Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi
Daily
Telegraph
5 December 2001
SIR - So far, 25 Israelis have been
killed and about 200 injured in the weekend attacks in Jerusalem and
Haifa, bringing the total number of Israelis killed in the past 14
months to 239, and nearly 800 injured.
Up to November 28, 862
Palestinians had been killed by the Israeli army and settlers, and
25,000 injured. These numbers are a shocking illustration of the
expression "violence breeds violence".
The root of the problem
here is Israeli military occupation, the longest in modern history,
the continuous growth of hundreds of illegal settlements in the West
Bank, Gaza Strip and Jerusalem and the Draconian closure to which
Palestinian civilians are daily subjected. Israeli military
aggression, the occupation and endless racial discrimination against
the Palestinian people are feeding extremism and violence.
Colin Powell's diagnosis
was correct: the settlements and the continuing occupation are the
primary problem impeding the development of a Palestinian state and
peaceful co-existence.
There must be an immediate
deployment of an international observer/protection force to the
Palestinian territories to ensure safety and security for both sides.
There must also be a real and just peace initiative, not the
unrealistic type offered by Ehud Barak, but a balanced settlement
ensuring the future security and sustainability of the two states.
Negotiations must
concentrate on the implementation of the United Nations resolutions
242 and 338 and other UN resolutions to ensure the rights of
Palestinians, end the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and
establish a sovereign and independent Palestinian state, so that both
peoples can begin to work towards peaceful co-existence.
At this moment, Israeli
tanks are surrounding all towns and cities. Re-occupation seems
imminent, as does more bloodshed. All movement is blocked; doctors,
nurses, students and patients are unable to move. A whole population
is subjected to vicious collective punishment. No one knows what we
are heading towards, and a lack of immediate action could result in
Israeli retaliation with a massive military campaign, a horrible
prospect that brings with it the risk of a massacre - a massacre that
the world can, by acting now, prevent.
