12 May, 1998

The Editor,

The Vancouver Courier,

Vancouver, BC.

Dear Editor:

Greg Felton, in his article: "Apartheid by any name is still wrong" { May 10}, describes with accuracy and courage Israel’s practices . The creation of Israel, 50 years ago, was effected through a premeditated policy of ethnic cleansing and dispossession of the Palestinian people.

Israel’s racist practices are manifest and are well described by Professor Israel Shahak,Chairman Of The Israeli League for Civil and Human Rights, who wrote in 1975:

" It is my considered opinion that the State of Israel is a racist state in the full meaning of this term. In this state, people are discriminated against, in the most permanent and legal way and in the most important areas of life, only because of their origin. This racist discrimination began in Zionism and is carried out today in cooperation with the institutions of the Zionist movement".

The American lawyer, Aubrey McCutcheon ,of the National Conference of Black Lawyers, visited Israel and stated at a public meeting in Philadelphia,Nov. 22,1985:

" We have lived under occupation for a week witnessing apartheid in the Holy Land. Each and every human right has been violated…Palestinians, like South African Blacks, live in Bantustans. They, like their South African brothers and sisters, have to use passes for identification in their own Country.."

I think that says it all.

Yours Faithfully

Ismail Zayid, M.D.