Madison-Rafah Journal

The Capital Times :: EDITORIAL :: 9A
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Kathy Walsh, Madison

Dear Editor: I attended the talk by Dr. Tawfiq Nasser at Memorial United Church of Christ. While your article was both enlightening and accurate, it made it seem as though Palestinian anger at the Israeli checkpoints and travel restrictions are the main fuels that spark Palestinian suicide bombings that have resulted in deaths and injuries to Israeli civilians.The article missed Dr. Nasser's point that Palestinians are suffering a much higher rate of death and injury due to direct Israeli violence than vice versa.

Palestinian children and adults have also died at checkpoints while trying to access medical care. These deaths show that the travel restrictions placed on Palestinians often have mortal consequences.

Statistics collected by the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem and the group Remember These Children show the ratio of Palestinians to Israelis killed during the Second Intifada is greater than three to one. For children the ratio approaches six to one. Remember These Children posts all deaths of minors on both sides along with the causes of death. Some of the children killed on both sides were infants and toddlers. Few if any of the children could be considered security risks.

These facts suggest that Palestinian anger is also fueled by the high number of deaths due to direct Israeli violence.

And so the cycle continues with Palestinians suffering the mortal consequences at a much higher rate than the Israelis. Meanwhile, continuing annexation of land on the West Bank (which is continuing despite the much publicized but very small-scale Israeli withdrawals) and the continued construction of the "Security Fence," described by Dr. Nasser as the "Annexation Wall," are shrinking the Palestinian territories into ever less viable, less successful, less secure and less self-sufficient bantustans.