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From: Ismail Zayid To:

letters@nytimes.com

Sent: Saturday, March 17, 2001 3:28 PM

Subject: Israel's brutal occupation

The Editor,

The New York Times.

 

March 17, 2001

 

Dear Editor:

 

It is heartening to see the truth about the brutality under which the Palestinians live under Israeli occupation, as reported by Allegra Pacheco {"Palestinians in a state of siege" March 16}.

 

For over 33 years, Israeli illegal occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza, has been allowed to continue in defiance of international law and repeated Security Council resolutions. The Palestinians have been exposed to a brutal occupation. Thousands have been imprisoned without charge or trial, subjected to systematic torture, their land expropriated, for the creation of illegal Jewish settlements, and thousands of their homes demolished, bsides the daily humiliation and

de-humanization. The recent state of siege is tantamount to the creation of armed concentration camps. These practices, including the collective penalties, are all in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

 

The findings reported by Allegra Pacheco have been confirmed by all international human bodies,including Amnesty International, The International Red Cross and Israeli B'tselem Human Rights group and the Israeli League for Civil and Human Rights.

 

It is time for our governments and media to call for immediate termination of this illegal occupation, in compliance with Security Council resolutions and international law. Israel must not be allowed to remain above international law.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Ismail Zayid,MD.