Clear stance against Israel needed

With the ongoing conflict in Palestine, one may ask “Why all the fighting? What is being done to prevent this violence? Who is responsible for these brutal acts which go by daily unheard of to the outside world?”

Well, when I looked at the BBC News Web site last night, I was appalled to see that Israel is increasing the number of settlements in occupied Palestinian territories by 3,500 houses. Despite the fact that the international community agreed on the “Roadmap to Peace,” Israel has continued over and over again to violate this plan as well as other international laws.

Even President George W. Bush has disagreed with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s plans on expanding these settlements. However, Sharon has arrogantly ignored the international community’s pleas to stop the expansion of illegal settlements.

Three months ago, the International Court ruled the separation barrier which Israel is building (preventing thousands of children from going to schools and clinics, men from going to work to provide money for their families and many pregnant Palestinian women from reaching a hospital on the other side of the barrier before giving birth, which usually results in the death of the newborn and the mother) is illegal, and construction on it must stop.

Again, what did Israel do? It gave the whole world the finger and continued what it was doing arrogantly.

The international community as a whole must stop Israeli injustices against the Palestinian people, as well as non-Palestinians such as Rachael Corrie (who was intentionally and brutally crushed by an American-made Israeli bulldozer) and Tom Hurndall (the British peacekeeper in Palestine who was shot in the neck by Israeli snipers while walking Palestinian children to school, despite the fact he was holding a large white flag) and many more peacekeepers and activists from around the world.

The Palestinian people have become very desperate in recent years as a result of Israel’s harsh, brutal and inhumane policies towards them. I’m definitely not supporting suicide bombings on Israeli civilians, but we must stand up against Israeli injustice. Until then, there will be no peace.

Hamzah Mubarak is a seniormajoring in international studies.

Social Security was never intended as ID

There is a petition online at www.petitiononline.com/usfid123/petition.html , which is attempting to end USF’s use of social security numbers as identification.

The sheer number of times students are required to divulge their social security number on campus is frightening. Based on permutation alone, fraud will hit campus eventually. Thus, students must act to pre-empt fraud and encourage the university to change its policy.

This is not based on politics at all; this movement is based on common sense. Some petition signers have noted examples which, for lack of a better word, show pure stupidity on the part of administration.

David C. Weber is a freshman majoring in political science.