NOW is the time to speak up, now is when urgent action must be taken by the world's civil society to prevent further civilian massacres in Palestine and Israel. Civilian life must be protected, whether Palestinian or Israeli. A firm stand must be taken by the international community regarding the current situation, in order to ensure the rights of all without discrimination - including the right to self determination. The Israelis must realize that occupation is unacceptable, has been recognized as being so by the world community over forty years ago, violates the UN Charter, and constitutes a serious impediment to fundamental human rights and the promotion of world peace and co-operation. We would like to stress the legitimacy of the Palestinian struggle for self determination, a right guaranteed in international law and human rights declarations. This does not mean any and all methods to achieve that aim can be used however, and the right of civilians to life and security must at all times be respected. We would like to call to attention the Geneva Conventions, especially Article four on the treatment of civilians in times of war. Accordingly, we strongly condemn all suicide operations, and call for them to be seen by Arab populations for what they are: random murder of innocent and unarmed civilians. The Arab people must realize the danger of such tactics, must seek to solve the current crisis using more courageous means, and must urge their governments to do the same. AHRLA strongly condemns the silence of the international community, and sees it as an added frustration for the Palestinian people - some of whom, driven by despair, resort to such methods. We thus appeal to the international community as a whole to break its silence and take action to protect the legitimate right of Palestinians to self determination in order to avoid further bloodshed. The world's civil society must realize that by working towards a just peace, we avoid the evils of frustration and despair.