Date sent: Tue, 06 Aug 2002 10:12:35 +0800 Subject: copy of a message (fax) to Sharon From: Paul Kessler <pkessler22@wanadoo.fr> To: Gush-Shalom <info@gush-shalom.org> Paris, August 6, 2002 Mr. Ariel SHARON Prime Minister of Israel Office of the Prime Minister JERUSALEM (Israel) Mr. Prime Minister, We the undersigned French academics and human rights activists (some of us, in particular, have relentlessly fought for the rights of Soviet Jews for many years) are at present deeply worried by the threats of legal procedures being envisaged by the Israeli government against Gush Shalom, an organization that struggles for peace and defends human rights in the occupied territories. Gush Shalom, by sending warning letters to officers who have been actually boasting about acts which are violating the Geneva Conventions, has made use of its democratic rights, and fulfilled in a way a civilian duty : guarding moral and legal principles. A government which starts legal procedures against a peace group for giving publicity to those acts does create the suspicion that it has something to hide - an impression which already rose by its keeping the press away. We therefore request the Israeli authorities not to take any legal steps against Gush Shalom. Sincerely, Sonia DAYAN-HERZBRUN, Professor of Sociology at the University of Paris-7 Joyce BLAU, Professor Emeritus of the French Institute for Study of Oriental Civilizations and Languages Lydie KOCH-MIRAMOND, astrophysicist, Scientific Advisor to the French Atomic Energy Commission Pierre FEDIDA, Professor of Psychopathology at the University of Paris-7, Director of the French Center for Study of Living Matter Gיrard TOULOUSE, physicist, Director of Research, member of the French Academy of Technologies Paul KESSLER, physicist, Director of Research (hon.), Chairman of the Human Rights Committee of the French Society of Physics Joseph PARISI, physicist at the University of Paris-11 Copies to : Foreign Minister Shimon PERES Defence Minister Benyamin BEN ELIEZER Attorney General Elyakim RUBINSTEIN .