Dear Editor:
This letter is in response to the letter written by Yaron Brook. Israel has consistently refused to adhere to dozens of UN resolutions that have been passed over the years, calling for peace, the return of Palestinian refugees to their homes, an Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories and the establishment of permanent boundaries. Israel has, in fact, expanded its borders dramatically over the years, most notably when it undertook a surprise attack on Jordan and Egypt in 1967 occupying the rest of historic Palestine, including the city of Jerusalem. The Palestinian population of close to a million men women and children, living under Israeli occupation, has suffered from persecution and a violent occupation regime that seems intent on continuing to colonize and "Judaize" all parts of Palestine. And in the more than 18-month-old Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation, all that uninformed Americans see when it comes to the Middle Eastern conflict are "victims" (Israelis) and "terrorists" (Palestinians), because of what happened on Sept. 11.
The truth is that the real victims have always been the Palestinians for as long as the conflict has existed, but no one (including the United States) really cared until "David" of Palestine decided to stop throwing rocks at "Goliath" of Israel, and instead started hurling bombs. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is an extreme racist right-winger who has a long, bloody history of murder and repression against the Palestinian people. Sharon organized and led, with full U.S. backing, the massive assault on Lebanon in 1982. For three months in the summer of 1982, Israeli bombers, supplied by the U.S., relentlessly pounded Beirut and other cities and towns, killing more than 20,000 Lebanese and Palestinian civilians. Lebanon had no air defense system. The United States of America must stop denying that the Palestinians have the right to an independent state, free of Israeli military oppression.
Rasheed Muwallif
sophomore, respiratory therapy
Published on 11/17/05; 12:24:44 PM
