U.S. Reaction to Terrorism

As an American who has lived in Europe for many years, I must take exception to your editorial comment (Jan. 5), “Steady Nerves,” that “more vigilance and backbone” on the part of European governments might abate the threat of Palestinian terrorism.

Much as Europeans hate and fear terrorism, the harsh, knee-jerk, anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab reaction demanded by Israel and the United States is neither politically appropriate, economically viable, nor morally desirable for those on the European “front line.”

I would suggest that if the United States exercised “more vigilance and backbone” in dealing with an increasingly imperialistic Israel, stopped blaming and bullying conveniently irritating but essentially peripheral actors in the drama (Moammar Kadafi, after all, did not create the problem but adapts it to suit his own political interests, as everyone else does) and concentrated on helping to create a homeland for the Palestinians, the threat of of Palestinian terrorism would be considerably abated.

KARLA FLAY

Del Mar