Conrad on the Mideast Conflict

I have been an ardent admirer of Conrad and his work for many years. Although feeling that he has treated Israel harshly at times, nevertheless, his sincerity of feeling with regard to this difficult and agonizing situation--Israelis vs. Palestinian--seemed clear to me.

I must now question his sensitivity and his sincerity. His cartoon of the Star of David formed by guns is utterly distasteful to me, as it must be to all people of the Jewish faith. He has used this symbol many times and there have been storms of protests which he has chosen to ignore.

I will repeat the sentiments of those protests: The Star of David is the symbol of the religious faith and beliefs of the Jewish people. It has been such a symbol for centuries before the founding of the State of Israel. It has been one of the symbols that has kept our faith strong through pogroms, holocausts and persecution, and should not be desecrated by being shown as a symbol of war and its ugliness.

SHIRLEY STRICK

Los Angeles