in Israel. Non- Jews, including people who were born there, are not entitled to this privilege.

The Land Acquisition Law entitles the Israeli authorities to confiscate the land of Muslim and Christian Arabs arbitrarily. Dr. Sherevsky described these laws as " Robbery of land from people, inhabitants of the state." Moshe Keren, a Jewish writer, described the laws as: "wholesale robbery with a legal coating." In accordance with Israeli laws, no non- Jew can buy, lease or till over 90% of Israeli territory, over 90% of which has been expropriated from its Arab owners. What would Ms. Allen say if such a law existed in Canada that prevented non-Christians from buying or leasing over 90% of its land?

Israel describes itself as a Jewish State and not a state of all its citizens. Derek Tozer, a Jewish thinker, stated: " The official policy of the Government [of Israel] is unequivocal. Arabs, like the Jews in Nazi Germany, are officially "Class B" citizens - a fact which is recorded on their identity cards."