Posted 13th June 2001

Peace Not Wanted

If the politicians of the Middle East really wanted peace, they would have it by now. One has to conclude that there are powerful interests opposed to peace, who are they? The answer to that question usually depends on one's political bias. It is an unfortunate and highly dangerous fact that political bias kills millions each year and yet few can transcend it. After all, surely ideology must come second to human sympathy, an attitude not rewarded however in the corporate community. New Amnesty report on Israel published May 30, 2001 "More than 300 Palestinians were killed by the Israeli security forces; most were unlawfully killed during the new Intifada (uprising). More than 2,500 Palestinians and Israelis were arrested for political reasons. Scores of detainees were ill-treated. At least 25 Palestinians were held in administrative detention during 2000. All Lebanese nationals held in the Khiam detention centre in southern Lebanon under Israeli occupation were released. Hundreds of Palestinians from the Occupied Territories were tried before military courts in trials whose procedures fell short of international standards. Houses in the Occupied Territories continued to be demolished as a result of a discriminatory policy which denied most Palestinians building permits." That is the opening paragraph of the newly published Amnesty International report on Israel and the occupied territories for 2000. You can read the full report "