The latest chapter of the conflict between Israel and Palestine began

when Israeli forces abducted two civilians, a doctor and his brother,

from Gaza. An incident scarcely reported anywhere, except in the Turkish

press. The following day the Palestinians took an Israeli soldier

prisoner - and proposed a negotiated exchange against prisoners taken by

the Israelis - there are approximately 10,000 in Israeli jails.



That this “kidnapping” was considered an outrage, whereas the illegal

military occupation of the West Bank and the systematic appropriation of

its natural resources - most particularly that of water - by the Israeli

Defence (!) Forces is considered a regrettable but realistic fact of

life, is typical of the double standards repeatedly employed by the West

in face of what has befallen the Palestinians, on the land alloted to

them by international agreements, during the last seventy years.



Today outrage follows outrage; makeshift missiles cross sophisticated

ones. The latter usually find their target situated where the

disinherited and crowded poor live, waiting for what was once called

Justice. Both categories of missile rip bodies apart horribly - who but

field commanders can forget this for a moment?



Each provocation and counter-provocation is contested and preached over.

But the subsequent arguments, accusations and vows, all serve as a

distraction in order to divert world attention from a long-term

military, economic and geographic practice whose political aim is

nothing less than the liquidation of the Palestinian nation.



This has to be said loud and clear for the practice, only half declared

and often covert, is advancing fast these days, and, in our opinion, it

must be unceasingly and eternally recognised for what it is and resisted.



John Berger

Noam Chomsky

Harold Pinter

José Saramago