Crispin Blunt

Conservative Party | Reigate

Israel and the war on terrorism - Letter to The Guardian

The assassination of Sheikh Yassin will no doubt have disastrous consequences for Israelis, Palestinians, the region and further afield (Defence or murder? G2, March 30).

Yet there is a side to this story that is lacking. The Israeli Defence Forces have carried out a brutal, prolonged assault on the Gaza Strip and its 1.3 million inhabitants. In March alone, over 70 Palestinians were killed, and countless injured by Israeli forces. Thus the UN rapporteur described the IDF as paying "scant regard" for civilian life. According to the UN, over 1,640 houses have been demolished or rendered uninhabitable since the intifada began. Unemployment is 60% and poverty levels exceed 80%.

No Palestinian can move in or out of Gaza. No Palestinian can trade or travel. It is essentially a prison for men, women and children alike, where the wardens do not even supply essential humanitarian goods.

Yassin's killing was part of Sharon's long-term policy of "softening up" the Gaza strip, with more extra-judicial assassinations promised. The international community watches limply as this further devastation of Gaza and the West Bank continues. Why is the international community so ineffective and inept? The only way for the Israeli armed forces to leave the Gaza strip is through negotiation with the Palestinian Authority, and not through devastating it.

If our government is serious about combating terrorism, it must take action to ensure Israel halts its illegal policies. Otherwise the only winner is extremism.

Crispin Blunt MP (Con)
John Austin MP (Lab)
Colin Breed MP (Lib Dem)
Richard Burden MP (Lab)
Robert Jackson MP (Con)