Palestinians not only to blame

LETTERS

Dear Editor,

Is Yasser Arafat really to blame? The Oct. 20 cartoon in the Daily Forty-Niner unfairly portrays the Palestinian National Authority chairman as being light on "terrorism."

The Palestinian Authority has been accused by the Israeli government and others of not "cracking down" on individuals who pose a threat to the security of the state of Israel. What a ridiculous accusation!

Before the 1960 Oslo Agreement, the Palestinian Authority, formerly known as the Palestinian Liberation Authority, was fighting against Israel for the human rights and survival of some 2.5 million Christian and Muslim Palestinians.

Before 1996, Israel had total control and responsibility for the "security" of its citizens.

The fact was that even with about $3 billion of U.S. foreign aid a year, the Israelis had no luck. That is why Israel cannot expect to see peace until it delivers justice.

Justice for the 2.5 million Christian and Muslim Palestinians who are unable to travel freely in their own country. Justice for the 1.2 million Palestinian refugees still living in camps. Justice for the families and the residents of the numerous villages destroyed by Israel since 1948.

Justice for the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have been thrown out of their country, never to be allowed back in.

The reality is that Israel's illegal policy of expanding and building settlements on internationally recognized occupied territory, closing off borders of Palestinian territories and the continuous imprisonment - without trial - of more than 3,000 Palestinians will only fuel violent reactions.

History tells us that the same environment in the past brought about the French resistance to the Nazi occupation of France. The problem of "terrorism" does not lie within the hands of the Palestinian Authority but rather with the injustices that are committed by the Israeli government.

­ Omar Milbis

junior, economics