TITLE: Where is the Justice?

AUTHOR: By Dr. Gihad Shabib

PUB: NEW YORK TIMES

DATE: December 29, 2000

Dear Editor The problem in the Middle East that there is no Justice and there is no credible judge to resolve the dispute. I was asked, before the Prayer for Justice & Peace in the Middle East, why you are praying? I told The Citizen reporter; we are praying as nothing else has worked. When you have a dispute with some one you have only three options. You either negotiate you differences, you fight it up or take your case to a Judge. We tried negotiation and it did not work. Fighting is uneven with one side using Appachi helicopters gunship, tanks and life ammunitions while the other side has only stones. When we choose to go to a judge (The UN), Israel and her friends did not like the judgments (Resolutions 194, 242, 338 &1322). Instead, we are only allowed to seek justice from the world superpower (the U.S.) This de facto "judge" is obviously inclined toward the Israeli side for many reasons; internal, historical and misinformation. Mr. Hennery Kessenger had actually signed a document to the late Mr. Bagen guaranteed that the US would never present a plan related to Middle East issue without previous approval of Israel. The latest Clinton?s plan is a true example of this commitment. It is basically a new title to Barak?s pre-election "peace" plan. It omitted all the details and completely ignored the basic principles of human right. You cannot ask Arafat or any leader in the word to sign off the individual Palestinians right of return to their homes and villages or received adequate compensation if they choose so. No one can deny a right guaranteed under international law. How do you justify a right of return for Jews who have absolutely no connection to the land, and not for Arabs who have lived here for generations and carry deeds and documents for their properties? David Yerushalmi and Maaleh Adumim wrote in the Haatrz on December 28, 2000: What gives Jews special rights to this land? The Bible. Is this a recognized property ownership in a "democratic" state that demands separation of church and state? (President of Israel?s Supreme Court, Chief Justice Aharon Barak.) Why should we "democrats" be fearful of the Palestinians return, just because it may make Jews a minority in Palestine? Is there some moral imperative upon which we draw our forceful argument to maintain Israel's racist policy of exclusion? True Peace has to be based on Justice as coexistence is based on tolerance and respect. Yours truly, Dr. Gihad Shabib, MD, MRCOG, FRCSC 6 Cyrus Court. Nepean, Ontario, K2H 9C9 END