I am forwarding you a letter sent by the General Union of Palestinian Women
to Mr. Bush.  I doubt whether he will comprehend the seriousness of the
situation.  He announced that he is “very disappointed with Mr. Arafat” . I
wonder whether he realizes that we are just as much disppointed with Mr.
Bush for seeing things backwards.  Wonder whether he knows who is occupying
who!!!
Samia Khoury

January 24, 2002

President George Bush
President of the United States of America
The White House
Washington

Mr. President,

With the dawn of a new century and a new year, Palestinian women wish to
express their grave concern over the unfolding of events all over the world.
As women committed to the cause of peace and to the welfare of humanity and
as live witnesses to so many tragedies and crimes that go  unnoticed  and
unheard, we believe that we have the responsibility to speak out on behalf
of those whose voices have been muted by oppression.

We, therefore, invite you to tread with us  the thorny path of suffering
imposed upon our people by the Israeli occupation and colonization of our
land.

We invite you to assume the role of a visionary leader of a beleaguered
world, where injustice and oppression remain rampant and the destinies of
the masses of human beings continue to be hostage to the interests of a few.

Mr. President,

The terrible tragedy of the 11th of September which befell your country
stirred your people and the whole world with consternation and rage, which
led to a series of reactions affecting the destinies of many nations . On
the other hand, Mr. President, the Palestinians have been subject to
unabated state terrorism for more than half a century, and no action was
ever taken to stop the devastation of our country, the dispossession of our
people and the flagrant violations of every single human right and
international law in our land. Moreover, in our struggle to defend
ourselves, we are being regarded as the culprits of the conflict , while
those who perpetrate heinous crimes against us are not merely allowed, but
encouraged  to continue their transgressions and  their occupation of our
land with impunity.

As we write to you today, Israeli tanks and armored vehicles surround the
headquarters of our President and several other parts of Palestine. Our
children are living in a constant state of terror as our youth are being
assassinated and imprisoned and our homes are being demolished and  our
crops damaged by American F16s and Apache helicopters. Sieges are imposed on
all our towns, villages and refugee camps, destroying our infrastructure,
paralyzing the most vital services of education and health, and threatening
the lives  and wellness of the whole population

The silence of the world in the face of such grievous violations is indeed
stunning. Would you expect us to remain silent and acquiescent?

Mr. President,

We call upon you and your administration to rise to the gravity of the
situation which does not merely threaten our people, but the region and the
world at large.

We call upon you to realize that any people under occupation will continue
to struggle until their rights and freedom are achieved.

The only path to peace and stability is justice. Israeli occupation and
colonization must come to an immediate end. Palestinians must practice their
inalienable rights, the right of Return, Self Determination, and the
Establishment of their Sovereign State, Jerusalem as its capital.

In the meantime, we call for the protection of our defenseless people,
especially our children who harbor within their innocent souls the seeds of
the future. Give them justice and peace so that they may grow as advocates
of justice and peace, able to participate in building a better and kinder
world for all.

The General Union of Palestinian Women-Palestine