The following is the text of an open letter to President George Bush from ADC President Ziad Asali regarding Israel's policy of using death squads to assassinate Palestinian political leaders and activists. Letters to President Bush can be sent via email to <president@whitehouse.gov>.

TEXT OF LETTER TO PRESIDENT BUSH FROM ZIAD ASALI:

August 28, 2001

Dear President Bush:

I write to you as President of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) to express the deep concern of the Arab-American community at the insufficient response of your Administration to Israel's expanding policy of assassinating Palestinian political leaders and activists in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel. While we are well aware of the clear and repeated statements by Administration spokespersons that the United States is opposed to these actions and recognizes that they are provocative and enflame an already volatile situation, we feel that it is imperative that the United States do more to prevent any future assassinations. The recent murder of Mustafa Al-Zibri (also known as Abu Ali Mustafa) in Ramallah clearly constitutes a major escalation of the conflict on the part of Israel and opens the door to an endless series of assassinations of political leaders.

It is of grave concern to us that, while the Administration has repeatedly stressed it is opposed to these murders, statements by some senior officials have appeared to contradict that clear opposition. In particular, the comments by Vice President Richard Cheney regarding the Israeli policy of extra-judicial executions that "in some cases, I suppose, by their lights it is justified," created an atmosphere in which Administration opposition to these assassinations was undermined. It is urgent that the United States send a much clearer, unequivocal message to Israel that this policy is unacceptable.

Moreover, the lack of any action on the part of the State Department to hold Israel accountable for these murders creates an impression of tolerance for such killings. The assassination of Abu Ali Mustafa, like many others carried out by Israeli death squads in recent months, appears to have been committed using American made and supplied weapons in contravention not only of the 4th Geneva Convention but also American law. The Arms Export Control Act stipulates that American supplied weapons may only be used for defensive purposes, which clearly cannot include the murder of political leaders. We strongly urge you to investigate this patently illegal use of American-supplied weapons by Israel pursuant to issuing a finding regarding Israel's compliance with US laws. If the United States is completely opposed to Israel's assassination policy, we cannot continue to stand idly by while it is carried out using our own weapons in violation of our own laws.

We also strongly urge you to halt all further weapons transfers to Israel until the Administration can ensure that these weapons are not used against Palestinian civilians living under Israeli occupation or in violation of US law. These killings have not only taken the lives of over 50 Palestinian activists and political leaders in recent months, but numerous by-standers including several young children have been killed and maimed in the process. Further weapons transfers only send the message to Israel that there are no consequences for such reckless and brutal actions, and that United States opposition to this policy is only rhetorical.

There is every reason to believe that Israel's death squad activities will only continue to increase. Abu Ali Mustafa is the most senior Palestinian figure to be assassinated by Israel since the 1980s, and this escalation suggests that, unless restrained, Israel intends to continue to murder ever-higher ranking Palestinian political leaders. We also note with alarm that Israel's Deputy Minister of Internal Security, Gidon Ezra, suggested last week that Israel should "liquidate the family members" of targeted Palestinians. We recognize the strong condemnation of these outrageous comments by Administration spokespersons, but we also note that there was no similar repudiation from the Israeli government, in which Mr. Ezra continues to function as a Deputy Minister. Given Israel's history of collective punishments, particularly its policy of demolishing the homes of Palestinian activists in order to punish their families, as long as Israel continues its death squad activities with impunity, such bloodcurdling threats simply cannot be discounted.

Finally, we appeal to you to recognize that these assassinations have been creating a steady escalation in the level of violence in the conflict. A spate of particularly brutal assassinations, in which a number of young children were killed, was the immediate context for the most recent suicide bomb attack in Jerusalem. Each time a Palestinian activist or leader is murdered, each time a child's life is cruelly taken in the process, the seeds of retaliation and revenge are sown. This policy can and will only expand the conflict, cheapen the value of human life, harden the hearts on both sides and create a climate in which a peaceful resolution becomes all the more distant. As Israel's patron, arms-supplier and diplomatic protector, the United States has a profound moral obligation to see to it that Israel's death squads do not continue to work their way through hit lists of Palestinian leaders. To simply stand by as these provocations and escalations by Israel continue is to court disaster. We need to use all our influence to stop these killings, and develop a new set of negotiations which can end the occupation, and bring peace to Israelis and freedom to the Palestinians.

Yours, Ziad Asali, MD
President, ADC