Sir, – Just a few days before Israel celebrates its 64th Independence Day (today), I am delighted that long-time Israel critic Michael Jansen at last uses an Israeli source in her article “Palestinians ‘paralysed’ by lack of vision” (World News, April 24th).
Such a pity, then, that her source is fringe dissident Jeff Halper, who represents no significant body of either left or right opinion in Israeli society. His function in the article seems merely to help concoct a fantasy Israeli “plan” for the West Bank intended to block the creation of a viable Palestinian state; such a “plan”, alas, is known only to Mr Halper himself! – Yours, etc,
Sir, – I would like to thank Michael Jansen for her thoughtful, though rather bleak, piece “Palestinians “paralysed’ by lack of vision” (World News, April 24th) – and indeed for her other recent articles about life in Palestine and Israel, including her vivid descriptions of Jerusalem at Easter.
I have recently returned from three months living in East Jerusalem, working as a human rights monitor with the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme. Her piece is particularly insightful in relation to the “normalisation” that is taking place.
Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem and the West Bank is illegal under international law but, sadly, it appears to be increasingly “accepted” by the international community.
Many people know that the Israeli authorities are constructing a separation barrier between Israel and the West Bank. This is presented as a security issue, but much of this barrier is built on Palestinian land, eating into the already tight space that is to be the Palestinian state, in order to bring illegal settlements to Israel’s side of the barrier.
Palestinians must now routinely pass permanent checkpoints and show permits, in order to travel between their own cities of Ramallah, Bethlehem and East Jerusalem, to get to work, school or hospital. The Israeli authorities have also built separate roads through the West Bank for Israelis. There are separate buses and bus shelters. This is what “normalisation” means.
While I was there I spoke with many Israelis and Palestinians who expressed similar thoughts to those in Jansen’s article. Others emphasise that there is still time to create a viable Palestinian state – but that time needs to be now, and needs the active intervention of the international community, especially Europe.
We can, and should, act now to put pressure on Israel to abide by international law and UN Resolutions, so that the Palestinian people may have an opportunity to build their own state, before it is indeed too late. – Yours, etc,