It would appear that certain misconceptions have been circulating in the international community regarding the recently proposed "international monitors." One of the most widely held beliefs has been that both parties - Israelis and Palestinians - must approve of a third party's involvement. Palestinians have been calling to no avail on the international community for protection from Israel's harsh and illegal measures. As an occupied people, Palestinians are granted the right to such a body of observers by international law. It defies all logic to presume that an oppressed, occupied people should seek their occupier's ratification of such a request. Predictably, Israel's answer to the Palestinian plea for monitors has been a resonating "NO."

The basis for Israel's rejection of this proposal centers around the issue of "sovereignty". Israel apparently feels that an imposed team of multilateral observers somehow violates its autonomy. However, this is a non-issue, as the monitors would only be located on occupied territory, and not in Israel proper, a right afforded occupied peoples by the Fourth Geneva Convention, a treatise to which Israel is signatory and legally bound.

Israel's fervent refusal to admit a team of international monitors begs the question, "what does Israel have to lose from such a team of observers?" Or perhaps the question would be better phrased, "what does Israel have to hide from these so-called monitors?" If Israel had only the security of its citizens in mind, then surely it would seek international protection from supposed "Palestinian acts of violence". The reality is that Israel does indeed have much to hide from the outside world.

Yesterday, August 20th, as the UN security council convened to discuss the issue, the United States made it clear that as one of the five permanent UNSC members, and decisive veto power, it would not support any effort to send UN sanctioned international monitors to the region. Once again, the United States' dubious motives leave its stance towards peace and justice in question.

At this very moment, so-called CIA "monitors" are stationed in Tel Aviv, evidently to no effect whatsoever. No doubt Sharon would not mind bolstering the CIA's presence in downtown Tel Aviv, but this does not address the real issue. How can a team of supposed "monitors" fulfill such a task without maintaining a physical presence in the Occupied Territories, to witness events as they occur firsthand? Hence the necessity for a multilateral, international team that possesses the resources and accessibility to fairly monitor all contentious areas in Israel/Palestine.

As Nobel Peace laureate Peres desperately scurries about, surreptitiously covering up the realities on the ground with baseless "ceasefire" rhetoric, General Sharon actively pursues his all-out war against the defenseless captive Palestinian population in east Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza Strip. Could it be General Sharon, henchman Uzi Landau & Co. are fearful of getting caught in the act?

At this most critical juncture, it has become infinitely clear that a team of international observers must be injected into the equation, before the moribund peace process will once again yield any fruit. Without this important step, talk of "confidence building measures" and "peace" will remain utterly futile.