‘Making Things Worse’ in Gaza

Khalidi’s column paints a one-sided picture of the Israel-Palestine story. As we all know there is another side to the sorry tale. Demanding every concession from Israel and none from the PLO which represents the Palestinians, can hardly be called objective. He expects Israel to turn back the clock, exit peacefully from the Golan Heights, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, but he does not specify that Golan Heights terrorists cease and desist from killing Jewish farmers in northern Israel, or sneaking across the border to murder Jewish schoolchildren.

Moreover, he demands that Jerusalem be turned back to the barbarians who desecrated and defaced centuries-old Jewish cemeteries and temples, denying Jews the right to worship at their holy places. I doubt Khalidi demonstrated as much compassion for the greatly outnumbered Israelis when they fought and won a brilliant six-day victory over those who had sworn to drive her into a sea of oblivion. In his eyes Israel’s sin was in winning the defensive war.

Jordan’s mistake was in entering the war against Israel, in spite of repeated pleas to remain neutral by the Israeli government. Jordan holds 77% of Palestine, Israel a mere 23%. It would be logical for King Hussein to resettle the West Bank Palestinians in Jordan where most of the population is Palestinian, but who expects logic from terrorists? Is it logical to leave a blank space in Mideast maps as the Arabs are doing, when Israel has existed biblically, religiously, spiritually and physically for 5,000 years and more in that land? If they won’t admit to Israel’s existence on the map, then how, in the name of God, can they be expected to negotiate in a reasonable and civilized manner?

SHIRLEY WOLF

Santa Monica