The complete quote, Albert Einstein's words, goes, "The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it."

Well some righteous and very brave people people are doing something, and they are now risking their lives. We have to help them.

I just received the text of a report of a group of international activists being beaten and shot at by Israeli soldiers this week in occupied Palestinian territory. [No, the world hasn't really dropped everything, hasn't interrupted its abominations everywhere in order to be spectators of the Americans' own special nutiness and barbarity.] The account arrived in an email from my friend Steve, who has twice gone to Palestine with Jews Against the Occupation (JATO), and will return this summer.

The story doesn't easily lend itself to being excerpted, but it can be read on the website maintained by the International Solidarity Movement (ISM). It may be enough to note that its major significance lies in what it reveals of the dangers increasing even for non-Palestinians, and the fact that this is most likely deliberate Israeli government policy.

I would like to take this opportunity to impress upon all our supporters that they are by no means helpless and that the success or failure of the ISM depends not only on the heroism of our activists in Palestine but also our supporters around the world.

We are convinced that these assaults on ISM activists are not merely a case of military indiscipline but of a deliberate campaign to intimidate our activists with the ultimate aim of driving them from areas such as Nablus so as to give the army a free hand in the area. By refusing to protest such violence against their nationals the governments of the West are not only failing in their responsibility to protect these peace activists but are also serving as accomplices to Israel's campaign of terrorism against the indigenous people of Palestine.

In the coming weeks America and its allies are expected to launch their war against Iraq. Many analysts believe that the Israeli's will seize the opportunity that the war presents to escalate its campaign of terror against the Palestinians with the aim of driving as many of them as possible from the Gaza Strip and the Occupied West Bank (ethnic cleansing). [Michael ISM Media Coordinator, Beit Sahour, Occupied Palestine]