Friday, November 20, 2009

My letter to the New York Times RE Dimming Prospects for Mideast Peace?

Palestinian girls release balloons with messages attached, during an event organized by UNICEF to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Friday, Nov. 20, 2009. Twenty years after the U.N. adopted a treaty guaranteeing children's rights, fewer youngsters are dying and more are going to school, but an estimated 1 billion children still lack services essential to their survival and development, UNICEF said Thursday.(AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)

RE: Dimming Prospects for Mideast Peace?
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/20/opinion/lweb20cohen.html?ref=opinion

Dear Editor,

Kudos to the letter writer Susan Hussein for her perfect letter and her reasonable approach in countering Cohen's cynicism.


Prospects for peace would not be dimming if our fourth estate was really doing its job and fully presenting all the facts concerning the Israel/Palestine conflict. For instance that Israeli made 'security' wall: Its convoluted path has been a land grab engineered to divide Palestinian communities and families, and farmers from their fields.
Many of Israel's moves are all about creating divisions and radicalizing and/or demoralizing the besieged people of Palestine. We need to take that seriously- and do what we can to make sure that Israel is held accountable for its sovereign violations of international law and the Palestinians basic human rights. Some smaller newspapers dare publish more revealing columns on the situation. Please note:

"Americans who fought Jim Crow or apartheid must reject today's version in the occupied Palestinian territories. America's leadership is based on promoting freedom and equality around the world, and we must start with our allies. " U.S. should stand against apartheid in Israel By Sam Jadallah http://www.mercurynews.com/search/ci_13802009?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com&nclick_check=1

"Our administration, just as the International Court of Justice did should condemn the West Bank barrier. We should support U.N. Security Council Resolution 446 which, affirmed the illegality of Israeli settlements in Gaza and the West Bank, and stated that Israel should not “transfer parts of its own civilian population into the occupied Arab Territories.” In accordance with U.N. Resolution 194, we should demand repatriation and compensation for the Palestinian refugees expelled by Israel and living in UN-supported camps throughout the Middle East." U.S. should pressure Israel to tear down its wall by Patrick Hitchon http://www.dailyiowan.com/2009/11/19/Opinions/14466.html

International law should matter- so should basic human rights and UN Resolutions... all of them, starting from the beginning with 1948's 194.

Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab


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