THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 26, 1996 TAG: 9610260006
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 27 lines
Despite my skepticism, I had hoped the Oslo Accords were the beginning of a true peace between Palestinians and Israelis. Unfortunately, it did not take long for the Israelis to dash these hopes by violating the agreements.
These violations became particularly excessive following the election of the demagogue Netanyahu and the right-wing Likud party. I have personally observed during numerous visits to the region the expansion of the illegal Israeli settlements, the demolition of Palestinian homes and the confiscation of Palestinians' land, including some belonging to my family. The opening of a tunnel so close to Islamic and Christian religious sites was merely the last of a long list of provocations.
What should be done is nothing short of severing our ties with the old decrepit policy of blindly supporting Israel. We need to adopt a policy ensuring the withdrawal of Israeli troops from all occupied areas and support for the Palestinians' rights to self-determination. If the rogue Israeli state resists such a moral and rational policy, then we should deny it all military and economic aid immediately.
ALI J. ABED
Yorktown, Oct. 1, 1996 by CNB