The following letter was written in response to the article published in the Toronto Star on May 16, 2021
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2021/05/16/palestinian-families-and-children-are-being-killed-why-is-it-so-quiet.html
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2021/05/16/palestinian-families-and-children-are-being-killed-why-is-it-so-quiet.html
Dear editor,
I write to applaud your courage and journalistic integrity in publishing the opinion piece, "Palestinian families and children are being killed. Why is it so quiet?", by Shenaz Kermalli.
It represents, in my experience and knowledge, the Palestinian viewpoint in this terrible situation, very ably and factually. It is in no way anti-Semitic, but represents, in my opinion, fair comment on the actions and ethos of the leadership of the state of Israel vis a vis its relationship with the Palestinian population. She is correct to emphasize that the Palestinian population of the West Bank is an occupied population, and that Israel's "right to defend itself" is outside of the context of the occupation.
It is very clear that the Israeli government and military response to the rockets fired by Hamas (which certainly are weapons of terror) is way out of proportion to the provocation under international law, and is depriving an entire population of people in Gaza of basic life necessities, such as clean water, a working sewage system, and civilian infrastructure. Israeli-American Miko Peled, whose father was Matti Peled, general in the Six-Day War, has explained that the actions of the Israeli Defense Force, of which he was a decorated member, amount to terrorism in and of itself.
In 2013-14, I served, along with my wife Joyce, as part of a team of international human rights observers with the World Council of Churches' Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI). We saw firsthand the occupation and its effects on the population of the West Bank. We were also briefed by the UNHCR and by Israeli dissidents, such as Breaking the Silence, about what the Israeli occupation is doing to the Palestinian people.
There is undoubtedly a lot of negative reaction to your publishing the opinion piece. I thank you for having the courage and journalistic integrity to publish it. Please continue to publish pieces that show the real human cost of the current situation in the Middle East.
Sincerely,
Peter Fergus-Moore
I write to applaud your courage and journalistic integrity in publishing the opinion piece, "Palestinian families and children are being killed. Why is it so quiet?", by Shenaz Kermalli.
It represents, in my experience and knowledge, the Palestinian viewpoint in this terrible situation, very ably and factually. It is in no way anti-Semitic, but represents, in my opinion, fair comment on the actions and ethos of the leadership of the state of Israel vis a vis its relationship with the Palestinian population. She is correct to emphasize that the Palestinian population of the West Bank is an occupied population, and that Israel's "right to defend itself" is outside of the context of the occupation.
It is very clear that the Israeli government and military response to the rockets fired by Hamas (which certainly are weapons of terror) is way out of proportion to the provocation under international law, and is depriving an entire population of people in Gaza of basic life necessities, such as clean water, a working sewage system, and civilian infrastructure. Israeli-American Miko Peled, whose father was Matti Peled, general in the Six-Day War, has explained that the actions of the Israeli Defense Force, of which he was a decorated member, amount to terrorism in and of itself.
In 2013-14, I served, along with my wife Joyce, as part of a team of international human rights observers with the World Council of Churches' Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI). We saw firsthand the occupation and its effects on the population of the West Bank. We were also briefed by the UNHCR and by Israeli dissidents, such as Breaking the Silence, about what the Israeli occupation is doing to the Palestinian people.
There is undoubtedly a lot of negative reaction to your publishing the opinion piece. I thank you for having the courage and journalistic integrity to publish it. Please continue to publish pieces that show the real human cost of the current situation in the Middle East.
Sincerely,
Peter Fergus-Moore
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