In your editorial :{ " The Palestinian Intifada has been a disaster" Sept. 3}, you make some reasoned arguments about the resulting consequences of this recent struggle. However, you make an extraordinary understatement stating : " Israel shares some of the blame [emphasis added]." You totally overlook the fact that the cause of this tragic conflict is the illegal Israeli occupation that has been allowed to stand for 35 years in defiance of international law and repeated Security Council resolutions, besides other related UN resolutions. During this period, Israel has been in violation of virtually every article of the Fourth Geneva Convention, including torture, extra-judicial assassination, collective punishment, demolition of thousands of homes and expropriation of property, all acts that are considered war crimes according to international law and many human rights organisations,

The only way to bring a just solution to this conflict and bring peace and security to Palestinians and Israelis is to demand an unconditional termination of this illegal occupation, and Israeli compliance with international law and UN resolutions.