Editorial:
Israel's colonialism

International outrage at the use by Israel of helicopter gunships, tanks 
and heavily armed police and troops against mainly stone-throwing 
Palestinian youths will continue to be expressed in angry demonstrations 
around the world.

Behind the scenes there are intense diplomatic discussions. But what is 
their aim? Is it merely to get the already failed "peace process" going 
again using the same format as before?

The Oslo and Camp David negotiations were the joint creation of the 
Israelis and the USA and they did not have the aim of concluding a just 
peace with the Palestinians as equals. Yasser Arafat was expected to 
capitulate and accept an unequal deal but in the end he refused to bow down 
to the dictates of Israel and the US.

The pressure on the Palestinians continues — the Israeli reoccupation of 
land that had already been handed over to the Palestinian Authority, 
turning the West Bank and the Gaza strip into concentration camps; the 
killings of over 100 Palestinians; the blowing up of a Palestinian police 
station; and the rocket attacks on Arafat's headquarters — all with the 
aim of forcing Palestinians to accept Israeli colonialism.

Only a peace between equals is acceptable — one that clears the way for 
the establishment of a Palestinian state, cleared of illegal Jewish 
settlements and with East Jerusalem as its capital.

If Israel ever wants to live in peace with its Arab neighbours it will have 
to follow that course. Otherwise it will have only itself to blame for the 
intensification of a struggle which will continue into the distant future.

* * *

Telecard questions

The fact that Peter Reith has decided to pay back the $50,000 illegally 
notched up on his taxpayer-funded Telecard must not be the end of the 
matter. The demand that Reith should resign or be sacked from the Ministry 
has been ringing loudly in the Government's ears.

Many have justifiably made the comparison between the leniency being shown 
to Reith by Howard, and the boots-and-all attitude to those at the bottom 
of the ladder who might have committed some small misdemeanour or oversight 
in a welfare payment. There is no mandatory sentencing when it comes to 
Liberal government ministers.

It is time to ask the real questions — questions that have not been asked 
by the media or even by the ALP parliamentarians.

Reith was able to give the precise number of calls that had been made from 
and to various countries, also that some were made by mobile phones. Little 
has been said about who made the calls and to whom.

Every Telstra account gives full details of STD and International calls — 
the number being called, the date and precise time and the precise length 
of the call. It must be possible to trace the owners of the mobile phones 
used.

Do the police already know such details? Why is so little being said about 
others involved in the rort? Is this angle still being covered up? Was this 
the real reason why Reith decided to pay up, in the hope, as Reith said, 
that this would "end the matter". 

Is the cover-up related to the MUA dispute with Reith's personal, secure, 
and not to be accounted for phone being used by others associated with the 
MUA conspiracy?

But Howard was just as much involved in the MUA conspiracy as Reith — 
enough to give him a reason to be very interested in saving Reith's skin.

If it is true that the phone bills were being paid without any scrutiny by 
the card holder, it can only be regarded as the height of irresponsibility.

And why, if a member of Reith's family needed to phone Reith from overseas 
didn't Reith get a personal card, like any other member of the community? 
Why are taxpayers footing the bill for personal family calls when a son 
goes jetsetting? What would Mr Reith have to say if a worker took such 
liberties with the boss's phone card?

Reith has just lost a High Court case in which he attempted to prevent the 
release of confidential documents associated with the MUA conspiracy. The 
use of his Telecard might also be a subject for investigation, with a 
requirement that he publicly table the Telstra record of the usage of his 
Telecard.