Uri Avnery on the Naksa Day events at the Syrian border:

Following the events on the Syrian border, Gush Shalom activist and former Knesset member Uri Avnery said: "Today the army inflicted disproportionate violence on unarmed Palestinian demonstrators in the Golan Heights, more than what is required to protect the border, leading to unnecessary bloodshed. The trigger-happy approach is particularly striking in light of the contrast with the softness towards violent settlers who just three days ago attacked the police in broad daylight, hurling Molotov cocktails and burning the police chief's car. Then, the army and police knew how to end a most serious incident without bloodshed - but this time the intention was from the start deterrence at the expense of taking lives. Prime Minister Netanyahu had hinted at it explicitly."

Regarding the issue of border protection Avnery added: "The state may protect its borders and prevent illegal entering into its territory. This is an essential part of sovereignty. However, to effectively defend its borders, the state first needs to know itself where its borders are, and get them the recognition of the international community - a decision the state of Israel refrained from taking for decades.

"A country which is tresspassing on its neighbors territory, taking the land and building more and more settlements has a hard case justifying the actions needed to protect Israel's own borders. Contrary to the words of Prime Minister Netanyahu, only an agreed upon recognized international border - that is, a border based on the 1967 lines - is really a defensible border."

Adam Keller, 054-2340749