To the Editor:

A prison is no place to live if you want autonomy and freedom, but this is precisely what was offered to Palestinians by Ehud Barak, who visits Yale this week.

Israel’s “generous” offer to the Palestinians was based on the model of a prison: the perimeter, guard towers, dividing hallways, and essential infrastructure, like water utilities and highways, would be controlled by Israel, and the interior of the prison, the place where Palestinians would live, would be functionally administered by the Palestinian state. In this way, Israel could offer Palestinians what they claim was 95 percent of the occupied territories (although was closer to 80 percent when “deductions” were excluded) and still control the stolen lands.

Further, the plan discarded international law by forbidding refugees to return to their homes and land while simultaneously encouraging European and other Jews to emigrate to Israel. When we consider the word “generous,” it should be acknowledged that the Palestinians have already completely ceded 78 percent of historical Palestine to a European colony and now they are only asking for full sovereignty and basic human rights in the remaining 22 percent.

Andrew Junker

October 8, 2002