[antiwar-van] Letter to Alexa McDonough

[hanna]

FYI
Hanna



----- Original Message -----
From: izayid
To: Alexa McDonough, MP ; McDonough.A at parl.gc.ca
Cc: Pierre.Pettigrew at dfait-maeci.gc.ca ; Pettigrew.P at parl.gc.ca
Sent: Friday, February 18, 2005 2:47 PM
Subject: "Peace in Palestine"


Canada Palestine Association,
P.O.Box, 1085,
Halifax, NS, B3J 2X1

Feb. 18, 2005

The Hon. Ms. Alexa McDonough, MP.

Dear Ms. McDonough:

We read, in the Halifax Herald, Feb.17, with extreme surprise, quotations of
your statements related to your recent visit to the Middle East and the
recent tragic terrorist action in Lebanon.

You are quoted as having said: " Peace in Palestine cannot be maintained
unless Syria pulls back from both its open and clandestine activities." Do I
need to remind you that the lack of peace in Palestine is a direct outcome
of Israeli policies, including the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from
their homeland, the illegal oppresive Israeli occupation of Palestinian
land, associated with violation of virtually every article of the Fourth
Geneva Convention including detention of thousands without charge or trial,
torture, extra-judicial assassination, demolition of thousands of homes and
expropriation of Palestinian territory for the creation of illegal Jewish
settlents. All these acts are war crimes, as defined by international law.

You state: " I really felt Pettigrew showed a lot of diplomatic skill as
well as a lot of guts, in having stated very strongly the case for the
Syrian presence in Lebanon to recede if in fact, the real concern was for
peace in Palestine and Israel." Mr. Pettigrew and the rest of our Canadian
distinguished politicians  are calling aloud for Syria to comply with last
year's Security Council resolution # 1553 and withdraw its troops from
Lebanon. However, why did we not hear Mr. Pettigrew make the more relevant
call in Israel to withdraw its troops from Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese
territory, that has been allowed to stand for over 37 years, in defiance of
international law and repeated Security Council resolutions? Furthermore,
whatever the merits, or otherwise, of the presence of Syrian troops in
Lebanon, do I need to remind you that the presence of Syrian troops in
Lebanon is at the invitation of the Lebanese government? Surely, it is for
the elected Lebanese government, and not Messrs Bush, Chirac or Pettigrew,
to decide whether the Syrian troops leave or stay in Lebanon. And do I need
to remind all these distinguished politicians that the Israeli troops are
uninvited in their illegal occupation of Palestinian or Syrian territory?

Finally, if you and our politicians truly care for peace and security in
Palestine and Israel, you should use your guts to call on Israel to
terminate completely, immediately and unconditionally its illegal occupation
of Palestinian and Syrian territory. The call should also go to Israel to
comply with scores of Security Council resolutions related to illegal
Israeli annexation of East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights as well as scores
of UN resolutions calling for the right of return for Palestinian refugees
ethnically cleansed from their homeland by Israel. The call should also call
on the US government to cease its unquestioning support for all the crimes
and policies of Israel, which the US automatically vetoes.

I am also surprised to see that, in relation to the charges that Syria is
responsible for the killing of Mr. Hariri, you state:" I don't think there's
any doubt in anybody's mind." For you to make this statement is surprising,
when, in fact, no one in the world knows who perpetrated this crime. Others
have listed the major beneficiaries from this crime, but those must also be
dismissed until the facts are obtained.

Yours sincerely,

Ismail Zayid, MD.
President, Canada Palestine Association.
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