India should distance itself from apartheid Israel 9-25-2003

25, September 2003               India should distance itself from apartheid Israel

I was dismayed to learn that the powerful US Jewish lobby and Israel are seeking closer ties to India. The Jewish lobby has been instrumental in formulating the unwavering financial and political support of Israel. 3 billion dollars is paid to Israel each year for defense needs. The sad reality is that much of this US largess has been used to wage a war of terror and deny the Palestinians a homeland and self-determination. Approximately, $1.6 trillion has been given to Israel over the past 30 years. The Israelis have diverted some of the funds to erect illegal settlements and Sharon's apartheid wall, in direct contravention of UN sanctions. Thus far, Israel has refused to implement 28 UN resolutions of the Security Council and scores of General Assembly resolutions calling for Israel to withdraw from Arab lands.

The annual report issued by The Association of Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), Israel's leading civil rights group, harshly criticized Israeli soldiers of cruel and sadistic behavior against the Palestinians. The Israeli military has failed to investigate the deaths of hundreds of innocent Palestinians including young children. The state sponsored terrorism unleashed on the defenseless Palestinians has always been conducted with a wink and nod from Washington who have made no attempt to hide their obvious bias. The ACRI accuses the Israeli military that civil rights violations "arise not from any operational necessity, but from hard-heartedness of soldiers, who receive from above the message of utter disregard for the dignity, freedom and lives of innocent Palestinians." Palestinians who marry Israelis will soon be denied the right to live in Israel! Yael Stein of the human rights group, B'tselem condemned this action as racist law, reminiscent of South Africa's repugnant apartheid system.

It is extremely disturbing that India invited Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. The International Court at the Hague has charged Sharon with war crimes, when as defense minister in 1982, he was responsible for the slaughter of 20,000 people south of Lebanon. Sharon did nothing to prevent the massacre of hundreds of Palestinians in refugee camps in Sabra and Shatila.

The Indian government must distance itself from Israel. It must not reward Israel for abrogating the right of the Palestinians to self-determination. They have been forced off their land at gun point and suffered utter deprivation and hardships. Let us not forget our past history when we suffered indignities from our former colonial masters, the British. Let us join hands and maintain solidarity with our Palestinian brothers and sisters and reject all attempts from the US Jewish lobby to normalize relations with Israel.