American Arab Anti Discrimination Committee

The following letter from ADC Communications Director Hussein Ibish appears in today's edition of the New York Times. It can be viewed online at <http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/08/opinion/L08MIDE.html>.

To the Editor:

Re "How About Sending NATO Somewhere Important?" (column, Sept. 4):

Thomas L. Friedman has written another column explaining his view that Palestinians are unfit for self-government and deserve to be dominated, if not by Israel, then at least by NATO forces. He offers the Palestinians the trappings of sovereignty — "a state, with a flag, their own government, currency" — without genuine independence since "NATO would have responsibility for controlling all borders and entry points."

Yet Palestinians, like all other colonized peoples, will not rest until they achieve genuine independence, of the kind enjoyed by Americans and Israelis, and will not be content to play with the box that independence came in and pretend that they have something they do not.

HUSSEIN IBISH Washington, Sept. 4, 2001 The writer is communications director, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.

	8 September 2001
	ADC Letter in New York Times on Friedman's Proposal for NATO to Rule Palestinians

	The following letter from ADC Communications Director Hussein Ibish appears in today's edition of the New York Times. It can be viewed online at <http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/08/opinion/L08MIDE.html>. To the Editor: Re "How About Sending NATO Somewhere Important?" (column, Sept. 4): Thomas L. Friedman has written another column explaining his view that Palestinians are unfit for self-government and deserve to be dominated, if not by Israel, then at least by NATO forces. He offers the Palestinians the trappings of sovereignty — "a state, with a flag, their own government, currency" — without genuine independence since "NATO would have responsibility for controlling all borders and entry points." Yet Palestinians, like all other colonized peoples, will not rest until they achieve genuine independence, of the kind enjoyed by Americans and Israelis, and will not be content to play with the box that independence came in and pretend that they have something they do not. HUSSEIN IBISH Washington, Sept. 4, 2001 The writer is communications director, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.