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