As a Canadian-Israeli, I have read with interest the two contrasting views of the Israel-Palestine situation; I agree in part with letter writer Frank Rigby: not only are the settlements illegal, but I believe acquiring Palestinian’s land is a violation of international law. Already this year, 17 Palestinian villages have been destroyed.
It certainly is not Anti-Semitic to criticize Israel’s actions, as thousands of Jewish people around the world, including those within Israel, are in solidarity with the Palestinians and take up peaceful actions.
There can be no state solution until there is an end to the occupation, which has become more brutal with home demolitions, political prisoners, including children, and blockade of Gaza. The Palestinians need to be treated as equals, return to their land, and have self-determination.
It is my hope that there will be peace and justice in that region and other places in the world.
As Martin Luther King Jr. said: “Peace is not merely the absence of violence, but the presence of justice.”
Miriam Meir
Parksville
