Letter to The Guardian, published 15 June 2007
The current crisis in Gaza and the West Bank (Fatah on the run as Hamas wages battle for Gaza‘s streets, June 14) is the predictable outcome of the policy of Israel and the west of boycotting the democratically elected Palestinian government, which has repeatedly offered a comprehensive ceasefire and negotiations with Israel. The deliberate creation of a humanitarian crisis by the EU, the US and Israel is a shameful and cowardly attempt at regime change.
The refusal to recognise Palestinian democracy, including a unity government representing 96% of the electorate, has created despair. Following the Palestinian elections in January 2006, Israel and the west have punished the Palestinian people by depriving the Palestinian Authority of its own tax revenues and aid. A brutal siege has been placed upon the Palestinians, with Israel preventing even humanitarian supplies such as food and essential medical supplies from entering. The use of aid agencies is ineffective, as graphically demonstrated in the recent Oxfam report, as well as UN documents and the report of the World Bank.
Democratically elected Palestinian parliamentarians have been abducted and imprisoned by Israel - a third of the Palestinian legislature is incarcerated by Israel. The responsibility for the crisis lies with governments, including our own, which have created these intolerable conditions for Palestinians and continue to deny Palestinians basic human rights.
We call on the British government to act now: to end the siege on the Palestinians and immediately reinstate the funding to the Palestinian Authority; to respect Palestinian democracy and fully recognise the Palestinian Authority; to ensure Israel releases the imprisoned MPs and all other political prisoners; to act to end the Israeli occupation; and to ensure Israel abides by international law. The foreign secretary, Margaret Beckett, should use the EU meeting next Monday to press for these changes in EU policy.
Betty Hunter
Palestine Solidarity Campaign