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Letters to Media Home |
Letter in The Burlington Free Press, July 27, 2002 Dear Editor: Can the state of Israel survive in an era of small gangs armed with biological or radioactive weapons? Even mainstream writers in papers like the New York Times are questioning Israel's current strategy of taking over Palestinian towns and cities, political assassinations, and collective punishment of civilian populations. Long-term security for Israel will only come with a just solution to the Palestinian conflict. Palestinians must have the right to return to those lands taken from them or be compensated for those losses. They must have the right to govern themselves, control their utilities (water, electricity, etc.), and the right to travel freely in their own country. If basic rights such as these are not a part of a settlement, there will be no lasting peace. The same now applies for the US. If our government continues its one-sided support of the Israeli government, it too will likely be the victim of terrorist gangs. Billions can be spent on security, our hard-won civil liberties can be stripped away, but in the end a small sophisticated group of individuals will still be able to seek its deadly revenge on our home turf. U.S. political leaders must look deeply at the underlying issues at the root of this fifty-year-old struggle, and international law and basic human rights should be their guide not the dollar strength of political action committees nor the widespread prejudice toward Arab peoples. Our nation's security and that of Israel's is at stake. Sincerely, |
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