|
| |
Sizer
letter to the Church of England Newspaper, sent October 3, 2004
The Church of England Newspaper
20-26 Brunswick Place
London
N1 6DZ
3rd October 2004
Dear Mr Blakely,
Letters to the Editor
I am sure CEN readers are greatly
relieved to learn from Dan Shaham of the Israeli Embassy (Letters 1st
October 2004) that Israel has not stolen land from Palestinians to
build its Apartheid Wall. Forgive me for asking such basic questions but
could he then explain why, if Israel has not stolen the land, the British
government, and every other country in the world, still refuse to place
their embassies in Jerusalem? Why has the United Nations designated the
West Bank as "Occupied Territory"? Why has the United States government
repeatedly called upon Israel to cease its settlement programme and
withdraw? Why has the International Court declared the Separation Wall to
be illegal? Will Israel be granting Israeli citizenship to the 250,000
Palestinians who now find themselves on the wrong side of the Wall? Will
those who have had their homes demolished and land confiscated to build
the Wall now be given land in the State of Israel by way of compensation?
Lastly, could Dan please explain why it seems Israel is the only country
in the world that still refuses to recognise its borders?
Yours patiently,
Stephen Sizer
Revd Dr Stephen Sizer
Christ Church Vicarage
Callow Hill,
Virginia Water,
GU25 4LD
home 01344 842374
mobile 07970 789549
www.sizers.org
www.cc-vw.org
Settlement activity must stop. And it has not
stopped to our satisfaction." Secretary Colin Powell — September
21, 2003
"Israel has got responsibilities. Israel must deal with the settlements.
Israel must make sure there is a contiguous territory that the
Palestinians can call home." President Bush – June 3, 2003
“Our position on settlements, I think, has been very consistent, very
clear. The secretary expressed it not too long ago. He said settlement
activity has severely undermined Palestinian trust and hope, preempts and
prejudges the outcome of negotiations, and in doing so, cripples chances
for real peace and prosperity. The U.S. has long opposed settlement
activity and, consistent with the report of the Mitchell Committee,
settlement activity must stop.”
Mr. Richard Boucher, U.S. Department of State –Daily Press Briefing --
November 25, 2002
“Our opposition to the settlements is political. Washington feels that
Israel would be better protected and more accepted inside borders where
there are no settlements, so a decision on their future must be accepted
on the basis of their feasibility. It is a fact that we have opposed the
settlements for decades and you continue to build them and we have done
nothing untoward to you [in response]. If Israel wants, it can even
expand to the borders promised in the Bible. The question is whether it is
able to do so from a security and political standpoint.” Daniel
Kurtzer, U.S. Ambassador to Israel -- May 29, 2002 – Ha’aretz
"Something has to be done about the problem of the settlements, the
settlements continue to grow and continue to expand. . . .It's not going
to go away."
Secretary of State Colin Powell -- NBC's Meet the Press --May
1, 2002
“Consistent with the Mitchell plan, Israeli settlement activity in
occupied territories must stop, and the occupation must end through
withdrawal to secure and recognized boundaries, consistent with United
Nations Resolutions 242 and 338.” President Bush’s Rose Garden Address
– April 4, 2002
“During the half-century of its existence, Israel has had the strong
support of the United States. In international forums, the United States
has at times cast the only vote on Israel’s behalf. Yet, even in such a
close relationship there are some difficulties. Prominent among those
differences is the U.S. government’s long-standing opposition to the
Government of Israel’s policies and practices regarding settlements.”
…..“The GOI should freeze all settlement activity, including the “natural
growth” of existing settlements. The kind of security cooperation desired
by the GOI cannot for long co-exist with settlement activity described
very recently by the European Union as causing “great concern” and by the
United States as “provocative.” The Mitchell Report – April 30,
2001
|
|
