Date sent: Thu, 15 Aug 2002 10:46:35 -0700
From: John Hogan <lingo@silkdev.com>
Subject: Gush Shalom
To: sar@mofa.gov.il
Copies to: info@gush-shalom.org, Uri Avnery <avnery@actcom.co.il>

Dear Sir or Madam:



May I add my name to the growing list of concerned people who strongly
oppose any action by the Government of Israel to suppress Gush Shalom's
campaign against war crimes? Noam Chomsky neatly summarizes my view on
this matter.



I am writing to express my support for the principled initiative of Gush

Shalom to inform military personnel, who are publicly boasting of acts
that may
be war crimes, that they are rendering themselves liable to criminal
prosecution
by appropriate international tribunals. The warnings are accurate, and
it is a
responsibility of citizens to monitor such behavior and guard against
unacceptable and possibly criminal actions. Any effort of the government
to
impede such efforts is wholly improper.



The professor's comment does not require my adornment, but I would like
to touch on some points from an informed Canadian point of view.



While fully supporting Professor Chomsky's view, it is difficult for
many Canadians to dignify Israeli oppression, murder, theft, and
vandalism with the term "war crimes." There is no war, and there hasn't
been for decades. A war, by definition, requires at least two viable
opponents. In this case, what is called war is simply a violent and
racist state embarked on the total extermination a people, along with
every trace of their infrastructure and culture. In this process, common
and predictable criminals within the Israeli government have
consistently committed common and mundane crimes. Israel is guilty of
murder, kidnapping, torture, and rape. Of course, common thievery is one
of the underlying mandates of the Zionist movement.



Let's not glorify such obviously immoral and illegal acts with talk of
war. It is not only the responsibility of every citizen to report
violations of the law to the appropriate authorities, it is also a duty.
In my country, a citizen who fails to report a criminal act to the
police is liable to criminal prosecution. Any attempt by the Government
of Israel to impede the efforts of Israeli citizens to report crimes to
the appropriate local and international authorities or to warn criminals
of their personal liability is obviously immoral, illegal, and totally
unworthy of a country that aspires to democracy.

Thanx

John Hogan, MCSD