I refer to Nazir A Osman’s letter “Tribunal not probing to victimise countries” (The Star, August 30). Osman says Terry Crawford-Browne makes the position of the tribunal clear when he says that: “It addresses any country guilty of human rights violations, not just Israel.”

Where, pray tell, did he read or hear this?

I have read extensively on the Russell Tribunal, which, by the way, is called the Russell Tribunal on Palestine. It is stated unequivocally that the tribunal is to investigate Israel’s supposed human rights abuses and its supposed apartheid.

There is not even a mention of it investigating the human rights abuses found within the Palestinian society, such as apartheid against women, the abuse of women and gay people, violence against Christian minorities, the fact that no Jews would ever be allowed in a Palestinian state and so on.

Nor does it mention or seek to investigate the human rights abuses of Hamas and Fatah towards Israel – the fact that the Hamas charter calls for the murder of all Jews everywhere, the continual bombardment of rockets by Hamas upon Israeli civilians, aimed at killing as many men, women and children as possible, the fact that state-owned Palestinian Authority TV teaches children that they will be lauded if they kill Israelis and so on.

But more importantly, when asked in an interview on July 31 (this interview can be found on the website of the Times newspaper, www.timeslive.co.za): “Isn’t it bizarre to sit in Cape Town judging Israel while worse atrocities are being committed every day just across the border in Zimbabwe?”

Crawford-Browne replied: “The Russell Tribunal cannot take on every issue in the world.”

Monessa Shapiro

Glenhazel, Joburg