Give Palestinians fair treatment
Omar S. Dahi
graduate student
Once again, Israel has declared a war against Palestinians. Israeli forces have re-occupied virtually all of the Palestinian territories, and the Aljazeera network reports that Israeli troups have started mass executions in Ramallah, killing about 30 Palestinian security agents it captured in the invasion. All this while Yasser Arafat is being detained in one room.
Meanwhile, Bush declares that he "understands the Israeli need for security." Very good, let the veil of hypocrisy be lifted once and for all. All this time the U.S. government has been publicly declaring that it holds the role of neutral peace "broker." But with a broker like this, who needs an enemy?
It is well understood by everyone in the world except by the American people that the U.S. government has been completely supportive of Israeli terrorism. Economic and military support reaches above $4 billion a year, including the highest level of equipment, missiles and helicopters with Israel being the only country in the Middle East to have nuclear weapons. So the U.S. government has never been and isn't now passive — instead they're being completely involved in the most criminal way.
And the Israelis and the Americans expect the Palestinian Authority to crack down on suicide bombers? What? I keep asking myself: Are these people joking? When in the history of humanity has the occupied protected the occupier? Why is a nation being murdered and brutalized on a daily basis expected to stop fighting back and submit? Not to mention the obvious fact that Israel is actually crippling Arafat's ability to control anything.
People, the emperor wears no clothes. This is naked aggression against a nation whose only defense is their bodies. When will people realize that the only solution for peace is to remove the sources of conflict, end the occupation and give the Palestinians and refugees their full rights as guaranteed by international law (U.N. resolutions 194, 242, 338)?
Until then, don't expect the Palestinians to submit to Israel or to anyone. They have the moral strength of a people determined to end their slavery, and nothing will break their resolve.
Omar S. Dahi
graduate student
March 31, 2002
All Viewpoint Stories for Wednesday, April 3, 2002
