Pessimistic view of the Mideast

Re “Hitler’s Mideast helpers,” Opinion, Dec. 20

Max Boot’s column, in which he lumps together Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s denial of the Holocaust with Arab collaboration with the Nazis, is a thinly veiled argument in support of a common canard: Mideast peace cannot be achieved by negotiating with the Arabs because their opposition to Israel is based on a fundamental anti-Semitism. The chief problem with this is that it is a view without hope that will lead to the continued misery of everyone in the region. Are we to believe that anti-Semitism is a near-genetic condition that afflicts all humanity? If so, then a nuclear-girded Israel in perpetual conflict with its neighbors is a realistic strategic principle. A lack of hope also plagues the Arab world. If the world fails to recognize the plight of Palestinians, then why should we expect them to recognize the horrors visited on others? Peace will not come through demonizing others but will only occur as the result of hard work and hope.

KEVIN SAILOR

Bronx, N.Y.

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As the daughter of Holocaust survivors, my immediate reaction when hearing that someone denied that the Holocaust happened is to ask if they’d like some eyewitness testimony from my family. Oh, and one more thing, could they please get my medical history? My family and I always talk about how awkward and painful it is to see a doctor and be unable to answer the most basic questions about our family medical histories.

REBECCA KIKI

WEINGARTEN

Brooklyn, N.Y.

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As usual, Boot cherry-picks historical facts to prove that it was the Arabs who were to blame for the murder of 6 million Jews. Algeria was a French colony when Hitler invaded; many of the French colonists involved in ruling the natives were French Jews. In fact, the French had given all the Arab Jews French citizenship. Thus they had privileges denied to Muslims.

Although it was shameful to turn them over to the Nazis, how does Boot excuse the French treatment of the Arabs under colonial rule and the ethnic divisions they created based on sheer racism?

Even worse can be said about the British in Palestine. They were busy assisting Jewish colonists take away land from the Palestinian Arabs. It’s obvious Boot has no interest in history other than to cast aspersions on Arabs.

LYN MCKUEN

Los Angeles