Sir: A new chapter of Israel’s atrocities against innocent Palestinians is being written in the annals of history while the civilized world is watching without action or condemnation. The failure of the United Nations (UN) to take any action against Israel is sufficient to prove its impotence and partiality. It is the same UN that does not waste a minute in passing resolutions against countries the US find appropriate to attack in the name of so-called homeland security. It is ironic that though the US has confessed its mistake in attacking Iraq, the UN has not shown the courage to ask the US to compensate the Iraqi people. Therefore there is no denying the fact that the UN has become an instrument in the hands of the great powers to pursue their own agenda. Regrettably, rifts among the Arab states have taken the life out of their stance on the Palestinian issue. They are engaged in sectarian wars for regional dominance, ignoring the cause of Palestine. History tells us that when an institution loses its reason for existence and becomes the victim of the vicissitudes of fate it should be replaced with a new institution. The example of the League of Nations is pertinent to mention here. I personally feel the time to replace the UN has arrived. Due to the UN’s controversial role in issues like Kashmir, Iraq and Afghanistan, it has lost the reputation of a harbinger of world peace. Hence there is a desperate need for an alternative institution that would be free of the influence of the great powers. It is a question mark on the credibility of the UN and leaders of the civilized nations as the arbitrators of justice. The Palestinian people have been living in Israeli-occupied territory for more than 60 years. They have been expelled from their land and many confined to a narrow strip of Gaza. They are frequently attacked and killed by Israeli forces for their crime of demanding freedom in their own land. The world has to admit that the UN does not have any mechanism to enforce international law in case of its violation by states like the US or Israel. tayyab butt Sialkot